[mgalusha]

Allow me to ramble a bit...

I built a DIY Teres based table about 5-6 years ago using some parts I sourced from Chris at Teres and some built myself, particularly the platter which was solid cocobolo wood loaded with lead shot.

While I've always liked the result, the solid wood platter has a tendency to move around just like anything else made from wood and I had to true it up from time to time and that is really only temporary.

So a few years back Teres came out with a new motor that uses 3 phase synchronous power and rim drive. The controller is based on their $$$ Certus direct drive platform. Chris was kind enough to demo the difference between the motors for me a few times but it was tough to pony up $1.8K for a new motor/controller setup but I had some extra cash burning hole in my pocket at RMAF last year and finally sprung for the new motor and controller. He warned me it would be a few months before I came up in the queue but that was fine, no hurry.

Sometime in January I get a package from FedEx with my new goodies but alas because the current platter doesn't stay perfectly round for very long and no longer would have a little belt flex to accommodate this I had to either build or buy a new platter. I was fortunate enough to be able to borrow one from a friend who has decided to get out of vinyl but still had his Teres, so I have one of the acrylic shot loaded platters to use for the interim.

Another friend was also getting out of vinyl and had a Moerch UP-6 arm and said if I wanted to trade my UP-4 for the UP-6 I was welcome to it. How could I refuse.

Yesterday I finally had some time to get all the components put back together, align the cartridge (Scheu modified Benz glider) and get the speed set on the motor controller. Turned out my feet raised the 'table up too high but a piece of wood under the motor took care of that, at least for now. Anyway, once I dropped the needle I was grinning like a fool. It was not the same TT as before (and it really isn't, only the base, bearing and cart stayed the same) and I could not stop listening until it was time for bed.

Thar be the difference between digital and vinyl. While my digital is pretty darn good, I don't usually listen thinking "hmm, I have time for one more side", rather I listen until I get tired or bored even though it sounds very good. Digital can sometimes suck me in but the way the 'table is sounding at the moment it's like a vacuum cleaner pulling me into the music. Anyone need a nice DC belt drive motor.

The stability and drive with the new motor/controller combo is shockingly better. I didn't have any noticeable speed variation with the KAB stobe with the belt drive but the rim/idler drive and synchronous motor is just so solid and forceful I'm stunned.

mike

[TheChairGuy]

Way to go, Mike 

Digital has gotten better and probably can be termed 'good' now...but save the utter convenience of it, you ain't listening to music as good as you can be if it's a digital rig.

Vinyl is SIMPLY better when most of it's various, mostly mechanical,  issues are sorted out.

I wish it weren't so as plopping in a disc (CD, blu-ray, DVD-A or SACD), or making a keystroke and accessing from hard drive , is far easier on all of us...but, it's the music that brought all of us to this hobby, and it's the music that is best served by vinyl

John

[PeteG]

Mike,
That is great everything came together, I bet the bass on your vinyl went up a few notches with the rim drive and new motor. BTW - loved the sound of your system.

[neobop]

Thanks for your post Mgalusha. You've just renewed my resolve to complete a Verus project. I'm using a Sota Sapphire platter/bearing. I haven't completely decided exactly how I'm going to build it. But I've decided to sell a few tables to help pay for the motor/controller. I really like my little direct drive collection, but I miss having a really outstanding table.

Here's a good way to mount your motor.
http://www.trans-fi.com/orberus.htm

neo

[mgalusha]

Mike,
That is great everything came together, I bet the bass on your vinyl went up a few notches with the rim drive and new motor. BTW - loved the sound of your system.

Thanks Pete. Yep the bass was one of the biggest areas of improvement and just an amazing sense of effortless force to the music, even when listening to some Doc Watson which is Bluegrass and not something I'd associate with a lot of drive.

mike

[mgalusha]

Thanks for your post Mgalusha. You've just renewed my resolve to complete a Verus project. I'm using a Sota Sapphire platter/bearing. I haven't completely decided exactly how I'm going to build it. But I've decided to sell a few tables to help pay for the motor/controller. I really like my little direct drive collection, but I miss having a really outstanding table.

