Pink Triangle Projects

Posted by: Andrew Randle on 25 November 2000

Surfing around that night and was wondering "what kind of turntable might I buy".

"Linn... Michelle... Roksan... oh yeah, whatever happened to Pink Triangle? Haven't heard much from them nowadays".

I remembered hearing their Tarantulla turntable and Numeral cd player and how sublime and musical they were.

They were also one of the more quirky manufacturers out there. Their last set of adverts were - let's just say "lived up to their name" - not my kind of scene but amusing to find at the back of a conservative publication.

I found their website was still up and running - however the last date of modification in 1997 sent alarm bells ringing.

Then I found them in the following link, http://www.creditman.co.uk/news/2012.html

Ooooh deeeear. They've ceased trading for 2 years and no-ones seemed to have noticed... bugger (oops!).

Shame to see such talent, ideas and individuality go to the wall. More PT TOO, less ME TOO.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Posted on: 25 November 2000 by Bob Edwards

Andrew--

This is truly sad--one of the great turntable manufacturers not making it. Hadn't heard a PT for a long time but was pulling for them for their products and politics, but mostly for their willingness to test convention and loudly announce when the emperor had no clothes.

Cheers,

Bob

Posted on: 26 November 2000 by Andrew Randle

Ah, I remember Revolver. They produced some gorgeous looking decks for small budgets. I never got to hear them though.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Posted on: 26 November 2000 by Chris Metcalfe

I first heard the prototype PT turntable in 1980 and it certainly sounded more neutral than the LP12 they were using for comparison (pre-Nirvana). I think this was their aim (apart from financial success) - to rehabilitate the Quad/BBC sound in the face of Linn's dominance. At first, they got it right.

Almost the worst sound I ever heard at a hifi show, however, was around 1990 when they used a PT t/t and a big valve amp driving ESL63s. No timing, no tune, nothing. Then a year or so later they brought in the Ventrical (?) speakers along with the Da Capo DAC , and it sounded great!

So, radical but unpredictable. A tricky combination.

Posted on: 27 November 2000 by Igor Zamberlan

Think I read somewhere, maybe a dealer site, that PT is not so dead, after all, and that the original team, which still holds the right on the name, is actually preparing a comeback with new products and/or updates for the old ones.

Also, which website did you find? There are some around, the most recent being an IE-challenging http://www.d-bell.dircon.co.uk/pink, which I can't reach right now, but has been updated at least in 1999 with a "closed for refurbishments" notice and a redirection to someone providing some support.

Regards
Igor
(enjoying a PT Original TT still in great shape)

Posted on: 27 November 2000 by Andrew Randle

Igor,

Wow! I finally got to that website link (you need to remove the full-stop at the end of your hyperlink).

This new site is not yet ready although there is a highly appropriate quote from the Hithikers Guide in a News section. Bear in mind that one of PT's founders is called Arthur Khoubessarian:

Arthur had to prompt him again
'Er economic recession?'
'Well, you see, five million years ago, the Galactic economy collapsed, and seeing that custom built planets are something of a luxury commodity, you see... '
He paused and looked at Arthur.
'You know we build planets, do you?' he asked solemnly.
'Well, yes,' said Arthur 'I\d sort of gathered... '
'Fascinating trade' said the old man, and a wistful look came into his eyes, 'doing the coastlines was always my favourite. Used to have endless fun doing the little bits in fjords... so anyways, " he said, trying to find his thread again, 'the recession came and we decided it would save a lot of bother if we just slept through it. So we programmed the computers to revive us when it was all over.'
The man stifled a very slight yawn and continued.
'The computers were index linked to the galactic stockmarket prices you see, so we'd all be revived when everybody else had rebuilt the economy enough to afford our rather expensive services.'
Quote courtesy of Douglas Adams, HHGTTG

Igor, for your reference, their old site is at
Pink Triangle's old web page

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Posted on: 28 November 2000 by Igor Zamberlan

PT "new" correct web site

Hope I got it right this time - I didn't intentionally use this Infopop poor excuse for HTML; it did it all by itself.

Sorry...

And yes, I was aware of the old site: I tried to contact PT from both sites' facilities, with no luck.

Does anyone know where I can find a belt?

Igor

Posted on: 28 November 2000 by Andrew Randle

Igor,

As a last resort, tie a length of sewing thread between the inned platter and motor - if possible.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Posted on: 29 November 2000 by Igor Zamberlan

The b****y thing uses a flat belt, and it's quite a bear to put it in place (you have to place the platter over the bearing with the belt in place while using a sewing thread to keep it in tension, and release the sewing thread when you are sure that the belt is in place with the motor pulley, then spin the platter with your hand to get it in line at the platter side - you just have to hope the belt has not misaligned during the process, or it's all over again - a saturday morning I was sleepy while I was doing that and had to repeat the process thrice, I just kept putting too much force on the sewing thread pulling down the belt).

The motor pulley is, to give you an idea, this shape:
---
I <- here the belt must go
---

The TT uses an inverted bearing, and there's no subplatter. An ingenious design, AFAIK, but a positive bear to maintain.

So I don't think that a sewing thread (or the other DIY solution, magnetic tape) would have enough "give" to assure proper positioning.

Igor

Posted on: 29 November 2000 by Andrew Randle

Igor,

As a last resort, there may to be possiblity to find a belt supplier - the kind of people who make belts for engines and other machines.... there's bound to be someone.

Make a note of your belt's dimensions (width, thickness and circumference) and they may have one available or make one up for you.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;