turntable project

Changing nation
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Scottish History and Archaeology
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Object r
elated to
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s
TURNTABLE
Science and Technology
Fashion and Textiles
Communications
-turntable
Industry and Engineering
-record player
Science
-record changer
Numismatics
-decks
Finance
-phonograph
Museum
artefact
Definition
a circular revolving plate supporting a record
as it is played.
History
a circular revolving platform for turning a railway
locomotive or other vehicle.
The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding
physical deviations of a groove engraved or impressed into the
surface of a rotating cylinder or disc. To recreate the sound, the
surface is similarly rotated while a playback stylus traces the groove
and is therefore vibrated by it, very faintly reproducing the recorded
sound. In early acoustic phonographs, the stylus vibrated a
diaphragm which produced sound waves which were coupled to the
open air through a flaring horn, or directly to the listener's ears
through stethoscope-type earphones. In later electric phonographs,
the motions of the stylus are converted into an analogous electrical
signal by a transducer called a pickup or cartridge, electronically
amplified, then converted back into sound by a loudspeaker.
Sondek LP12 reference transcription turntable with keel subchassis, trampolin
base board, Ekos Se tonearm and Akiva moving coil cartridge, by Linn Products
Ltd, Eaglesham, Lanarkshire, 2008
Linn Products Ltd
Wood metal plastic
MP3: ST: Technology by Design (Discarded)
The phonograph was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison.
MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND - LEVEL 6
SCOTLAND: A CHANGING NATION
DAILY LIFE - HOME TECHNOLOGY
Science and Technology : Communications
While other inventors had produced devices that could record
sounds, Edison's phonograph was the first to be able to
reproduce the recorded sound. His phonograph originally recorded
sound onto a tinfoil sheet phonograph cylinder, and could both
record and reproduce sounds.
Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory made several
improvements in the 1880s, including the use of wax-coated
cardboard cylinders, and a cutting stylus that moved from side to
side in a "zig zag" pattern across the record.
History
association
of images
The Linn Sondek LP12 (often shortened to Sondek or
LP12) is a highly regarded transcription turntable produced
by Glasgow-based Linn Products, manufacturers of hi-fi,
home theatre, and multi-room audio systems. Its name is
derived from the 12" vinyl LP (long play gramophone
record).
The Absolute Sound ranked it the second most
significant turntable of all time in 2011. With its iconic
success, Linn named their flagship CD player the Sondek
CD12.
old trains wheels look like turntable in a way: the disc and the harm
Linn didn't invent the turntable, we simply understood that there was more information on an
LP record than people were capable of accessing, so we applied our understanding of
engineering to extracting it. Ivor Tiefenbrun, 2007
Early versions were a platform for mounting third party tonearms, had a basic power supply
arrangements, and would only revolve at 33⅓ rpm. Those users requiring a 45 rpm option
would have to purchase a special adaptor to increase the diameter of the motor pulley and
platter speed accordingly.
Throughout the years, there have been many changes which have significantly improved this
table. These changes include modifications to components such as the subplatter and
bearing, rubber feet, baseboard, armboard, suspension springs and grommets and
reinforced plinth. A much improved on-board PSU, the Valhalla, was marketed as an upgrade
option. Later, external power supplies became de rigueur firstly with the introduction of the
Linn Lingo, and later the Radikal.
Edison was a prolific inventor, holding
1,093 US patents in his name, as well as
many patents in the United Kingdom,
France, and Germany. More significant
than the number of Edison's patents was
the widespread impact of his inventions:
electric light and power utilities, sound
recording, and motion pictures all
established major new industries worldwide. Edison's inventions contributed to
mass communication and, in particular,
telecommunications. These included a
stock ticker, a mechanical vote recorder,
a battery for an electric car, electrical
power, recorded music and motion
pictures.
His advanced work in these fields was an
outgrowth of his early career as a
telegraph operator. Edison developed a
system of electric-power generation and
distribution to homes, businesses, and
factories – a crucial development in the
modern industrialized world. His first
power station was on Pearl Street in
Manhattan, New York.
