linear tracking
- Thread starter rjag46
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
You don't have to deal with any anti-skating settings and as Live_Wire stated, with the stylus in direct line with the grove you get better contact with less distortion thoughtout the entire record. Plus, they look cool.:yes:
But they have issues of their own. They do have tracking error, however small. Generally they develop a small error which it automatically compensates for a while and then develop it again, as the stylus progresses through the groove. Often the circuit and mechanics to do all this is complicated and unreliable. So it's a good idea to see just how a particular unit functions.
Unless you have a very good cartridge you probably won't see a difference.
Unless you have a very good cartridge you probably won't see a difference.
The stylus is held perpendicular to the groove, as others have mentioned. Depending on the unit, this is either done well or not so well. Like any turntable, there are good ones and bad ones and you still have to worry about all the other problems that can plague turntables....so you need one that is well made. I have a Mitsubishi LT-20 in my stable of TTs and it is a very good turntable. I have conventional pivot arm turntables, though, that are both better and worse than it in terms of sound quality and build. They're fun to play with though, and the better ones really do sound good.
All Linear tracking arms (except some very high end air bearing arms) need some way of moving the arm across the record and working out when to move the arm and how far.
These mechanisms range from clunky to brilliant - and like anything mechanical, sometimes need to be maintained. Consider them same as standard Pivot arms - there's good ones and bad ones (and price is frequently but not necessarily and indicator) - A cheap and clunky pivot arm will do a reasonable job, a cheap and clunky linear tracker won't.
Some turntables depend on the arm being pulled across and when the mis-alignment reaches a certain degree, the arm gets moved - this means the arm is regularly misaligned and then corrected - tables like this give LT's a bad name - you can often hear a low level thud as the arm shifts.
The really good ones are more sophisticated - which usually means electronic circuits that can go wrong.... (pivot arms are mechanically simple!)
Some excellent arms / tables include:
Revox Linatrack (B790 / B791 / B795 / B291 / H9) - in good condition these are expensive in Germany and relatively cheap everywhere else, if in good nick/overhauled they will last 20-30 years before needing another service.
B&O - some wonderful tables and tech - if they play up you are in trouble, and they can only use B&O's proprietary mount cartridges (still made now by SoundSmith) - which by the way are reputedly excellent.
Technics SL series had some good LT's
A number of makers used the Rabco arm and variations thereof (apparently a pain to adjust but great once working) - Harman Kardon, Goldmund.
My Revox is going to the Doctor this week for a Recap of the circuit boards (it is 25 years old and due for some TLC).
Thing to remember though with a lot of these is they are NOT mainstream - so mainstream assumptions about how to get best results often do not apply.
Most of these are low and ultra low mass arms - best suited to high compliance cartridges. - and most current high end cartridges are low compliance.
If you approach something like the Revox with a 4g ultra short arm with mainstream attitudes you will get poor results. eg:This cartridge works great in my friends (fill in the blank - table with high/mid mass arm)... let's try it in the Revox.... Doesn't sound good - Revox must be rubbish...
Anyway - as can be seen by the very top of the top end arms - many of them are Linear tracking - the theory does work and good results can be achieved. But it will never be mainstream simply due to the additional complexity.
These mechanisms range from clunky to brilliant - and like anything mechanical, sometimes need to be maintained. Consider them same as standard Pivot arms - there's good ones and bad ones (and price is frequently but not necessarily and indicator) - A cheap and clunky pivot arm will do a reasonable job, a cheap and clunky linear tracker won't.
Some turntables depend on the arm being pulled across and when the mis-alignment reaches a certain degree, the arm gets moved - this means the arm is regularly misaligned and then corrected - tables like this give LT's a bad name - you can often hear a low level thud as the arm shifts.
The really good ones are more sophisticated - which usually means electronic circuits that can go wrong.... (pivot arms are mechanically simple!)
Some excellent arms / tables include:
Revox Linatrack (B790 / B791 / B795 / B291 / H9) - in good condition these are expensive in Germany and relatively cheap everywhere else, if in good nick/overhauled they will last 20-30 years before needing another service.
