My quest for my first deck

[Epicurus]

Relatively soon, I'm going to buy my very first turntable. Of course, it'll be mated to the rest of my system, which is (as I've already said in my first post in the "Welcome" section of the forum):

1. Philips DVP-9000S Cineos SACD/DVD player
2. Audio Analogue Primo Settanta integrated amplifier
3. Klipsch RB-25 loudspeakers
4. Monster Cable Interlink 250 interconnects
5. Roister (that's a Greek loudspeaker company) OFC speaker cables
6. Atacama Nexus speaker stands

Now, there are some issues: First, the amplifier does not have a built-in phono stage; instead, the owner can either purchase an external unit or install Audio Analogue's own phono board - and I'm not quite sure if it's MM/MC or strictly MM. Second, in this city, support for vinyl is scarce. Most repair shops don't even know what turntables are supposed to look like nowadays and the only technician that knows his stuff has extensive experience with the Technics SL-1200 Mk2, which, in his words, saw his kids through university, as well as the various Dual decks. So, this is pretty much where I'm headed, because I'm not particularly keen on buying something I won't be able to find local support for.

So, it seems that it becomes a toss-up between the Technics and something from the now-reborn Dual stable (and it seems that the most capable Dual is the CS505-4).

Unfortunately, I can't say I have any real experience with either deck. The SL-1200s I've been hearing in the past were installed in clubs and bars; hardly a Hi-Fi experience, no? The only SL-1200 owner that bothered to set them up somewhat properly was the proprietor of a record store in Chania (Crete island), who had them on top of a not-quite-so-good cabinet, equipped with Shure cartridges (I forget the model now), a rather basic old NAD receiver and wall-mounted JBL loudspeakers (again, I don't know which model they were). As for the Dual, I remember it being part of a mid-Fi system in another record store and I've very rarely heard it in action.

So, most of what I know about these decks comes from stuff I've read online or heard from others who have used them in the past or use them currently.

I've made a list of pros and cons for each one.

Technics SL-1200 Mk2

Pros
-Precise motor
-Excellent build
-Price
-Technical support
-Dynamics

Cons
-Tonearm cable
-Tonearm
-Feet
-Occasional hum from the mains transformer
-Platter mat

Dual CS505-4

Pros
-Plug 'n' play character
-Technical support

Cons
-Not quite analytical enough, lightweight bass
-Non-upgradable tonearm
-ULM tonearm imposes restrictions on the choice of cartridge
-Nowadays, it's in the same price league as a Pro-Ject or Rega, so its "bang for buck" advantage has ceased to exist

So, with these things as a given, the Technics sounds more tempting as a purchase. Of course, I know full well that it deserves a series of upgrades.

Here are some that I'm planning to give it (in bold the ones that will happen almost as soon as I buy it):

1. OFC tonearm cable from the M5G version (temporary, until the stock tonearm is put on a bus (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PutOnABus)).
2. Denon DL-103 cartridge
3. Custom-made console (like the ones sold by KAB) with a 20mm-thick corian bottom, height-adjustable feet and walls made of 30mm-thick solid birch veneered either with Indian rosewood or Macassar ebony or highly-figured walnut; the deck will sit on the console's base using Sound HiFi's non-adjustable sorbothane feet.
4. Jelco SA-750D tonearm (with the custom collar mentioned HERE (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7359)) and Jelco's own cable.
5. WBT 0201 or 0244 RCA sockets for the rear of the deck.
6. TimeStep external power supply.
7. Pure Sound/Sound HiFi copper mat.
8. TimeStep main bearing.

I'd like your opinion (and experience) on these mods I've planned for the Technics (I'm a bit of a tinkerer, so I can't stand a "no upgrades possible" deck). And if you've got other suggestions, they're more than welcome.

[Jason P]

Bit of a no-brainer really - gotta be the Techhie. If you're intent on modding to the extent you say, the Dual will be throwing away money. The great thing about the 1200/10 is the modular approach - mine has a rewired arm, KAB damper and Sumiko headshell and runs an AT33PTG happily. I had a Denon 103 before this that worked well (with added mass in the shape of an Isoteknik spacer) and I know that a) when funds allow I can improve it, b) it will lose very little value (especially true if you buy secondhand) and c) it will probably outlast me!!

