lp12 arrived yesterday!
Posted by: Dan M on 05 June 2002
Hello,
Just wanted to thanks those who posted suggestions to my query a month back (Gary, Mark, Dave and others). While in the UK, I did pick up a s/h LP12, which arrived by mail yesterday. Last night I had just time to pull it out of the box and do a minimal setup. I need to get a plug for it, adjust the VTF and hopefully I'll be good to go. I've looked at the faq's and setup manuals, but if anyone has some obvious don'ts a newbie might commit please let me know.
There are a few things I have noticed already, perhaps someone can comment. 1) There's no ground on the tonearm cable (arm is rb250). Do I assume it is grounded through the plug? 2) As I walk across the wood floor, I see the suspension jiggle - looks like I need a wall shelf - any suggestions on shelves that can be purchased in the US?
cheers
Dan
[This message was edited by d marsh on WEDNESDAY 05 June 2002 at 18:22.]
Just wanted to thanks those who posted suggestions to my query a month back (Gary, Mark, Dave and others). While in the UK, I did pick up a s/h LP12, which arrived by mail yesterday. Last night I had just time to pull it out of the box and do a minimal setup. I need to get a plug for it, adjust the VTF and hopefully I'll be good to go. I've looked at the faq's and setup manuals, but if anyone has some obvious don'ts a newbie might commit please let me know.
There are a few things I have noticed already, perhaps someone can comment. 1) There's no ground on the tonearm cable (arm is rb250). Do I assume it is grounded through the plug? 2) As I walk across the wood floor, I see the suspension jiggle - looks like I need a wall shelf - any suggestions on shelves that can be purchased in the US?
cheers
Dan
[This message was edited by d marsh on WEDNESDAY 05 June 2002 at 18:22.]
Posted on: 06 June 2002 by JeremyB
Dan,
1. I don't think you need worry about the separate ground connection to the . It's really unclear which parts of the RB250 are actually grounded, but the LP12 needs a safety ground connection from the chassis (to the wall plug ground). Ideally the arm is also grounded to the chassis and there is a separate wire from the chassis to the the pre-amp. If you have an ohm meter you could check alll these points (after SWITCHING OFF the power suppply to the LP12 of course and unplugging the connection to the amp. Someone will probably comment here about it being good sonically to have a ground connection between the arm and the chassis and the chassis to the pre-amp grounding post. IIRC the RB250 has one of it's ground outputs connected to the arm ground.
2. Mana wallshelf is available in the US from www.flatearthaudio.com/. Careful though, you may end up with a different problem if your wall is stud and drywall type (pick up wall vibrations). What sort of stand do you have anyway?
Jeremy
1. I don't think you need worry about the separate ground connection to the . It's really unclear which parts of the RB250 are actually grounded, but the LP12 needs a safety ground connection from the chassis (to the wall plug ground). Ideally the arm is also grounded to the chassis and there is a separate wire from the chassis to the the pre-amp. If you have an ohm meter you could check alll these points (after SWITCHING OFF the power suppply to the LP12 of course and unplugging the connection to the amp. Someone will probably comment here about it being good sonically to have a ground connection between the arm and the chassis and the chassis to the pre-amp grounding post. IIRC the RB250 has one of it's ground outputs connected to the arm ground.
2. Mana wallshelf is available in the US from www.flatearthaudio.com/. Careful though, you may end up with a different problem if your wall is stud and drywall type (pick up wall vibrations). What sort of stand do you have anyway?
Jeremy
Posted on: 06 June 2002 by JeremyB
Dan,
One more thing, if you got this in the UK it is important to know what the power supply is - if it's "basic" - big square red push switch with neon you need to buy either a new motor and power supply ($160) from a Linn dealer or alternatively upgrade to a Lingo power supply also fom a Linn Dealer ($1600). If it's a Valhalla (black logic type pulse switch similar to Naim pre-amp logic switches with red LED) you can change some connections on the PCB to make it 110V 60Hz, again a Linn dealer should do this unless you know what you are doing.
