12 inch tonearms


Thinking about adding a 12inch tonearm to try one out.

Any thoughts and experiences, good or bad, on 12 inch arms?

Looking forward to the discussion.
dmgrant1

Showing 2 responses by thom_at_galibier_design

The Moerch DP-6 is an anomaly, in that the consensus is that its 12" iteration is a better arm than the 9" version. Equivalent mass 9" and 12" Moerch arms sound different. I have some thoughts as to why, but no time to elaborate on this.

In general however, I would agree with Raul in that it ain't the meat, it's the motion … that length is just one attribute contributing to fun-factor. Cartridge compatibility and a host of other matters come into play.

I used to look at Bob Graham's white paper (where he advocates a 9" length as being the best optimal solution) with a jaundiced eye. From the perspective of the importance of optimizing tracking error to the exclusion of all other parameters, my experiences with Grahams, Triplanars and Schröders have brought me over to Bob's camp.

FWIW, Frank Schröder is also in the 9" camp … again, because there are so many different issues contributing to making a competent, musical arm that satisfies the goals of getting the most music out of your record collection, with length (and any inherent tracing distortion advantage) being only one of them.

Again, the smart money has it that in the Moerch world, 12" is the way to go, but know that in the opinion of many, you will not be learning anything about 12" arms in general, but rather about the Moerch in its 12". If you are curious about the Moerch, then this is the path many have taken.

Are there cartridges which will work best with the 9" Moerch? I suspect so. The above comments are based on tribal knowledge and not cast in stone.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier
Hi DMgrant,

I applaud your quest for knowledge and musical truth. I cut the following comments from the Schroeder FAQ's section of my website ... not to deter you from your quest, but to add another point of view.

I think you should look at a second good arm, and not limit yourself to a 12" one ... unless you have specialized needs (or curiosity, which I obviously applaud). With that preamble, here's a portion of my "first impressions of a Schroeder" page which is linked to from my Schroeder FAQ's page:

As I've gained experience with more quality pivoted tonearms in the last 18 months, I have arrived at the conclusion that most of what we describe as tracing distortion in pivoted arms is in fact the arm chattering in the groove. I'm certain that my positive experiences of 12 inch tonearms has more to do with the quality of these arms and not with their length - it ain't the meat, it's the (absence of) motion (resonance).

I am in complete agreement with Frank Schroeder - that by stabilizing the cartridge in the groove (taming resonances) the need for longer tonearms is obviated. Build a good 9" arm and you don't have to go longer. Certainly there are specialized requirements for long arms, among them are increasing mass for low compliance cartridges as well as the use of oversized platters, but 12" arms are not required for sonic reasons. I have become a true believer.

Cheers,
Thom