I'd go for a 1210 (mk5 if you don't want to faff with a rewire), either Isonoe or SoundHifi squidgy feet, a Sumiko headshell for starters. Then talk to your bank manager...

Jason

[Epicurus]

Thanks for your reply. I did find the Dual to be a rather softly suspended. Also, I'll need some suggestion for a phono stage - I'm definitely going to go for MC, so I'll need something appropriate. Is Musical Fidelity's V-LPS a good starting point?

[Marco]

Hi Konstantinos,

Welcome to AOS! :)

I keep adding your signature to your profile, and you keep removing it :doh: :lol:

Please leave it there, as it allows everyone to know what your first name is when replying, no matter where it is on the forum - and we like to refer to each other by our first names on AOS.

Thank you :cool:

Marco.

[Epicurus]

@Marco:

I thought it was some weird glitch in the system... I didn't know it was you all along.:brickwall:

[Reid Malenfant]

Is Musical Fidelity's V-LPS a good starting point?
I think you are refering to the X-LPS & if so i'd avoid the early versions if you plan on using a moving coil cartridge. They were/are rather noisy & prone to RF interference. I have no idea about the later X-LPS V3 or the newer V8 but steer clear of the early versions ;)

[Epicurus]

The V-LPS is this one: http://www.musicalfidelity.com/products/V-Series/V-LPS/V-LPS.asp

It's part of a cheaper series; some reviews from the two Greek magazines I know of (well, there's also another one, but it promotes a "vinyl is dead, digital-only, home theater-only please" kind of thing) consider it less noisy than others in the 100-200 euro range.

[DSJR]

Welcome :)

Now, I'm a HUGE Dual fan and know most of the better ones imported into the UK since the early 70's, but the 505 in ANY form was easily outclassed by an inexpensive CD player, the 505-4 sounding a bit scrappy and, well, "shallow" to my ears, the supplied AT95e only masking it to a degree. Those that came with Ortofon OM clones could be upgraded with the OM20 stylus to advantage, but that was it really.

Now, your other choice....:lol: If you trawl around on here, you'll have loads of advice and hints on how to tune up a Techie, which, in stock form, would be a far, FAR better turntable than the Dual (or any Dual up to a point IMO). The only alternatives which may be available new are Pro-Ject, Rega if available or Thorens, which has a huge range of good looking decks (on the one hand) and good sounding decks (on the other) to suit various markets.

Seriously, I think the Techie would be great in stock form for your needs and, once you have the measure of it, the sky (and your wallet) is the limit :)

[DSJR]

Regarding phono stages, I'm sure the V series phono stage will be ok and the NAD and Cambridge ones are well thought of by-and-large too for not a huge amount of money. Try to get something that can be sold on with little loss if you feel you'd like to take things further.

[Reid Malenfant]

The V-LPS is this one: http://www.musicalfidelity.com/products/V-Series/V-LPS/V-LPS.asp

It's part of a cheaper series; some reviews from the two Greek magazines I know of (well, there's also another one, but it promotes a "vinyl is dead, digital-only, home theater-only please" kind of thing) consider it less noisy than others in the 100-200 euro range.
That's a stage i have absolutely no experience of - sorry, i can't help :( My apologies for not even knowing it existed & thinking you had got it wrong ;)

[colinB]

I sold my Cambridge phono for little less than i paid new. I nice amp.

[Epicurus]

Pro-Jects are sold here in my city. Regas aren't. As for Thorens, there's only one retailer in Athens and there are things I don't like about them. For starters, the lower-priced Thorenses are actually rebadged Duals. Mid-priced Thorenses (the 295 and the 700) have way too much Pro-Ject DNA in them. The 309 has a tonearm that looks daunting to set up. The 160HD looks horrible, to the point where my girlfriend of about ten years has threatened to leave me if I buy it. The 800-series don't look good, either. The only good-looking version of the 350 is the one that's veneered in maple (I detest ash; it's an el cheapo wood that only looks good when used for the body of a Stratocaster or a Telecaster - and that's about it), not to mention it's way out of my league. As for the 550, it's even further out of my league. And I'm not too keen on getting a Rega RB250-equipped deck, either; I think they're overrated, overhyped and, to be entirely honest, they don't have that look either; especially considering that, when I was a teen, I was lusting after the Micro-Seikis the owner of a local record store had.

