I'm surprised to hear the volume is low since it was designed to be heard in a movie theater.BillH_NJ wrote: The volume is very low .
Bill
Ideal tonearm length ?
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- Victor II
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
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- Victor II
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
Inigo wrote:Didn't the Crescent or Vesper gramophone also have a square cross section wooden tonearm? Search in the forum.
I searched but didn't find the one you refer to but it led me to a very nice, looked like ebony and brass hybrid tonearm by Vesper.
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
The name is the same but that was a completely separate company and system about 10 years later.Daithi wrote:I'm surprised to hear the volume is low since it was designed to be heard in a movie theater.BillH_NJ wrote: The volume is very low .
Bill
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
BillH_NJ wrote:The name is the same but that was a completely separate company and system about 10 years later.Daithi wrote:I'm surprised to hear the volume is low since it was designed to be heard in a movie theater.BillH_NJ wrote: The volume is very low .
Bill
Hi Daithi:
Here's a little background information about the earlier Vitaphone phonograph --
https://www.intertique.com/VitaphoneDemo.html
http://keithwright.ca/CAPP/Vitaphone/vitaphone.html
Here's the "Vitaphone" sound movie process developed by Western Electric -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitaphone
As Bill noted, they are completely different technologies, by different companies.
By the way, there have been a number of posts on this forum over the past years dealing with the question of tracking error. SEE: https://www.google.com/search?as_q=site ... as_rights=
OrthoFan
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
That link is full of treasures including the attached image.OrthoFan wrote: By the way, there have been a number of posts on this forum over the past years dealing with the question of tracking error. SEE: https://www.google.com/search?as_q=site ... as_rights=
OrthoFan
Thanks Ortho, so much to read, so little time.
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
Hi Daithi:
I'm glad you were able to find some useful information. I don't remember if this page was among the linked information in the various posts. If not, you might also find this helpful:
http://www.graham-ophones.co.uk/keeping ... 4590882209
OrthoFan
I'm glad you were able to find some useful information. I don't remember if this page was among the linked information in the various posts. If not, you might also find this helpful:
http://www.graham-ophones.co.uk/keeping ... 4590882209
OrthoFan
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
Here is an analysis for perfect tracking across a 10" record:Daithi wrote:Presumably a longer tonearm has less tracking error.
So why are so many tonearms so short?
And what is the ideal practical length for a tonearm to minimise tracking error?
39" is obviously not practical, but if you are using an Exhibition reproducer, moving the tone arm pivot back about .5" on a Victor II machine reduces the tracking error to about 12 degrees at the start of the grooves and about 12 degrees at the finish. If you are using a Victor 4, then about .75-.8 inches is optimum for most Victor Gramophones. I added a bustle to the back of my Victor II bustle to get .75" more and it resulted in much better SQ.
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- audioengr
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
If your volume is low, it is probably because the interface between your needle-arm and the diaphragm (where the screw is), is not flat, so it is creating stress on the diaphragm. You can usually see this stress waves if you look at the reproducer diaphragm at an angle in the light. Sometimes, you can just carefully bend slightly the curve that attaches to the diaphragm and get the stress waves to disappear. It will "pop" into loudness once you do this.
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
As many other members have correctly pointed out already, zero tracking error is impossible with a pivoted tonearm of any length, by definition. (Very low tracking error is however possible with a very long tonearm.)
BCN thorn needles made to the original 1920s specifications: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4DNb ... TPE-zTAJGg?
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4DNb ... TPE-zTAJGg?
- AudioFeline
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Re: Ideal tonearm length ?
Exactly, which is why it's been difficult to give a precise answer to the OP's question as to what is the "best" arm length. Each pivot (non-tangental) design is a compromise, between minimising tracking error with a long arm, and the weight/resonance introduced with longer arms as compared to shorter arms. The style, materials, quality of components will all contribute to the end product. That's why there have been so many produced in the marketplace.