ELAC Miracord TT -share all about 'em

We sold both Miracord and Dual for close to 30 years. We had two techs that worked on TT;s exclusively and they both said Miracords were easier to service and worked for longer periods of time with out issues. The Duals may have had a touch lower rumble and wow and Flutter specs and better performance. But the Miracords just didn't have as many service issues. We sold Miracords 2 to 1 over Duals and yet there were easily twice as many duals in the shop. We could go months with out seeing a Miracord in the shop, while duals were always there. Parts delivery were slower with Dual it seemed, also. Both had issues with their automatic center spindles. But the Miracord spindle seemed to allow a red to float down to the platter where the Dual table experience seemed strained and uncomfortable. I never used the auto spindle with my Miracord. The Aluminum foil under the TD 125 was there to reduce the hum from the Ortofon MC cartridge. .View attachment 1404661

I noticed a lot of vintage preamps had two magnetic turntable inputs. As in your photograph, was it common for folks to have both a transcription table and a separate changer back in the day? In other words, did many folks have and use two tables instead of just one? If so, why?
 
Though obviously not everyone had both automatics and transcription tables, advertisements talked about this as if it were normal. And it may have been common when HiFi was first a big deal, and changers were the norm (they made a great deal of sense when a record was a 7 or 10 minute 78 rpm). As LPs became the norm and as the changers got better, the need for a both good turntable and also a changer diminished. I think this may have reached a tipping point with the Dual 1019, which was heavily advertised as being able to use a Shure V15, the acme of cartridges at the time (though ADC may have disagreed with this public impression).
A second phono input is a cheap feature to include in a reciever, so there wasn't any downside for reciever makers.
 
I noticed a lot of vintage preamps had two magnetic turntable inputs. As in your photograph, was it common for folks to have both a transcription table and a separate changer back in the day? In other words, did many folks have and use two tables instead of just one? If so, why?
Probably that MM carts were cheaper & more plentiful than MC carts. Seems that more preamps showed up with more MC inputs into the 70's.
 
Moving coils were a distinctly minority interest until the late 70s. There weren't many of them, and step ups were relatively uncommon - transformers were more or less the rule until the Huntington (sp?) appeared, and some of the transformers didn't really go 20 to 20k. And, related, almost everyone was into high compliance at the time, and that was what moving coils were not, back then.
 
I have recently refurbished an ELAC 40A that had been in my parents house since purchase in 1970. Labeled Radio Shack with a walnut veneer base. I remember its performance declining and it was put away into a closet for 25 years.
With terrific support and help from Barncats, Vinylmaster & Mrow2, I have dissembled and relubed the toothed cam wheel, links, pivots, motor bearing, platter bearing, etc.

A final success came by gaping the tonearm brake 1mm as directed by the service manual. The pin was originally touching the tonearm brake and this tension caused the tonearm to bind and repeat playing the same groove over and again. Once the spring-loaded brake pin was backed up to the specified 1mm, the TT worked mechanically as intended.
Got everything to mechanically function properly and the cueing operated correctly.

The 60Hz motor initially came up to correct speed as tested with Turntablator but then proceeded to decline dramatically. This was remedied by removing and disassembling the motor and removing/cleaning the commutator with alcohol and Deoxit.
Put back together and speed is correct and sound is very good using a 760-DE stylus in a Shure/RS cartridge.

However - Once speed was normalized, a cueing issue emerged. The unit now starts and runs correctly, successfully cueing and playing a 33 LP all the way through.
The New Problem is that on shut-off the tone arm returns to the resting stand - hovers - and then moves forward past the stand inwards towards the platter, dropping the tonearm between rest stand and the platter unless you catch it by hand or raise the cueing lever. This is new.

Any Ideas or Suggestions? I've had this device together and apart a dozen times now and thought all was well lubed and positioned.
If I run it fast on 78rpm it problem begins to correct itself but problem returns when operating at 33rpm.

Thanks in Advance!
 

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Is it too off topic to ask here if there is a dust cover for the mirachord 50h? I'm guessing that there used to be one on the TT that I have, but I'd like to know if/how I might source one.

let me know if I should post this somewhere else.
 

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Is it too off topic to ask here if there is a dust cover for the mirachord 50h? I'm guessing that there used to be one on the TT that I have, but I'd like to know if/how I might source one.

let me know if I should post this somewhere else.

One of my 50H's has a plastic lid with 2 wooden side handles and just lifts off, but seeing yours with the slot in the rear is like my other 50H. Mine actually has solid wood lid that opens or can be pulled off and fits into that wood slot. Best bet would be Ebay, look for a lid with the longer back than front to accommodate the slot.
 
One of my 50H's has a plastic lid with 2 wooden side handles and just lifts off, but seeing yours with the slot in the rear is like my other 50H. Mine actually has solid wood lid that opens or can be pulled off and fits into that wood slot. Best bet would be Ebay, look for a lid with the longer back than front to accommodate the slot.

My 50H II has the same.

