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hi-phi · 5 months ago

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To turn or to table? That is the question? (part 1/2)

(GIF from the 3rd patlabor movie: WXIII, watch it is over hated imo)

If you are looking to get into vinyl, looking for new ways to experience your music, already are into it but looking to expand your collection or to pick up a new to you turntable. You, my dearly beloved, are in luck. This blog will get you up to speed on the internal machinations of turntables and their differences.

A simple Wikipedia search will yield good information, but there are a couple of things it misses, mainly what I want you to learn from that search is that there are three (3) main types of turntables (known as a phonograph), the Belt drive, the Direct drive and the Idler-wheel drive. Each have pros, all have cons, all three do the same thing - play music from a plastic disc. About said plastic disc, how does it work? And more importantly, how does music get from the disc through the turntable and out of the speakers?? All three turntables have several things in common, such as; the stylus/needle, the tone arm, the cartridge and head shell. But what's most important about them are the differences, mainly, what makes the platter spin.

BELT-DRIVE:

My favourite example of a belt-driven turn table is the Rega planar series of turntables, especially the Rega planar 3 with its exposed belt. As the name implies, the belt-drive system involves a belt to drive the platter. This belt is first connected to a motor. This helps to insulate the platter from the motor, meaning less noise comes through from the motor, as the motor isn't directly connected to the platter.

The belt driven system comes with its own downsides. A belt is a "wear item" meaning that the more it is used, the worse it gets. It wears exponential, meaning it starts off slow but slowly ramps up, old belts lose tension and disintegrate. This is impossible to repair, but usually replacements can be bought, so keep that in mind when buying an older gal. She still deservers a loving home, of course, and belt-drives are very good platforms for high fidelity based system. You want the best sound quality, chances are you're looking for a belt drive.

DIRECT-DRIVE:

Direct-driven systems does away with the belt and simply connects the platter to the motor. Pioneered by Panasonic Technics, this system is commonly used and beloved by Disk Jockies and audiophiles alike. Low in maintenance and high in torque, these bad girls spin up faster than anything else on the market and are favoured for scratching. The best part, you don't need a bespoke DJ turntable to scratch (although recommended, as specially made turntables are able to put up with the abuse). Downsides are that the bigger, often times AC motors, create more noise. Without the suspension of the belt, the vibrations can be heard through the stylus. However, nowadays, new systems isolate the platter from the noise.

Of course, when putting platter to motor and making them one, the thing to look out for is the motor itself. As if that goes, it is bad news and more work will have to be done to simply replace the damn thing. However, as I mentioned, this system requires far less maintenance overall.

This marks the one of part 1. In the next blog post, I will talk about the Idler-Wheel system and basic general maintenance. This is also my second blog, ever. So please tell me where I can improve. Love you all, keep on rocking <3

#hi-phi #music #old tech #vintage #vinyl #vinyl records #vinylcommunity #audio #audiophile #tunes #long post

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tortibomb · 28 days ago

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