Technics Platter

Having spent the last few weeks studying the stock technics platter and being from an engineering background (I have been selling and designing plastic parts for 20 years) I have come up with a design for modifying the existing platter (and no it does not involve bolting a delrin mat onto it).

I will be taking my platter to the machine shop tomorrow to perform the necessary modifications and will report back as soon as I have the prototype finished, based on my work today I am expecting the finished article to look a million dollars and sound even better.

I have always thought there must be a way to improve the existing stock platter as it does ping rather badly when you tap it, the resonances are well known, here's hoping I don't end up with a frisbee instead!

Interesting, David. Good luck with it and keep us posted, as I know you will! :cool:

Marco.

Interesting :popcorn:


Regards D S D L

Just buy a sorted SP10, you know it makes sense :D

Good luck in any case :)

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Originally Posted by DSJR

Just buy a sorted SP10, you know it makes sense :D

Good luck in any case :)

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I have a garrard 401 (immaculate) sat waiting for an SME spacer to get the arm to the right height so will listen to that for a while until the Technics platter comes back from the machine shop, I would die for an SP10 but the people selling them are un-realistic with their expectations on price I find. Then there is the plinth, just got an e-mail back from slate audio, I asked them for a plinth for my 401 about 3 months ago, they said it was in development, now it's been launched...... £1300, f...k me, are these people serious?

I think Russ Collinson does some great plinths and doesn't charge a fortune for them. Just 'cos slate was fashionable a year or two ago doesn't make it the ultimate you know. The best I've heard "The Garrards" was with the multi-layer Bastin plinths, where each layer was jigged out differently. His prices shot up over the years (well he is a Doctor used to a high income no doubt), but i believe others can do similar designs these days using marine-ply.

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I would die for an SP10

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I wouldn't... Why would I want to downgrade? ;)

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

I wouldn't... Why would I want to downgrade? ;)

Marco.

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Plus one. :wetkipper:

Lol! :eyebrows:

In all seriousness, though, once an already 'sorted' 1210 (in terms of mat, feet, etc) has been fully 'Mike New'd and Paul Hynes'd', its performance notably exceeds that of any SP10 I've listened to (and I've heard some very good ones), providing that the same arm and cartridge are used.

Therefore, an SP10 is no longer my T/T benchmark. Now an L-07D, that would be a different ball game...... ;)

Marco.

With all this talk about Mike New products I received an e-mail from him a week or so ago to say that demand for his bearing has slowed to a near stop. He has orders for 3 (including me) but needs to place a minimum order of 25 for the spindles, so until more interest is shown there won't be any further bearings produced.

If anybody here is interested in buying one let Mike know as he said he'd go ahead and do another batch if he had orders for a minimum of 10.

Nice fella to deal with too, I must add. :)

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Originally Posted by Mains Cables R Us

I have a garrard 401 (immaculate) sat waiting....

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Why the heck are you faffing about with an SL1210 then?!! ;)

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Originally Posted by Beobloke

Why the heck are you faffing about with an SL1210 then?!! ;)

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Come on Marco. Dont let him get away with that.

Ha - lol!

Garrards are nice, so David is fortunate to own two very good turntables, each with their own unique take on reproducing recorded music: the modded Techy, what's actually on the record, and the Garrard, a romantic notion of what it thinks is there! :eyebrows:

;)

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Mains Cables R Us

I have always thought there must be a way to improve the existing stock platter as it does ping rather badly when you tap it, the resonances are well known, here's hoping I don't end up with a frisbee instead!

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I am waiting to get my platter back from Vantage Audio having sent it off for their P2 upgrade which comprises: "incorporating a dual-layer alloy/copper plate bonded to the existing platter.This modification allows for an improvement in vibration control of the motor / platter / tonearm closed-loop and is also designed to keep the overall moment of inertia of the platter assembly within the design parameters of the motor and control circuit. This is important as it will minimize any margin of error over which the quartz servo speed control circuit has to operate."

If it's anything like the improvement produced by their bearing upgrade then I shall be very pleased. Likewise I will report back when it's up and running.

Steve

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Originally Posted by Beobloke

Why the heck are you faffing about with an SL1210 then?!! ;)

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Hi Adam,
I have been into hi-fi since the arcam alpha 1 which I had, the last few years I have been selling mains cables etc, etc and did not really have a top notch system because I sold most if it to keep the wife happy some years ago. About 1 year ago a very good customer asked me what the best mains lead I had was and what did it sound like, not having a decent system to listen to it and answer the question I thought I had better do something about it.

