Oracle PREMIERE User Manual

The

PREMIERE

turntable

is essentially a synthesis of creative

design,

painstaking craftsmanship and advanced technological

processes.
The primary goal which shaped the development of the

PREMIERE

was

an uncompromising pursuit of excellence in music

reproduction. The

PREMIERE

represents the culmination of

everything

that

we have learned about disc reproduction; it is an

evolutionary development of our widely-acclaimed

ORACLE

DELPHI.
But we had an

important

secondary

goal;

to provide a maximum

of user-convenience

without

compromising the sound quality, and

to engineer the product such

that

all music lovers could set it up

to realize its

full

potential — not

just

technically proficient

audiophiles.
We

invite your critical examination of the

PREMIERE

as we

expand in this brochure.

Marcel

Riendeau

President,

Trans-Audio Corporation Ltd.

Contents

Philosophy
and Concept

The Groove: Nature and Problems. . 3

The PREMIERE

Record

Coupling System 3
The Mat 3
The Platter 4
The Bearing 4
The Subchassis 4
The Suspension 5
The Motor 6
The Pulley 6

The Belt 6
The Control Unit 6

The

FINALE

The Head Shell 7
The Arm 7
The Bearings 7

Vertical Tracking Angle
Adjustment System (VTA) 7
Azimuth Adjustment System 8
Auto-lift

RC

System 8

Compensation Box 8

Turntable

Tonearm

7

Technical

Informations

Unpacking your

PREMIERE

Installing the Control Unit 12
Cartridge Installation 12
Tonearm Installation 12

Cartridge Alignment 12
Adjusting your

Fine

Tuning your

Tracking Force Adjustment 13

Vertical Tracking Angle

Adjustment (VTA) 13

Azimuth Adjustment 13

Anti-skating Adjustment 14

Auto-lift

Attaching the Dust Cover 14

Motor Angle Adjustment 14
Control Unit Operation 15
Speed

Tightening the Record Clamp .... 15

Tips to Maximize Performance ... 15

Maintenance 15
Accessories
General

Packing

Adjustment 14

Calibration 15

Description 16
List 16

PREMIERE

Assembly 11

PREMIERE

FINALE

16

11

13

Tonearm 13

2

The Groove:

Nature

The

musical information on a record is contained in the wiggles of the groove as
it spirals in across the disc. These wiggles are a mechanical analog of the
waveforms originally generated by the musicians at the recording
subsequently
from the disc
this to happen, the stylus must vibrate mechanically in
the undulations in the groove. Since it is the movement of the stylus relative to
the cartridge body
that

the cartridge body itself must not vibrate, otherwise unwanted electrical
signals
be

cancelled out. For the same reason, the record's grooves themselves must

not vibrate.
Unfortunately, this delicate interrelationship is threatened through the very act of

playing a record. Airborne and structure-borne vibrations are conducted to the
turntable as a direct result of the acoustical energy produced by your
loudspeakers.

The

vinyl disc is excited by the very action of the stylus upon it. The cartridge
body is also excited
is

conducted

Other sources of unwanted vibrations include the turntable motor, bearings — in
fact, all of its moving parts.

The

measure of excellence of any turntable / arm combination lies in its ability to
protect the cartridge / groove relationship from extraneous vibrations.

Every

element of the

integrity

and

picked up by the microphones

into

would be generated and some of the desired groove information would

into

of this relationship.

Problems

with

your audio system

that

enables an electrical signal to be generated, it follows

into

the tonearm, causing it to vibrate.

resonance by the motion of the stylus, and this energy

PREMIERE

without

turntable has been designed to preserve the

the ultimate goal of being fed

any modification whatsoever. For

exact

accordance

session,

and

with

The PREMIERE

Record Coupling

This

system, which has been successfully employed in other

is

comprised of a special turntable mat, a screw-on record clamp, and a tapered

spacer

which is inserted through the threaded platter spindle.

The

system uses the elasticity of the vinyl itself to force the grooved surface of
the disc
damping of vinyl resonances which are absorbed by the mat and not reflected
back

This

into

close contact

to the stylus.

treatment also flattens all but the most severe of warps.

