arm advice (new tt!)

hello guys,

i just (literally) took delivery of my new tt.
it's a nas spacedeck, brand new, and it looks fabulous.

i have a problem, though. i am buying the tonearm from a friend (a fully modded rb300) and until it arrives i have no arm on it.
which means i can look at it but cant hear a sound out of it!!!

as you may imagine, this is driving me MAD! :inferno:

so in my despair i am wondering if i can (for the short term, in order to hear at least something!) find a way to use my old arm on the spacedeck, and thought you might be able to help me out here...

the spacedeck came with the Rega armboard.
i have a project 2.1 table all connected up at the moment. it has a project tonearm that is not great but works... you can see where i am getting at...

does any of you know if there is any chance i can get the project tonearm working on the spacedeck's rega board for the few days i am waiting to receive the rega arm?

any ideas/suggestions will be highly appreciated. i even tried walrus (i am in london) to see if they had any 2nd hand rega 250 arms as i could get one and sell it on ebay afterwards but they dont have any at the moment...

i'd really like to try my new spacedeck this weekend...

thanks a lot for any help!
jack

 

If the ProJect arm has the same mounting distance and mounting hole diameter then drop it in.
If not, be patient, relax. Listen to some records on the ProJect in readiness to see how much better the NAS is.

 

thanks, good advice!

as it is the project 2.1 the wiring doesn't go all the way from the arm, the internal wiring is soldered to the terminals and the terminals allow you to use any aftermarket cable you want.

i was feeling brave so i took the arm out, unsoldered (very carefully!) the wiring so that I could get the arm out and in the new armboard, and soldered it back on to the binding posts on the plate (that comes out of the back of the project easily).

the arm hole diameter is ever so slightly narrower than the armboard but with the screws on the side i managed to keep it settled. no great adjustments or alignments so far, as this is temporary and there is little room to do that but I managed to get it to work!

first impressions of the spacedeck with this arm jobbie: unbelievable bass and dynamics. a bit less airy or detailed than it should be but I imagine this has all to do with the arm and cartridge not being properly aligned, etc.

makes mince meat of the project already, the piano is amazing, the tone (apart from the very top octaves that need opening up) is solid and full bodied.

can't wait for the proper arm to arrive to see more of the potential. not sure how long (if anything) it takes to break in but I imagine it will need a bit of running as well. is this true?

oh one important question for those of you who have spacedecks: does the motor vibrate all the time when connected to the mains with the platter stopped? it is not rattling or anything, just a gentle fast vibration like it wants to go but cant. is this normal?

thanks everyone!
Jack

 

Yes.

 

Thanks Markus.
Do you leave in plugged to the mains all the time (therefore vibrating all the time is not being used) or do you unplug it from the wall all the time?

i am assuming you leave it plugged to the mains?

cheers,
Jack

 

Jack, I've just stopped using a Spacedeck after two years (SME10). I never worried about unplugging it and as Markus says vibration when stationary is normal, It's the little things that help, do pay attention to using a spirit level to ensure it's level and also get down at belt height at various differences and look at the belt. It should be absolutely level and is adjusted by altering the pulley height. If it wasn't already explained to you, the motor is telescopic and so you alter how open or closed it is to suit.

Enjoy the Spacedeck, it's a fine deck.

 

Jack, I'm not using a NA 'table. I tend to leave my own 'table running all the time, but if you don't want to do that, why not install a simple switch in the power lead (like in a bedside lamp, for example) instead of plugging and unplugging?

 

great advice thanks guys.

Paul I have (to the best of my ability) matched the height of the motor wedge to the groove in the platter so that the belt is level. i will check that again. the vibration is really minimal, just wanted to make sure it was normal.

I got a page of instructions with the spacedeck from NAS and it explains pretty well how to set it up (the most amazing part was seeing the platter ever so slowly going down the bearing well after putting oil in). do you have to add oil to the bearing at regular intervals?

i leave all other kit on so i will leave this one on standby as well. just wanted to make sure all was well.

btw, the sound is absolutely stunning.
thanks Markus and Paul for all your help.

Jack

 

I always understood that an occasional top-up only was needed. Now, the choice of oil is a topic in itself and is said to thicken or thin the sound to suit. Standard stuff is old un-fancy motorbike oil or something as simple. I read something recentlyadvertising some wonderful oil, , I think it was browsing one of the mags in WHS. I got the impression that, if as good as suggested, we could all achieve this without shelling out their silly prices. I did not get around to trying it.

I also found it beneficial to use the NA plinth, particularly standing it on sorbothane feet. No claims that this is universal and some will tell you (even Tom himself) to just put it on a nice sideboard or something. Do play around with surfaces and isolation though and come to your own conclusion in your set-up.

 

re

.
.
The Pro-ject tonearm is a Linn mount which usually means, it does not fit in the socket. The distance from the vertical axis to the spindle will also be incorrect.
.
.

 

Paul, I used the oil that Tom provided in the box. I have no idea what type of oil it is but I imagine it is the oil Tom wants us to use...The TT also comes with a little spirit level which is extremely useful and alongside the adjustable feet allows for perfect adjustment of the platter. Judging by how much oil I had to use and how much is in the bottle (almost all of it left) I imagine the oil Tom provided will last decades!
The platter moves really smoothly as it is.

I am using the plinth. I thought it was not gonna look particularly good but as it happens it is almost plain black (with minor, almost unnoticeable blue effects). Not sure if they vary or if they're all the same but the pictures I'd seen before seemed a lot bluer.

at present i have the table on top of a very solid piece of furniture and i can't imagine it will move an inch...

cheers!
Jack

 

hasselbaink,

it is a short term fix until i get the proper arm that is going there. thanks for letting me know, i had no idea it was a linn mount.

the rega armboard that i have for the spacedeck has two metal rings, probably for two different diameters in rega arms, i don't know. taking the inner ring out allows the project arm to slot in (it's about 2.5mm in diameter). it is not a snug fit but it won't fit with the inner ring installed in the armboard. the height as you say is not quite right either but i managed to fix it using the screw on the side high enough and sturdily enough (not very though) to be able to use it as is until the new arm arrives.

at least i can play some records and it sounds miles better than the project, in some things better than my cd player and it is getting better and better the more i play it.

can't wait for the new arm to arrive!

cheers
Jack