[Walterwalter]

I would like to hear different reasons: why vinyl people stopped using any turntable automation instead of trying to build some kind of automatics which doesn't affect the turntable performance. Actually, I did. And I'm ready to describe my device after hearing different opinions on that subject...

[bpape]

I think most people were unwilling to have ANY sort of mechanism tied to either the motor or the arm which would potentially inhibit free movement of either.  Then there's all of the vibration of most any type of typical mechanism in a device which is all about not allowing any vibrations to reach the transducer or its carrier.

Bryan

[WGH]

The Harmon Kardon turntables have an ingenious auto lift and turnoff operated by a beam of light, no mechanical connection but the turntable/arm have to operate as a system. It seems a lot of vinyl fanatics like to mix and match arms and tables which would make an auto lift very impractical.

I did come across an auto lift device that is no longer made:



wgh

[TheChairGuy]

Hell, I love auto-lift.  Running to fetch your needle scraping against the record label is quite painful indeed 

I had a Thorens and used a Q-up device (a little mechnical end-of-record thingee)...it worked 75% of the time.  Not bad..but 100% is so much better.

John

[Wayner]

The auto lift mechanism just is more stuff to jiggle around and be counter productive to true vinyl reproduction. I like the manual tables with minimal hardware under the plinth. I do have one semi-automatic (technics SL-Q2) that is the "garage" table for the summer. That auto return is handy when I'm out putzing out in the yard and forget I have vinyl spinning.

Wayner 

[lofreek]

The various mechanisms for auto lift use the tonearm's proximity to the center hole. There is no actual standard regarding how close to the label that disc cutting engineers are allowed to get, nor where the mechanism should engage. I remember back in the day when some records would play, the mechanism would engage before the music was over.

I have found that promo versions of LP releases are often better than rank and file pressings due to various factors, one of which is that the cutting engineer went closer to the center since he knew that these pressings would be played on the manual turntables used at radio stations. By cutting closer to the label, he was able to get a higher level and / or better bass on the disc, often leading to a better sounding LP. I have many promos, and they are very consistent in this regard.

[lcrim]

No, my bedroom system has a Dual CS-5000 that lifts the arm and shuts off the motor at the end of a side.  Has certainly saved me a load of jumping up and if I fall asleep, the cartridge is at least saved some wear.  The tubes in that system sometimes get left on, oh well.

[doug s.]

Hell, I love auto-lift.  Running to fetch your needle scraping against the record label is quite painful indeed 

I had a Thorens and used a Q-up device (a little mechnical end-of-record thingee)...it worked 75% of the time.  Not bad..but 100% is so much better.

John

i have an audio-technica lifter and a thorens q-up - both have worked 100% when properly set up.  i also have a lifter like shown in the wideo, but i have never used it.  i helped set one up on a bud's deck a coupla years ago, & he says it works fine...



here's a pic of the a-t lifter, mounted on a linn lp12 i found on the web:


here's an old pic of the q-up on my oracle deck before i upgraded it to mkv spec & o-l silver taper arm.  (i am now using the a-t lifter):


doug s.

[bacobits1]

I had one of the AT risers a few years ago. They are tough to find and if you do they go for about $100.
I got one new direct from Japan at HiFi DO for $50. Would love to visit that place.
Changed tables and sold it for $100.
Very nicely engineered and sharp little ditty.

Den

[GBB]

I had one of the AT risers a few years ago. They are tough to find and if you do they go for about $100.
I got one new direct from Japan at HiFi DO for $50. Would love to visit that place.
Changed tables and sold it for $100.
Very nicely engineered and sharp little ditty.

Den

I think I might have one of the AT risers / lifts sitting in a drawer.  Does someone want it?  Can I really get $100 for it?

I do like having a gizmo to pick up the needle at the end of a record.  I've been using a Thorens TD524, which has an OK tonearm - the TP16IIIL.  I've been thinking that sound quality would benefit by fitting a better tonearm but there is a built in optical detector that automatically raises the tonearm at the end of the record and I'm reluctant to give up that very nice feature.  So I guess I'm falling in the camp of preferring convenience over sound quality - at least for now.  The tonearm actually does sound OK - I just think that it could be better.  But for now inertia wins out of the theoretical possibility of sound.
 
---Gary

[doug s.]

I had one of the AT risers a few years ago. They are tough to find and if you do they go for about $100.
I got one new direct from Japan at HiFi DO for $50. Would love to visit that place.
Changed tables and sold it for $100.
Very nicely engineered and sharp little ditty.

Den

I think I might have one of the AT risers / lifts sitting in a drawer.  Does someone want it?  Can I really get $100 for it?

I do like having a gizmo to pick up the needle at the end of a record.  I've been using a Thorens TD524, which has an OK tonearm - the TP16IIIL.  I've been thinking that sound quality would benefit by fitting a better tonearm but there is a built in optical detector that automatically raises the tonearm at the end of the record and I'm reluctant to give up that very nice feature.  So I guess I'm falling in the camp of preferring convenience over sound quality - at least for now.  The tonearm actually does sound OK - I just think that it could be better.  But for now inertia wins out of the theoretical possibility of sound.
 
---Gary

i have seen the q-ups & the a-t risers both sell for >$100.

you should upgrade your tonearm if you have an a-t lifter awreddy, what conwenience are you giving up by ditching the tp16iiil arm?   

doug s.

[Walterwalter]

And what about the old Empire magnet arm lift? I've never seen it live, just on photos. I wonder how it works, it should cause a loud click with the needle? However the very idea looks good...

[Wayner]

The Empire 598II required such fiddeling around to get it just right and the side swipe was too sideways, an accident waiting to happen (bent cantilever). I always left it out of the way. That was not one of Empires greatest designs. I think it was not offered on the 698 series.

Wayner

[GBB]

i have seen the q-ups & the a-t risers both sell for >$100.

you should upgrade your tonearm if you have an a-t lifter awreddy, what conwenience are you giving up by ditching the tp16iiil arm? 

Doug - I guess you're right.  I guess it's just the engineer in me likes the engineering of the auto-lift on the Thorens.  It's got an optical detector so there is no mechanical interaction between the tonearm and the autolift until the tonearm is off the record.  It even turns off the turntable so that the record stops spinning.  It's really nicely done. 
Compared to that, the AT seems fiddly and a bit of toy - although in the end it does exactly the same thing.

---Gary

[doug s.]

i have seen the q-ups & the a-t risers both sell for >$100.

you should upgrade your tonearm if you have an a-t lifter awreddy, what conwenience are you giving up by ditching the tp16iiil arm? 

Doug - I guess you're right.  I guess it's just the engineer in me likes the engineering of the auto-lift on the Thorens.  It's got an optical detector so there is no mechanical interaction between the tonearm and the autolift until the tonearm is off the record.  It even turns off the turntable so that the record stops spinning.  It's really nicely done. 
Compared to that, the AT seems fiddly and a bit of toy - although in the end it does exactly the same thing.

---Gary

if you're into engineering, the a-t should really appeeal to you - "keep it simple"   

good luck,

doug s.