For Turntables Without Light Speed Controller

The following paragraphs outline possible causes for speed problems. Bear in mind that 0.3% fast or slow is not audible for most people and will not affect you enjoyment of the music – To put this in perspective, early Rega decks used to run 1% fast as its harder to tell when something is running fast than when it’s running slow.

• Changing belt tension will affect speed instantly. Tension also affects the ability of the motor to maintain speed stability over long periods of use ( e.g 4 to 5 hours of continuous running without stopping). If a belt is too tight or loose, speed drift over time can occur. To solve this you can experiment with belt tension by changing it a little at a time and recording the distance from platter centre to Motor centre. The ideal starting first trial distance is such that with the belt held as loosely as possible over you finger, it should be around 3mm from the near edge or the pulley. This means that when you hook the belt over the pulley it stretches about 10mm. Note that belts stretch a lot in the first 24 hours of use so if you are using a new belt allow it to run in first and then re-set the tension before finally setting the speed.

• A contaminated belt, pulley or platter can cause speed issues – clean running surfaces with mild soapy water and then rinse or wash off with water.

•  After re-oiling a bearing it usually takes a while to settle down completely. So allow it to run for around 4 hours before setting the speed.

• The power supply takes around 5 hours to warm up and stabilise completely after switching it on at the mains. For this reason, it should be left powered up permanently. As it only consumes about 30mA in standby this is insignificant.

• Significant changes in room temperature affect the viscosity of the oil in the bearing so if room temperature is well outside normal then the deck will run slightly slow if too cold and fast if too warm.

• Transistors that have developed temperature instability.

Note: For Origin Live decks pre-2008 it is worthwhile changing the oil to our new type – the older oil could dry out or deteriorate if not used regularly which has been known to cause speed problems.

Noisy Motor

If the motor produces a “knocking” noise, it is almost certainly due to overtightening of one or more of the 3 cross head screws holding the motor. The underside of each screw head should just touch the top of the rubber grommet underneath and not compress it.

If the motor has an unusually noisy “whirring” sound, then possibly the spindle bearing has developed friction. This should not happen as the bearings are designed to be self lubricating and run dry. However it is and explanation and we have found that a PTFE loaded oil can reduce spindle noise and may solve speed variation in the odd case (we have seldom found this to work for long though). This oil and the video on how to apply it can be found on the link Motor bearing Oil PTFE loaded

The video can be found on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrMna_UMaxM

Belt pulley with rubber debris build up

A pulley with rubber embedded on the surface can cause flutter issues. To address this problem you can take the following action.
Note: Many belts (not just ours) leave a black deposit over years of use which means pulleys need to be cleaned every year or so.
a) Remove the belt.
b) Wrap tissue paper around the underside of the pulley to prevent any dust or debris from entering the motor.
c) Run the motor and hold a screwdriver gently against the pulley to wipe off the attached rubber.
d) If this fails to remove everything try using 320 grit sandpaper – this will not harm the pulley.

To clean the belt you must avoid placing any stress on the joint.  We suggest gently wiping with soap and water then a thorough rinse in water alone to remove any soap residue.

Avoid the use of powerful solvents like Acetone (nail varnish remover) on the belt and pulley.

Bearing Contamination causing speed variation (highly unlikely if oiled properly)

Check that your bearing is properly oiled.

To further check that the bearing is functioning correctly please see the video on how to check your turntable bearings – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlFotLCS3kA

Sometimes a bearing house needs a good clean and new oil (every 3 – 6 years depending on usage)

Belt Vibrates

This is often caused by oil on the belt or pulley. Clean the belt and pulley with a diluted solution of iso-propanol – or Acetone (nail varnish remover) – anything which leaves no residue. Soap & water may suffice but you must rinse thoroughly with water afterwards.