[DSJR]

Pro-Jects are sold here in my city. Regas aren't. As for Thorens, there's only one retailer in Athens and there are things I don't like about them. For starters, the lower-priced Thorenses are actually rebadged Duals. Mid-priced Thorenses (the 295 and the 700) have way too much Pro-Ject DNA in them. The 309 has a tonearm that looks daunting to set up. The 160HD looks horrible, to the point where my girlfriend of about ten years has threatened to leave me. The 800-series don't look good, either. The only good-looking version of the 350 is the one that's veneered in maple (I detest ash; it's an el cheapo wood that only looks good when used for the body of a Stratocaster or a Telecaster - and that's about it), not to mention it's way out of my league. As for the 550, it's even further out of my league. And I'm not too keen on getting a Rega RB250-equipped deck, either; I think they're overrated, overhyped and, to be entirely honest, they don't have that look either; especially considering that, when I was a teen, I was lusting after the Micro-Seikis the owner of a local record store had.

What I meant to say is that Thorens make all sorts of turntables for all sorts of markets and sound quality doesn't always come into it. the re-badged Duals are double the price they were when they were Duals and that's sad IMO.

The RB250 is one of the greatest tonearms ever made. Only the finish and lack of versatility (together with being made with brass parts instead of the 300's stainless steel parts) really limit it. It's no good for the Techie by all accounts..

Nah, the SL12** series is what you should be looking for IMO. The Mk2 is perfectly ok, although I understand the MK5G may have a slightly better arm (wiring and so on) perhaps.

[Epicurus]

Oh, don't worry, in Greece, Duals have become ridiculously overpriced too; they sell for the same money as their Thorens-rebadged siblings. The CS455-1M goes for well over 700 euros, which is absolutely ridiculous, considering all its R&D costs have now disappeared; not to mention the salary dumping game played by Germany for all these years (turning itself into a European China of sorts).

Regarding Rega now... Well, I have some serious beef with its policy:

1. No VTA adjustment, plus they will void your warranty if you use an arm collar that allows for VTA adjustment. Excuse me?
2. "If you rewire your arm, we'll void your warranty". I beg your pardon?
3. Not to mention that, for practical reasons, I prefer detachable headshells.

As for the brass v stainless steel debate, as a guitarist I can tell you it's a huge discussion. I use a super-heavy trem block on a guitar equipped with a Floyd Rose Original bridge and it's drastically the guitar's sustain, plus it's warmed-up the sound significantly; and the composite Graph Tech saddles have evened out the response, taking a little bit off the stainless steel frets' edge.

I've considered the M5G as a purchase, but, to be honest, it only features one improvement that helps it sound better: the tonearm cable. All the other changes are either detrimental, impractical for home use or just plain irrelevant (slip mats that are only good for DJs, no hinges for the lid, wider pitch variation range).

[DSJR]

Since the techie tonearms tend to be removed and sold off for spares, then the mk2 should be fine for you.

Rega arms were designed primarily for their decks and height adjustment was largely unneccessary and irrelevant for these turntables. It's just that the vastly superior resonance properties were appreciated by other turntables and as the cartridges improved in the 80's, the RB tonearms came into their own IMO. HOWEVER, the direct-coupled approach doesn't suit every deck, although the NAS Spacedeck fits the arm pillar in a collet which allows easy height adjustment and the sound of an RB300 in one is light years ahead of many other turntables with belt drive and springy suspensions I thought..

Detachable-shell arms all have a 250 - 300Hz resonance "problem" but whether this is an issue depends on the arm and especially the headshell used IMO. The standard Techie headshell (I now have one) is FINE for mm type cartridges and seems very rigid too. For MC types, a Sumiko or similar is much better (Marco here has other recommendations and I'm sure he'll be along shortly :)). For tonearm upgrades, the Jelco 750 seems to be where it's at and it looks to be beautifully finished and constructed. Someone here is doing a pillar base upgrade too, which clamps the pillar better in the manner of Linn arms (what Ivor called an "engineer's clamp.")

[hifi_dave]

Regarding Rega now... Well, I have some serious beef with its policy:

1. No VTA adjustment, plus they will void your warranty if you use an arm collar that allows for VTA adjustment. Excuse me?
2. "If you rewire your arm, we'll void your warranty". I beg your pardon?
3. Not to mention that, for practical reasons, I prefer detachable headshells.


