How do you level your turntable?


Short of buying a 400 dollar digital level, what have you found that really does the trick. I've tried various cheap bubble levels with fair to poor results.
rloggie
Just a newbie and still working on setting my my first (real) turntable, I thought I would just put in my $0.02. Being a carpenter with extensive experience with levels, I just wanted to point out the proper use of a bubble level. Although it looks pretty simple and straight forward, it is very important that you read it correctly. Most levels have a bubble that is smaller than the lines it is to be centered in. Just because the bubble is "inside the lines", that does not mean it is level. The bubble must have EXACT spacing from the edge of the bubble to the corresponding line otherwise it will not be level. I have also seen levels where the bubble is wider than the two lines. Here you need to be sure the overhanging bubble is equally hanging over the lines. In either case, you will be surprised as to how much out of level your turntable will be if this proceedure is not followed. From all that I have been reading on setting up a turntable, it seems that this step it very important for good results.
Pisa tower .. Markpao? :-)
I use a good carpenter level too with two lines and the bubble not overhanging
A bubble level should work fine. You might want to take multiple measurements near each corner though.
Markpao- Being a carpenter- you should know that you must turn any bubble 180 degrees to confirm level. I have to send my Stabila levels to Germany every year or 2 to be dialed in. They are ALWAYS off a bit -
Pied,
I use the plinth because that's what the arm is mounted on, not the platter. Might not be the right train of thought, but it makes sense to me to level the surface that the arm is on. Example, say the platter is different from the plinth by a degree. Well, if you level the platter, now the plinth is off, and so is the arm. This could cause the arm to want to swing because it's off.