Speed trim tool for SME tables?


Hi -- I have an older model SME 20/2 and the outboard psu has two trim pots for adjusting speed. I don't have the original tools that came with the table and peering down the very small trim holes I can see what appear to be brass screw heads at the end. I cannot quite make out what they are though (hex? crosshead? something else?) and am loath to go poking about in there with various tools until I know what's on the other end. Anyone know? I have an email into SME directly but thought it might be faster to check here. I'd rather not pay for a 'special' driver if this is a standard screw type.
oscar44
Used to own that table. It is really awesome. Hopefully you have the owners manual so u can adjust suspension just right. It's easy if u read the booklet.

Just need a jewelers screwdriver, straight blade, one way speeds it up, the other slows it down. Some say your motor controller is best. Hint, try a better power cord one day.

Order a speed strobe disc if u dont have one...
Thank you sir. I do have manual and have everything else working fine, just felt something in an old album I'd not listened to for awhile made it sound 'fast'. Not sure I could trust my ears on this I dug out a strobe disk and sure enough, slight drift, hence my quest. Actually when I first interpreted the strobe I though it was running slow and was thinking, that can't be right, it definitely sounds fast....luckily I was just misinterpreting the strobe movement, it was fast, not slow.....yep, got to remember to trust my ears over everything else :)

Anyhow, encouraged by your note I took a magnifying glass and light to the trim opening and managed, after some contortion and considerable neck ache, to get sight of the slots in the screw heads and a small jeweller's cross-head did the trick (the heads seem able to take a straight too, as you stated, since one of the cross slots is full. Anyhow, the contact was clean with this and a couple of small adjustments had the strobe sitting still and my peace of mind restored. Might be time to get the new power supply for the table -- but for now I'm happy. Yes, the SME 20 is a beautiful design, everything just sort of works.
Hi so I had both power supplies, the one with the twist knob and the current one with the buttons. I felt the newer supply gave it more drive, more impact, maybe a bit lower noise floor. The twist knob seemed more continuous. Honestly, I spent $2400 on the new one and it wasn't that big of a deal. But you can hear it...

Also, ever clean your pulley (the one on the motor? q tip and some contact cleaner?... ever flip the belt over or get a new belt? I found these to be nice improvements.

What about isolation? I had my SME 20/2 on a Symposium Ultra shelf (Loved it) then later a Finite elemente pagode master ref...with the SME feel on cerapucs...Both helped a lot.

Again...that power cord...that surprised me.

I wish I would have kept my SME, been a great 2nd table...one day I'll like try and find a used SME 30/2 when I found a pile of money laying around ;-)
The best tool for speed is the Timeline from Sutherland. You can adjust the speed while playing a record (active tracking is a total different set up compared to a strobe when the cartridge is not in use).
With the KAB strobe, you can play the beginning of a record as the strobe disk is
about 1" smaller than the diameter of an LP. I agree with Syntax that the
Timeline is the best tool for checking speed, but it is expensive.

I just bought a digital laser tachometer on Ebay and am waiting for some
reflective tape to check speed. It cost about $100 and may be as accurate as a
good strobe disk. This option of course allows for the playing of a record during
the speed check, but it may not be sensitive enough to indicate tiny speed
variations during play.