Longer arms can ameliorate this effect to a certain degree, by reducing the angle inscribed by the tonearm, but they cannot completely eliminate the problem, which is one of pure geometry. Those deviations mean that the stylus in the groove is angled in its relationship to the groove, and is more or less "off" through most of its playback of an LP. (By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the in's and out's of tonearm designs, you can check HERE or HERE for starts.) Phono cartridges with traditional gimbal and unipivot tonearms all suffer from deviations from true perpendicularity with respect to the groove, since both are fixed in a single mounting point, and inscribe an arc over the course of playing an LP. This allows a cartridge to play back a groove in the same way that the cutting lathe did in mastering a LP, which is a huge geometric advantage.
The most sophisticated linear-tracking tonearms feature a linear bar or guide that allows for the maintenance of a proper perpendicular tracking in the groove. It's mind-blowing, truly.)Īs it turns out, Steve Dobbins knows Frank Schröder too, and worked with him to develop a linear-tracking tonearm for his Kodo "The Beat" turntable. (The Hyperion MI is my current pick for our reference Walker Audio Proscenium Level V turntable system. I knew that Frank was still quite active, however, since my connection with the brilliant soundsmith of Soundsmith, Peter Ledermann, talked to me about their link-up during Peter's development of the incredible Hyperion MI cartridge. He and I finally had to give up the project reluctantly, and the whole thing was cancelled. Frank, who is in Germany, and I corresponded via email, and attempted to line up the logistical schedule, but he was so busy with production that he kept falling behind. At the time, I had been contemplating a review of the Galibier or Redpoint turntable, and was looking to pair one or the other with a suitable recommended tonearm by one or the other manufacturer. It had been years since I had first contacted the legendary Frank Schröder…back in the early 2000s. I had several on my list of possibilities, but that didn't include the LT tonearm that "The Beat" direct-drive ‘table had as a bundle option with it: none other than the Schröder Linear Tracking arm.Īha! Schröder! There was a blast from the past for me. The other major turntable checkbox was to look at linear-tracking uni-pivoted tonearms. And it was out of the Pacific NW, too I've always had a weakness for fine audio gear from this neck of the woods. I had already been thinking about direct drive turntables being a major thread for me in 2018…Steve's "The Beat" sounded like just the ticket. This couldn't have come at a better moment. Randy is the one who brought Steve and his "The Beat" direct-drive turntable to my attention during one of our phone conversations early this year. While looking for reference-quality turntables, Randy connected to Steve Dobbins. He carries the van den Hul line, Accustic Arts, and has connections like Steve Dobbins. The point of contact for getting to meet Steve was my audiobud and audio distributor, Randy Forman, of Finest Fidelity. Second, getting a chance to spend several months with Steve's reference ‘table, his Kodo The Beat Turntable and Schröder LT (Linear Tracking) Tonearm.īut I'm getting ahead of myself.
His proximity to Positive Feedback in the Portland, Oregon vicinity, made it feasible for Steve and I to hook-up for this review project. His company is Xact Audio, headquartered right here in the Pacific Northwest, in Boise, Idaho. Steve is a master audio artisan who specializes in turntable and tonearm design and construction. It came in two parts: First, getting to meet Steve Dobbins, the creative master turntable craftsman at Xact Audio, and his wife Polly. Here was a real mountaintop moment for me with turntables earlier this year. Ye Olde Editor, in medias puffus (photograph by John Robinson) The Beat MagDrive™ Turntable with Schröder Linear-Tracking (LT) Tonearm
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