Turntable

System™

with

the turntable mat. This results in virtually perfect

^-^^1

ORACLE

turntables

The Mat

It can be seen
(and have no sculpted ridges) to ensure
the disc; these air pockets would resonate and excite the vinyl above them. It
must also be slightly smaller in diameter
formation of an air cavity caused by the raised lip at the lead-in groove. For
similar

reasons, a recess should be provided to accommodate the raised area at

the label.
The

composition of the mat must be carefully determined to optimize its
absorbtive capabilities.

All

of these features have been incorporated

included

with

that

the properties of the mat are very important. It must be

the

PREMIERE

turntable.

that

no air pockets are trapped under

thant

the disc in order to avoid the

into

the Groove Isolator Mat

flat

3

The

Platter

The

platter of the

PREMIERE

is precision machined

from

a special magnesium /

aluminum alloy which combines

rigidity

and strength. The

majority

of its

mass,
concentrated around the perimeter, helps the platter achieve a high moment of
inertia which contributes to speed stability, and reduces

flutter

induced by stylus
drag during transients. The Peripheral Wave Trap™ — a special rubber elastic
compound set in the rim of the platter, reduces any tendency of the alloy to
resonate.

The Bearing

The

bearing of a turntable can have a critical effect on the sound quality which
it is capable of. Mere durability is not sufficient. The bearing must achieve a
very low

friction

coefficient in order to ensure an even, smooth

rotation

of the

spindle,

and to reduce load on the motor. However, it is also imperative

that

there is no play in the bearing.
The

spindle of the

PREMIERE

is machined of high strength steel

within

a

tolerance of .0002". A special chrome surface

treatment

results in an extremely
good hardness rating of 70 Rockwell. The tungsten carbide ball, which is
inserted

into

the diamond-lapped tip of the spindle, has a hardness rating of

over 90 Rockwell, making it virtually impervious to wear in this application.
We

chose a specially coated tungsten carbide

thrust

pad

(with

a hardness rating
of approximately 92 Rockwell A) for maximum durability and resistance to
flexing.

The

bushings used in the

PREMIERE'S

bearings are manufactured of a special

alloy which produces almost zero

friction

when interfaced

with

the chrome
surface

of the spindle. In fact, this material does not create noise but actually

absorbs

and dissipates

into

the subchassis any vibration

that

might

be created

as

the platter rotates.

The Subchassis

The

use of a special 7-layer laminate consisting of 4 layers of a magnesium /

aluminum alloy separated by 3 layers of a special bonding agent, welded

into

a

single

structure under very high pressure, results in some distinct performance

advantages.

The entire assembly is very rigid but also extremely

inert.

This is of
great importance since the subchassis has to be quite large and is therefore
prone to vibration. This is controlled by the 3 inner bonding layers which act as
barriers to vibration transmission by decoupling each of the 4 metal layers.
These

bonding layers also absorb and dissipate vibrations.

The

geometry of the subchassis is also significant. We have minimized its

surface

area since any large surface tends to act as a diaphragm, while

concentrating the

majority

of its mass around the centre to absorb and dissipate

bearing vibrations.

The

tonearm mounting plate is completely enclosed

within

the rigid and

inert

confines of a circular extension of the

subchassis.

This minimizes any tendency

of the mounting plate to act as a diaphragm, and keeps it at the same overall

level

as the subchassis which enables the tonearm mass to be integrated

with

the overall mass of the floating assembly.

4

The Suspension

The

fundamental purpose of a turntable suspension is to act as a mechanical

filter

for outside vibration. The major source of these outside vibrations is your
loudspeakers
the air, and via the structural members of your listening environment. These
vibrations are
frequencies

Any

vibrational energy above the tuned turntable suspension frequency is
prevented from entering the playing system, and for this reason it can be
generally stated
The

suspension of the
bandwidth of any music likely to be reproduced. It should be noted
the

PREMIERE'S
may be prone to disturbance arising from footfalls on compliant floors —
particularly where the floor's resonant frequency coincides
instances,
foundation, for example, a load bearing wall.

while playing music, and this interference is conducted through

difficult

found in music.

the remedy consists of mounting the turntable securely on a stable

to deal

that

the suspension frequency should be as low as possible.