To cut a long story short I had a souped up Lenco GL78 and it was superb, then I joined the AOS and became SL1210'd and sold the Lenco and played with the Technics for a while to see how good I could make it sound, I had acquired a decent system to listen to it all and bought the Garrard simply because it was going for a song, hopefully when I sort out the issue with the arm not being high enough to reach the platter I can listen to it and compare the 2!

I have enough room in my listening room to house the 2 in perfect harmony!

And why not, David. I have a "lowly" Techie SL-150 currently as my main turntable, and a 401/SME 3009 needing a bit of TLC, but still getting used reasonably regularly in the office upstairs. Who says you can't have more than one? (Ok, so I've also got a Planar 3 and Pro-Ject RPM4, but variety is the spice of life, so they say!)

Forgive me for saying so Alex, but if i had that many nice TTs i would be tempted to sell the lot and get a new hi end deck.

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Originally Posted by colinB

Forgive me for saying so Alex, but if i had that many nice TTs i would be tempted to sell the lot and get a new hi end deck.

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:lolsign: Don't listen to Colin, Alex can i tempt you with a Goldring G99 :D You know you want it :eyebrows:

Just kidding, actually Colin does have a point ;)

Ive got a Fisher Price going spare if you want it Alex:sofa:

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Originally Posted by worrasf

I am waiting to get my platter back from Vantage Audio having sent it off for their P2 upgrade which comprises: "incorporating a dual-layer alloy/copper plate bonded to the existing platter.This modification allows for an improvement in vibration control of the motor / platter / tonearm closed-loop and is also designed to keep the overall moment of inertia of the platter assembly within the design parameters of the motor and control circuit. This is important as it will minimize any margin of error over which the quartz servo speed control circuit has to operate."

If it's anything like the improvement produced by their bearing upgrade then I shall be very pleased. Likewise I will report back when it's up and running.

Steve

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Hi Steve

I for one will be interested to know how that go's , i have a feeling it will be very good indeed :)

Yes, even without having spoken to him, or having used any of his products, I get the feeling that Richard has the inherent design of the Techy well sussed, and takes it as far as he can within the restrictions imposed on him, or rather imposed on him by certain design constraints of key components of the SL-1200 itself.

Therefore, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend anyone having their Techy 'Vantaged', who perhaps don't want to go 'the whole hog' with Mike New bearings and platters, etc :)

Marco.

I second that , Marco :)

And to add so far I'm very pleased with the modified bearing that Richard loaned me .

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Originally Posted by colinB

Forgive me for saying so Alex, but if i had that many nice TTs i would be tempted to sell the lot and get a new hi end deck.

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Can't argue with that, the 401 I will never part with, but I may just get rid of the rest to get it fully sorted. And the other 5 pairs of speakers I don't really need. Or the 4 spare amps... You get the idea - I'm a magpie! :lol:

Could get yourself a Gyro Alex .:)

I amazed vantage have been doing mods of the technics in a similar vein as other engineers but so quietly we dont know what they do. I never knew they did a platter mod on such a scale.

Shows there's defo mileage in modding it, though, dunnit? ;)

Marco.

Now i have my AV sorted out i was hoping to rein in on audio purchases but i can feel the fettling itch coming on. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Canetoad

With all this talk about Mike New products I received an e-mail from him a week or so ago to say that demand for his bearing has slowed to a near stop. He has orders for 3 (including me) but needs to place a minimum order of 25 for the spindles, so until more interest is shown there won't be any further bearings produced.

If anybody here is interested in buying one let Mike know as he said he'd go ahead and do another batch if he had orders for a minimum of 10.

Nice fella to deal with too, I must add. :)

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How does one get a hold off MN, again (outside of this forum)? I was going to wait until later in the year; but, may rethink that.

Hi Biff,

Mail him here: mhnew@bigpond.net.au

:)

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Hi Biff,

Mail him here: mhnew@bigpond.net.au

:)

Marco.

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Thanks, Marco! Email sent.

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Originally Posted by Canetoad

With all this talk about Mike New products I received an e-mail from him a week or so ago to say that demand for his bearing has slowed to a near stop. He has orders for 3 (including me) but needs to place a minimum order of 25 for the spindles, so until more interest is shown there won't be any further bearings produced.

If anybody here is interested in buying one let Mike know as he said he'd go ahead and do another batch if he had orders for a minimum of 10.

Nice fella to deal with too, I must add. :)

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I have posted an explanation concerning bearing production in the sticky thread, "The Mike New Technics Bearing"