One more thing, if you got this in the UK it is important to know what the power supply is - if it's "basic" - big square red push switch with neon you need to buy either a new motor and power supply ($160) from a Linn dealer or alternatively upgrade to a Lingo power supply also fom a Linn Dealer ($1600). If it's a Valhalla (black logic type pulse switch similar to Naim pre-amp logic switches with red LED) you can change some connections on the PCB to make it 110V 60Hz, again a Linn dealer should do this unless you know what you are doing.
Posted on: 06 June 2002 by Dan M
Jeremy,
PSU is Valhalla, which was set up for 110V by the shop in the UK - so I think I'm ok. Since I needed to add a plug, I may have the polarity swithched, but I think I have it right (brown on spade that would go into smaller slot if it were 2 prong). My rack is a Target VR4 - a welded metal job w/ mdf shelves. Do you know of any tricks to help isolate it from footfalls?
Last night I did get to spin some vinyl and I was enjoying it *way* too much to take notes but all I can say is that this is a big (I mean BIG) step up over the Music Hall. There's just more of everything - the music filled in tremendously. I havent had a 'table for a few months now, so I cant do an a/b but I dont need to. I dug out my usual test tracks - Davis' KOB, Nick Drake Pink Moon, MJQ's More from the last concert, The The's Soul Mining, Brasil 66, Style Council, Radiohead's Kid A. Bass went substantially deeper, the mids more solid, and the highs less fatiguing (I think the music hall was a bit bright). Anyway, I wasnt trying to be analytical, I just grabbed some favorite tracks and enjoyed the music. I imagine things will only improve whent the elys breaks in.
cheers
dan
PSU is Valhalla, which was set up for 110V by the shop in the UK - so I think I'm ok. Since I needed to add a plug, I may have the polarity swithched, but I think I have it right (brown on spade that would go into smaller slot if it were 2 prong). My rack is a Target VR4 - a welded metal job w/ mdf shelves. Do you know of any tricks to help isolate it from footfalls?
Last night I did get to spin some vinyl and I was enjoying it *way* too much to take notes but all I can say is that this is a big (I mean BIG) step up over the Music Hall. There's just more of everything - the music filled in tremendously. I havent had a 'table for a few months now, so I cant do an a/b but I dont need to. I dug out my usual test tracks - Davis' KOB, Nick Drake Pink Moon, MJQ's More from the last concert, The The's Soul Mining, Brasil 66, Style Council, Radiohead's Kid A. Bass went substantially deeper, the mids more solid, and the highs less fatiguing (I think the music hall was a bit bright). Anyway, I wasnt trying to be analytical, I just grabbed some favorite tracks and enjoyed the music. I imagine things will only improve whent the elys breaks in.
cheers
dan
Posted on: 06 June 2002 by JeremyB
Dan, that's brilliant news, sorry if I over-reacted on the power supply. Dealers in the UK do a really great job, glad you were taken care of.
I drilled little holes in my Target stand and filled it with fine seived sand through a funnel, you can get little plastic blanking plugs from a hardware store to perfectly cover and seal the holes, it takes some patience and you feel abit silly doing it but I got through it because my daughter helped me and thought it was so much fun! I do not really understand the effect of the sand or if it will help the footfall problem. Then I got a local glass co. to make me a 3/4' plate glass shelf exactly the same size as the MDFone, then sat it on top of the top shelf. I tried it directly resting on the spikes but it sounded terrible. so what you end up with is spike, zinc disc, mdf, glass then LP12. The result is something that Mana didn't improve upon as much as I'd expected.
Also make sure the armboard is not touching the plinth. This is covered in the faq. If you set up so the bounce is perfectly vertical I believe this also makes the TT immune from footfalls.
The other thing that seems to work is to get a big paving slab and put the spiked stand on that instead of directly on the floor. You could also try to cut the wood floor over a joist (drastic I know) thereby isolating the piece of floor under the stand or site the stand where the floor is supported at the wall.
