I bet tho, the wire might transmit vibrations more to the tone arm, where as the string would not and it would also twist easier allowing the rotation of the tonearm
to be more free .
Athanasios
My 3D printed tonearm - MK4
- Thread starter TankPopper
- Start date
I bet tho, the wire might transmit vibrations more to the tone arm, where as the string would not and it would also twist easier allowing the rotation of the tonearm
to be more free .
Athanasios
TankPopper
Well-Known Member
aaaaand im back!
let's talk about the arm and headshell,
To keep things simple I chose on arm geometry that im familiar with, which is the REGA geometry. Due to print size limitation and concerns regarding structural integrity, I decided to print the pivot, headshell, and counterweight but use a ready-made tube to connect them. So far I tried 8mm Carbon fiber tubing, which worked great, and im now experimenting with Aluminum.
Recently, my first set of white hairs appeared, and my insistence on having a removable headshell play a critical role in their existence. You see, nobody actually sells the needed parts, so I had to improvise with a lockable 4-pin aviation plug. It… ahh… works. Now that I managed to 3d print a screw and bolt, im contemplating a whole new design, fully 3d printed of course.
Now comes the hard part... I need you guys to help me out with choosing a cart!
First of all, I prefer MM or MC with a removable stylus (rare, I know), and in the $300 range. I don't mind vintage and exotica, as long as you can still find stylus easily. I've had the Nagaoka 110 which was awesome, but I want to take a step further. Any suggestions?
let's talk about the arm and headshell,
To keep things simple I chose on arm geometry that im familiar with, which is the REGA geometry. Due to print size limitation and concerns regarding structural integrity, I decided to print the pivot, headshell, and counterweight but use a ready-made tube to connect them. So far I tried 8mm Carbon fiber tubing, which worked great, and im now experimenting with Aluminum.
Recently, my first set of white hairs appeared, and my insistence on having a removable headshell play a critical role in their existence. You see, nobody actually sells the needed parts, so I had to improvise with a lockable 4-pin aviation plug. It… ahh… works. Now that I managed to 3d print a screw and bolt, im contemplating a whole new design, fully 3d printed of course.
Now comes the hard part... I need you guys to help me out with choosing a cart!
First of all, I prefer MM or MC with a removable stylus (rare, I know), and in the $300 range. I don't mind vintage and exotica, as long as you can still find stylus easily. I've had the Nagaoka 110 which was awesome, but I want to take a step further. Any suggestions?
TankPopper
Well-Known Member
So... yea.. jee... um... how do I say this..? you can say that I don't actually know...
So if anyone wants to walk me through how to find that out - that would be awesome!
SaSi
Seriously Illogical
Excellent idea and very good use of a 3D printer to print something actually useful.
About effective mass, I am not really concerned with that. I use a test record (ortofon) that has a test track for finding the resonance frequency, which is what matters. If it's not good, I try a different cart with lower or higher compliance (as published). Works to an extent, as the published figures for carts are not always compatible to each other.
You can have a lower effective mass by using less infil on the cart holder and also by using carbon fiber (less weight) tube instead of the aluminum one (which I expect to be heavier). You can also use a metal ring on the tonearm tube that you can move back and forth. It affects the balance, which needs to be corrected by the counter weight (with a longer counter weight tube) but also affects effective mass. That way you can tune your tonearm to a particular cartridge in infinitely small steps.
About effective mass, I am not really concerned with that. I use a test record (ortofon) that has a test track for finding the resonance frequency, which is what matters. If it's not good, I try a different cart with lower or higher compliance (as published). Works to an extent, as the published figures for carts are not always compatible to each other.
You can have a lower effective mass by using less infil on the cart holder and also by using carbon fiber (less weight) tube instead of the aluminum one (which I expect to be heavier). You can also use a metal ring on the tonearm tube that you can move back and forth. It affects the balance, which needs to be corrected by the counter weight (with a longer counter weight tube) but also affects effective mass. That way you can tune your tonearm to a particular cartridge in infinitely small steps.
ripblade
Addicted Member
If you're good with maths, try this:
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=77151
Without knowing the mass, any recommendation will be simply a guess. Even knowing it...could still be a guess without prior knowledge of the arm.
Safe bet would be midlin; most modern cartridges fit the bill. Suit to taste.
There's a spreadsheet that does the math for you if you can take a few weight and geometry measurements.
