The Official SOTA Turntable Thread

You only use a washer under the record when it has a dished warp. You clamp should sit and clamp the record just by setting it on the spindle and flipping the lever. If the clamp lifts up off the record doing this something is not right with the clamp. If when you turn on the table and the vac can pull it lower than the clamp, the clamp is not working right.

This is exactly what happens without the washer. The clamp makes good contact with the record, but as soon as I turn on the table and the vac. comes on, the record surface gets sucked below the bottom of the clamp. See post #573 above.
Thanks,
Gary
 
I took the spindle assembly out and the sapphire is not missing although it appears to have surface damage. Will first try to polish it out with some diamond paste. Any thoughts on how to remove the sapphire disk from the spindle assembly?
Ok I see it now.

While is really need to be replaced as well as the ball bearing. If you want to go on the cheap rout and the ball bearing is fine, soak the spindle in a solvent. Try some acetone or lacquer thinner and try dissolving the glue. If it all comes apart in one piece and you clean it. Flip the disc and glue it back in.
 
This is exactly what happens without the washer. The clamp makes good contact with the record, but as soon as I turn on the table and the vac. comes on, the record surface gets sucked below the bottom of the clamp. See post #573 above.
Thanks,
Gary
A reflex clamp should start pulling down and have travel before the collet gets stopped and clamp totally. I don't think you are getting enough travel in the pulling action. You can try playing with it yourself or call Donna for a replacement.
 
Ok I see it now.

While is really need to be replaced as well as the ball bearing. If you want to go on the cheap rout and the ball bearing is fine, soak the spindle in a solvent. Try some acetone or lacquer thinner and try dissolving the glue. If it all comes apart in one piece and you clean it. Flip the disc and glue it back in.

Thanks. Already tried freezing the spindle assembly and then tapping the sapphire disc hard but no luck on the first try. I'm going to try polishing out the damaged area first with diamond paste. That failing will go the acetone bath route like you suggested assuming they used some type of cyanoacrylate. Will also give various hot/cold methods a try along with a dental pic. Ceramic ball beaing already ordered, two in fact and located a source for replacement disks subject to appropriate sizing. Fortunately I have another functioning vacuum platter that I already swapped into place as well as another Star.
.

20181019_082853.jpg
 
Hey 6TCyclehum,

Thanks. I picked up the washer and instructions form my guy yesterday ( he had forgotten to give them to me), and the instructions say;

" Place the black rubber washer over the spindle and onto the mat surface. If you have a vacuum platter, you may already have this washer in place".

I do have the vacuum platter, and there is a washer already in place, but if I do not use the provided additional washer, the record pulls down from the clamp and makes no contact with the clamp, so I am using the additional washer and with great affect.

The other thing I wanted to tell everybody is this. I bought the 4" thick maple slab from Mapleshade for my old turntable and I'm in the process of selling my old table, along with the maple slab. So last night I had the idea why not try the 4" slab under the SOTA. I already have it and can try it for free. I have to say I don't understand it at all. I have seen the video of Dan playing his SOTA and banging on it with his hands to no effect at all. I have tried this myself, and it's true. I was playing a record on the SOTA and took my finger and banged on the plinth, and also the dust cover while the record was playing, and NO sound was transmitted to the speakers what-so-ever! Amazing!
So last night I put the maple slab under the SOTA and expected nothing at all, and boy was I ever surprised. The extension and clarity of the bass was nothing less than remarkable!

Like I said, I don't understand this at all. My understanding was the maple slab and brass heavy footers were designed to removes the teeny-tiny micro vibrations from the TT motor and the cartridge itself, and if banging on the TT doesn't make a sound how could these micro vibrations make any sound at all. But it is absolutely true, the maple slab works wonders! This is a picture of the maple slab and footers under my old Walker, and I'd suggest if you can spare the $400 you should really try this under your SOTA. You will be amazed.DSC_0104.jpg
 
For those with vacuum tables (I have a Star, but assume the vacuum systems are similar in all of the vacuum platter models) - since I have gotten my table, the vacuum pump has been a bit louder than I thought it should be. My initial solution was to isolate the vacuum/power unit inside of an IKEA Kallax cubby with a cabinet door; I lined the inside of the cabinet accessory with rigid foam panels and added some denim insulation around the pump unit. This worked somewhat well until this week, when I needed the cubby for more record storage - the pump was relocated on the carpet next to my rack, which is also next to my listening chair.

In this position the noise from the pump was quite noticeable, and I started considering other placement options. On a hunch I opened up the vacuum module today to see if anything looked amiss (I have a Series III unit, the wood cover comes off after removing 4 small screws, 2 from each lower side of the unit). Inside there is a rectangular vibratory pump which is connected to 4 nylon stand-off posts with small springs. Underneath the pump is a small Styrofoam pad glued to the chassis, the pump is suspended over the pad by the springs. What I found was that the posts were a bit loose, and one of the springs had become disconnected from the pump, allowing one corner of the pump to sag and contact the pad. Reconnected the spring to the pump, and used a bit of soft egg-crate foam around the pump (this replaced three crude pieces of Styrofoam that seemed haphazardly placed around the pump).

Put everything back together and gave it a test. Previously the pump made noise on startup (which I understand to be normal) which lessened (but was still audible) once the vacuum was achieved. Now it is completely silent after it gets a vacuum.

It took me longer to type this than it did to get the pump working perfectly, Hope this helps someone with a noisy pump.
 
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It took me longer to type this than it did to get the pump working perfectly, Hope this helps someone with a noisy pump.