I drilled little holes in my Target stand and filled it with fine seived sand through a funnel, you can get little plastic blanking plugs from a hardware store to perfectly cover and seal the holes, it takes some patience and you feel abit silly doing it but I got through it because my daughter helped me and thought it was so much fun! I do not really understand the effect of the sand or if it will help the footfall problem. Then I got a local glass co. to make me a 3/4' plate glass shelf exactly the same size as the MDFone, then sat it on top of the top shelf. I tried it directly resting on the spikes but it sounded terrible. so what you end up with is spike, zinc disc, mdf, glass then LP12. The result is something that Mana didn't improve upon as much as I'd expected.
Also make sure the armboard is not touching the plinth. This is covered in the faq. If you set up so the bounce is perfectly vertical I believe this also makes the TT immune from footfalls.
The other thing that seems to work is to get a big paving slab and put the spiked stand on that instead of directly on the floor. You could also try to cut the wood floor over a joist (drastic I know) thereby isolating the piece of floor under the stand or site the stand where the floor is supported at the wall.
Posted on: 06 June 2002 by Dan M
I'd like to add that this 'source first' ideology really seems to have worked in this case. I was worried that my nait I just didnt have enough power for my tukans, but replacing the turntable with an LP12 has killed any thoughts of replacing the amp (especially after all this talk about upgraditus).
Jeremy - I might try adding glass shelves to my rack, perhaps separated from the mdf by ballnutters. Paving slabs and sand might have to stay in the garden for now.
Cant believe I didnt get any comments on my music selection. I wonder what others put on as there firts lp after a major upgrade?
cheers
dan
[This message was edited by d marsh on FRIDAY 07 June 2002 at 00:27.]
Jeremy - I might try adding glass shelves to my rack, perhaps separated from the mdf by ballnutters. Paving slabs and sand might have to stay in the garden for now.
Cant believe I didnt get any comments on my music selection. I wonder what others put on as there firts lp after a major upgrade?
cheers
dan
[This message was edited by d marsh on FRIDAY 07 June 2002 at 00:27.]
Posted on: 06 June 2002 by JeremyB
Dan,
Maybe music is personal, even as test records! I Concurr with Style Council, The The, Kid A on vinyl must be pretty good. What I noticed is that I hardly play my original test records anymore - Sade, Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, Pat Matheney, Madonna, Fritz Reiner Slavonik dances, Beethoven 9th, Scheherezard because they stop getting better after the initial upgrade, my musical taste expanded greatly and I have bought so many records since the LP12 (from about 150 to almost 2000) and they're now so varied. Current faves (for testing) are now Aretha Franklin, Basia Time and Tide, Mahler 2 and 9, Wagner, Margarite Menezes. Can't wait to get my two (supposedly) mint Sergio Mendes LPs I found on ebay. I do find that music needs to be increasingly complex both to test equipment and provide listening satisfaction, although something truly beautiful like Schubert's string quintet in C Major is now almost too much to bear...
Have you visited the Music forum?
Maybe music is personal, even as test records! I Concurr with Style Council, The The, Kid A on vinyl must be pretty good. What I noticed is that I hardly play my original test records anymore - Sade, Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, Pat Matheney, Madonna, Fritz Reiner Slavonik dances, Beethoven 9th, Scheherezard because they stop getting better after the initial upgrade, my musical taste expanded greatly and I have bought so many records since the LP12 (from about 150 to almost 2000) and they're now so varied. Current faves (for testing) are now Aretha Franklin, Basia Time and Tide, Mahler 2 and 9, Wagner, Margarite Menezes. Can't wait to get my two (supposedly) mint Sergio Mendes LPs I found on ebay. I do find that music needs to be increasingly complex both to test equipment and provide listening satisfaction, although something truly beautiful like Schubert's string quintet in C Major is now almost too much to bear...
Have you visited the Music forum?