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		FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Below is a list of common questions followed by detailed answers related to all products. Please read through them as I believe they are helpful in answering common questions as well as offering more technical information about the products. Please contact Groovetracer if you have any questions that require further *assistance.* Why choose Groovetracer? Why should I replace the stock Rega subplatter? How difficult is it to install the subplatter? Do I need to adjust anything on my turntable after I install any of the upgrades? What is a jewel bearing design? What bearing oil does Groovetracer use? Why is a hardened and ground bearing shaft important? What is a decoupled record spindle, can it make my turntable perform better? What are the three black pods on the reference subplatter? Delrin or acrylic platter? Can I use the delrin or acrylic platter on my RP6 or Planar 6? Counterweight and effective mass. Will I have to remove the end stub on my tonearm to install the counterweight? Can I use a record weight or record clamp with the delrin or acrylic platter? Why do you not sell a replacement pulley? Why choose Groovetracer? Groovetracer® has been manufacturing products for Rega turntables since 2005 and Promac Machining has been conducting business since 1995 meaning Groovetracer will be around both now and the future to offer support for all products currently manufactured. We use only the finest raw materials available to produce components that surpass any other aftermarket option available. Groovetracer takes pride in producing quality products with unique features that will perform at their very best for many years to come. Why should I replace the stock Rega subplatter with a Groovetracer subplatter? The stock Rega subplatter offered on all but the top three turntable models (Planar 6, P8 and P10) are mass produced using a phenolic resin material. The RP6 subplatter has an aluminum cap that sits on top of the phenolic subplatter (which supports the glass platter) but the drive belt still rotates the subplatter while making contact with the circumference of the phenolic resin surface.The contact surface area where the belt rides is imperfect due to the limitations involved in the manufacturing process. The overall function of the subplatter assembly in its final form is compromised due to the in-accuracy of the assembled parts. This combination of error produces an inferior part that plays a major role in defining both pitch and speed stability. The surface where the drive belt rides must be perfectly round and rotate concentrically with the center of the axis of rotation in order to achieve anything close to perfect pitch while maintaining speed stability. This is where the accuracy of the Groovetracer subplatter comes into play. Each component (bearing shaft, aluminum hub, and record spindle) is individually machined and inspected for repeated accuracy. Roundness (of the circumference where the belt rides) and concentricity are measured throughout the machining process and again following final assembly. The result of this extra attention to detail results in a final assembly that meets the requirements necessary to produce perfect pitch while maintaining constant speed stability. Note: The external power supply cannot overcome the negative effects of the phenolic resin subplatter. The power supply targets the electronic operation and function of the motor while the Groovetracer subplatter targets the mechanical function of the drive system. Please read the jewel bearing section for additional benefits offered by the Groovetracer subplatter. How difficult is it to install the subplatter? Detailed instructions are supplied to make it extremely simple to perform the installation. No tools are required. A kit is supplied with the subplatter which includes oil to lubricate the bearing assembly and a magnet to remove the steel bearing ball from the bottom of the brass bearing housing. A new Zirconia (ZrO2) bearing ball is supplied to replace the steel bearing ball. It will take less than five minutes to complete the installation. Do I need to adjust anything on my turntable after I install any of the upgrades? No, The subplatter and platter upgrades will not change (VTA) the height of the playing surface so you will not have to raise or lower the tonearm. If you replace the counterweight, a stylus force gauge is recommended in order to achieve the most accurate tracking force. You can however install the counterweight and adjust tracking force using the method Rega illustrates in the documentation you received from Rega when you purchased your turntable. What is a jewel bearing design? Groovetracer® designed and manufactured the first jewel bearing for Rega turntables in 2006. The original design featured a synthetic sapphire thrust plate mounted to the bottom of the hardened steel shaft which rotated on a ruby bearing ball. The ruby bearing ball was replaced with a superior alternative shortly thereafter. A zirconia (ZrO2) bearing ball is now the material of choice in all Groovetracer