Not mine but just like it:

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RE: NOISE AUDIBLE BETWEEN SONGS. INCORRECT PLATTER BEARING THRUST GREASE OR AGED MOTOR MOUNTS?

Anyone greased/relubed their Elac Miracord platter thrust bearing with white lithium grease or SuperLube? If so, do you hear any bearing friction noise when listening on headphones to quiet passages or the silence between tracks?

I recently read that Elac originally specified Milcot M 55 grease for the platter thrust bearing. I wonder if white lithium grease (which is what most people on the audio forums have been using to repack their Elac thrust bearings) is not appropriate for this application and will allow friction noise between the platter thrust ball bearings and thrust washers.

I can hear noise between tracks on headphones after packing the thrust bearings with white lithium grease. Is this noise normal? I can move the speed lever a hair to disengage it from the platter and the noise remains so that rules out the idler wheel. I suppose the noise could be due to the white lithium grease not fully damping friction -- or the original motor mounts needing to be replaced.

I don't think anyone has ever determined if there are motor mount replacements available for Elacs. Perhaps they are an oddball metric size and the rubber motor mounts are available in Germany or elsewhere in Europe. Gary Stork at VOM doesn't appear to have these mounts.

I think the Papst motor requires three total mounts -- two motor mounts to hang and one additional grommet below the thrust bearing of the motor. I would imagine that virtually every vintage Miracord in the USA must be limping along on the original old motor mounts given that new rubber motor mounts appear to be unavailable in the USA.

QUESTIONS:

1. Is Milcot M 55 grease for the platter thrust bearing still made and if not is there an equivalent available?
2. Are OEM (or correctly sized) Elac / Papst metric-sized motor mounts still available (perhaps in Germany)?
3. Are there any forum members here that live in Germany who can investigate the availability of Papst / Elac motor mounts and the original platter thrust bearing grease equivalent?
 
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QUESTIONS:

1. Is Milcot M 55 grease for the platter thrust bearing still made and if not is there an equivalent available?
2. Are OEM (or correctly sized) Elac / Papst metric-sized motor mounts still available (perhaps in Germany)?
3. Are there any forum members here that live in Germany who can investigate the availability of Papst / Elac motor mounts and the original platter thrust bearing grease equivalent?

1. Molykote 55 may be the same thing, but I'm not sure.
2. There are tons of broken/for parts Miracords all over Europe. I've never seen bad motor mounts on any Miracord. Also, I think that every Miracord / Miraphon turntable has the same rubber motor mounts, regardless of the motor (Papst or PE or any other).
3. Not Germany but rather close. There are no new motor mounts available.
 
Hi!
I got a Benjamin Miracord 50H from a music shop in my town last weekend. I’m loving it so far, it’s running with no issues. I’m unsure of the age of the current stylus, so would like to put a new one on. I have two questions about this.
The current cartiridge is an Empire 888 SE. the stylus on it doesn’t have any branding at all, so I’m assuming that it’s an aftermarket stylus. Does anyone know a good place to source a decent replacement stylus for this?
Also, I have an Ortofon cartridge with an OM10 stylus on it that is new. Would it be reasonable to just slap my Ortofon onto the 50H? Is this an appropriate cartridge for it? I honestly don’t know a lot about this.
Thanks!
 
Welcome to AK, and congratulations on picking up a great table. I've had a 50H, and currently use a 50H II.

The Empire cartridge is a good one. I'm not sure how good aftermarket styli are for it(I'm sure others will chime in) but a very good outlet for replacement turntable gear is Voice Of Music. The owner Gary is very helpful, and they do stock aftermarket styli for the cartridge. https://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/cat...ype=MfgNameNeedles&MfgName=Empire&Categories=

Don't know about the Ortofon cart other then what I have researched, but it would seem by spec alone that it would work on the 50H. Give it a try and report back.
 
Thanks so much, sberger! I sent Gary a message and went ahead and ordered the needle he recommended, so that’s coming. I appreciate the tip!
Do you know if there’s any particular trick to replacing the rca cables, or any specific type you need since the table is grounded through the rca connection? I tried swapping out for a newer acoustic research rca cable, but got bad hum on it. Not sure if I’m using the wrong cable or if I need to clean the rca contacts in the 50H. Or maybe it’s because it was a 12 foot cable, is that too long for the application? I’m new to the world of older audio equipment, trying to learn what I can as I go.
 
Thanks so much, sberger! I sent Gary a message and went ahead and ordered the needle he recommended, so that’s coming. I appreciate the tip!
Do you know if there’s any particular trick to replacing the rca cables, or any specific type you need since the table is grounded through the rca connection? I tried swapping out for a newer acoustic research rca cable, but got bad hum on it. Not sure if I’m using the wrong cable or if I need to clean the rca contacts in the 50H. Or maybe it’s because it was a 12 foot cable, is that too long for the application? I’m new to the world of older audio equipment, trying to learn what I can as I go.