The disc phonograph record was the dominant audio recording
format throughout most of the 20th century. From the mid-1980s,
phonograph use declined sharply because of the rise of the compact
disc and other digital recording formats. While no longer massmarket items, modest numbers of phonographs and phonograph
records continue to be produced in the second decade of the 21st
century.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------The use of a flat recording surface instead of a cylindrical one was an
obvious alternative which thought-experimenter Charles Cros initially
favored and which practical experimenter Thomas Edison and others
actually tested in the late 1870s and early 1880s. The oldest surviving
example is a copper electrotype of a recording cut into a wax disc in
1881. The commercialization of sound recording technology was
initially aimed at use for business correspondence and transcription
into writing, in which the cylindrical form offered certain advantages,
the storage of large numbers of records seemed unlikely, and the
ease of producing multiple copies was not a consideration.
Partnered tonearms and power supplies
Like most turntable units, many options to partner the LP12 are available (including Linn's
own) for tonearms, cartridges and, to a much lesser extent, power supplies. Although Linn
constantly espouses the virtues of a "pure" Linn system, and there is much talked about
synergies with other Linn components, the LP12 user has the option of a number of third
party options. Before the existence of Linn-branded tonearms, Linn was the importer for
Grace, and used their 707 tonearm. The Sumiko tonearm and later the Mission 774 arm were
also popular choices and much spoken of. The first Linn-badged arm, the Ittok LVII, was in
production 1979-93. A 3-point-mounted arm with a large-bore arm tube designed and
manufactured in Japan. It was gradually superseded by the Ekos. A budget arm, the Basik
LVX, was produced from 1983 to 1986, and replaced by the Akito. For today's demanding
audiophile, LP12 is commonly partnered with the Linn Ekos SE tonearm; the unipivot ARO
tonearm from Naim Audio is also very popular.
External power options include Linn's own top of the line Radikal power supply featuring an
auto-calibrating speed management system; Naim Audio manufactures the Armageddon
power supply for the LP12, based on its own Hi-Cap power supply unit.
Linn were distributors for Grace and Supex Corporation at the time, and thus the Supex
SD900 and SD1000 phono cartridges were also frequently partners for the deck. Early Linnbranded cartridges, such as the Asak and Asaka, and the 3-point mounted Troika (now
discontinued), were produced by Supex for Linn. Linn's later subcontracted cartridge
manufacture to Lyra Corporation in Japan. Paul Messenger, writing in Stereophile, credits
Linn's endorsement and importation of the Supex brand for the resurgence of audiophile
interest in moving coil cartridges.
Naim Audio manufactured the Linn-branded head amplifier (phono amplifier), the Linnk. Linn
today manufacturers the Uphorik ("euphoric"), and Urika ("eureka") phono pre-amplifier that
can be powered by the Radikal.
Linn capitalised on the success of the Sondek LP12 by introducing the more affordable Basik
and Axis turntables, complementary tonearms for the Sondek and cartridges at different
price points.
Product history
Changes thereto are elaborated below. related serial numbers in square brackets
•
1972, LP12 turntable introduced.
•
1974, Main bearing liner changed. Sub-chassis strengthened by addition of strap, spot welded in place.
Motor control circuit changed from terminal strip to small PCB. Mains switch changed from two buttons to
single with mains neon. [s/n 2,000]
•
1978, Top plate modified adding two holes for 6 x 0.5 self tappers into wood block. [23,000]
•
1979, Lid prop removed, hinges changed to spring loading. [27,000]
•
1981, February. Nirvana mechanical components. [32,826]
•
1982, May. Valhalla crystal-driven electronic power supply made standard. [38,794]
•
1984, Enlarged plinth corner bracing. [53,000]
•
1984, June. Sub-chassis strengthening bar epoxy glued instead of spot welded. [54,101]
•
1985, August. Cap head screws on bearing housing. [60,383]
•
1985, September. Diode modification to Valhalla board [61,090]
•
1985, December. Strengthening blocks on corners of plinth.