PREMIERE

suspension has been optimized to

with

because they consist of the wide range of

is tuned to 3.5 Hz — well under the

filter

out musical feedback, it

with

3.5 Hz. In such

that

while

In the interest of
suspension
subchassis
motion.
suspension
the groove) is decoupled from rotational movement of the subchassis by the
bearing,
cartridge forwards and backwards as the subchassis oscillates, resulting in
changes

We

PREMIERE.

of the entire floating assembly is at the same height as the fixing points for the
springs.
movement.
leveling the suspension by raising or lowering the entire spring assembly instead
of compressing or expanding them which would vary the tuning of the
suspension
transmission

Two major problems remain. The wide variety of different tonearms (of varying
mass)
of perfect suspension equilibrium. Even if the user painstakingly tunes his
suspension
work against
unsuspended

These
tonearm and turntable as one harmonious system. With a precise knowledge of
the

PREMIERE

arm,
the only connection between the tonearm and the junction box are the thread-

like interior leads, the problem of cable / suspension interaction is eliminated.

Such

but the tonearm is not. In

in the effective groove

have paid particular attention to this problem in the design of the

This in itself greatly reduces any tendency towards rotational

available on the market today makes it almost impossible to reach a state

problems have been eliminated in the

FINALE

but

into

GROOVE

displaces the subchassis in a

turntable must exhibit no tendency towards a rocking or swaying

movement would compromise the

and add

In common

Also

in common

in an unpredictable manner. In order to absorb vertical shock

effectively, all springs have to be tuned to an equal frequency.

to accommodate his choice of arm, the often bulky tonearm cables

GROOVE

base,

and by encouraging rotational movement of the subchassis.

tonearm's

accordingly. The

a box which can be placed onto the unsprung acrylic

ISOLATION™, it is of vital importance

flutter

distortion. This is because the platter (and therefore

speed.

with

previous

with

other

ISOLATION™ by coupling the subchassis

mass,

we have been able to adjust the suspension of the

FINALE'S

vertical

that

case,

ORACLE

ORACLE

cables do not connect at the base of the

direction

filtering

the tonearm would shove the

turntables, the centre of gravity

turntables is the method of

PREMIERE

capability of the

by designing the

that

only.

the

A sprung

with

the

base.

Since

The PREMIERE'S
if the user so desires.

suspension can be tuned to accommodate any other tonearm

The

Motor

The PREMIERE

is equipped

with

a brushless DC Hall effect motor which we

jointly

developed

with

Papst. The motor develops enough torque to achieve the

desired

speed

within

one platter revolution. The motor is carefully decoupled at

the acrylic

base,

eliminating contact

with

the playing system except through the

belt.

The Pulley

A

precise pulley is critical to the performance of the drive system because even
minute variations in concentricity can cause significant speed fluctuation and
improper belt / pulley contact can generate vibration noise.

The PREMIERE'S

pulley has been combined

with

a massive flywheel which

combines

with

the platter to provide double insurance against speed instability.

The Belt

The PREMIERE'S

belt has been manufactured using a precision injection
molding process which results in a grain orientation free of internal stresses. The
belt is then ground to exact specifications, virtually eliminating variations in

thickness

and horizontal play. The belt has been developed to maximize the

transfer of torque while minimizing vibration transmission. By keeping the belt

under low tension, wear-causing stress on the motor bearing and shaft is
reduced

while the lifespan of the belt is increased.

The Control

Unit

The

electronics and controls by which the user can select the desired speed of

the

PREMIERE

turntable are housed in a separate

unit.

A one-metre connection

between the

unit

and the turntable affords flexibility of placement.

The

pitch can be adjusted i 5 per cent of the standard playing speed to

accommodate

the growing number of professional musicians who have noted

speed

errors in produced discs of their performances. The selected speed

appears

on a digital display and a memory chip allows automatic reversal to the

33.33

and 45 standards whenever the speed selection buttons are depressed.