Hum Problems

See Tonearm Troubleshooting

Noisy Motor

Possibly the spindle bearing has developed friction. This should not happen as the bearings are designed to be self lubricating and run dry. However it is and explanation and we have found that a PTFE loaded oil can reduce spindle noise and may solve speed variation in the odd case (we have seldom found this to work for long though). This oil and the video on how to apply it can be found on the link Motor bearing Oil PTFE loaded

The video can be found on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrMna_UMaxM

For Setting Up Linn LP12’s

See LP12 Set Up (PDF document)

Foot Fall Problems Causing Stylus To Skip

If your turntable is sited on a wooden floor there are sometimes problems with a heavy footfall causing the stylus to skip in the groove. Sometimes at higher volumes there are also problems of low frequency feedback through the floor causing the headshell end of the arm to oscillate visibly in the groove.

Solution: The most obvious cure all is to place the turntable on a wall shelf (preferably on a solid wall rather than stud partition. However before adopting this course of action there are a couple of other possible solutions.

a. Try moving the table to a different location – even a few inches can make a difference.
b. Try weighting the table down with a heavy object – slab of marble, etc.
c. Try using something like the Seismic sink which is essentially a rubber tyre inflated inside a platform.

Stylus Oscillation

Sometimes at higher volumes there are problems of low frequency feedback through the floor causing the headshell end of the arm to oscillate visibly in the groove. Look to above section for solutions to this problem.

An alternative explanation that has been known to cause this problem is motor vibration caused by a pulley foul or similar problem causing excessive sub-chassis vibration.

For “Popping” Noise Through The Speakers

See Troubleshooting Motors & Power Supplies

Static, causing your turntable mat to lift off with records or give you a shock when touching the headshell

Static problems are aggravated in particular environments. The cause of static can be due to a number of factors and solving any problems, demands tracking down the source(s) in a multi-faceted approach.

Dry atmosphere

Air conditioning often causes problems so a humidifier can help or introduce pot plants with plenty of water.

Synthetic carpets or clothing

Try wearing different footwear. Rubber soled shoes allow you to build up thousands of volts of static. Also check out different clothing. Maybe put a non-synthetic mat where you stand to change your records.

Record sleeves that put static on the record when they are removed

Use genuinely anti-static sleeves. Try anti-static guns that remove static charge from records. Zap guns are available on our website.

Records that have not been cleaned to remove mould release agent

All records are covered with a microscopic layer of a waxy substance called mould release agent that’s needed when manufacturing the record. This layer can produce high levels of static that affect performance and should be removed by cleaning with the correct method. We strongly recommend clean your records with L’Art du Son cleaning fluid. This does the job without damaging your records.

Equipment placed on surfaces that have exceptionally high insulation and capacitive characteristics

There may not be much you can do to solve this problem but if experimentation is possible then try a few things.

Earths that are not connected or not functioning

If you have a continuity tester then check that earth leads are working. For example you should get conduction between an exposed metal part on the tonearm and the earth lead on the end. Don’t make the mistake of thinking an anodised part should conduct because it won’t (anodised surfaces are non-conductive).

Bearing Noise

Very slight bearing noise can sometimes occur – the oil must overflow to eliminate noise. If this does not do the trick then there may be a nick on the shaft perhaps caused by poor handling. Feel the spindle carefully for a rough patch. This can be rectified by lightly using 800 grit wet and dry paper on the defective area only of the shaft. If the defect is a small dent you need not get rid of the whole dent – just abrade the edges to get rid of the raised points.

Marks inside the bearing house can be caused by inserting a spindle at a slight angle but they are very slight and usually bed in with the bearing.

People invariably get focussed on audible noise and producing a silent bearing or motor is EASY. However silent bearings can sound dreadful on audition in comparison to a high rigidity “noisy” design.

Never tamper with the bolt in the bottom of the bearing or oil leaks will occur and you will probably not succeed in re-tightening it.

Motor noise

The “whirring” noise of the motors we use is the noise of brushes contacting the motor rotor and cannot be helped. It’s better to have great electrical contact which improves your motor’s smooth operation even if it results in a slight audible noise. Brushless motors may seem an ideal answer but they are in fact much worse in terms of performance as we’ve tried them. Your cartridge picks up vibration not audible noise and silent motors can have terrible vibration.

Having said this there are sometimes intances where motor develop a kind of “rumbling or grumbling or even knocking noise” This is discussed and a solution put forward in the Youtube video at the bottom of the following link Motor rumble