Yep it's easy, the same when the vacuum is not working, check the air lines going in the inner box, they can disconnect.
 
Finally up and sounding great!

It has been a long time and much expense since I picked up my 30 year old Star Sapphire back on August 9th. It came with a SME IV arm, and was 1,500 miles away, and for the asking price of $1800 I could not resist. Three day road trip from hell. When I got it home and set up I was disappointed that it hardly sounded any better than my Walker CJ55 w/Linn Basik LVX. I knew something needing fixing with the SOTA.

So new springs, vacuum lip and platter mat, bearings, and a new Hana SH cart and I was on my way. It was sounding really nice now and I was just waiting for the cart to break in, when my C33 phono stage took another shit. One channel would just die. That's it I give up on the C33 phono stage. It spent most of last year in 2 different shops being repaired for a hum. The hum was fixed but now one side just "goes away".

So look what Fed Ex finally got to my door yesterday.
DSC_0001.jpg
I've got to say the C33 phono stage must be pretty damn good, because when it is working it sounds almost as good as my new MP100. I just realized the MP100 is the first and only audio gear I ever bought brand new. Everything I have is very old.

MC 225 50 years old
MC 33 35 years old
MCD 7005 35 years old
SOTA Star Sapphire 30 years old
MP 100 brand new

So between the SOTA, and it's repair and now the MP100, I have $5400 into my vinyl project and I am in vinyl heaven!
DSC_0005.jpg
 
I'm still wondering why some go through the pains of tt isolation with a suspended deck.
 
Lotusfool, what footers are you using between the Sota & the maple block? Please share your experiences with those and any others you've tried. Thanks!
 
So new springs, vacuum lip and platter mat, bearings, and a new Hana SH cart and I was on my way. It was sounding really nice now and I was just waiting for the cart to break in,
:banana:
my new MP100. I just realized the MP100 is the first and only audio gear I ever bought brand new.
:banana::banana::banana:
So between the SOTA, and it's repair and now the MP100, I have $5400 into my vinyl project and I am in vinyl heaven!
:banana::banana::banana::banana:

Now work on the finest records you can find:)

I just realized the MP100 is the first and only audio gear I ever bought brand new. Everything I have is very old.

MC 225 50 years old
MC 33 35 years old
MCD 7005 35 years old
SOTA Star Sapphire 30 years old
MP 100 brand new

I genially don't buy or look to buy based on ages but on quality. While most looking at my system without knowing better might think it's all new or bought new. The fact is it spans decades....:)
 
I'm still wondering why some go through the pains of tt isolation with a suspended deck.

Definitely not needed with a Sapphire or better SOTA.

I can't wait for you to get yours and work with it, please post your opinions and photos.

Also don't hesitate to give me a call if you need setup help or have any questions.
 
Definitely not needed with a Sapphire or better SOTA.

I don't think I can agree with you on this Dan. I have seen your video of you banging on your SOTA while it was playing a record, and I've tried it myself. It is simply amazing how banging on the table and the dust cover while playing a record makes no audible sound from the speakers!! I never would of thought for a moment that the SOTA would benefit at all from a maple block, but I had one from my old turn table (that I am selling) and it did make a big improvement with my Walker, so I tried it. What the hell...

Immediately I thought I could hear another octave below the SOTA alone! What it was I believe is the bass was much more detailed and pronounced. Like I said in an earlier post on the subject, I have learned many things by simply trying something. It can't hurt to try different things. I believe the worst thing you can do is to set everything up, and walk away and leave it alone for years. No improvement from this lazy method, if improvement is what you aim to do.

One nice thing about the maple platforms and footer I use is from Mapleshade is you can return them if you don't hear an improvement. How can you beat that! Give it a try and tell me I'm wrong.
 
Like I said in an earlier post on the subject, I have learned many things by simply trying something. It can't hurt to try different things.
That's how I go about building my whole system, I never ask others what they think or what I should do. Buy it plug it in and have a listen is the only way for me.
I believe the worst thing you can do is to set everything up, and walk away and leave it alone for years.
Well once I'm done I'm done, but it's been years since I have touched table 1 & 2. I have been thinking of some re-setting up to see if I lost any performance. But really I haven't got pushed to that point, as I am one to not fix what's not broken.

Try the footers under the SOTA feet without the wood block and see what you get maybe? That can be a option as well
 
That's how I go about building my whole system, I never ask others what they think or what I should do. Buy it plug it in and have a listen is the only way for me.

Well once I'm done I'm done, but it's been years since I have touched table 1 & 2. I have been thinking of some re-setting up to see if I lost any performance. But really I haven't got pushed to that point, as I am one to not fix what's not broken.

Try the footers under the SOTA feet without the wood block and see what you get maybe? That can be a option as well

I have a few sets of the heavy footers, that I will use for the SOTA. I wrote down the thread size of the SOTA feet but I can't find the piece of paper right now, but it is something like 3/8" with a course thread, but I intend to find somebody that can drill out my footers and tap to size, so I can screw the heavy feet onto the SOTA. The idea of the pointy brass feet is their points transfer the vibrations into the wood where it is absorbed.DSC_0006.jpg
The points will make holes in the wood platform, and that's the idea. I use them on everything with good effect!
 
I meant using the strobthan isolation blocks under the SOTA rubber feet.


Yes it is.

Yikes i would not want to balance a table as heavy as the Sota on those Wagner type isolation pads. Don't think it would be all that stable.

Cheers
Mister Pig
 
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