2020 update : JC Verdier La Platine

ledoux,

Thanks for the feedback.
The Final Audio stuff is unobtainable now.
I prefer AC motors because they lock to frequency and error correction due to stylus drag is self induced and reasonably benign, whereas DC motors require constant monitoring and speed correction via some form of feedback system.

The reason for the proliferation of DC motors in TT’s is because they are cheap and speed controllers are cheap to build.

The SOTA eclipse package looks to be great value at the moment.
I’m pretty sure its a 3 phase AC motor with speed controller.
I have heard a TW Accustic motor sytem on a Micro Seiki 5000 and it didn’t seem to offer much improvement over the original.

With the recent interest in restoring idlers there are now many speed controllers available for the big AC motors eg Classic Turntable Coy, Longdog Audio etc. Since there are also now parts (bearings, bushes, coils remanufactured ) for Garrard motors they are possibilities.

@ perart1 Would you consider selling the Callas Mod Kit?

ledoux1238

I think that If i felt that i needed to improve the stock motor i would look seriously at the Galibier as it is now in production. You could always fo for the Dereneville!!!!!! The motor of choice on WTBF. (said tongue in cheek). I tried the TW motor and there was little difference to the stock motor.

I think that i bought the last Callas kit and I am not sure that they will be made, and yes i am aware of what the kit is supposed to do. I will install it one of these days just to see. I have not heard of anyone commentating on the 'improvement' it brings. 

I can not think of any turntable that has been in continuous production for so long and not been 'improved' by the manufacturer. Its principles have benn copied and adapted by many.Linn have consistently been 'adding value' to their product over the years. With the advances in materials science and technology Verdier could have made the VP a more effective package. Their nouvelle platine has  had some development work done by auditorium23 with Verdier's involvement and blessing, but with a restriction that it should not be sold outside of Germany.

Peter

Peter,

My apologies for this late reply. I have been looking into motor options, SOTA, Galibier, Derenville, and GT Tron. Graham Tricker wrote that his motors are no longer available, except for some aluminium motor housings. On the Galibier web-site the motor from the previous generation, The Lecacy 2001-2013, was sited as very similar to the La Platine motor. However, the Verdier motor itself  is high torque, low inertia, different from that employed by Thom Mackris. Both the Galibier and Derenville motors use electronic controls housed within the motor pod while SOTA incorporates the Roadrunner servo control. 

In re-reading earlier posts on this thread, there are plenty of advocates of synergy between the stock motor and the platter / plinth assembly. I am back on the fence ( again ! ) regarding replacing the motor. I'll work a bit more to untap the potentials of the stock motor. 

I missed this thread the first time around. Since we added more content to our drive system update page, we’ve unsurprisingly been fielding quite a few questions about Verdiers.

I caught a couple of comments above (one by @lewm) which is exactly what I advise folks to do. Remove as much compliance as you can from the system. In this case, it means footers and any other form of suspension.

If you have any sort of lossy link between the motor pod and the platter, you might as well be using a rubber belt. We’re way past rubber belts, aren’t we <grin>

I’m fairly confident that you’ll like the trade-off that locking everything down will yield (trading isolation for speed coupling) - whether it be suspension, aftermarket squishy footers, or anything else.

If you do it right, you’ll not only hear better pitch stability, but the harmonic content will be more rich (bowed cello, woodwinds, etc.), your upper frequencies be more pure, note attack and delineation of complex musical lines will suddenly make musical sense. In short, it’s mo’ better.

This is next level of speed stability (beyond simple wow & flutter). It addresses distortion products and the improved attributes noted above are your reward.

I’ve repaired a few Verdier drive systems over the years, and I like Ron Ploger’s motor mount fix. I prefer to take it one step further. Ron correctly advocates tightening up the isolation system in the motor mounts. I found eliminating it completely to be better yet.

On the Galibier web-site the motor from the previous generation, The Lecacy 2001-2013, was sited as very similar to the La Platine motor. However, the Verdier motor itself is high torque, low inertia, different from that employed by Thom Mackris. Both the Galibier and Derenville motors use electronic controls housed within the motor pod

Hi @ledoux1238 ...

Regarding our pre-2014 **drive system**, I was surprised (upon repairing my first Verdier) to see that he was using the **identical 3-pin regulator circuit** (an LM338T) that we implemented.

In retrospect, I shouldn’t have been. We pulled the circuit off the regulator’s datasheet, and obviously JC found his way there as well. That’s why they publish those circuits, so you can use them ;-)

Of course, our ergonomics (switching arrangement) differed, and we used battery power vs. rectified AC, but you knew that. Our motor was indeed lower torque than the Philips/Primotec. So, in total, the two **drive systems** are/were very similar.

Here’s a link to that drive system timeline that was mentioned: https://galibierdesign.com/drive-system-timeline/

... Thom @ Galibier Design