Turntable speed accuracy

Lewm: " As you know also, the next mod was to remove the rubber bushing at the anchor point of the idler arm, so as to disallow even that small amount of play at its pivot. I have not done that, in the belief that there is some benefit to dissipating vibrational energy in the idler arm itself, by letting the arm "rattle" a little bit, so energy is not reflected back into the idler and thence into the platter. It's all a head game, because I have no data either way."

It is, indeed, a head game. Sometimes I wonder if we make rigid on all the linkages such as the idler arm, rubber bushing, to not allow any flexing, will the speed be even more stable and what will happen to the sound. The brilliance of the Lenco is in the use of tension: the idler arm pressing on the motor, the spring pulling the wheel towards to motor shaft, and 3 point suspension pushing up the motor towards wheel and then the platter. It's in this chain of tension of push and pull that makes the whole system work in unison. It's a complex and zen system at the same time. I wonder if making any one or all part(s) rigid will ruin this system of tension and its sound. Or it might improve it. I do not know... but it's a fun head game. :-)

To me the idea of direct drive having only one single moving part is even more zen.... and that one moving part rotates at 33.33rpm is super cool... at least it runs circle around Art Dudley's head. ;-)

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....It's a complex and zen system at the same time.

For a lot of Audiophiles everything is more or less a fascinating wonder when a light stars to shine and something is beginning to move. A turntable needs the right speed, knowledge to make the area of the needle silent and a solution to remove the energy from the tracking. All together in the best possible way (Engineering).
The Story is simple. But not for everyone :-)

"A turntable needs the right speed, knowledge to make the area of the needle silent and a solution to remove the energy from the tracking." Amen. Very Zen.

No doubt repeating a point someone else has made.
If the speed is off, the pitch is off, a cardinal sin for me.

Interesting story which I shared years ago.
I was in Chicago at the CES...circa 1984. I had lobbied Magnepan for their line a lot. A LOT, LOT, LOT. To their credit THIEL beseeched me to carry Maggies.
At the CES in Chicago that year, I went in to the Magnepan booth...they were, as I recall playing the MG III's.
Jim Winey asked me to 'have a seat, listen and tell me what you think.'
I had told him on entering that I'd been trying to get his line to no avail...like a Zen Master, he listened and nodded patiently...'Sit, Listen'.

After I listened to a cut I knew, from 'Jazz at the Pawnshop', I stood.
Mr. Winey said, 'What do you think?'
I said, 'It sounds great, just one small issue.'
'Yes?'
'Your turntable is turning too fast, the pitch is sharp.'
He only nodded.
A week later, I got a phone call from their then Director of Sales Dave Carambula (memory)...
'If you still want the line, we'll ship tomorrow.'
They did.
When Dave showed up, I introduced my Wife...he said, I don't remember her, but we remembered you...especially Mr. Winey remembered.'
'Oh?'
'Yes...he told me, give that man our line, anybody who notices the pitch differential deserves to have us in his store.'
He turned to my wife, 'Yes, your husband's the one who told us that our turntable was set up wrong.'
That is how I ended up with the Magnepan line.

Funny how the best stories are always the true stories.

Larry

What turntable?