subplatter models. The reference and deluxe models are jewel bearing designs. The RP6 reference subplatter also features a jewel bearing design. Jewel bearing designs run smoother and are extremely durable over extended periods of time. The ultra low coefficient of friction generated at the thrust point results in rock solid pitch stability with well defined bass response. The overall frequency response benefits from a smoother running bearing. In comparison, “steel on steel” designs use a steel bearing shaft that rotates on a steel bearing ball which creates more friction and noise than jewel bearing designs and will also wear over time. A small dimple will form on the bottom of the shaft where it rides on the ball bearing. This creates more friction which in turn causes more noise and energy to be released. Rega uses a standard “steel on steel” design approach, as do other aftermarket subplatter producers. Some use ceramic ball bearings but they do not use sapphire as the thrust surface making these subplatter assemblies inferior. What bearing oil does Groovetracer use? Groovetracer® uses the same oil that came standard with your Rega turntable. A one dram vial of oil is shipped with each subplatter kit. Hypoy C 80W/90Wgear oil. This is the recommended lubricant. This means you do not have to clean out the bearing well prior to installing the subplatter upgrade unless the turntable has been sitting idle for a long time, or has been in use for several years. The oil will break down and turn black over time. When this happens, a thorough cleaning of the bearing housing is recommended. Your Rega dealer will have instructions on how to clean out the bearing housing. Why is a hardened and ground bearing shaft important? Groovetracer® only uses hardened (Rc62) and precision ground bearing shafts in all subplatter models because steel that is fully hardened is extremely resistant to galling, whereas soft steel is more prone to galling. The reason other manufacturers use soft steel bearing shafts is because it is cheaper and much easier to machine than hardened shaft material. (Please read the “decoupled record spindle” section for more information on this subject.) The main benefits in using a hardened bearing shaft are to promote a longer lasting bearing with smoother operation. It maintains its fine surface finish (8 micron) for many years meaning it will run smoother over a longer period of time. Lubrication is important in maintaining rotational speed stability so yearly oiling of the bearing is recommended. It only takes 5 minutes once a year to keep the bearing running in top condition. What is a decoupled record spindle and how can it make my turntable perform better? Another unique feature offered only by Groovetracer is the decoupled record spindle. The record spindle is machined from stainless steel and does not touch the main bearing shaft. I’ll explain why this is so important. The bearing shaft extends down into the brass sleeve and rotates on the bearing ball located at the bottom of the brass sleeve. The downward force generated by the two materials (thrust point) coming into contact with each other produces friction which in turn causes micro vibration. All other subplatter manufacturers use a single bearing shaft with the end of the shaft machined down to the size of the record spindle. The vibrational energy created at the thrust point will go straight up through the bearing shaft until it reaches the record spindle where it will transmit this energy on to the vinyl record at the other end. We all know how sensitive the stylus is and how easily it can pick up and amplify any stray vibrational energy so it is important that the stylus only pick up information from the record grooves. The decoupled design negates this issue by using a separate record spindle. Any vibration created at the thrust point never reaches the record spindle because there is an air gap between the hardened bearing shaft and stainless steel record spindle. The end result is that the stylus picks up more information from the grooves and less external energy. This produces a lower (quieter) noise floor. A lower noise floor allows more detail to shine through while also providing tighter bass response. Groovetracer is the only subplatter manufacturer that offers a decoupled spindle. What are the three black pods on the reference subplatter? They are actually precision machined from a thermoplastic material called Delrin which is a hard non resonant material. They are used to prevent any micro vibration or resonance created from the bearing assembly reaching the platter. They basically act as a rigid barrier between the subplatter and platter. Soft materials are not valid options in this situation since they store energy and release it later. Bloated bass is the biggest issue using softer, more compliant materials. Delrin or acrylic platter? Both acrylic and delrin are well damped materials so they do not transfer damaging resonance on to the record. On the other hand, glass rings like a bell and requires some sort of material between the platter and record to avoid transfer of damaging resonance. Rega uses a felt mat to serve