platter/bearing wobble?

[martian sunrise]

Hi all,

i have a 1210 with a visible 'wobble' in the platter when spinning (viewed at a 45 degree angle). the deck is relatively new to me and is fitted with a mike new bearing.

I have tried to level the deck, using a round spirit level on the platter, but not had much joy. i can get it almost level at 3, 6, 9 & 12 if i keep the platter still, but if i take a 3, then check it at 6, 9 & 12 by leaving the level in the same place and spinning the platter through 90 degrees, it is way out.

this tells me the platter is flat, but the bearing is not straight - am i right, or is there something fundamental (and likely obvious) that i am missing?

how do i go about sorting it, if that is the case?

any advice welcome!

[Stratmangler]

Video?

[martian sunrise]

[edit - it won't let me upload .mov files - i'll need to get the camera out in the morning

[CageyH]

It sounds like the bearing is not mounted properly to me.
Loosen off the mounting screws and re-seat the bearing.

[martian sunrise]

it's really hard to get on video!

i'll try the bearing seat, cagey - thanks. [i hope it is easy!]

[mikeyb]

Videos on YouTube will show you how to access the bearing, nothing difficult to do.

[martian sunrise]

https://youtu.be/2vOwnS4yx4c

try this...

[apologies for the shaky hands - I hadn't had my morning pint]

[costerdock]

I have the M5G with the Mike New Bearing and noticed as the platter spins - it does wobble slightly - not too noticeable. This is likely due to the platter itself not being perfect. When I looked into this (just being completely anal) I wanted to check with other videos - and I did find one where someone was demoing their Mike New ETP Platter and Bearing- and I noticed the same amount of slight up and down in the video - very subtle but it was there. I can't imagine the bearing having anything to do with this - unless it was loose and moving around - which mine (I'm pretty sure isn't.)

I'd chalk it up to an imperfect platter.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlB1vvEvpTg

Look closely towards the middle of the video - as he zooms in - you can see ever so slight up and down. Go full screen at about 3:27. It is minuscule - but there - just like my factory platter. I've blown it off as a fact of life.

[Ammonite Audio]

I would be very surprised if the MN bearing was the problem here, unless it has been damaged and having once owned a MN bearing I reckon that bending one would be heroically difficult. It is much more likely to be an inconsistent fit between the platter and bearing spindle - try removing the platter, then turn it by 90 degrees and re-seat it on the bearing. Check for wobble and if necessary repeat the process until everything looks true. With luck, that might do the trick.

If the bearing was not seated properly, the whole platter would be at a slight angle, but consistently in one direction.


Hi all,

i have a 1210 with a visible 'wobble' in the platter when spinning (viewed at a 45 degree angle). the deck is relatively new to me and is fitted with a mike new bearing.

I have tried to level the deck, using a round spirit level on the platter, but not had much joy. i can get it almost level at 3, 6, 9 & 12 if i keep the platter still, but if i take a 3, then check it at 6, 9 & 12 by leaving the level in the same place and spinning the platter through 90 degrees, it is way out.

this tells me the platter is flat, but the bearing is not straight - am i right, or is there something fundamental (and likely obvious) that i am missing?

how do i go about sorting it, if that is the case?

any advice welcome!

[CageyH]

Isn't the taper on a Mike New bearing also slightly different to the original Technics profile?

[martian sunrise]

There's absolutely no play in the bearing. I have shifted the platter several times without any joy and I am wondering if it will become counterproductive to keep taking it on and off. I'll try another platter I think. If anyone is near and has one I can try, I'd appreciate it.

I know it isn't the end of the world, but I'd like to sort it. In the meantime I am going to listen to some loud rock n roll.

[costerdock]

Agreed - definitely not the bearing. My point was that even with the best platters there is a ever slight wobble - definitely not as pronounced as the OPs video.

