Mike New Platter for Technics SL-1210

[DSJR]

what 'messing about' would that be?

Setting them up and making them work.

Perhaps you had a technique for doing them right very quickly?

[DSJR]

That'd be interesting, but I think a 20 would be a fairer comparison

Marco.

Well, the 20 is expensive isn't it and is beautifully finished, so it must be good to compare. NAS decks are so cheap aren't they, they can't be worthy.

You lot carry on - HiFi dave and I can smile smugly in the backgound

[chris@panteg]

Dave ' that's not what i am getting at , ok sure compare it with a NAS , i'm just curious where it is the grand scheme of things if its blown away by the 20 ' fine .

If the Hyperspace floors the modded Techie ! and i would like to compare them as in cost terms its about equal , then i for one would like to know ' i am not saying it will or could be better , this is not the Spanish Inquisition you know.

[Pete]

Gents,

Just finished installing Mike New bearing with stiffening plate, platter and SME armboard on my Technics last night. Let the table run all night at 45 rpm.

The new platter makes this table a tank, weighing in at least 10 lbs heavier than the stock platter
(which seems like a toy now, as does the Timestep armboard, which is feather light compared to the thick solid copper armboard I got from Mike).

So far so good. I hear more realistic voices with more weight, the bass is a bit more defined and organic, and the highs also sound a bit more natural;
just sounds more analog than before. All in all, a good, though costly set of mods.

Only place left to go at this point is to transplant the bearing, platter and tonearm into a solid slate plinth, or something like that

Oh yeah, I forgot, this is with the KAB PSU. Works just fine.
I have the module from the SR5 on order due in next month from Paul Hynes.

[MartinT]

Nice one Pete. I have the base plate on its way from Mike. How did you find drilling the holes - easy or nerve wracking? I can see from your photo that your platter is riding higher than mine. That would give me some welcome VTA range from my Dynavector.

[Pete]

Martin,

Yes, the plate lifts up the bearing around 5mm (and thus the whole platter). Now VTA is no problem.
The platter Mike built for me is also 2mm taller than standard, and has a re-contoured profile with the stiffener plate in mind (I think).

Not nerve wracking, but you should be comfortable disassembling the table and putting it back together, as well as drilling holes through the base plate as a guide (pre-drilled) into the plinth, and drilling holes into the composite base as well. When you get to that point call me and I'll give you my lessons learned.

Over all fairly painless, though count on several hours of work, but straight forward.

[Ammonite Audio]

The stiffening plate seems like sound engineering to me. I'm sure that one of the reasons why Mike's bearing works so well is that it does significantly improve the structural strength of the otherwise fairly flimsy alloy chassis. A stiffening plate clearly takes that strengthening rather further.

[DSJR]

On a totally different note for UK users, Morrisons Supermarket have a collection of granite place-mats, chopping boards and coasters for under a tenner each. A combination of these may help with fabrication of a support of sorts.

Just thought I'd mention it in passing

[MartinT]

Granite coasters would be great for going under feet like the Isonoes that expect a hard surface.

[DSJR]

I think they were £3.99 for a set of four.....

The MN copper tonearm board looks a good move, especially with the platter height being raised a little. There have been many comments about the OL Techie boards being difficult to "level," a sad state of affairs when all the Techies I've ever had anything to do with have been utterly consistent in the plinth castings.