Turntable Speed

For the kind of money high end turntables command the speed should be dead on, no matter what the incoming voltage, within reason. Or it should be adjustable.

Speed is just as important as stability of speed.

I like to play guitar to a lot of music and if the speed is not accurate the guitar is out of tune with the music and that is frustrating.

I've got a Transrotor Fat Bob S. I was fortunate because it came with the a speed controller that included fine adjustment for 33 1/3 and 45.

I'm not sure I agree that any cheap controller will do the job though.

If it's not rock solid that will drive you just as crazy.

I totally agree with 0thd. I owned a very highly regarded Avid Acutus (Stereophile Class A) before, and despite the fact that I really liked its sound, I decided to sell it (well..traded it in towards my SME 20/2) just because I could not stand the fact that a $11,000 hi-end turntable lacked a speed controller. Before buying it, i assumed that the speed would be accurate and rock solid for this expensive turntable but it proved me wrong.

I think you should either sell it and get something with a speed controller, or buy a controller for it. Otherwise it will drive you mad!

You should measure the speed using a strobe that allows you to do the measurement with your stylus in the groove of a record. I'd bet you'll be very close to 33 1/3 when the drag of the stylus is taken into account.

Thanks to all who have taken the time to respond to my questions. I would like to clarify something which may not have been apparent from my post. That is, I like the Atlante. I like the sound I get and I like the "fit 'n finish" of the product and I like the way it looks. In no way was I implying that Transrotor turntables were less than quality products and I really have no desire to replace mine. That said, I am getting the idea that platter speed is a problem for owners of other brands as well and like Jaytea, have lots more expensive 'tables than I do. It also appears that an outboard speed controller is my only option at this point. That's OK, I just wanted to know for sure.

It still is and probably will remain a mystery to me why we as consumers are obviously not getting all that we are paying for, and yet, we are still willing to pay for products that require us to invest in more outboard products to get the original product to work correctly.

Thanks again for replies. One more reply. To Thsalmon: I did use a strobe with a stylus groove.

Hello,
I think the speed of the turntable is a product of correct setup, and maybe manufactures have no choice but to claim that their tables operate correctly at 33 1/3 rpm under proper operating conditions when properly set up.
To explain further, I own a VPI Super Scoutmaster. My equipment rack is in a separate room (a 3-season room, if any of you know that term) from my listening room. The 3-season room is so called because it's small and has windows on 3 of the 4 sides. It also has french doors to close it off from the next room.
What does all this mean? In winter (the 4th season) in Chicago, this room gets VERY cold. If the french doors are kept closed, when I get home tonight the temperature in that room will be about 40. (It's about 20 outside right now).
If I go home and immediately turn on my turntable, my speed will probably be 28 rpm. I can use the SDS to get the speed back to 33 1/3, but as the room and the motor warms up, the speed will work its way back up. So I really have to let the room warm up first, or I'll be re-adjusting the speed after every album side.
Is this VPI's fault? Of course not. When the equipment temperature stabilizes the speed is dead solid 33 1/3.
Also, ignoring the temperature factor, the distance from the motor assembly to the plinth determines the belt tension. You can adjust the speed by moving the motor closer to or farther away from the plinth. Belt wear becomes yet another factor. The power supply to the TT motor is yet another variable.
So, I think I can summarize by saying that you SHOULD be able to get 33 1/3 rpm on a table if set up properly, paying attention to all these variables. A speed controller, in my opinion, should not be necessary just to ACHIEVE 33 1/3. It should provide a much more STABLE 33 1/3 compared to the wall power. It is also a very handy item to compensate for all those variables and irregularites, and my VPI SDS was worth every penny. If you cannot get 33 1/3 from a table without a speed controller, something is wrong. The speed controller just makes it a lot easier.

Cheers.

Tom

Addendum: With the VPI rim drive, the SDS frequency needs to be lowered considerably below 60hz. I once remarked to VPI that they should make it clear in their documentation or on their website that the SDS is NOT optional for rim drive users.