B&O - some wonderful tables and tech - if they play up you are in trouble, and they can only use B&O's proprietary mount cartridges (still made now by SoundSmith) - which by the way are reputedly excellent.
Technics SL series had some good LT's
A number of makers used the Rabco arm and variations thereof (apparently a pain to adjust but great once working) - Harman Kardon, Goldmund.
My Revox is going to the Doctor this week for a Recap of the circuit boards (it is 25 years old and due for some TLC).
Thing to remember though with a lot of these is they are NOT mainstream - so mainstream assumptions about how to get best results often do not apply.
Most of these are low and ultra low mass arms - best suited to high compliance cartridges. - and most current high end cartridges are low compliance.
If you approach something like the Revox with a 4g ultra short arm with mainstream attitudes you will get poor results. eg:This cartridge works great in my friends (fill in the blank - table with high/mid mass arm)... let's try it in the Revox.... Doesn't sound good - Revox must be rubbish...
Anyway - as can be seen by the very top of the top end arms - many of them are Linear tracking - the theory does work and good results can be achieved. But it will never be mainstream simply due to the additional complexity.
JonL
Lunatic Member
I agree that the execution of the linear tracking concept is very important and not easy to get right, but when they are right they can be exceptional.
Another advantage is that the arms are generally far shorter than a pivoting arm and therefore the mass and moment of inertia can be made much lower. A disadvantage with the short arm is that warped records cause more error in the vertical tracking angle. I've not found that to be a practical issue though. I think the slight angularity error as the arm "catches up" to the stylus is overstated and a total non-issue in a decent system.
I have a B&O TX-2, not the "last word" in linear trackers but still decent and I love it and prefer it over my Thorens TD-125 with a stock Thorens arm. The Thorens is also not the "last word" in pivoting arms, but it too is decent and the deck itself is more than decent. I play my B&O like 50 times for every one time I play the Thorens, but the convenience of the B&O is a big factor, along with the fact that I have a far better cartridge on the B&O than I have on the Thorens.
Another advantage is that the arms are generally far shorter than a pivoting arm and therefore the mass and moment of inertia can be made much lower. A disadvantage with the short arm is that warped records cause more error in the vertical tracking angle. I've not found that to be a practical issue though. I think the slight angularity error as the arm "catches up" to the stylus is overstated and a total non-issue in a decent system.
I have a B&O TX-2, not the "last word" in linear trackers but still decent and I love it and prefer it over my Thorens TD-125 with a stock Thorens arm. The Thorens is also not the "last word" in pivoting arms, but it too is decent and the deck itself is more than decent. I play my B&O like 50 times for every one time I play the Thorens, but the convenience of the B&O is a big factor, along with the fact that I have a far better cartridge on the B&O than I have on the Thorens.
merrylander
AK Member
As has been noted a good linear like my Yamaha PX-2 will have a maximum tracking error of about 0.1 degree while a pivot arm such as the Rega RB300 on my Planar2 will approach 2 degrees or more. Now that is degrees but translated into distortion they are all less than 1% so the big question is can you hear that <1%?
Classic_CJ
Well-Known Member
In my opinion while of some importance, the audible errors from not having absolute alignment are often fairly modest or even inaudible. Many elliptical styli aren't even aligned on the cantilever to better than 2 degrees, and then you could have yet another error in the magnetic assembly. I see this all the time when I set up tables and check the performance with a scope and test records-- the same model cart will check differently on different tables even when it has been physically aligned correctly. I've learned not to get nuts about trying to correct this as long as the errors are small.
To the OP and others: My fave tech aspect of linear trackers is the lack of skating compensation. Skating is a variable, dynamic force, and so no matter how carefully you adjust for the correct amount (again, I use test records and set for equal distortion when mistracking occurs), said amount is always a compromise. LT 'tables remove this factor from consideration. Also, as long as you use the correct cartridge, the low mass of the arm can be a significant asset, particularly with warped records.
My fave combo - Shure V15-VHE with an h/k Rabco ST-7. I upgraded to the MR when my HE stylus wore out, and it was OK, but I thought the HE was just a little "sweeter" with most recording. The MR was just a tad too analytical at times.