Here is a bone stock video that shows ever so slight wobble of a factory platter. This is what I was seeing on mine and being anal about it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v65qvwB14NY

[allthingsanalogue]

Agreed - definitely not the bearing. My point was that even with the best platters there is a ever slight wobble - definitely not as pronounced as the OPs video.

Here is a bone stock video that shows ever so slight wobble of a factory platter. This is what I was seeing on mine and being anal about it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v65qvwB14NY

Pretty sure that's not a wobble but an inconsistency in the machining of the edge of the platter. My stock platter didn't wobble on the stock bearing or on the Mike New bearing. The ETP platter I had wobbled on the MN bearing.

I found this unacceptable and sold the deck after that and bought a new Lp12, been happy ever since.

I suspect the platter in the OPs video is warped or has been dropped to exhibit that kind of movement. As it's S/H it's impossible to know the history of the deck. Also, as another member has said the bearing could not be seated properly in the 'well' of the deck. You will need to loosen the three screws holding it down and give it a bit of a wiggle (technical term) to make sure it's in the correct position.

[costerdock]

Pretty sure that's not a wobble but an inconsistency in the machining of the edge of the platter. My stock platter didn't wobble on the stock bearing or on the Mike New bearing. The ETP platter I had wobbled on the MN bearing.

I found this unacceptable and sold the deck after that and bought a new Lp12, been happy ever since.

I suspect the platter in the OPs video is warped or has been dropped to exhibit that kind of movement. As it's S/H it's impossible to know the history of the deck. Also, as another member has said the bearing could not be seated properly in the 'well' of the deck. You will need to loosen the three screws holding it down and give it a bit of a wiggle (technical term) to make sure it's in the correct position.


Agreed.

[rhythmbug]

Bit late on this but thought I'd add my experiences. I've got an MN bearing and a Funk Firm Platter. I noticed a wobble and the platter was not sitting entirely secure; what's more VTA measurements between the outer & inner of the record varied by 2.0mm or more. This resulted in tonal imbalances across the record. I mostly fixed this by re-attaching the bearing and securing all fixings. I did not realise how sensitive all these parts are! It is crucial all fixings are tightened and centered perfectly or as near as dammit. Now the VTA discrepency is in the vicinity of circa 0.5mm and the wobble is mostly gone. Not perfect, but a LOT better.

[martian sunrise]

I bought a second hand platter and there is still a small wobble, but no where near as pronounced as the one in the op

[Spectral Morn]

Bit late on this but thought I'd add my experiences. I've got an MN bearing and a Funk Firm Platter. I noticed a wobble and the platter was not sitting entirely secure; what's more VTA measurements between the outer & inner of the record varied by 2.0mm or more. This resulted in tonal imbalances across the record. I mostly fixed this by re-attaching the bearing and securing all fixings. I did not realise how sensitive all these parts are! It is crucial all fixings are tightened and centered perfectly or as near as dammit. Now the VTA discrepency is in the vicinity of circa 0.5mm and the wobble is mostly gone. Not perfect, but a LOT better.

I have a Funk mk1 platter and no wobble, also Mike New metal platter, again no wobble.

I suspect much of this is down to incorrectly installed bearings and platters that are not lowered centred on to the bearing taper.

There was an issue with the new Funk platter early on before the depth of the hole in the Funk platter was adjusted, it was made slightly deeper.

[Spectral Morn]

I bought a second hand platter and there is still a small wobble, but no where near as pronounced as the one in the op

Which platter, Mike New metal, Mike New ETP, Funk mk1, Funk mk2 ?

When folks are being critical of products they should give all the information regarding what precise items are at issue.

[martian sunrise]

a standard technics platter.

[Spectral Morn]

a standard technics platter.

Should be no problem, have run with that option as well. Its possible the platter mounting hole is damaged if it was a roughly handled DJ deck, if from a new one I am not sure what might be wrong. I tried several Technics platters with it around about the time the issue with the Funk MK2 platter was discovered, trying to work out why it would not sit correctly on the Mike New bearing taper. As I said it was found that the hole wasn't deep enough.

