its tweaking time again

[cressy]

hi guys, thanks to all who came to ef4 it was great to meet you all and speak to like minded folks for once and special thanks to steve for a top day even though i did get a roasting off the missus for not getting in til 7.
ive been wondering for a while where to go next with the tt project, wether to sack it and start again with some fresh ideas. im wondering if you lot can fire some ideas my way as the only thing i can think of and something that richard pointed out yesterday is to convert it to an idler. the only other thing was to make a laminate platter in the same way as the plinth as im now starting to get abit critical of its performance as we all do with our stuff after abit. id be interested in your opinions on its sound quality or more specifically areas it falls down in so i can try to address these areas. i think its weak in the treble and its not very neutral so any suggestions are welcome but please dont tell me to get rid of the denon! ( only cos i cant afford another cart so its out of the questiion till i can, wouldn't mind a kontrapunkt but id have to build a lighter arm ) cheers guys

[Greg.]

Hi Cressy,

As you have read, I don't like DL103's but my personal opinion was that yours on your TT was the best sounding at the event. Well done! I thought your TT was good but still had the characteristics of a belt drive and these days I no longer like that. Please read here 'splitting hairs' but to my ears, there is a considerable difference. If you want speed, attack and realistic decay on the notes that make your sound, coupled with speed stability that actually is audable I think you will have to move on. Keep the arm. I was gobsmacked at that, especially with the 103. Having said that, you've probably not achieved a cost effective result with your converted LP12, because you could have broken it down and sold it on in parts for a tidy sum that would then have adequately funded a good DD or idler project. Reflecting on that, you've carried out an experiment from which you've learned and expanded your comprehension and you've certainly improved on the standard LP12 Valhalla sound. In terms of learning it's worth far more than the value of parts you could have sold and at Eggfest you've now shared that so there are others of us who also now have your comprehension on this.

I think you TT is brilliant and you should be well chuffed. I know you can make it better or move on to something else. Without intending to be condescending, you are young and you are unusual for your age to have such a comprehension of what is a good sound. Your Dad obviously contributes to your understanding here and that's great. I'm all for healthy relationships of this type.

Anthony, I know you'll go a long way. I wish I had the inspiration you have when I was your age. Get on, work on and develop your thinking and your skills. Be sure you should achieve an awful lot.

Best wishes,

Greg

[pre65]

Hi Cressy-the problem is,as i have found with my "belt drive special",is that whatever you do with it you probably wont achieve the same level of performance as say a modified Lenco.

On mine,which is based on parts from a Logic DM101,i have now moved the driving belt from the inner hub to the outer rim (different belt of course) and i did (i think) detect a small improvement.I dont think i will do much more as when the 401 (and Lenco eventually) comes to life it will be "relegated" to the spare system.

So although you have done,and learned,a lot with your deck i would suggest a Lenco 75 (or 78) while you can still get them for £30 -£60.

You have the arm and cartridge to make a superb combination at a reasonable cost,and you may still be able to sell the Linn bits.

Whatever you decide,have fun.


Regards Philip

Just thought I might toss in a suggestion from afar. Have you folks tried using mylar belts instead of rubber? The fastest and least epensive source is VSH or Beta video tape. You will need a splice kit or in a pinch sharp scissors and scotch tape. Adjust the tape to length. Audio tape (cassette) will work with some existing pullys. Just a suggestion. Best regards Moray James.

[Primalsea]

I tried to make a belt using tape from an old audio cassette but the damn thing kept slipping on the drive pulley.

[cressy]

thanks for all these suggestions guys i really appreciate it. i think i will experiment with the different belt ideas but i was really impressed with the idlers on show. now ive heard them properly i think along with most of you guys that this is the way to go forward with my tt. i have a cartridge bearing off an old jap turntable and i think the next stage is to convert it to idler drive by putting an idler wheel on said bearing and fitting it between the motor pulley and the edge of the inner platter. according to richard higgins the size of this idler shouldnt have any effect on the speed as the ratio shouldnt be affected by a 'drive transfer' wheel. i'd think this might make it more speed stable as there wont be any stretching in the drivetrain. i just hope the valhalla board is as good as ivor thiefenbrun said it was at feeding a perfect 50hz signal to the motor. also the laminate platter idea will be done shortly as ive made a jig to cut circles using a jigsaw clamped to a top piece with the blade going down through a hole in it.. this is the bolted to a 12 inch bottom piece so theres a gap of 1 inch between the top and bottom pieces. theres a spindle in it that can be set at whatever distance you want from the jigsaw blade. the piece you are cutting has a hole drilled in it so it slides over the spindle, and you simply feed the piece through the jig. hey presto! a perfect circle! it can also cut rings if you drill an extra hole in the piece further in and put the blade through it, then move the spindle inwards accordingly. its great for any type of material so long as you use the right blade. im going to try this and the idler idea first then if im still not satisfied then ill sell te bits and get a lenco or something similar to play with! anyone got one theyd like to get shut of?

[Scottmoose]

You might be able to sell it on as-is. Just a thought. Then put the proceeds into a Goldring or similar. Probably a safer route than trying to convert the LP12 mech. I was really impressed with that deck as-is myself though. I was talking to Dave (Planet10) about it via emial last night. Streets ahead of any LP12 I've ever heard. One of the best BD decks I've heard, period to be honest. Nice work indeed.