this purpose, however the felt mat imparts its own sonic character. It muddies the soundstage presenting instruments in a “larger than life” state. There is a lack of focus and definition in the soundstage. I would summarize it as being diffused in character. The accurate reproduction of the upper frequencies is the weakest area for the glass platter and felt mat combination. Acrylic and delrin have been and still are being used by turntable manufacturers for their more neutral presentation, when compared to glass. Both materials are well damped so they do not require the use of a record mat. The record sits directly on top of the platter. The record will not be damaged in any way when placed directly on top of either the acrylic platter or delrin platter. The only downside to using acrylic or delrin is that they both carry less mass than glass, given equal thickness, so in order to overcome this obstacle Groovetracer uses much thicker stock to machine the platter from. In doing so, the mass in either the acrylic or delrin platter meets or exceeds the mass of the glass platter from Rega. The delrin and acrylic platters are larger in diameter than any other platter available to provide more mass where it benefits the most. The majority of mass in both platters is placed closer to the circumference (outside diameter) to enhance the “flywheel effect” resulting in improved speed stability. There is no interference with the dust cover due to the increased platter diameter and there is no change to the height of the playing surface so no adjustment in tonearm height is required either. Groovetracer acrylic platters carry more mass than any other aftermarket producer, and the delrin platters carry even more mass (75 ounces). Groovetracer is the sole manufacturer of Delrin platters for Rega turntables. If your system leans toward the bright side of neutral and you want to tame the high frequency energy slightly, acrylic is a good choice. If neutrality is your goal, Delrin is the better choice. The delrin platter also provides more rotating mass to further enhance speed stability. Both platters are more refined in terms of tonality, truer to what is on the recording when compared to the glass platter. For example, cymbals sound more realistic and instrument timbre is more focused within the soundstage. The delrin platter's main advantage over the acrylic platter is in frequency response, specifically the upper frequencies. They are slightly extended without sounding bright or strident. Delrin is very resolving in terms of overall frequency response. Tonally, the delrin platter is more balanced from top to bottom, a worthwhile upgrade over the stock glass platter. Can I use the delrin or acrylic platter on my RP6 or Planar 6? Yes, you can use either platter on the RP6 but you also need to purchase one of the three subplatter models available for all other Rega turntable models. I recommend the reference model for the RP6. Please go to this webpage to see these subplatter models. Counterweight and effective mass. The Groovetracer® counterweight gives the customer the ability to optimally position the counterweight on the end stub relative to the pivot point. A lighter counterweight positioned farther away from the pivot point will have a greater contribution (higher effective mass) to the moment of inertia of the tonearm. In contrast, a heavier counterweight positioned closer to the pivot point will have a lesser contribution (lower effective mass) to the moment of inertia of the tonearm. For those interested, the acceptable range for the resonant frequency of the cartridge/tonearm system is 8-12hz. Test LP’s are available from various internet dealers that allow you to check this for yourself on your own system. They also provide test tracks to see how well your tonearm and cartridge trace the record grooves. Will I have to remove the end stub on my tonearm to install the counterweight? You should not have to remove the end stub in order to install the counterweight, however a stainless steel end stub is provided that precisely fits the counterweight bushing for optimum fitment. Can I use a record weight or record clamp with the delrin or acrylic platter? A record weight is the preferred option to couple the record to the platter surface. Reflex style clamps that require downward force and a twisting motion to engage the clamp are not recommended. Extended use of such a clamp could cause damage to the bearing so be very careful how much force you apply when using this type of clamp. Groovetracer manufactures a stainless steel record weight that produces excellent results when used with either the delrin or acrylic platters. Why do you not sell a replacement pulley? Rega uses loctite to secure the pulley to the motor shaft at the factory. It is very difficult to predict how much force it will take to remove the pulley from the motor shaft and it is very easy to damage the motor if too much force is applied to remove the pulley. There is simply too much risk involved so that is the reason no replacement is offered at this time. Copyright © 2006-2022 by Groovetracer®. All rights reserved. Reproduction Prohibited.