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Stylus Drag

Hello all,

I was wondering, does stylus drag vary significantly based on the musical content of a record: frequency or dynamic vs slow passages? If it does vary based on the musical content is this amount insignificant relative to the amount of overall drag arising from the friction of the needle in the groove?

The resaon I'm asking is to understand that even if the speed setting is compensated for stylus drag if at a micro level it is still varying based on the musical content and if this is heard sonically.

Thanks,

Andrew
aoliviero
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,605 posts
 
"Also, as several designers have schooled me, there is no such flywheel effect from heavy platters that compensates for this. "

Its basically inertia. A heavier mass in motion will require greater force (friction in case of stylus tracking a record)to change speed than otherwise.

That's why I would expect greater mass platters in motion to be less susceptible to small changes in drag/friction as the stylus tracks than otherwise.

ALso I suppose higher tracking force would result in greater drag/friction than less tracking force, so of course as in most things it all depends. Drag/friction is a fact but how significant it is is more up to debate I suppose and could vary widely case by case. It all depends....

For me, if the speed measures as accurate an stays that way and I do not hear any ill effects, I would not worry about it.

Of course, that will not stop some who really really care from fretting......
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Yes, a platter does store energy. Apparently, that alone is not enough to counter stylus drag.
dover
2,290 posts
 
My Final Audio TT has a 19kg platter and very sophisticated motor drive, basically a huge AC motor driven by oscillator preamp and power amplifier which reconstructs sine and cosine waves for the motor and provides precise adjustability for both speed and torque applied to the motor.
As Halcro alluded to above when setting speed, I have to do that with the stylus in the groove.
Once set though it is very stable. In recent tests with the Timeline and KAB there was no speed change from heavily modulated passages both inner groove and outer groove.
Arm and cartridge were Naim Aro/Koetsu Black tracking a 1.8g
dgad
782 posts
 
Andrew,

I have checked my speed on my BN with a digital readout through my computer using a program that is free called iSpectrum. What I do is play test frequencies and checked the Waterfall plot and it is spot on. My biggest factor is the belt. They need to be replaced when they get old otherwise you get a sling effect. But this has been by ear. I have excellent speed stability which I can watch on a screen. I don't use a strobe but instead the computer to set my speed. Seems to match the strobe though. Once set it stays put. I have checked it often and my speed stays steady.
lewm
13,445 posts
 
Stringreen, If you check the other, older thread on speed stability, you will find many reports from many owners of results for many different kinds of turntables. Most were using the Sutherland Timeline as a criterion for speed stability. The sentiment was that the Timeline is superior to what is probably the best of the strobe devices, the KAB, in the sense that the Timeline could show speed errors where the KAB showed none. A disturbing number of tt's were unstable even with no stylus drag factor added, using the Timeline. That's why this thread is completely redundant.
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