@uberwaltz, My computer has a nasty little virus (Malware, or Adware, or something), and is wreaking havoc. I'll go to my email right now---Eric. |
bdp24, yes, and the base is a classic. Most arms do not make provision for adjusting the overhang and different cartridges are different. You can compensate a little but it is never ideal.
Son of a gun, a little grub screw. Go figure. |
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I was just going to chime in when I saw your recent post. I was a Morch dealer and know the arms pretty well, (I've personally owned a UP4 and a DP6).
Hans is a really great guy, glad he helped you.
Yes, there is a set screw for the arm lifter mechanism. Happy you found it.
EXCELLENT table and arm combo by the way! |
Sorry to burst in but quick note to Eric.
I have sent a couple of messages, hope they got through just fine
Thx
Over and out
Again apologies to the OP... |
Here’s an update on my Mørch tonearm saga:
I'll preface this with many sincere thanks to the ever knowledgeable Eric (aka bdp24) for his tireless work on this project and his expert advice and help!!
1) Hans Henrik Mørch personally responds to questions. He was prompt and very helpful. Hans misunderstood my original question; hence, the initial suggestion of placing a washer under the tonearm base. The US distributor for Mørch, SoraSound, supplied me with a PDF of the mounting template.
2) There is a small (1.5mm) Allen set-screw at the base of the tonearm which is very discreetly situated. While I’d noticed it, I didn’t know that - by simply loosening it - the entire arm lift mechanism can be moved up/down. It’s all perfectly aligned now.
3) As I mentioned in an earlier post, I wasn’t using the term "azimuth" correctly. By slightly rotating the eccentric counterweights on the tonearm, I was able to align the cartridge so the sides are now orthogonal to the record surface.
4) To clarify regarding the new arm board, Kinko’s didn’t print the UP-4 mounting template exactly to scale from the PDF I provided. I should have measured it myself before having the new arm board drilled. An oversight on my part, of course. I got another new and perfectly matched acrylic arm board for about $30: very reasonable. I recommend Tap Plastics in Portland. They did a good job and the work was done in about an hour.
5) The MK 2 sounds very fine indeed through my recently acquired LRS (replacing Vandersteen 2C).
6) My next step may be replacing the Mk 2 suspension with either Herbie’s Tall Tenderfeet or maybe the IsoAcoustics Gaia III. The Herbie’s are much less expensive. I’ve not seen a performance comparison between them.
Keith
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Mike, when I assumed the arm was going to need to be raised via spacers, I recommended to Keith that he go to Ace Hardware and get some stainless steel washers of sufficient thickness to get the arm to the required height. If the arm base does in fact afford adjustment, that won't be necessary. One thing I found surprising in the Moerch is it's having a headshell with no provision for cartridge adjustment---just two little holes big enough for mounting bolts. And the arm base is only slightly larger than the arm's upright bearing column, again affording no means of adjustment. Which means the location of the hole drilled in the arm board must be perfect. Not how I would design an arm! But it is really well made, and the chrome plating is as good as that on SME's---beautiful! |
SH-T Eric, that really stinks. Are they paying for a new arm board? Doesn't the arm come with a template?
If you can't adjust the height for the thicker platter make a spacer. I had that problem with a Syrinx arm on a SOTA table. On SOTA tables the arm board is recessed and the Syrinx was not tall enough. It needed another 3/4 inch. I made a spacer out of plywood with a 2" hole saw. Worked fine.
I still have that arm and the spacer. Interesting arm the Morch. I like the bearing. People think it is a unipivot but it is more like 1/2 a 4 Point. You can even get arm wands of various effective masses and lengths. |
Very understandable, Keith. In the "old days" azimuth was used in regard to the headshell/cartridge being parallel with the turntable platter/LP, as viewed from the front of the arm. But then people realized that that having been achieved did not necessarily insure the cantilever and stylus would be perpendicular, which is what is most important. Those two criteria should be met in all cartridges, but aren't. |
Thanks to all! The jargon for this hobby is really comprehensive. I was referring to the horizontal plane of the headshell which I incorrectly called "azimuth". In medical ultrasound (my former area of "expertise"), azimuth referred to the plane of the ultrasound beam relative to horizontal; hence, the confusion (in part).
Keith
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Music Millennium it is, Keith! @cleeds, yep, I already sent Keith a note explaing that azimuth is a matter of the arm being canted to either the left or right when viewed from the front of the cartridge---the stylus being perfectly perpendicular to the LP is correct azimuth. I believe what Keith meant to say was the VTA and SRA would be effected by placing a washer under the base of the arm, or raising it in any other manner. If the arm lift is in fact adjustable, that will not be necessary anyway. |
Thanks to all! Yes, the height of the Mk 2 platter is greater than the acrylic platter on the old turntable. That accounts for the problem.
I'm hoping to get together with Eric this week or next (if possible) for final adjustments and listening to the Magnepan LRS speakers I recently acquired. Maybe also time for a brief excursion to nearby Music Millenium, too!
Thanks,Keith
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kacomess
... a note to the distrbutor
gave me the not too satisfactory (but maybe only) solution of installing
a washer under the tonearm base plate. That would throw off the
azimuth ... How would adding a washer under the arm base alter the azimuth? |
Thanks Mike. I’ve been helping Keith with the arm and table (I just sold him the HW-19 Mk.2), moving the Moerch from an HW-19 Jr. onto the Mk.2. Since the cueing arm was working fine on the Jr., I assumed it doesn’t now because the Mk.2’s platter is the black Delrin/lead one, the Jr’s the frosted acrylic, and surmised the former is thicker than the latter. I asked Keith to measure the height of the top of each platter above their respective sub-chassis top plates, to confirm that hypothesis. I didn’t look closely at the Moerch when I was at Keith’s, as the arm mounting template Keith had was printed incorrectly (Keith will never again trust Kinko’s!), which resulted in the hole the plastic shop drilled for the arm being located 18mm too far away from the spindle. There was then obviously no point in going any further with mounting the arm---a new arm board with a correctly-located arm mounting hole needed to be made first. If the Moerch has height adjustment capabilities, the problem is probably solved. I was thinking Rega-type spacers were going to be necessary, to raise the arm. Keith asked about the brass plug in the bottom of the table’s bearing housing being adjustable, which he was going to try. No need to if the arm can be raised. So thanks again Mike---Eric. |
There is a grub screw in the base ring. Loosen it and the base will slide up and down on the shaft. Set this first before you touch the lifter!
Mike |
Super helpful advice. I’ll get going on that
projet tomorrow AM and ill report my success or Failure
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You should adjust the back of the arm so that the arm is level when the stylus is on the groove to set VTA.
The height of the lifter can be adjusted by undoing the allen screw in the front of the platform that holds it. You should raise the arm and then set the height of the lifter so that the stylus is 4mm above the record surface.
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Mike,
Thanks for the reply! How does one go about adjusting the rear height of the tonearm as you suggested? All I did was insert the tonearm base in the Mørch specified 20mm hole I had drilled in the new acrylic arm board so it was flush with the surface all around.
Thanks again!
Keith
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Hi Keith,
You have to make absolutely sure your tonearm height is right. You may be too low in the rear. In Morch arms the cue device also doubles as the arm rest. Raising the rear just a little should fix things. They are supposed to be set right from the factory. Good Luck,
Mike |