No.1 Rega have no policy regarding the use of VTA adjusters and voiding the warranty. Michell Eng make an excellent one for use with the earlier Rega arms. For the later 3-point fixing arms there is a 3-way spacer.

No.2 Re-wiring an arm can damage the bearings and/or have a detrimental effect on the performance. How many manufacturers would allow modifications and still warranty the product ? If you had seen as many damaged Rega arms as I and DSJR have, you wouldn't question this policy.

No.3 That's your choice.

[Epicurus]

Well, here's what Rega themselves say (http://www.rega.co.uk/downloads/modification%20info.PDF):


Rega does not approve of any modification or rewiring carried
out on our tonearms by other
companies.
The high rigidity and weight of wires used in many common
modifications will often lead to
excessive bearing wear and restriction on bearing movement.
This shortens the life of the
product and will lower performance.
Any attempt to modify our products will instantly invalidate
your lifetime warranty.

And the RB300's manual (http://www.rega.co.uk/downloads/RB300%20tonearm%20instructions.pdf) has this to say on arm height adjustment:


The arm is not adjustable for height except by the use of a stainless steel spacer.
You should as a dealer, have some of these spacers in stock.
The arm is designed so that the rear of the should be as close to the arm mounting
board as possible. On the Rega P3 and the Linn Sondek turntables no spacers
should be necessary and none should be fitted. On some other models of
turntable it may be necessary to use a spacer to achieve the correct height, if
more than two spacers are necessary then it is a better solution that the turntable
manufacturer or the dealer should make up one single spacer of the correct
height. This should be made from stainless steel and the faces touching the arm
and arm board should be accurately machined flat

And here are my own comments on this:

1. There are many occasions when stainless steel is simply not available as a material for the construction of the spacer.
2. There are many occasions when local machine shops can't be trusted to make a spacer that is "accurately machined flat" (I speak from personal experience).
3. I would rather be allowed to adjust the height of the arm myself than have to depend on others making (unsightly) spacers and shims for me.
4. I suppose manufacturers like SME or others who allow for such adjustments don't know what they're doing and Rega are the only one who do?

Finally, rewiring an arm and/or putting it in a height-adjustable collar are absolutely insignificant - when it comes to its integrity - modifications, so they should not be reasons for warranty invalidation.

[chris@panteg]

Perhaps the Project decks are your best option , as for the 309 being hard to set up ?.

Its actually a bit of a breeze or a walk in the park ' as they say in the states .

[StanleyB]

-Technical support

-Nowadays, it's in the same price league as a Pro-Ject or Rega, so its "bang for buck" advantage has ceased to exist
Since when does price tell any of us that you get more bangs for your bucks? If either Pro-Ject or Rega had sold the same amount of decks as the Technics their would have cost less than £100. If Technics had sold the same amount as Pro-Ject or Rega, the SL-1200 would cost around £1000.

With reference to your point that you have seen the SL-1200 used in clubs etc.: Have you ever seen a sensible DJ using a Rega? Nope, because it is not built to anywhere close to the same robustness. A DJ cannot afford to see his deck break down on the job ;).

[chris@panteg]

If you want to go the 1210 route ' get the basic mk2 especially if your intent on changing the arm , which i recommend ' btw and the Jelco 250st or 750 would be ideal.

Timestep psu and main bearing are no brainer's IMHO.

Copper mat if you can afford it and Isonoe feet .

[Epicurus]

Perhaps the Project decks are your best option , as for the 309 being hard to set up ?.

Its actually a bit of a breeze or a walk in the park ' as they say in the states .

I was talking about the new Thorens TD309 deck (its arm doesn't have any markings whatsoever), not the SME309 tonearm.

[chris@panteg]

Ahh my mistake :doh: appologies.

[Alex_UK]

Well, here's what Rega themselves say (http://www.rega.co.uk/downloads/modification%20info.PDF):

Um, isn't that exactly what hifi_dave said? :scratch:

And nor did he or anyone else say Rega had got it right, and SME et al hadn't, as far as I can see? :scratch::scratch:

(I would also expect you could have the shims sent to you not need to get them specially made.)

All different implementations, but if you don't like Rega, then fair enough.

[hifi_dave]

The stainless steel spacers available in a variety of thickness are readily available from any Rega dealer or Rega direct. This is clearly stated in the Rega manual. Rega also now have a spacer for the newer 3 point fixing arms.

