Is it better to balance the plinth or the platter?

I recall the detective Monk saying he does have two levels--and checks them against a standard every year...

I would not trust my Home Depot yellow with precision work, and yes it weighs more than an LP. Lots more. Plus it only works in one dimension at a time. With a 2-dimensional type, you don't need to rotate stuff.

Yes level the house, whatever surface you put your TT on, the stylus, cart, platter, plinth, and everything in between. Compensate for the Coriolus effect. Draw a Great Circle route and align your listening sweet spot.

Upper KEF Reference series includes a nice bubble level for the speakers too, but it makes more sense to laser sight those.

But that's me. :D
 
just so's ya's know, a bullsyeye level like that, once the bubble is in the centre, you have to keep it in the same spot, and rotate the bullseye level itself through 360°, and check to make sure the bubble stays in the center, if it doesn't, that level isn't any good either. :(
 
The planet is overdue to switch geomagnetic polarity again, so every compass will have to be recalibrated...
 
1) Make sure the shelf or turntable stand is level. Mark the spots where the tt will sit and keep the tt there.
2) I've found using a smaller pair of line levels set perpendicular to each other with the platter off for the 1st adjustment. These are about 3" long and are light wright designed for hooking on strings.
3) When 2 is completed, then slip on the platter and a junk record and readjust as needed.
4) For the platter, I have a cylinder aluminum block with a bubble level on one end and a hole on the other that slips over the spindle. With the record on and the arm on the record, I zero the bubble.
5) You then start with steps 2 through 4 again and sometimes again until you are get each level on center.
Yes, levels can be off so check them and when you find a set keep them dedicated. Also, remember temperature changes and even humidity will change the settings so check as things change. Eventually you'll find a happy medium and be happy, Oh no! You want to change cartridges, well, start all over.
 
Brian said:
1) Make sure the shelf or turntable stand is level. Mark the spots where the tt will sit and keep the tt there.
2) I've found using a smaller pair of line levels set perpendicular to each other with the platter off for the 1st adjustment. These are about 3" long and are light wright designed for hooking on strings.
3) When 2 is completed, then slip on the platter and a junk record and readjust as needed.
4) For the platter, I have a cylinder aluminum block with a bubble level on one end and a hole on the other that slips over the spindle. With the record on and the arm on the record, I zero the bubble.
5) You then start with steps 2 through 4 again and sometimes again until you are get each level on center.
Yes, levels can be off so check them and when you find a set keep them dedicated. Also, remember temperature changes and even humidity will change the settings so check as things change. Eventually you'll find a happy medium and be happy, Oh no! You want to change cartridges, well, start all over.
Click to expand...

I think part of my problem is that I never bothered to level the thing that my turntable sits on. My turntable has adjustable feet, so I thought I would be able to just level those out and be good.
 
One last thing. Not familiar with the 1200 or its suspension but if older and the suspension uses rubber or similar products or it is lightly sprung, you may be fighting fatigued suspension components. Like an auto suspension, at some point no amount of an alignment will compensate for worn suspension parts.

The shelf or stand needs to be leveled. The adjustable feet are really only for a fine tuning.
 
Brian said:
One last thing. Not familiar with the 1200 or its suspension but if older and the suspension uses rubber or similar products or it is lightly sprung, you may be fighting fatigued suspension components. Like an auto suspension, at some point no amount of an alignment will compensate for worn suspension parts.

The shelf or stand needs to be leveled. The adjustable feet are really only for a fine tuning.
Click to expand...

I see. That's going to require some major work. I'll try to tackle it this weekend. My shelf in on carpet, so it's kind of an uphill battle. I should be able to come close though.
 
Try getting some cones or spikes that will penetrate the carpet and set on the floor. If not you have a losing battle as the carpet will at first settle and then with time compress again throwing things off. However if you have wood under the carpet you may also have to deal with feedback and other vibration induced issues. If it is a problem then you'll learn about things like sandboxes, 200 lbs marble and granite slabs. Ain't life grand. Don't lose hope. After 50 years or so it becomes second nature :). One reason why I think most of us try to get out rooms down in the basement or in what used to be called a garage.
 
Just went through this same problem. I balance the platter on a TD-145. The arm is suspended and moves with the platter. So you level the platter you level the arm. I used a small 6" level with a hole punched in the middle so it fits over the spindle. I center the level over the spindle and take readings North and South, then East and West. I use 3 (not 4) Audio Technica adjustable feet. This leaves the plinth and the base not level. So maybe the springs, base or plinth are not level, who knows. The important thing is the platter and hence the LP are level! Note: leveling with 4 feet was not possible, not sure why. Maybe the base is warped. My Rega used 3 feet so I guess what's good enough for Rega is good enough for Thorens. Comments welcome.
 
Before I 'opened' this thread,I considered that it is only the moving-part which needs to be leveled (the platter).Assuming the spindle's connection to the platter to be a true 90 degrees,leveling the platter would guarantee that the spindle is perpendicular to the force of gravity.This would ensure that the downward force all falls on the thrust-plate of the bearing,and that the sides of the bearing don't have the spindle leaning toward one-side,
To my way of thinking,this would be the most important consideration in maximising the performance of the bearing/Direct Drive motor.
 
Just happened to trip over this ancient thread. The answer to the OP's problem is that the spindle is set just a bit crooked. Vinyl Engine mentioned this on the first page, but the solution may be much simpler. The spindle on these only sets on the plinth and is secured by a ring holding the circuit board and lower half of the motor. If you remove the top plastic cover of the plinth (only the cover beneath the platter), you can gain access to this, remove the plug that runs to the pitch control, unscrew and lift up the circuit board and remove the spindle. Check where it is to be seated and make sure nothing was beneath it keeping it from being level. Check the bottom of the spindle assembly itself. If all is clean, it may very well just have been tightened down with a bit of a lean to it and when you re-assemble it, it should be perfectly level with the plinth. If it is not and it is a casting defect, you can shim the spindle assembly where it needs more height with the plastic washers used for cartridge mounting screws. They happen to be the exact same diameter as the screws used to mount the spindle. EASY FIX.
 
Last edited:
Buy a decent level. Anything made of plastic is junk. A decent level has a way to adjust it so that when you turn the level 180 degrees it reads the same. I do machine tool repair and have about 2 grand in levels, at least. You don't need anything near the accuracy of my levels but get a decent one. I like the small Starrett mechanics level that reads in 0.005 inch increments. That's my "rough" level.

BillWojo
 
The problem that the OP posted is that is platter is not level parallel to the plinth. The problem becomes that the azimuth and the VTA is going to be incorrect because the tonearm does not float with the platter and cannot be leveled with it; the tonearm is fixed to and leveled with the plinth. But because the spindle is not plumb, the platter sits crooked in the plinth. I have a friend that had this same problem and what I explained above corrected this issue. It won't properly be resolved with a headshell that has an azimuth adjustment either because gravity enters into play ant the stylus will ride harder on the right channel side of the groove causing unequal output and uneven and undue wear on the record itself. Either someone disassembled the unit and didn't reinstall the spindle plumb, or it came from the factory like that. It can be resolved by following the steps I mentioned above.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom