Broadcast/transcription adler turntable options

[wweigle]

I have been on the hunt for a higher end Idler for a project as an upgrade to my Dual 1219 and Garrard Zero 100. I'm pretty good at wood working and other mechanical things and planned on building a heavy plinth and refurbishing whatever unit I purchased. Thought it would be a fun project and a way to upgrade at a reasonable cost . My plan are to also eventually purchase an appropriate quality tone arm and cartridge to go with the turntable. The Rek-O-Kut turntables came to my attention as a less expensive alternative to the Thorsen TD 124 or Garrard 301 or 401 which all seem to be out of my budget. Up to now, I had pretty much decided to pursue a Rek-O-Kut Rondine B12H with the Ashland motor. A recent post here on Audiokarma about the acquisition of a Ressco Cue-Master got my attention and I have been researching alternatives to the Rek-O-kut. Seems that there are a lot more alternatives out there than I realized in the professional idler Transcription/broadcast turntable world. Others I have found include the Ressco, Collins, Sparta, QRK, gates/Harris, Presto, spotmaster, Fairchild and Micro-trak to name most I have seen. My guess is there are others out there, but these are the ones I have identified. Some of these are re-branded similar units to the Ressco. All seem to be of similar quality, and sell on ebay for around the same money, some less others slightly more. Hoping that anyone out there with experience with these units, or other options I missed will chime in and give me their opinions and the reason why they view a particular unit as superior over another. Open to other suggestions or alternatives to my plans also. Appreciate any help I can get as I would like to do it right the first time. Thanks again.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Russco, and QRK are excellent, the Gates/Harris classics also are. RCA is less common and fetches higher prices. The Rek-O-Kut is nice, but go B12H and don't mess with junior models of ROK. Fairchild makes nice broadcast tables, but they are mainly belt driven. Collins turntables are rebranded QRK, McMartin is rebranded Russco. Sparta is different enough to be original design. Spotmaster and BE are rebranded QRK. Prestos are uncommon beasts, the top of the line is good but much harder to find parts. EMT is the top idler, even compared to the Garrard 301 and 401 and the Thorens TD 124.

 

[pdm4606]

ROK avatar

See my avatar. All home brew with parts from a 1957 ROK N-33H.
Suspended with springs and the motor mounted away on it's own platform. No rumble or hum.
Belt is the longest I could find (33") then I built the motor and table around it.
Arm is an old ROK 12" from the same unit.
Modified to fit standard (?) head shells.
I am very proud of it. It sounds better than anything I ever had. I have had Empire, AR, Garrard, and others and never satisfied. They all sounded bad. Mostly due to incorrect setup on my part. I learned a lot from the build. Like how to correctly setup an arm/cart using a Baerwald gage and modifying head shells to adjust VTA and increasing tone arm mass .

Paul

 

[jeremyjustic]

Did someone say something about Idlers?



Russco makes a great sounding turntable, not far behind my 401. They have an outstanding build quality and will "withstand the apocalypse" as Russco advertised it. Plus they have drop dead gorgeous looks.

Idlers are addictive, once you swallow that blue pill there's no turning back!

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Rek-O-Kut belt drives were not in the true sense broadcast models. They were used in program director offices. And maybe a few early FM Stereo stations who used the occasional LP on air. Idler drive was needed to provide quick enough startup time for most radio formats on AM then. Fairchild's belt drive turntables were more in line with FM Stereo needs and some stations even used the early Empire turntables for FM Stereo. I would say Russco or QRK would be the best easier to find idlers in broadcast use. Do remember the 16" models fetch a premium as are the 12" tonearms. I love Russco turntables, and Skeeter Nash does a superb job of keeping parts and know how available for them.

 

[10seventy9]

I worked at our town's FM station for a number of years, and I played an awful lot of vinyl on their old Gates/Harris turntables. They were outfitted with some type of wood tonearm, it was square or rectangular rather than round... and had Stanton cartridges on them. Sounded very good over the air and could track just about anything you threw at them. Built like a tank, and probably weighed about as much, too.... I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of those tables if I had the space for it.

 

[golana]

The Rek-O-Kut is nice, but go B12H and don't mess with junior models of ROK..

Why no love fro the Jr's?

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Lesser build, smaller motors, less of what the idler fanatic loves. We like big motors, huge platters, heavy build. The Jr is decent, but nowhere near what the Rondines with the Hysteresis motor is in all the idler goodness.

 

[10seventy9]

Lesser build, smaller motors, less of what the idler fanatic loves. We like big motors, huge platters, heavy build. The Jr is decent, but nowhere near what the Rondines with the Hysteresis motor is in all the idler goodness.

I'm not familiar with ROK tables at all, but this is absolutely correct as far as what people who want to use the tables like they were designed to be used, which is quick start from a dead stop, like a DJ would use. The bigger the motor and heavier the build, the better. Those old Harris tables weigh a TON, but are stable as a rock, all you have to do is keep decent tires on them.

 

[nohiss]

Had been using a Thorens TD-124 for years when a friend gave me a beat up Gates CB-77. For fun I took it apart, cleaned and lubed it and put it in a thick plinth of Douglas fir. To my surprise it out performed the Thorens. Since, I done another this time using a Schick tone arm and Zu DL-103 cart. These decks are built like a tank. Also, they drive from a hub on the inner part of the platter instead of the outer rim. Thus the idler wheel turns slower and I hear no detectable noise. Good luck.

 

[drtool]

Nohiss that is a sweet looking set-up.:thmbsp:

 

[gadget73]

Indeed. I like. I'd like a real broadcast deck sometime. I like my idler drives, but a Garrard Lab 80 or Zero-100 does not play in the same league as the real deal.

 

[jeremyjustic]

That beauty deserves a large photo!




I really like the Schick tonearm, I will own one one day! awesome table man, well done!