•
1986, May. New clear lid.
•
1986, Suspension springs improved.
•
1987, March. New bearing housing, New Formica and MDF armboard. [69,161]
•
1987, April. New springs. [69,591]
•
1987, Bearing improved with better lining material and tighter tolerances. Change to black oil. Suspension
springs ground to improved tolerance. Arm board composition improved. [70,000]
•
1989, Motor thrust pad changed. Valhalla surge guard modification. PCB mains lead (UK). [79,700]
•
1989, New MDF armboard, laminated top and bottom. [79,160]
•
1989, Harder suspension grommets fitted. [81,000]
•
1990, External Lingo power supply available as add-on.
•
1991, motor thrust pad cap added to Lingo models. [87,047]
•
1991, Valhalla board prototype with 45RPM (never went into production) [87,047]
•
1991, motor thrust pad cap added to Valhalla models. [87,206]
•
1991, Introduction of LP12 Basik, a stripped down version of the turntable [87,672]
•
1991, Solid base board replaces hardboard. [87,672]
•
1991, Trampolin base board with isolating feet available as an option [87,672].
•
1992, Improved top plate fixing. [88,950]
•
1993, Cirkus upgrade (larger and better machined inner platter and new bearing, new springs, armboard,
belt) fitted as standard. [90,582]
•
1997, a limited edition commemorative LP12 was created to mark the 25th anniversary of the LP12.
Amongst other features, it bears a plaque etched with the signature of Linn's founder Ivor Tiefenbrun.
•
2000, 4th bolt added near motor on top plate, fitted as standard. Required extra cross beam on plinth.
•
2001, New motor used (first new motor since original 1972).
•
2002, Maple plinth introduced adding to existing black, walnut, rosewood and afromosia options.
•
2013, Full-spec limited-edition (40 in all) 40th anniversary LP12, plinth made from oak casks from Highland
Park distillery, priced at £25,000.
Park", he was one of the first inventors to
apply the principles of mass production
and large-scale teamwork to the process
of invention, and because of that, he is
often credited with the creation of the
first industrial research laboratory.
The visitor without any ceremony whatever turned the crank, and to
the astonishment of all present the machine said: "Good morning.
How do you do? How do you like the phonograph?" The machine
thus spoke for itself, and made known the
fact that it was the phonograph..."
Edison presented his own account of inventing the phonograph. "I
was experimenting," he said, "on an automatic method of recording
telegraph messages on
a disk of paper laid on a revolving platen, exactly the same as the
disk talking- machine of to-day. The platen had a spiral groove on its
surface, like the disk. Over this was placed a circular disk of paper;
an electromagnet with the embossing point connected to an arm
travelled over the disk; and any signals given through the magnets
were embossed on the disk of paper. If this disc was removed from
the machine and put on a similar machine provided with a contact
point, the embossed record would cause the signals to be repeated
into another wire. The ordinary speed of telegraphic signals is thirtyfive to forty words a minute; but with this machine several hundred
words were possible."
renowned audio pioneer Edgar Villchur. The three-point "suspended sub-chassis" of the XA,
using a compression spring system, was much improved upon and popularised in the LP12.
The thinking at the time was that the most important component of a high-end audio system
is the loudspeakers. Linn presented an important challenge to that by claiming that the
source (i.e. the turntable) was the most important part of the system.
Ivor Tiefenbrun has talked about how Sondek derives from the word Soundex as each hi-fi
design always ends up having its own unique identifiable and recognisable sound. Some
report the original name was just Sondek without the LP12.
knock it off its pedestal. Although the design has not been fundamentally revisited, there
have been improvements to the turntable's design since its launch using advances in
material science, over 40 years ago. It remains possible to buy a Sondek LP12 in a
configuration not dissimilar to one made in 1973. In 2004, Stereophile said it was "a classic,
a revolutionary, an iconoclast, a survivor." In 2011, ranking the LP12 the second "Most
Significant Turntables of All Time" for The Absolute Sound, Robert Harley said: "It’s
impossible to imagine the high-end industry without the LP12".
