Stylus Drag

Andrew,

I have checked my speed on my BN with a digital readout through my computer using a program that is free called iSpectrum. What I do is play test frequencies and checked the Waterfall plot and it is spot on. My biggest factor is the belt. They need to be replaced when they get old otherwise you get a sling effect. But this has been by ear. I have excellent speed stability which I can watch on a screen. I don't use a strobe but instead the computer to set my speed. Seems to match the strobe though. Once set it stays put. I have checked it often and my speed stays steady.

Stringreen, If you check the other, older thread on speed stability, you will find many reports from many owners of results for many different kinds of turntables. Most were using the Sutherland Timeline as a criterion for speed stability. The sentiment was that the Timeline is superior to what is probably the best of the strobe devices, the KAB, in the sense that the Timeline could show speed errors where the KAB showed none. A disturbing number of tt's were unstable even with no stylus drag factor added, using the Timeline. That's why this thread is completely redundant.

I'm not sure the discussion is staying on topic. The fact that a platter slows when the stylus is in the groove is not the same as what as referred to as stylus drag. As I understand it, I don't think it has ever been measured quantitatively.

The problem I envisage with the timeline is that if there is a regular (emphasis on regular) slowing down and speeding up of the platter between flashes the timeline will show perfect speed where the reality in realtime will be very different....a bit like the teacher who checks on a class every 2 minutes and sees a class of perfect angels but as soon as he/she goes out of the room the kids start running amok.
I like the idea of the Feickert app better BUT, in playing a steady tone on the test disc there is no way to really test differences in groove modulation and it's effect on stylus drag.
An experiment for those of you with multi-arm tables would be to play an LP with heavily modulated grooves with one arm and then have the 7" (3150Hz tone) Feickert disc sitting on top of the LP being played at the same time by the other arm. Obviously with only the test tone selected to play through the speakers using the app you could see the exact effects of stylus drag in realtime.
My own observation is that a centre hole that is even a tiny bit off centre (most records and IME especially modern 'audiophile' repressings) will cause audible pitch variations that totally SWAMP inherent differences between turntables. In testing my own turntables(both belt and direct drive)with the Feickert app this was certainly the case.

The fact that a platter slows when the stylus is in the groove is not the same as what as referred to as stylus drag.

That is how I define stylus drag. What else would it be??