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Calling all REVOX Linatrack users!

I spent ca 8 years in Germany on and off and played in a number of vintage German tech including the delightful table radios of the '30s, 40's, 50's, and 60's and owned a few BMW motorrads, I've had a special love-hate relationship with BMWs. German design engineering could be anything from elegant to far-too-clever for it's own good. The signature fine German machine work was always in evidence but sometimes the materials science choices left a lot to be desired re plastics and their aging problems in particular. Hot pressure-molded die-cast Bakelite is still IMO the best utility technical plastic ever and they (and everyone else) should have used it as the standard.
German standards of quality manufacturing and design approach during that period otherwise were a never-ending source of delight pleasure for me.
 
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Furter impressions of the B795 Linatrack, (the most 'elegant' of the group IMO);

This thing could be at least as good as it's enthusiast/defenders think it is and perhaps better, the total is definitely greater than the mere sum of the parts.
I put on an old friend, Scott Joplin "The Red back Book" which is as good a live ensemble symphonic band recording as any to be found, and the transparency and natural easy detailing was something to behold with the Digitrac cart and tombstone stylus. I've heard and known this record since AUDIO mag recommended it in a review in the late '70s, it was as if I was hearing a fresher better copy of the recording. I expect more from the other old friends in my collection. I should mention that the choice of phono stage really matters, I'm presently using a battery powered $38 e-bay Bugle knock-off (I think) that sounds better than it has any right. It drives a reworked console tube amp thru a stepped attenuator (no line stage) and into a pair of compact Advent-2 econo-waveguide conversions. The system is intended toward neutral transparency rather than euphonics and the dry neutrality of the Linatrack/ O'fon is readily evident thru this system. I suppose I really need to build the CNC phono stage soon and give it a listen.
 
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I am still working out the baseplate warp correction procedure for aging B795 linatrack TTs with the composite baseplate, the most current proposed procedure;
The disconnected and removed deck resting on a suitable box on a table with carpenters level across the baseplate deck with the platter off, the gantry in, to start. The 12-pack box for ramen noodles is just the right size and higth to do the set-up, an additional small spirit level is also required. Use the carpenter's level to determine/set the baseline leveling 'standard' on the baseplate for the other leveling adjustments, make and check the leveling adjustments with the smaller level. The motor must be re-leveled first using the available spacer washers and additional washers if required to raise the motor to provide clearance for the re leveled platter in the baseplate platter well. The motor plate leveling can be checked on the rotor during the process. This adjustment may need tweaking later as the platter higth and leveling adjustment relative to the gantry leveling adjustment will be interactive. The motor plate should be remounted so that it doesn't rock on the spacer washers before being firmed down with the mounting screws. For that reason I wouldn't advise using wave spring washers here to provide fine adjustments, the plate must be spaced with hard washers to avoid stress-flexing the motor plate and possibly affecting the hall device flux screw adjustments re the rotor magnet. I think wave washers can be used under the gantry pillar plate to provide adjustment without shuffling spacers, use 3, perhaps with a thin brass washer against the baseplate. The gantry twist if any should first be neutralized by loosening the two rail screws and using the small level to make both rails the same before re-tightening the screws. Make sure the gantry cover fits afterward as the end piece can slide inward during the adjustment.
Now the fine leveling and spacing adjustments can be made, the goal is to get the relative tilt and leveling of the platter and gantry such that the platter and gantry rails are exactly parallel with each other as per spirit level comparison, then ensure that the the adjustments put the top of rails 41mm from the platter surface at both ends of the rails. Relative lateral tilt of gantry and platter will set the distance, tweaking both will level that distance and spring wave washers under the gantry pillar plate should aid the process. There may be a bit of baseplate gravity sag on the suspension springs when the composite baseplate assembly is returned to the base suspension for playing, err toward compensating upward for this when doing the parallelism adjustments if it's a matter of a little upward/downward relative tilt of the gantry vs the platter. Be advised that small changes with the inside lateral gantry mounting screw will give relatively large changes, the two outside screws the same for lateral but less so for fore-aft relative tilt to the platter, while less critical should still be as close to correct as possible. Fore-aft gantry leveling can be checked against the platter with a spirit level on the right-side gantry end plate. Round-robin tweak all until service manual standards are re-established re parallelism and 41mm gantry rail-to-platter spacing. A note about this 41mm spacing, it is the factory 'standard' for making the cartridge spacing adjustments. If a single cartridge or 'P'mount is to be used by a knowledgeable owner, then this 41mm spacing can be 'fudged' to suit the the cart or cart plus adapter for use without cart spacers since it's the cartridge's higth that is being accommodated by the additional spacers. This is how I did my set-up for 'P' mount with no spacers. Here is the desired result in any case, pic courtesy of boyerd IIRC.
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Lastly, check and if required reset radial tracking adjustment with the pillar stop eccentric as per the manual, recheck tracking force. Re-level the baseplate suspension to level the platter.
Reassemble and enjoy your correctly aligned B795.
Mine came back as close to 'on-the-money' for the 'P' mount Digitrac cart as one could reasonably expect just by reshuffling the available motor plate and gantry base spacer washers with no additionals required, good news for a favorable outcome for owner-users of this popular version.
 
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Thread bump for updated content in post #43. I advise interested parties to recheck occasionally, comments welcome.
 
On my B790, I am running a V15 IV cartridge with a Jico HE stylus. I couldn't be happier with the sound! I also have an SAS stylus which has not been tried yet because the HE sounds plenty fine to me! Setup of the cartridge was easy because it was one of the recommended cartridges by Revox.
 
