New Solid Aluminium Platter for the SL1200

The orrible concave platter is a clever idea from Oracle.

Originally, Oracle had a flat rubber platter and used a small middle high piece at he spindle, so that the screw down clamp would effectively make the record perimeter better touch the platter... This system somewhat worked but cracked many a record center hole in clamping down the record.

The slightly concave platter mat means that the record perimeter sits very well on the perimeter of the mat. The center of the mat is just a little lower, so that the record clamp can easily & better mate the record to the mat/platter. Also the mat is made of Delrin. Delrin is a very popular material used in turntables and is also used by Clearaudio.

The only other alternative to bond the record to the mat is a record ring sold by TT Weights and also VPI and others. I have a record ring and its sonic qualities are worderfull – but it’s just an extra procedure I seldom do.

Mind you, most platter mats are flat, and flat is far from ideal for the record to properly mate to the platter, unless we are mostly playing higher priced audiophile heavy records…

So a concave mat, while sounding orrible to some, may be worth consideration…

" 'Orrible" was old school slang for "Oracle... ;)"

The original oracle bearing from a million years ago (well, 30 actually) had a "soft" ceramic pad which (deliberately) wore very quickly. I'm sure that was fixed a long time ago. Linn dealers back then very rarely looked at alternative decks and the Oracle changed distributership from Ab Sounds in the early eighties. the "Alexandria" turntable had more lengthy success in the UK IIRC. Anyway, the Gyrodeck took over much of the latent interest in this styling of turntable and was a good match to the SME V which came along a very few years later.

Yes, a million years ago, the Oracle had some issues but was an interesting turntable with wich I made my first custom mass based turntable plinth & base, using Oracle platter, bearing & motor drive & the venerable SME V.

I would love to hear about interesting alternatives to the modded technics turntable, even using just one copper mat.

The cost of the SL1200 turntable + an outboard power supply + the Mike new bearing and platter + your favorite mat comes to about $2,200. US give or take...

Most turntable makers do not dare to have a strobe built in their turntables.

The strobe would show the TT cannot keep speed: due to stylus drag, belt wear, belt material, bearing, temperature change, humidity level, etc...

Even the Teres turntable, went to many pains to get the right speed. They had motor pods at some $1300. & used a battery for DC.
They are now selling a motor rim drive for almost $2,000. US and the speed is still not quite perfect. VPI has a similar rim drive unit ( not the turntable) also at a very high cost ..

So Teres is now selling a direct drive turntable – but their price is $10,000. for a basic unit ( without the tonearm) .

So even at $2,500 US a modded Technics seems to be a very serious contender. Later, a custom plinth will again change/level the playing field...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Citation16

Yes, a million years ago, the Oracle had some issues but was an interesting turntable with wich I made my first custom mass based turntable plinth & base, using Oracle platter, bearing & motor drive & the venerable SME V.

I would love to hear about interesting alternatives to the modded technics turntable, even using just one copper mat.

The cost of the SL1200 turntable + an outboard power supply + the Mike new bearing and platter + your favorite mat comes to about $2,200. US give or take...

Most turntable makers do not dare to have a strobe built in their turntables.

The strobe would show the TT cannot keep speed: due to stylus drag, belt wear, belt material, bearing, temperature change, humidity level, etc...

Even the Teres turntable, went to many pains to get the right speed. They had motor pods at some $1300. & used a battery for DC.
They are now selling a motor rim drive for almost $2,000. US and the speed is still not quite perfect. VPI has a similar rim drive unit ( not the turntable) also at a very high cost ..

So Teres is now selling a direct drive turntable – but their price is $10,000. for a basic unit ( without the tonearm) .

So even at $2,500 US a modded Technics seems to be a very serious contender. Later, a custom plinth will again change/level the playing field...

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The Verus drive (Teres) is a great addition to a TT but the VPI rim drive is not in the same league. For me the major issue is the reliabilty issues with the Verus drive There is another path but I leave that for another thread when I have the TT
But to sum it up DC rim drive works really well and need not be expensive like the Teres... sorry for hijacking the thread for a moment

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John

The Verus drive (Teres) is a great addition to a TT but the VPI rim drive is not in the same league. For me the major issue is the reliabilty issues with the Verus drive There is another path but I leave that for another thread when I have the TT
But to sum it up DC rim drive works really well and need not be expensive like the Teres... sorry for hijacking the thread for a moment

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I have a Verus here, it has some foibles, sounds torquey if you know what I mean, but it has some rumble issues due to the type of bearing the motor uses. Speed control is admirable but I'm not convinced the complexity involved is worth it though it does ensure the motor will work with a wide variety of decks.

I'm still going to plug a Heavy'd AceSpace with Wave Mechanic supply. Full speed adjustment available, the graphite platter (in the heavy kit) doesn't need ANY copper mats as the vinyl is perfectly terminated and the bearing is very well conceived and made for long and utterly reliable life. The belt is a silicon-rubber composite which retains its "memory" almost indefinitely too and the inertia in the platter exhibits no flutter and wow is better than a Garrard and inaudible to me.

I'm not so sure about the graphite. As part of my deck development I had both graphite platters and graphite mats made. In the end I didn't like the effect of either.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DSJR

I'm still going to plug a Heavy'd AceSpace with Wave Mechanic supply.

...the inertia in the platter exhibits no flutter and wow is better than a Garrard and inaudible to me.

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If the Wave Mechanic makes a difference, it does suggest to me that the inertia in the platter isn't actually ensuring no flutter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Citation16

The orrible concave platter is a clever idea from Oracle.

Originally, Oracle had a flat rubber platter and used a small middle high piece at he spindle, so that the screw down clamp would effectively make the record perimeter better touch the platter... This system somewhat worked but cracked many a record center hole in clamping down the record.

The slightly concave platter mat means that the record perimeter sits very well on the perimeter of the mat. The center of the mat is just a little lower, so that the record clamp can easily & better mate the record to the mat/platter. Also the mat is made of Delrin. Delrin is a very popular material used in turntables and is also used by Clearaudio.

The only other alternative to bond the record to the mat is a record ring sold by TT Weights and also VPI and others. I have a record ring and its sonic qualities are worderfull – but it’s just an extra procedure I seldom do.

Mind you, most platter mats are flat, and flat is far from ideal for the record to properly mate to the platter, unless we are mostly playing higher priced audiophile heavy records…

So a concave mat, while sounding orrible to some, may be worth consideration…

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I use a little rubber O ring on my Oracle Delphi mk4, works a treat :) for the clamp to push the record label against.

Regards D S D L

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John

The Verus drive (Teres) is a great addition to a TT but the VPI rim drive is not in the same league. For me the major issue is the reliabilty issues with the Verus drive There is another path but I leave that for another thread when I have the TT
But to sum it up DC rim drive works really well and need not be expensive like the Teres... sorry for hijacking the thread for a moment

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Possibly you refer to the new TT that Larry from TT Weights will put out (its a rim drive I beleive) at the $3,000. price range ??

In any case we are far from Mike's new platter discussion ; hope to read other people trying it...

As for extra copper mats on the Mike's new platter,

Consider the copper pieces as more weight to the platter,

The mat is something else to put on top...