In the 1890s, Emile Berliner initiated the transition from phonograph
cylinders to flat discs with a spiral groove running from the periphery
to near the center. Other improvements were made throughout the
years, including modifications to the turntable and its drive system,
the stylus or needle, and the sound and equalization systems.
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847
– October 18, 1931) was an American
inventor and businessman. He developed
many devices that greatly influenced life
around the world, including the
phonograph, the motion picture camera,
and a long-lasting, practical electric light
bulb. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HISTORY
The Sondek LP12 turntable, introduced in 1972, utilises a suspended sub-chassis design
and a patented tightly-toleranced single-point bearing. The LP12 has evolved since its
introduction, but its basic suspended sub-chassis design has remained. At the time, the
design was similar to the Ariston RD11 and the Thorens TD150, both in turn based on the
Acoustic Research XA turntable that was launched in 1961. The XA was created by
POPULARITY
The LP12 is popular with many audiophiles around the world for its excellent ability to
play music with "pace, rhythm and timing". It is sometimes used by hi-fi reviewers as a
reference turntable.
It was at its most popular in the golden age of vinyl playback, principally the 1970s through
to the 1980s. David Thompson, writing in Record Collector News, said that the LP12 enjoyed
a "stranglehold on the qualities of LP reproduction for many years". Its closest competitors
were probably the Roksan Xerxes, the Well Tempered Table, several Thorens decks
(TD125/126, TD160, TD2001/3001). the Michell GyroDec, the Dunlop Systemdek, the Logic
DM-101 and the Pink Triangle PT1. However, the LP12 outsold them all in the United
Kingdom.In fact, TNT asserts that "most foreign manufacturers of hi-end turntables didn't
even bother to import" because they were faced with an uphill fight. Critics and reviewers
would all too frequently conclude of any imported competitor that "an LP12 is better and you
could buy two Linn's for that money".
The LP12 has acquired such cult status amongst audiophile turntables that many seek to
The phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone or
record player, is a device introduced in 1877 for the mechanical
recording and reproduction of sound.
Before long, a more advanced pantograph-based process made it
possible to simultaneously produce 90–150 copies of each record.
However, as demand for certain records grew, popular artists still
needed to re-record and re-re-record their songs. Reportedly, the
medium's first major African-American star George Washington
Johnson was obliged to perform his
"The Laughing Song" (or the separate "Laughing Coon")[15] literally
thousands of times in a studio during his recording career.
Sometimes he would sing "The Laughing Song" more than fifty times
in a day, at twenty cents per rendition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph
http://www.whathifi.com/news/behind-scenes-home-linn
Description of a visit of the
factory
http://dagogo.com/a-visit-to-linn-factory-tour
Based on these research I see 2
possibilities:
use the fact that turntable and electric light
have the same inventor:
Link this object with the energy part of the
exhibition. Why not make for exemple a
turntable which generate light when it is
playing. Use the rotation of the turntable to
generate electricity.
Play around these 2 inventions, to find a
great concept.
(I would encourage to read both articles I put on the
dropbox folder, research files. It is from Wikipedia,
which could not be use as proper research, but it is
a good starting point to get inspiration for further
research)
recreate the production line of the turntable
by generating sounds from each steps of the
production, from raw material to finish
product. The single harm could go from one
turntable to another, picking the sound
related to the action (we should figure it out
how we generate the sound, data ?
record ? ...) , reading the sound, then add the
second one on top of it. Like record a sample
then add one on top of each other on the
same principle of a loop pedal (exemple
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=LEtGrvjnAH4)
It could be a reflection of the factory process,
linking the communication part to the industry
part of the gallery