What's the speed of your turntable?

My PL-570 measures 33.33 rpm. It's quartz lock but very steady with ql turned off. My other table is a Dual 1249 and it's also very steady at 33.35, a small but inaudible error and well within specification.

 

Thank you

 

Interesting.... it measures slightly fast on my S5 but will try it out with a friend's iPhone, and perhaps be more comforted if reads better!

 

Variable from below 16rpm and over 78rpm. I use a strobe disk to lock onto 33,45 and 78rpm.

 

I have had that error message from time to time too. Sometimes I just let it keep spinning and then it works fine.

Alan

 

oh yeah she's fast...real fast

 

Well, this didn't last very long. The little belter just broke already. Not sure if I'm gonna buy another. Luckily I had the Rega White belt to put back on.

 

33.3 on my Systemdek IIX using RPM calculator.

 

My REGA RP2 was running too fast. I added some tape to artificially increase the diameter of the inner wheel (where the platter is mounted). I achieved 33.35 in the end.

 

Has anyone tried the iPhone app 'rpm - the turntable speed accuracy checker', as well as a rotating display so you can easily read the rpm and +/- variation, it has a rolling graph which shows the variation over time.

 

Rega RP3 with TT-PSU..

Tested with turntabulator in exact mode 33.66 and 45.51 RPM!

 

I should note I tested it without the TT-PSU and got the same result.

 

No smartphone, but 331/3 rpm is spot on according to the strobe disc supplied with my Rotel rp-855. 45 rpm is a tad fast, I could correct it with the speed control screw if I wanted, but can't be bothered as I can't remember when I last played a 45. Out of curiosity I checked the 331/3 speed by sticking a small piece of tape on the platter and timed how long it took to do 100 revolutions... 3 minutes give or take a second or two Neither can I detect any W&F so no complaints at all.

 

Put on Sgt. Pepper tonight in honor of the 49th anniversary this week—an album I'm very familiar with—and found it sounded fast. Checked it against the digital version...yup, quite fast. Used Turntabulator and got nearly 34! Got out my test record and used the Feickert PlatterSpeed app and got about the same (despite the test record being slightly off-center ). Oddly, at 45rpm the turntable was about perfect.

Fortunately it's pretty easy to adjust the speed on my Clearaudio Concept Wood—it's got three trim screws on the back for adjusting 33.33, 45 and 78, respectively. Got it exact after a few tries on both apps (well 33.35 on the Turntabulaor, but close enough). Not sure how it got so far off. At least it's good now.

 

According to the manual on your TT (from the Clearaudio website) there is an interaction between the adjustment of 33.33 rpm and the other two speeds. This kind of interaction may make the 33.33 rpm speed more susceptible to speed drift. Also your TT uses a DC motor as opposed to an AC motor. This means the speed of the motor is controlled by the voltage it receives not the frequency of the power it receives. Voltage is more likely to drift than frequency, thus the DC motor may require periodic adjustment. Some TT's that use a DC motor have a strobe feedback system that continually adjust the voltage to the motor. Finally, depending on age and use of your TT it could be belt wear and stretch are affecting the speed. Hope this helps.

 

Currently about 70mph. Its moving flat!

 

I get 0-45 in about two seconds me.

 

Just tried it and I can't say that I trust it. First off, it never starts at zero even when you set it down, always between .25-.30rpm. So subtracting that number from the final result I'm guessing that it's 33.55 rpm. Maybe. As I said, I'm skeptical.

This is with a pro-ject speed box on a debut carbon. If it really is that much off then I have no idea how to rectify it.

 

Thanks. However, that's incorrect. The standard Concept has a different method of adjusting speed than the Concept Wood. The manual on the Clearaudio website is for the standard version, which requires removal of the platter to adjust speed. On that model, as you noted, adjusting one impacts the others.

On the Concept Wood, however, there are merely three separate trim screws (one each for 33.33, 45 and 78 rpm) on the back of the turntable that can be adjusted independently of one another and in a very precise fashion, as on the Ovation model. The DC motor/voltage theory (or an ageing belt) does makes sense, but I'm still sort of at a loss as to how the 33.33 adjustment was so far off, but the 45 was accurate. Fortunately it's easy to check with these apps and a test record, so I'll run it again tonight and see if it's still accurate.

 

I have an RP6 with the white belt and was previously using the phono stage in my Rega Elicit R. Anyway, I just upgraded to the Aria phono stage and whilst bringing an improvement in bass definition, stereo separation etc. I started to think everything seemed a little too fast (especially drums). So I tried the Turntabulator iPhone app and got a reading of 33.75 (+1.2). I've ordered the Dr Feickert test disk (£15) as I think that might might be a more scientifically correct method for measuring this. It's weird that an upgrade to the phono stage was this first time I thought my table was running fast. Had it for 3 years and never thought that. Then I stumbled across this thread... I often read in reviews that better audio can initially make the reviewer think that the music is too quick before they get used to it (usually along the lines of that's what it should actually sound like blah blah). If you believe that. Hope that's what it is!!

 

As I see it it´s normally the other way around. If we go to a more correct presentation, the music will be perceived as bit lower in volume. That will have the effect that it also will sound a bit slower.

 

Actually having just done some a/b with my doc (switching inputs on the same music) I'm not noticing any difference in speed. My mind is playing tricks on me. I think it was just with quick stuff like early talking heads it seemed really fast (the record player), but listening to some other stuff like Van Morrison I can't tell and speed seems fine and no quicker than digital.

 

Luke. I would never trust an iPhine app. I have no experience with the app you are using but my wife has used the iPhone SPL app and it is worthless. FWIW, 33.75 RPM is a 1.25% speed increase and thus an equal pitch increase. I cannot hear absolute pitch even if it was required to save my life. 1.25% seems very small to me, but someone who can hear absolute pitch would know if it is audible.

 

But don't do that at 78 RPM! BTW, my Numark TTXUSB is spot-on at 33.3, 45 and 78 RPM with the pitch slider in the middle point, with and without the quartz lock.

 

Of course not. Gizmos. Lol!