Savoie Drive Prototype
Shown here is the prototype assembly we rigged up for our upcoming Savoie drive system.
The new drive implements a much more robust (and larger) motor.
To prototype this, we had to house the drive electronics in an external case as shown in the photo.
In the past few months, we began to field questions from current owners about a drive retrofit for their Mk I and Mk II turntables.
Two questions arose from these conversations:
- How can we fit the motor and electonics into a single housing that doesn't occupy too much shelf space?
- How can owners audition the new drive?
A Mk I & Mk II Retrofit Package
With respect to #1, the new motor pod shape shown here addresses this.
A 24 x 18" shelf is more than sufficient to accommodate the turntable's footprint.
While a Mk 1.5 turntable is shown, this will work with all turntables we've ever built.
Click the photos for a full-screen view.
Mk 1.5 on 24x18 Shelf
Savoie Retrofit for Mk I & Mk II Turntables
As far as auditioning is concerned, we're specifying a "demo pack" which will consist of:
- A motor mounted to a top plate for use with your current motor pod.
- An external control box like the one shown above.
- A power supply (the new drive operates at 15 volts, and not 12).
Our priority is to launch the Savoie, but in conjunction with this, we expect retrofit demo packages to be available in late September.
We're enthused about this new drive system, and want to maintain the committment made to our customers - to make as much new development available as possible to our installed base.
Design Notes
The new drive is "dead silent". Gone is the commutation noise when the motor is delivering torque.
The user interface has been refined, with two soft touch buttons controlling start/stop and speed change. A small recessed button is actuated to calibrate speed.
The wider diameter motor shaft increases the precision of our drive pulleys. Smaller drill bits have a tendency to flex which can compromise machining tolerances. In the past, we addressed this by rejecting some 50% of the pulleys we received.
We think our current drive has excellent speed stability, but the new drive raises the bar.
As always, hearing is beleiving.