:nono: while Studer & ReVox did have factories in Germany and no doubt employed many Germans, they are (and were) a SWISS company.

The workmanship and QC appears absolutely first-rate in the Linatrack. RE Swiss engineering/products, aside from the B-795 I've had contact with Bogen/Lenco, Thorens TD-125 MkII and a Thorens cigarette lighter, several Rolex Oyster timepieces, and a vintage Swiss made Mediator table radio with the Philips '10' series side-tab tubes when last in Germany. The Swiss earn their rep for quality design and execution.
German made TTs and vintage table radios invariably make me smile in admiration, I love the radios' service hatch under the cabinet and the inclusion of service information. BTW the worst rats nest wiring job I've encountered yet under a chassis was a Czech made Tesla table radio, fortunately with service hatch. That one is still on the 'someday' shelf.
 
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The next thing to investigate will be the mat. After having this thing in-hand and working with it the only major reservation I have at this time is the mat design which, while it does a good job of damping the platter, the annular ring and major air space approach does very little to damp the disc itself or support/back up the disc with a dead mass to even response and reduce microphonic tendencies. I find that a solid Technics mat from an SL-Q200 presently doing nothing else here is the same maximum thickness and diameter as the stock S/R mat and so will audition the TT with this mat as an alternate.
There is another concurrent thread on mats praising specially prepared deer hide mats, suede-side-up, as a very good item. Perhaps one of these at the same effective loaded uniform thickness and diameter as the stock mat is worth investigating.
 
The platter does ring a bit if there is no mat on, and I would have thought that a leather mat would not damp the platter sufficiently.

The underside of the platter has even hollows spaced around the periphery...

I filled one of the hollows with non hardening modelling clay (plasticine), then removed it again and weighed the plasticine....
I then precisely weighed 12 individual measures of plasticine, and filled each of the hollows....

I did a quick measure of the baseplate and platter yesterday - it appears to be quite flat...
Need to put the cover back on the arm so I can check that properly too... (my only handy spirit level is a round bubble level I use for checking headshells....)

I also have a clamp that I use on the Revox - it is a Bib and very slim - the linatrack slides over it with ample clearance...
 
ReVox DID replace the earlier 3 ring mat

The next thing to investigate will be the mat. After having this thing in-hand and working with it the only major reservation I have at this time is the mat design which, while it does a good job of damping the platter, the annular ring and major air space approach does very little to damp the disc itself or support/back up the disc with a dead mass to even response and reduce microphonic tendencies. I find that a solid Technics mat from an SL-Q200 presently doing nothing else here is the same maximum thickness and diameter as the stock S/R mat and so will audition the TT with this mat as an alternate.
There is another concurrent thread on mats praising specially prepared deer hide mats, suede-side-up, as a very good item. Perhaps one of these at the same effective loaded uniform thickness and diameter as the stock mat is worth investigating.

Steve, look at the Service Bulletins I sent you - ReVox replaced the earlier 3 ring mat found on B790s and early B795s with a multi-ring mat. You have an early B795 since you have the BELLOWS damping in the tonearm instead of the latter "piston/air adjustable damper" found in ALL B791s.

Dale
 
Anyone know where I can see the pics of the multi-ring mat?

I think I have the 3 ring mat - which implies an early B795....
 
Aha! Thank you Dale! I knew about the cueing dampers but missed the mat somehow. The pix usually show the player with a record on it and not just the mat itself. The B&O pivot arm players had a similar ringed arrangement on a thin alloy platter, stylish but not the best IMO. S/R apparently also changed the sway bar damper spring arrangement from captive to friction. I see the bellows can be either white or black, as is mine. Fortunately mine is in good order and working properly.
 
The B291 manual shows the 1st style mat in the technical drawings and photo fig 3.10 clearly shows the new style. The B795/791 manual only shows the 1st style mat.
 
I did a couple of searches and came up with various photos of the two mat types....

My copy of the B291 service manual is a scan of a photocopy - and the photos are not clear enough to differentiate the mats!

Would be interesting to know whether the mat makes a difference.

On the other hand checking through that I cam across the cartridge and shim listing for the B291, which includes the p-mounts.

The recomended shimming for a Shure V15VP is 1mm according to the manual.

This however does NOT agree with my experience of the p-mount - and I have it mounted with no shimming and still find the stylus a touch too low...
But then the SAS apparently extends a bit further down which may explain that - and I am not certain whether the SAS flexes a little more than the OEM stylus when riding..... which would make it all a wash...
 
The different mat types should make an audible spectral difference, it's audible just by tapping the record on a TT with different mats. It should certainly affect airborn microphonics.
 
The different mat types should make an audible spectral difference, it's audible just by tapping the record on a TT with different mats. It should certainly affect airborn microphonics.

In my case modified by the use of a clamp.... (see pics)
 

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Sorry, Pio1980. I completely missed this thread. Is there anything you need in the way of additional measurements?
 
Thnx Robie, your thread was a very instructive introductory tutorial into these things.
I'm interested in whether the warp I've noticed in mine is a universal problem with all B795 with the non-resonant composite baseplate according to the checks described in post # 43.
 
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I'm interested in whether the war I've noticed in mine is a universal problem with all B795 with thge non-resonant composite baseplate

By 'baseplate', do you mean the motor board, i.e., the moulding on which the platter motor and arm gantry are mounted?

On both my 795s, this part is die cast alloy; I didn't know any other mateial was used here.
 
Steer, that's what I said about my 2 B791s. I didn't know there were composite versions, either. All the B795s I've seen had cast alloy.

Dale, are any of yours composite?
 
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