As to re-wiring and other mods - what sane company would permit that to be done and still warranty their product ? It doesn't happen.

[Alex_UK]

2. "If you rewire your arm, we'll void your warranty". I beg your pardon?

I forgot to mention in my other post - so are you saying Technics will still honour the warranty if you modify their deck? I doubt it, but I haven't looked into it myself, perhaps you have?

I think 99% of us on here would accept that once you modify a piece of equipment you can kiss goodbye to any warranty. I certainly do.

[Epicurus]

Since when does price tell any of us that you get more bangs for your bucks? If either Pro-Ject or Rega had sold the same amount of decks as the Technics their would have cost less than £100. If Technics had sold the same amount as Pro-Ject or Rega, the SL-1200 would cost around £1000.

With reference to your point that you have seen the SL-1200 used in clubs etc.: Have you ever seen a sensible DJ using a Rega? Nope, because it is not built to anywhere close to the same robustness. A DJ cannot afford to see his deck break down on the job ;).

Well, let's face it: the Dual CS505-4 (which is now made by a company named Fehrenbacher or something like that) is an old, mid-Fi design. Back when it was new, it cost much less than a Rega Planar 3 or a Pro-Ject, so complaining about its shortcomings was somewhat irrelevant. Nowadays, it costs more (seriously, the dealership here lists it for about 800 euros, and we can only expect is price to go up) than a Rega or a Pro-Ject or a Technics SL1200 - and they all run rings around it. And I'm sure I don't want to know what improved Regas, Pro-Jects and Techies do to it...

[Epicurus]

I forgot to mention in my other post - so are you saying Technics will still honour the warranty if you modify their deck? I doubt it, but I haven't looked into it myself, perhaps you have?

I think 99% of us on here would accept that once you modify a piece of equipment you can kiss goodbye to any warranty. I certainly do.

To tell the truth, the last thing I'd expect to fail is an SL1200 Mk2. The repairman I spoke to the other day had plenty of stories to share about their reliability and robustness - so any kind of warranty would be irrelevant, to say the least. Speaking of modifications and warranties, Jelco provides their arms without wiring so you can choose whatever cable you want.

[Epicurus]

The stainless steel spacers available in a variety of thickness are readily available from any Rega dealer or Rega direct. This is clearly stated in the Rega manual. Rega also now have a spacer for the newer 3 point fixing arms.

As to re-wiring and other mods - what sane company would permit that to be done and still warranty their product ? It doesn't happen.

Regarding the wiring, Jelco does - but then, they offer their arms without wiring so you can choose what you want to use.

As for the spacers, seriously: I'd have to travel to Athens from Larisa (a 360km drive, at 1.5 euro/litre of unleaded fuel), look for a place to park the car (and IF I find such a place, I'll have to go buy a lottery ticket while my lucky streak still lasts) relatively close to the Rega dealership and spend money on a hotel to stay while the spacers are installed etc - not to mention the extortionate cost of tolls for using the sub-par motorways (and largely unfinished, which makes toll collection by the construction company illegal, but that's another issue). Or I'd have to ask for the proper spacers to be mailed in, if, of course, they are in stock (and this being Greece, such stuff is not usually in stock). So no, I'm not going the Rega route, as there's absolutely no local support for it. I know I'm being rather sarcastic, but if there's no local support (and/or technical experience) for something, I'm not touching it with a bargepole. Would you let your prized deck become anyone's guinea pig? I doubt it.

[hifi_dave]

:brickwall:

[Alex_UK]

:brickwall:

:lol:

[Epicurus]

Dave, why are you banging your head on the wall? I live in an area where support for anything outside Technics, Dual, Thorens (up to the TD-320 and its siblings) and the occasional Sondek is non-existent (at best), especially after the complete abandonment of anything vinyl-related. There are about ten record stores in this city and not a single one stocks or orders LPs. In fact, if you even mention vinyl to anyone, they'll look at you as if you've just landed from Mars or some other planet, whether it belongs to our solar system or not.

[Alex_UK]

For my part, my lol @ the wall was because you're chosing to "slate" Rega on one hand because they won't provide a warranty if you modify the deck, and on the other ignoring that any other manufacturer would do the same including Technics, but you don't care because the Technics won't need it anyway... I wonder how many Regas get returned under warranty - my 27 year old (unmodified) example looks (and works) as good as new.