Yeah 12ft is not going to work, under 3 is preferable, brand shouldn't make a difference.
 
I would think the shorter the better to the Preamp. Not sure if it should cause a Hum though. My Elac has a separate ground wire..
 
If your cable is near or touching other gear, especially stuff like cable boxes, you'll probably pick up hum. Try to keep it clear from that. I agree that shorter runs are better, but I've run longer lengths without any issues. Make sure the cables are shielded, and it doesn't hurt to try a separate ground wire if you continue to have issues. Also make sure that the head shell is secure, all the cartridge wires/clips are secure, etc.
 
Hum can be so many different things, but what I'd check is that you have good connection for all 4 wires from the cart all the way through to the RCA tips at the end of the cables. Often the sled connections can be oxidized or not making good connections. There are various means for cleaning those sled contacts but the goal is to make sure that the headshell contacts and sled contacts are clean and making good contact. I don't remember how I cleaned the Miracord sled contacts, but in general you don't want to use abrasives as most TT headshell contacts have plating that you don't want to destroy as it causes other problems. Another thing to look at is whether or not you have a dedicated ground connection. I'd suggest to try the TT with and without utilizing the ground wire. Sometimes you can introduce a ground loop between the ground wire and the ground shield on the RCA's. It may partially depend on how your amp is wired so trial and error might be in order here.

(Not so much about hum, but...) Cabling quality/type can make a difference in sound but I'm less sure about hum, but it's not always easy to determine which cable is best for sound (low capacitance). I tried using a multi-meter with capacitance measurement capability and my results were mixed in terms of determining which were lowest capacitance. In the end I went with a cable I picked up from Amazon and cut it to only the length I absolutely needed which was about 4ft.

When I replaced my cables on my Realistic Miracord Model 46 I utilized those previously mentioned Amazon RCA cables and cut to them to 4 foot lengths. I replaced the ground wire at the same time and used tie wraps to strap the ground wire to the RCA cable. They look really nice and work well and don't hum. I've since gifted the TT to my daughter. Next up is a Realistic Miracord Model 45 IOB's which will get similar treatment. These are very nice fully auto TT's and will work well without hum if you are diligent in chasing down your problem. Don't give up.
 
Thanks for the input! I’d assumed an issue with the RCA jack into the tt because the hum goes away if I wiggle the cord and get it just right. It happens with the oem cord, but I can make it go away if I wiggle it right and get it to stay put. Happened all the time with the 12 foot rca cord no matter what I did, but I’m wondering if it’s maybe because I was trying to use too big of a cord.
Tim D, the turntable seems to be grounded through the RCA cord. Is there a way that I should try to add a ground to it? Where would I connect it? I’m worried I’m gonna get out of my depth and have to hire someone who knows what they’re doing soon!
 
Thanks for the input! I’d assumed an issue with the RCA jack into the tt because the hum goes away if I wiggle the cord and get it just right. It happens with the oem cord, but I can make it go away if I wiggle it right and get it to stay put. Happened all the time with the 12 foot rca cord no matter what I did, but I’m wondering if it’s maybe because I was trying to use too big of a cord.
Tim D, the turntable seems to be grounded through the RCA cord. Is there a way that I should try to add a ground to it? Where would I connect it? I’m worried I’m gonna get out of my depth and have to hire someone who knows what they’re doing soon!

Check continuity with a meter and wiggle different areas of the cord to narrow down the intermittent problem area. Put a test lead on the pins in the head shell and the other lead on the positive and ground of the RCA plugs etc.

If the problem goes away when you wiggle the cord near the RCA plug/s, I would suspect the connection points where the cable wires terminate to the RCA male plugs. Sounds like a loose connection, fraying wire or cold solder joint etc is resulting in intermittent ground continuity where the cable is soldered to the plugs.

If that's the case, I would just cut off the original molded plastic male RCA phono plugs, strip the existing cable ends and reterminate (via soldering) to these Switchcraft phono plugs. Use heatshrink where the cable meets the plug for added strain relief.

Note that Elac grounded the tonearm via the RCA cable, hence there is no external ground cable. What I like about the Switchcraft plugs is that they are lightweight and compact and down't put a lot of weight on the female plug receptacle -- ideal for vintage gear.

Switchcraft # 3502AAU. https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Switchcraft/3502AAU?qs=zRnNmUVysJe6iFofPx%2Bfvg==
 
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Thanks for the input! I’d assumed an issue with the RCA jack into the tt because the hum goes away if I wiggle the cord and get it just right. It happens with the oem cord, but I can make it go away if I wiggle it right and get it to stay put. Happened all the time with the 12 foot rca cord no matter what I did, but I’m wondering if it’s maybe because I was trying to use too big of a cord.
Tim D, the turntable seems to be grounded through the RCA cord. Is there a way that I should try to add a ground to it? Where would I connect it? I’m worried I’m gonna get out of my depth and have to hire someone who knows what they’re doing soon!

Tillotl,

If it didn't come with a ground wire, it probably doesn't need one.
 
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