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VPI SSM Ref setup variations

What configuration of VPI SSM Ref are people running right now - and why ?

I’d like to understand how the different set ups for this deck have evolved and improved things for those who are Happy Chappies – so that I can try things myself and decide which works best for my ears and environment, since opinions and solutions seem to vary somewhat.

I’ve read threads about Rim Drive vs Belt Drive, Bearpaws, Symposium Acoustic Point Padz and Precision Couplers under the motor assembly, supports under the SDS, etc etc Various people report arm wobbles – others haven’t had it - including me.

Two examples:
Stringreen seems to be content after much frustration and many conversations with Harry. Bearpaws solved his arm wobble but he didn’t have the other problems people reported (I think..) What is now his config and what were the problems solved ?

Hiendmuse is also content it seems – but I’m a bit puzzled by those two Precision Couplers under the motor. Did he try three and reject it ? (two sounds a bit strange – especially when both are positioned perpendicular to the Rim contact point (as I read it).

As background – I’ve struggled with Rim Drive to such an extent I’ve gone back to belts. THREE of them… But I’m still very interested in trying out the various supports and footers that are mentioned in the threads – as ever on our Never Ending Journey.

My deck is on a Symposium Acoustics Ultra platform, itself on an Audiophile Base rack and carpeted concrete floor. I’ve just bought Eden Sounds VPI-TerraCones and have various footers available for motor and SDS, including Precision Couplers. I can’t play around at the moment as my Hovland HP100 pre-amp is in hospital awaiting replacement parts. But I can be prepared.
rateourmover

Showing 5 responses by rateourmover

rateourmover OP
27 posts
 
Moonguy
I haven't tried alternatives to the Symposium Ultra platform. I'm very happy with it - as are a number of others discussing VPI. Idon't feel the need to try anything else and buy in to their coupling vs decoupling logic (hence why I've changed from VPI standard feet on the SSM)
I also have quite a few other Symposium products (RollerBlocks etc) and am very pleased with all.
As a second string you might try the edenSound slab which is also receiving gosh-wows from VPIers.
rateourmover OP
27 posts
 
Hiendmuse

Thanks. That'll do for me.

What's your thinking on rigidity of deck and rigidity of motor for Belt drive as opposed to Rim ? I can imagine the belts have enough 'give' to prefer/allow all else to be rigid.
rateourmover OP
27 posts
 
Stock feet on SSM allowed the deck to move a little because they do, therefore Bearpaws or similar were preferred because it kept the deck absolutely rigid.
Slightly confusingly, similar rigidity was variously recommended for the motor unit. However, I do recall Stringreen saying the motor unit should be allowed to move to compensate for the outofroundness of the Rim Drive belt. This is apparently at odds to those who recommend the motor unit have supports which also don't move (unlike their stock squidgy feet).
Nett is I'm Confused for Rim Drive. I'm also more confused as to what should move slightly and what shouldn't for belt drive, as the interaction of parts is different.

Well, that's my attempt at a more detailed explanation but let me know if it only further mystifies and I'll try again.
rateourmover OP
27 posts
 
Hiendmuse
I do agree it looks like I'm overanalyzing this. But, viewed in the context of my last four years of various hair-tearing struggles with Rim Drive - returning each time to belt drive until I built up the will to try again - I've now decided to extract the very best I can from belt drive rather than simply returning to it as a refuge (trying three platter belts for instance - as well as TerraCones. I'll also give different supports under SDS and motor a try).
Either I'm an idiot or there are slight but critical tolerances along the chain which combine and contribute differently in different examples of SSM.
What seems certain from reading other threads is the implementation can be fickle. What also seems certain is that Rim Drive sounds better than Belt Drive - since I've yet to read of anyone preferring Belt Drive.
Anyway, thanks for your input. I hope to eventually report which 'essential' tweaks for Rim Drive help or hinder Belts.
rateourmover OP
27 posts
 
Hiendmuse (this is necessarily verbose, please bear with me)
Firstly.
OK - a Symposium PC under each of the two narrow ends of the motor assembly is what I suspected you meant. My thought about using 3 PCs was mainly to increase stability and reduced the chance of an accident. But it could also cause micro-rocking if the base of the motor was less than very flat across the three PCs
I wonder if you tried and rejected as unnecessary or unworkable 3 PCs in a triangle under the motor base ? If I tried this I’d remove the 4 VPI squidgy feet first so I can spread the PCs out nicely.
Next.
My edenSound TerraCone feet are now in place and it looks like there’ll be a height issue which may not be the case with your BearPaws and smaller PC couplers raising the deck higher than stock feet (?) - and thus more easily accommodating the PC height under the motor.
(As an aside – I wish we could (maybe we can?) attach photos in these threads)
My TerraCones with their point-capturing brass footers lift the deck about the same height as the stock feet (as you’d expect). There is some height adjustment on the TerraCones but not much. I think the intent is to enable levelling rather than significant height variation.
PCs under the motor will lift it about 7mm higher than stock squidgies. This will have an effect on where Rim contacts platter or belts engage grooves (in my Superplatter). For instance it seems the periphery ring would rest on the Rim Drive pulley when on the platter with no LP. Looks like it would be at best a near miss when in use.
Belts – the manual pictures the two pulley belts in place below the two platter belts. I’d have to have pulley belts ABOVE the platter belts or again have contact with the ‘at rest’ peripheral ring. And I don’t know how off-spec it would be to have pulley belts high up on the motor spindles rather than at the bottom.

I think all this may mean PCs are a bit too tall to use with TerraCones ?

If so, any other suggestions to bypass the stock sguidgy feet under the motor – or am I wrong about the heights ?
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