MG-1 Air Bearing Tonearm? Anyone experience it?

Paul, why not use a canister near the TT and mount the pump in a completely different location? You can build a pretty good sized resevoir for a few bucks out of PVC and a couple of brass pipe fittings. This will not only help to stabilize and regulate the air pressure levels, but cut down on the apparent noise near the listening area. Sean
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Sean i am working on that idea now,sort of like the old surge tanks for the ET2`s.The pump is noisy in the same room as the listener,especially if it is as small as mine(12x14).I got an additional 20 feet of hose and located the pump in another room.Ada mentioned some form of control valve for regulating the air flow,that would further improve the sonics of the arm.I have not had the chance to explore that suggestion.Keep those ideas coming.

Don't forget that the hose itself smooths out pumping surges along with the tank, andwill further quieten things. The Maplenolls I lived with for years came with 100 feet of hose, and at something like 10 cents a foot we're not talking a fortune. An easy tweak, and allows you to get that pump even further from the source! Hell, why not 200 feet just to be safe?

A surge tank was a great tweak for the ET-2. A plastic 5 gallon gas can you put about 2/3 full with polyester stuffing. Run the pump hose into the bottom of the can. Start the hose to the arm just inside the lid. Like a BONG!
I wonder what it would do on a suspended table like my Ariston?

Well, I wanted to update on my experience with the MG-1. For optimal setup I did have to drill a hole in my Teres armboard, to best accomodate the MG-1. I'm now better able to dial in the tonearm. The tonearm really sounds great, although there are some growing pains. Two stand out. I find if I walk close to the turntable, the cartridge jumps - literally. This is a bit disconcerting to say the least, so I find I have to tiptoe up to turn records etc. The issue may be realted to my new stand (Adona double rack), although when I try my OL Silver on the Teres now (with tt also on the Adona), nothing jumps at all - thins appear rock steady - so the arm seems to be the likely culprit. Secondly, I find that levelling of the air tube is critical, if there's the slightest leaning to either side, the arm may stall/skip - can be particularly worrying when the cartridge reaches the end of the record - I've had the cartridge get thrown/pushed back across the record - again, quite disconcerting.

Overall though, despite the setup challenges and kinks, the arm sounds great, and remains a bargain at the price, and I can't help but feel there's an extra degree of airyness about the presentation compared to the OL Silver. The presentation of the music seems a bit more light on it's feet. It takes me about a half hour to switch out arms though, and I don't like doing it (removing/reinstalling cartridge etc), so I haven't done a lot of close side-by-side comparison. I think I'll continue to use and play with the MG-1 until I've saved enough for a top dog arm - likely the Schroeder DPS or Model 1 or 2 (surely I can never afford the Reference ;-(

I will post photos of the setup soon - my camera is out of action just now...

Happy listening,
John.