Soulution Debuts Linear Tracking Turntable With Moving Platter

Ron Resnick

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Jan 24, 2015
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Soulution's first turntable uses a moving platter to achieve linear tracking!


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The difference here is that the platter slides from left to right whilst rotating unlike the transcriber that had the tracking arm attached to the lid

Hi Pauly, very interesting first post and welcome. We like members who are knowledgeable about analog. May I ask what the rest of your system is?
 
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Sony does that 30 years ago for cd transport too.
Now all that is missing is to adjust the bearing height to change VTA on the fly.cdp-r10(4).jpg
 
The difference here is that the platter slides from left to right whilst rotating unlike the transcriber that had the tracking arm attached to the lid
In both cases, the tonearm is horizontally stationary, and the platter moves left/right. There is no fundamental difference.
 
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Reminds me of the square-wheeled bicycle. Not sure it will catch on. Given the Swiss lack a sense of humour (proven in a bar in Basel years ago) I suspect someone designed this as a joke and they went ahead with it. Not exactly a bargain either. I’ll take two …
 
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It makes more sense to me to move the platter rather than the tonearm. In fact, the moving part is the entire turntable assembly—including the bearing and plinth—not just the platter. However, this solution introduces a whole new set of problems, such as vibration and coupling.
Off-center records will pose even greater issues with this turntable—no doubt about it.

Maybe @miniguy is right, this is a solution in search of a problem. We’ll see.
 
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I have similar feelings as miniguy above... I hope Cyrill can show two decks side by side - one with moving tonearm like a typical air tangential tonearm, and another with fixed tonearm and moving platter - and can demonstrate, sonically, the superiority of his design...
 
Focus at the tonearm and while the real issue is driving the platter speed and move it no further info and measurements hope to get more info in München take my Shakespin with me .
 
The difference here is that the platter slides from left to right whilst rotating unlike the transcriber that had the tracking arm attached to the lid
Welcome to WBF, Pauly!
 
Reminds me of the square-wheeled bicycle.
A square-wheeled bicycle obviously doesn't work, does it?

Not sure it will catch on. Given the Swiss lack a sense of humour (proven in a bar in Basel years ago) I suspect someone designed this as a joke and they went ahead with it. Not exactly a bargain either. I’ll take two …
This snarkiness is based on what, exactly?

From my interview with him we see that Cyrill obviously is a serious guy. I'm skeptical too. But why don't we wait for somebody to report after doing a direct comparison with a known turntable?

PS: I am not saying the Swiss are known for their sense of humor. But impugning an entire culture based on one bar interaction "years ago" seems dumb.
 
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How long did you live in the UK Ron, and you *still* don't get our SOH.
 
Well, I believe he lives here.
 
In both cases, the tonearm is horizontally stationary, and the platter moves left/right. There is no fundamental difference.
That's not complicated at all
 
Before the concept is dismissed, consider what is now available in industry. Here is a linear drive (motor) slide with a precision of <0.1-micron https://linear-slide.precision-motion-control.com/pdf/M511HD_Linear-Slide_Data_Sheet.pdf, and with a vertical range of 100-mm and vertical speed capability of 125-mm/sec. The pitch and yaw rating coverts to about 0.0014-degrees. So, the technology to move the platter with a fixed tonearm is available, and this is but one quick example that had some relatively easy to see concept and specifications.

The slide would have the benefit of being mostly enclosed, isolated from dust and other atmospheric debris that linear tonearms can be subject to, while being absent the complications of air bearings and compressor such as the Kuzma https://www.kuzma.si/air-line.html.

But it's an intriguing design that takes a fresh, novel, look at vinyl record playback. Will the design improve vinyl playback, that's the existential question.

Just some thoughts,
 
Maybe it's just me, but the attractiveness of ANY turntable, new or used, has to be put into perspective with the realization that the only source material that one can play on this to hear the inherent advantages of great analog playback is limited to LPs from the Golden Age (~58-80). For newer LPs particularly those produced using any digital process, why bother?
 

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