How the heck does that work with the optical reader arm on the non-label side of the tonearm??!? My Technics SL-J33 has the optical reader in the normal position right in front of the stylus like your other Beogram. I assume those use the same kind of servo/belt arrangement as the Japanese linear trackers?
Good call ! With the beogram 3000 (and other designs like the bg4500, bg9000, bg9500, bg6500 etc.) this is just an indicator arm, displaying the right speed (33 or 45). It has no sensor. The sensor is built into the platter (well actually into the 45rpm adaptor in the center of the spindle). When you put an album over the spindle you press the 45rpm adaptor down automatically, this then tries to push upwards in order to 'weigh' the record you just put on. According to weight it decides which speed is needed and where the stylus needs to be lowered for the record. When you put on a 12" record that needs to be played at 45rpm instead of 33rpm you need to override the automatic sensor by pushing the 45rpm button manually. You can see this mechanism at work when you put on a 7" single, the single will go slightly upwards for a brief moment as it is being 'weighed' by the mechanism, and it is being pushed upwards. You put on a 7", press start, and while the platter starts rotating the central adaptor on the spindle pushes the 7" slightly upwards for a brief moment. The weight senses it is lighter then a 33rpm and so decides it needs to be 45rpm and the arm moves towards the correct position subsequently. When you put on a 33rpm album, the record will not be lifted because the weight is only capable of lifting lighter 7" singles (an album is too heavy to lift) and so it decides the speed needs to be 33rpm and arm positions move accordingly. I should make a video as that makes it easier to see the mechanism at work. Edit: just found a youtube video of another beogram (with traditional arm) using the same mechanism.
Cool most recent post! I clicked on this thread because I wanted to see if there were any pics of a Woodpecker because I just ordered one of these about 8 hours go from Upscale Audio - looks like same finish as yours: black top with Zebrano wood, Inertia platter. I ordered it with an Origin Live Zephyr arm and a Hana ML cartridge. Also a Sutherland 20/20 phonostage. Can't wait to get it and start listening. Right now I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to improve isolation for this once I get it. (They ran out of and can't get the Jelco arm anymore - you may have heard that the company shutdown - a casualty of COVID and the advanced age of many of their workers.)
Actually, I almost bought a VPI Prime or Prime Sig - I don't frankly think I would have been unhappy with the sonics of either. I just liked the idea of the German engineering and extreme fit and finish they tend to put into their products (I have owned a BMW and 4 Mercedes sedans.) Also, I just like the cool appearance - the very clean and classic lines of the Dr. Feickert (and I love that wood finish). (One drawback is that I get the impression that maybe the VPI's have better inherent isolation than the Dr. But I figure I just have to figure out a suitable isolation setup to makeup for that.)
I am the happy owner of a Feickert Woodpecker. I use a wall shelf and would recommend that. Of course depending of the floor. I live in an old building with wood floors.
I purchased the Isoacoustics Delos Issolation platform for under my Woody. My Core Audio Designs rack is also a great isolator system as well. I may switch out the Jelco at some point. But just hearing they went out of business, I was able pick up a second Jelco Rosewood headshell for a Mono cart. Anyway, I also considered the VPI Prime Sig, but am happy I went the path I did.
My system is also on a second story carpeted wood floor. What brand wall shelf do you use? Also, does it have to be on a main load bearing wall? BTW, glad to hear you are happy with your Woodpecker.
I'll give a second vote for the Isoacoustics Delos Isolation platform. I recently put one under my VPI Prime Sig (which is probably overkill), but in addition to the isolation, it also kicked up the sonics another notch, too.
Thanks for that. I was looking at Butcher Block Acoustics platforms. I take it that the Isoacoustics works well for you - it looks like it has fancier isolation feet than the BBA platform. (Also more $$!) I think I just missed out on their last Jelco. Oh well, the Zephyr should work out well (it better, it was >$400 more than the 12 in. Jelco 850). Just for laughs, I actually just bought a 2.25 inch thick Boos Block cutting board on Amazon for $120 just to try it out - if it doesn't work out, I told my wife we could use another cutting board in the kitchen anyway, LOL. (Or I could return it to Amazon.)
My shelf is from a ceased Danish company. I have heard good things about Solidsteel. It's Italian. Search for "Wall shelf" I would definitly recommend to put a shelf on a main load bearing wall.
I really should get that Italian shelf ! Then I can have WWII in my sound room: Italian wall shelf German turntable English tonearm and speakers (Spendor) Japanese cartridge American electronics (Conrad Johnson) and cable (Morrow) I guess I would also have to either drink French wine and listen to Tchaikovsky or drink Russian vodka and listen to DeBussy
Trying out a thick acrylic mat on my modified Systemdek IIX. Looks clean, sounds clean. Also put my Ekos II tonearm on there for a little trial. I’d say the old ‘dek has never sounded so good. I might even sell my LP12!
Blame the cat. She was a bit too active for playing music at that particular moment. Plus I kind of just wanted to show how the new acrylic mat fits in with the aesthetic of the turntable.