... and the shims... I know Greece has got problems, but is it really beyond the system to accept a parcel sent from the UK and deliver it to your door? (Serious question - do you not have a postal service that delivers to your home?)

[Alex_UK]

...but I agree you should get the Technics anyway! :)

[Epicurus]

... and the shims... I know Greece has got problems, but is it really beyond the system to accept a parcel sent from the UK and deliver it to your door? (Serious question - do you not have a postal service that delivers to your home?)

Well, I do have this option, but I'd rather buy locally and support the network of people I know. And there's another issue: Let's say I have the shims sent to my place. Personally, I'm not particularly keen on installing them myself, because I have absolutely zero experience with setting up a turntable and I wouldn't like to make an expensive mistake.

Which is why I mentioned/implied my need for local technical support. If I can't get something done here, I'd rather not try it at all. I know this might sound extremely conservative, but that's how things are outside the two biggest urban centres (Athens and Thessaloniki). And believe me, I've seen so many horrors with technicians "repairing" or "modifying" equipment they never saw before that I've been traumatized for life. Like that other guy who gladly undertook the task of upgrading the innards of an AV receiver owned by a friend of mine and ended up frying the unit, or the guy who wrecked an American serviceman's Beogram 4000 and then claimed the damage happened to its "faulty North Korean parts" (now's the time for some serious headbutting the wall: :brickwall::brickwall::brickwall: ).

So, to put it in a nutshell, I need something local technicians have had considerable experience with, reliable and tweakable. Regas are completely unknown to almost everyone in this city (as are Pro-Jects), Duals and Technics are well-known to them.

You guys speak knowing that most technicians in your respective areas are at least somewhat familiar with what you use. Unfortunately, this is a luxury I don't have here: having loudspeakers, amplifiers etc demoed to me before I buy is unheard of - and don't even think of telling the salespersons to have stuff installed in your living room to see if they'll work well in there, and there is only one dedicated audio shop here, which only supports a small number of manufacturers. So, basically, people here buy without knowing what their equipment of choice will sound like and either buy something that looks cool or something that got a good review in the mags (provided they know there are mags for it); the only ones that get to try something out before they buy it are vehicle buyers and musicians - provided, of course, that what they've set their eyes on is in stock and available for a tryout.

Does it sound like the Stone Age? I think it doesn't just sound like the Stone Age - it is the Stone Age.

Like I said earlier, most of the brands mentioned in this forum are completely unknown to both the buying public in my city and the repairmen. When it comes to audio, they only know companies like Sony, Marantz, Luxman, Linn, Dual, Technics, Onkyo, Philips, Kenwood, Aiwa, TEAC, Yamaha, Pioneer and Sherwood. Anything else will have them scratching their heads wondering what you're talking about. It's really a very sticky situation.

[Alex_UK]

All understandable, thanks for the detailed explanation. I think you'll be onto a winner with the Technics anyway, the most important thing is to enjoy! :cool:

[DSJR]

Rega tonearm wiring is cr@p for ONLY one reason - it doesn't look very *posh* or *boutique* enough - people buy with their eyes quite often IMO.... In the 250 and 300 arms, the internal wires are good quality Hitachi derived and the copper in the exit leads was of excellent quality as I remember, lovely and shiny, the cable from the RB300 making a superb general purpose interconnect IMO.

A few years ago, there was only ONE individual in the UK outside of the factory, to my knowledge officially trained by Rega to service and re-wire their tonearms and that's Mike Harris of Moth Marketing, who does the "Incognito" rewiring service.

[Spectral Morn]

You could perhaps ask these guys http://www.new-aca.com/ ? Some of them could set up any turntable you might get, if any live locally to you....just a thought/suggestion. They can't all live in Athens

Seen this before but its interesting ......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs1aUws0Lrs


Regards D S D L

[Epicurus]

I've checked the Audiophile Club of Athens out a few times in the past; the good thing is that I've found a decent technician who has worked on SL1200s for thirty-odd years and knows it inside and out, so he knows what to do.

[Hypnotoad]

Welcome :)
Seriously, I think the Techie would be great in stock form for your needs and, once you have the measure of it, the sky (and your wallet) is the limit :)

Its pretty much compulsory to own a "Techie" on this board, I own two.