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Correcting drifting with Sutherland Timeline

Just had a couple of days setting t/t speed using my newest purchase - the Sutherland Timeline Laser timing tool and thought I would share how good it is, once I got my head around how best to set-up and use it.
The supplied one page instructions are vague to say the least and it took me time to settle on which wall I was looking at to see the laser projection settle.
But once I got that fixed, it was easy to make minute adjustments on the VPI SDS and easy to correct drift and pitch. I found that using a sheet of graph paper 'blue-tacked' onto the wall behind.
Astonishing to see the effect that the addition of the periphery ring clamp to HRX platter had on RPM. Never before have I been able to recognise and so accurately use adjustment of SDS khz and hear the pitch snap in to focus.
scousepasty
jazzgene
145 posts
 
Sounds like a great tool. However, I can tell you as a musician and someone with absolute pitch that almost 100% of LPs are not in tune. Somewhere along the recording chain, a slight pitch error occurs. Some are really bad. Like the original Miles Davis Kind of Blue.

So setting a turntable to perfect 33.33 will never make music pitch correct. You need to have ears and adjust for EVERY lp.
scousepasty OP
106 posts
 
So far I've found that it takes about 5-8 revolutions of the HRX platter to recognise a .05 Hz frequency change that I make on the SDS, and stabilse.
I don't have perfect pitch but this helps me get closer to perfection than I've ever managed with a strobe disc, with the big advantage that you adjust while the lp is playing live.
IMO: Worth having if you have a t/t in which you can finely adjust motor control.
jazzgene
145 posts
 
Because of stylus drag, the beginning of a LP plays at a different speed than towards the end.

Can you see this on the Sutherland Timeline?
scousepasty OP
106 posts
 
Yes, you can see this stylus drag, plus different cartridge loads, different weight vinyls, belt tension changes, etc.
And because the laser projects around the room, you can see minute changes around the complete revolution.
rugyboogie
178 posts
 
My Clearaudio strobe is not functioning properly. Of course this only happened once I moved my turntable to a new spot and friends coming over for a listen the next night.
Cds it was for the night, but vinyl is what we wanted to listen to.

Purchased the Sutherland Timeline which I will receive on Monday.
Should be interesting, accurate I hope........
Will comment once I have had a chance to use it on my table.
Till then,
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