As noted by others, the h/k Rabco was a way fussy creature to set up, but the purely mechanical system didn't have that "error/sudden correct/error/sudden correct" problem many electronic servo LT's have.
jleon92f
Addicted Member
As stated, there is no music distortion while playing. Easy full auto operation.
Also has a smaller foot print.
Technics SL-5 by jleon92f, on Flickr
Sound great! They have a variety of cartridges to use also.
Thanks,
John.
Also has a smaller foot print.
Technics SL-5 by jleon92f, on Flickr
Sound great! They have a variety of cartridges to use also.
Thanks,
John.
nashvillebill
Super Member
At last, somebody that gets it! I see posts on here all the time from folks that spend hours with their protractor trying to eak out their alignment....but with a pivot table, AT BEST there's only two points that will be perfect, everywhere else will be out.
And there's disagreement about which two points are best--Baerwald? Stevenson? Others?
Then, as you mention, the stylus is not even always close either....
So I get 'em as reasonably close as I can, and go on with life.
cycletemp
New Member
In all my listening to lp's I've never thought I heard higher distortion at the start which went to zero then got high again then went to zero then got high again. That's what the tracking error does on pivoted arms. The error is there but I can't hear it.
JonL
Lunatic Member
I think it's a little more complicated. Even though the pivoting arm may have equal angularity errors at points near both the outer and inner radii, the more congested wave forms near the center (due to the slower tangential velocity of the disc near the center) make it more challenging for the stylus to extract the information without distortion. Because the disc is more "forgiving" near the outside, the angularity error of the tonearm won't be as obvious in terms of distortion.
With a linear tracker, I sometimes still hear inner groove distortion (IGD) though not nearly as badly as with a pivoting arm. I think sometimes the IGD is pressed into the disc due to compromises made during mastering, and sometimes it's groove damage from prior plays on a poorly set up or maintained table.
With a linear tracker, I sometimes still hear inner groove distortion (IGD) though not nearly as badly as with a pivoting arm. I think sometimes the IGD is pressed into the disc due to compromises made during mastering, and sometimes it's groove damage from prior plays on a poorly set up or maintained table.
A properly set up pivoted arm is tangent to the groove walls at only two points, two revolutions, across the whole record.
A properly set up straight line tracking arm is always tangent.
But, sadly, many of the SLT arms/tables try to solve only the problem of tracking error. That is why there was a flurry of such tables and arms most of which have disappeared.
I have one I like. You should listen and make up your own mind.
A properly set up straight line tracking arm is always tangent.
But, sadly, many of the SLT arms/tables try to solve only the problem of tracking error. That is why there was a flurry of such tables and arms most of which have disappeared.
I have one I like. You should listen and make up your own mind.
Last edited:
Audiowhat?
Active Member
I have heard a technics SL-10, own an Sl-7 (my second) and used to own a pioneer Pl-l1000. A good linear tracker has exactly the same issues as a good pivot arm - you need to match the cartridge and phono stage to the arm. Yes alignment is easier on 1/2 mount LT (all that is needed is overhang), and taken care of with a p-mount.
I own a Project RPM 5 with an ortofon 2M Bronze and the technics no longer gets a lot of play with its OMP 10. The L-1000, however, had the damn thing continued to work, is an amazing sounding deck with a very low noise floor and great tracking ability. It's a pity they are so hard to find in excellent, maintained condition, as the arm assembly is very complex. The Technics Sl,s however, (Sl-7,6,10,15 especially) are well built, reliable decks that can go forever if you change the belts and lube the right places.
I own a Project RPM 5 with an ortofon 2M Bronze and the technics no longer gets a lot of play with its OMP 10. The L-1000, however, had the damn thing continued to work, is an amazing sounding deck with a very low noise floor and great tracking ability. It's a pity they are so hard to find in excellent, maintained condition, as the arm assembly is very complex. The Technics Sl,s however, (Sl-7,6,10,15 especially) are well built, reliable decks that can go forever if you change the belts and lube the right places.
