VTA ADJUSTMENT ON THE FLY FOR REGA ARMS, ORIGIN LIVE ARMS, and MANY OTHER TONE ARMS:
Pete Riggle Audio announces the VTAF™,
pronounced 'vee-taff' for 'Vertical Tracking Angle on the Fly'.
The VTAF allows smooth and easy VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle) adjustment on the fly
and other benefits for Rega RB250, RB300, and RB600 tone arms, and modified versions of
these arms by Express Machine, Origin Live (including the OL1 and the Silver), Michell,
and versions by Incognito and Brit Audio, and other tone arms with a similar mounting post.
Nottingham owners: VTAF for Nottingham is on the way. Please inquire.
The price is $149.99 - Same day worldwide shipping - Dealer inquiries welcome
ADVANTAGES (MORE THAN JUST VTA ON THE FLY):
- Improved nuance, inner detail, air, sound staging, dynamics, pace and rhythm
compared with the original mounting system! This is above and beyond the VTA adjustment benefit!
- Raises performance of modified Rega tone arms to the highest level!
- Smooth and easy adjustment of VTA on the fly!
- Continuously variable VTA adjustment... infinite resolution!
- High resolution: Each full turn of the adjuster wheel results in only .025 inch (0.635mm) height change
- VTA is easy to measure, record, and reset!
- After VTAF installation, the arm can be removed from and restored to the turntable in just moments!
Easily remove tone arm for transport, for cartridge maintainance and cleaning, or for cartridge replacement.
- OTHER VTA ADJUSTERS, ORIGINAL OR AFTER-MARKET, DO NOT CLAIM OR PROVIDE THE ADVANTAGES LISTED ABOVE.
HOW IT WORKS:
The patent pending VTAF has several parts. A thin walled tubular steel precision adjuster screw with extra fine external threads slips over the threaded mounting post of the Rega tone arm system, and is held there by a thin walled ring threaded onto the mounting post.
A precision machined solid brass adjuster wheel
with knurled edge for thumbwheel action (2-1/4" outside diameter, 1/10 inch thick... 56 mm x 2.5 mm) runs
smoothly on the extra fine threads of the adjuster screw.
Each turn of the solid brass adjuster wheel raises or lowers the tone arm pedestal by exactly 25 thousandths of an inch (.625 mm). Less than a full turn produces proportionally less change. An easy-to-see witness mark is provided on the adjuster wheel.
A substantial bronze thrust bushing slip fits to the arm board hole and accepts the adjuster screw in a vertical sliding fashion, with only a few thousandths inch clearance, precisely locating the tone arm pedestal on the arm board.
The tone arm pedestal is not fastened down to the arm board, but is supported by the bottom surface of the adjuster wheel resting flat on the precision top flange of the bronze thrust bushing, under the influence of gravity. Because the tone arm is essentially balanced over the pivot point, the tone arm pedestal naturally rests level, without any tipping tendency. This precise but non-rigid "floating" connection of the pedestal to the arm board is the key to better sonics from the tone arm.
A simple precision machined solid brass vertical guide assembly captures the horizontal projection of the Rega tone arm pedestal, allowing vertical motion of the tone arm pedestal, but preventing the pedestal from rotating in the bronze bushing. The vertical guide assembly adjusts smoothly and easily to minimize free play between the guide system and the pedestal projection.
The brass adjuster thumbwheel raises and lowers the tone arm pedestal easily, smoothly, and precisely, with the record in play. The user can hear changes in the reproduced sound as adjustments are made.
CONSTRUCTION:
The VTAF is elegantly simple, attractive in appearance, solidly constructed, and precision machined from solid brass and steel. The appearance parts are solid brass with a clear lacquer finish.
SPECIAL CONVERSIONS for OTHER TONEARMS:
Nottingham Spacedeck Custom Base
Conversions kits are available (please inquire) which allow the VTAF to be used with other arms and with turntables with small arm supports. Examples are:
- Spacearms on Spacedecks
- Spacearms on other turntables
- Rega (and Rega based) arms on Spacedecks and other turntables with small arm support areas
- Origin Live Encounter and Illustrious arms on Spacedecks, other turntables with small arm support areas, and turntables with old style armboards and plinths
- A wide variety of tonearms, in production and out of production, which are mounted by way of a mounting post. Examples: Spacearm, Hadcock, Sonus Formula IV, Mayware
- Applications for the VTAF are growing weekly
The price of the conversion kits will depend on the complexity of the conversion required, please inquire.
Special Base: Beautiful Engine Turning
COMPATIBILITY with OTHER TURNTABLES:
The VTAF works with firmly suspended turntables such as the Garrard 301, the Thorens TD124, the Teres, the Rega Planar models, the Clearaudio Evolution and the Bix.
The VTAF also works with spring suspended turntables such as the Thorens TD125, 150,
and 160 models, and Linn models.
Week by week the range of turntables on which the VTAF has been installed grows. The turntables on which the VTAF has been installed include the Thorens TD124 and TD125, several other Thorens models, the Garrard 301, several Rega Planar models, Acoustic Research models, Teres tables, several VPI models, the Clearaudio Evolution, the Bix, the Lenco, and a number of other models. A beautiful new product just coming out of the prototype stage is a special VTAF for use with Nottingham Space Arms in conjunction with Nottingham Space Decks or other turntables. We are exploring conversions which will allow the VTAF to be used with arms with smooth mounting posts, such as the Hadcock, the Mayware, and the Formula 4. Please inquire.
Once the bushing is installed in the arm board or turntable deck, it is a snap to
remove/replace the arm from/to the turntable for work on the cartridge. The arm is simply
lifted out of the bushing while the cables are guided out of the turntable base and through
the bushing. This eliminates the need to get under the turntable base to remove or replace
the arm. No kidding, this is a huge benefit. When was the last time you were able to really inspect your stylus?
With additional bushing and vertical guide parts (available separately for $49.00 plus shipping), a tone arm may be easily transferred from one turntable to another in just moments.