Here's a good way to mount your motor.
http://www.trans-fi.com/orberus.htm

neo

Neo my only regret is not doing this sooner. I had heard the demos and have been to Chris's place a fair number of times but sitting in your own room really drives it home. I like the way the person you linked to mounted his motor. I could spin up a brass pod as well but for now I'm going to just listen.

The Trans-Fi site mentions having to get the o-ring it uses for drive just right. He's not kidding. The latest version of the Verus motor use a flat face band and not a round o-ring. My wasn't quite as smooth as I wanted so I taped some sand paper to a square block of wood and held it flat to the top of the motor housing and brought it gently against the rubber until I was satisfied with the finish. The manual suggests taping sand paper to the platter and doing it that way but with a flat face ring I wanted to keep it square and thus the reference to the motor housing.

mike

[Scott F.]

We need pics 

[JohnR]

I was thinking the same thing... let's see it 

Sounds awesome, Mike. Being pretty green on this... is there a specific pressure (I almost wrote "tension") that the driver wheel needs to apply to the platter?

[mgalusha]

Yeah, I need to snap a photo. Mebbe tonight if I don't forget.

John, the motor pod has two footers that are off center a little, so gravity applies the pressure and the only real adjustment is how far the motor is from the platter. I have mine so the side of the motor pod is parallel to the platter to try and maximize the contact patch of the drive ring with the platter. Good thing you don't have anti gravity down under, wouldn't work too well. 

[orthobiz]

Good thing you don't have anti gravity down under, wouldn't work too well. 

May the Coriolis Force be with, rather than against, you!

Paul

[mgalusha]

A few snaps from last night.

I decided the drive wheel wasn't smooth enough so I cobbled up a better way to true it. I put a precision V-Block under the motor pod to ensure it would be square to the platter and used some psa backed sand paper on the platter and let it run for about 1/2 hour and then finished it off with some 600 grit taped to the platter. Pardon the rubber dust in the first few photos, that was while it was truing up the drive wheel.

Much smoother finish and the sound is ever better.

First 3 are of the motor pod while it was truing itself, number 4 is the controller and #5 is spinning some Bach, which was glorious. In #5 you can see the cocobolo block the motor is sitting on; it has a couple small pieces of the psa sand paper on the bottom to make sure there is no movement between the block and the table base.

The base is maple butcher block and it sits on 4 Herbie's tender feet which rest on 4 pieces of cocobolo. The plinth is resting on brass cones that are sitting on some genuine US 5 cent pieces.

Arm is a Moerch DP-6, cartridge is Scheu modified Benz Glider, preamp is Hagerman Cornet - original version though I did add the CCS's and some Jensen SUT's inside. DIN -> RCA cable is Cardas 24ga litz.

[JoshK]

You know, I bought my verus motor almost a year ago and still haven't tried it out.   I've simply not had time/energy to finish working on my arm mount.   I bought a new slate base around the same time and the arm mount wasn't quite right.  So all this while I've had the verus motor and haven't spun a single LP.

I am really hoping to get some time to set things up this weekend.  Its on the top of my list finally.

[mgalusha]

I think you will be surprised Josh, I certainly was even after hearing the comparisons. 

[woodsyi]

You can't see it but my Rim drive is hidden behind the TT.  You can see the green light on the controller at the bottom indicating the speed is locked in. Once it's locked in, it's really stable.   
 

[JoshK]

Its really too bad that none of the project companies (redpoint, teres, galibier) support the DIY community or even offer upgrades for prior customers (except the motor upgrade of course).   It'd be nice to have platter options. 

[mgalusha]

Its really too bad that none of the project companies (redpoint, teres, galibier) support the DIY community or even offer upgrades for prior customers (except the motor upgrade of course).   It'd be nice to have platter options.

Agreed. Chris @ Teres used to but seems to have gotten away from that. I have a friend who cut my original platter but he owns a prototype machine shop and most folks don't have access to a lathe big enough to spin a platter. At the time they were still available as parts but not any longer.

[JoshK]

So if I understand correctly, you held the platter from spinning, put a piece of sandpaper on it and then let the wheel sand itself flatter?

[TheChairGuy]

Josh,

VPI sells all their platters, and bearings, as standalones.

The 18lb aluminum and SS platter from the Classic is $800, for instance.

Some, maybe all are listed on their website. If not, just call them.