Other than that I suspect the bearing is not mounted correctly in the turntable.

[Len Co]

Looks like the platter may be off centre to me. Does the stylus go up and down or in and out when playing?

[rhythmbug]

I have a Funk mk1 platter and no wobble, also Mike New metal platter, again no wobble.

I suspect much of this is down to incorrectly installed bearings and platters that are not lowered centred on to the bearing taper.

There was an issue with the new Funk platter early on before the depth of the hole in the Funk platter was adjusted, it was made slightly deeper.

When you apply pressure on the edge of platter with your hand, does it move? Or remain 100% flat? Mine still has a smidgen of play. I believe my platter is the MK1, it has the regular Acromat black & white logo on it. I bought it second hand so have no idea how old it is. The screws that hold the bearing in place on my deck were not a perfect fit, I had to do a bit of wiggling, adjusting, removing and re-trying to get the screws all the way down. The philips heads are nearly threaded as a result : /

[Spectral Morn]

When you apply pressure on the edge of platter with your hand, does it move? Or remain 100% flat? Mine still has a smidgen of play. I believe my platter is the MK1, it has the regular Acromat black & white logo on it. I bought it second hand so have no idea how old it is. The screws that hold the bearing in place on my deck were not a perfect fit, I had to do a bit of wiggling, adjusting, removing and re-trying to get the screws all the way down. The philips heads are nearly threaded as a result : /

No movement at all, mine is a Funk mk1 too. The threads in the base of the Technics are very easily damaged stripping is very easy. There are small variations in the base of Technics decks I had three hear at one time and there were subtle differences which could explain that issue you have regarding the screws.

[rhythmbug]

Interesting. It could be tolerances or parts not sitting totally flat after tinkering with it. Well, I managed to secure the platter with (I hate to say this) a bit of force. I removed it and re-secured by leaning on it with my hands and body weight in the area where the "dip" was and forcing it down into the position I wanted it, rather than just letting it sit. Now it doesn't move at all, and the VTA is 98% consistent across the deck. Solved.

[alphaGT]

Any visible variances in the platter is completely unacceptable. Variances that you can't see can be enough to create rumble and wow in your playback. If you have a mechanic friend you may borrow a runout indicator. A dial indicator with a pin sticking out, some have magnetic bases. If you can set it up and read the runout of the spindle, then this can tell you if it's the platter or the bearing. If the spindle has very little runout, then your bearing is good. If the edge of the platter runs out then the platter is out of round. And if the top of the platter goes up and down, then it's not setting right on the spindle. If you can't get a dial indicator, just a C clamp and a stationary stick can tell you if the gap is changing with feeler gauges. If these things seem to be out of control, If any of these things are off and you can't make them right, sell that table and buy another. These errors will cause wow and rumble and other audible artifacts that you can hear. Heck, I've had well respected record players that sounded like a bowling ball rolling down the lane during the silent spaces! I can't imagine if I could actually see it wobbling. Just my humble opinion, if it sounds good to you then rock it!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mike_New]

Cagey
I think you will find that your statement of difference in the taper is very much incorrect.
This was suggested by "other uninformed people' some years ago and generally accepted by the informed community to be wrong.
Many of the OEM platters do have a slight wobble. In fact what you align to when assessing the "wobble' is the outer top silver rim
of the platter.
If you place a Dial Indicator Gage (as I have done) on many of the platters just inside the outer ring you would find a considerable movement!!

[Mike_New]

Interesting. It could be tolerances or parts not sitting totally flat after tinkering with it. Well, I managed to secure the platter with (I hate to say this) a bit of force. I removed it and re-secured by leaning on it with my hands and body weight in the area where the "dip" was and forcing it down into the position I wanted it, rather than just letting it sit. Now it doesn't move at all, and the VTA is 98% consistent across the deck. Solved.

Did you think to carefully clean the inside of the taper? this is often the cause of error.
Also smear a small amount of grease onto the bearing taper this permits the platter to seat more easily.