The FINALE Tonearm

The

same degree of engineering finesse
turntable is evident in the design of the
turntable is to isolate the groove from extraneous vibration, the goal of the
tonearm is to isolate the cartridge. We have explored the role of each element
making up a tonearm in order to reach a new standard of performance for the

FINALE.

The Head Shell

The

non-detachable head shell on the
of an aluminum / magnesium alloy which provides
diameters of the head shell and the main arm tube are carefully controlled at the
coupling juncture so
pressure-fitted. This method ensures
changes
contraction of the alloys

Finally,
assembled

in humidity and temperature due to the harmonious expansion and

to

further

sections.

that

an extremely rigid connection results when they are

used.

reduce the resonance, the head shell is made of two rigidly

The Arm Tube

The

arm tube must be rigid in order to resist flexing when subjected to the
vibrational energy radiated by the cartridge, but rigid materials are inherently
prone to resonances which if reflected back to the cartridge would result in
coloration.
shell)

Designs

achieve low coloration at the expense of rigidity, hence information lost.

that

employ rubber decouplers (for example at the head

that

distinguishes the

FINALE

FINALE

that

tonearm. While the goal of the

and the main arm tube are made

rigidity

the coupling will remain rigid through

PREMIERE

and low

mass.

The

The

FINALE'S
the pivot end by two rigid coupling braces. Due to the differing characteristics
of each element comprising the arm tube, the resonances are split up
frequencies
frequency range above the bandwidth of the cartridge.

This

means
retrieved from the groove
design

benefit arising from this approach is
the lower arm tube, has its centre of gravity at the same plane as the stylus.
This

results in superior warp-riding characteristics.

arm tube has been broken up

of diminished amplitude, and many of these are converted to a

that

the

FINALE

allows the maximum amount of information to be

without

the penalty of high coloration. A

into

two sections, joined towards

into

that

the counterweight, mounted on

further

many

The Bearings

The

bearings of a tonearm are faced

rigidity

and low friction at the same time. The four bearings of the
control vertical and horizontal motions in a gimbal configuration, are
sourced
provide.

and manufactured to the highest standards

with

the near-impossible task of providing

that

modern technology can

FINALE

Swiss-

that

Vertical Tracking Angle Adjustment System (VTA)

It is essential to adjust the tonearm such

VTA

when the stylus is set in the groove, in order for it to accurately retrace the

action of the cutting mechanism at the time of the

Conventional
base

such

in the groove. This procedure is unsatisfactory for a number of reasons.

tonearm manufacturers instruct the user to raise or lower the arm

that

the tube is parallel

with

that

the cantilever effects the proper

disc's

manufacture.

the

disc's

surface when the stylus is set

7

Record

manufacturers have changed the standard for the cutting angle, so older

and

newer

discs

require differing

VTAs.

In practice, record manufacturers rarely

adhere

strictly to the standard anyway, and marked differences have been

observed

among various

releases.

Variations in vinyl thickness can also effect

changes

in the VTA required.. To complicate the issue

further,

cartridges often

exhibit gross variations in VTA (when "properly" mounted

with

the arm-tube
parallel) not only from manufacturer to manufacturer, but from sample to sample
due to quality control problems of small-scale engineering.

Due

to these factors, no single VTA setting is satisfactory for the accurate

reproduction of a record library. The bearing assembly of the

FINALE

is rigidly

anchored

to a VTA adjustment tower, through which a threaded stem attached

to a calibrated knob allows minute variations in height as

little

as .001" at a

time. Furthermore, this adjustment can be accomplished

while

the

record

is

playing. Thus the

FINALE

allows the user to optimize the VTA for each disc via

the only reliable method — by ear.

Azimuth

Adjustment

System

Micro

adjustment of the cartridge's side to side angle can be easily achieved to
provide optimum tracking and channel separation. Provision for this adjustment
is

located at the junction of the main arm tube and the

front

coupling brace.

Auto-lift

System

The

FINALE

features

auto-lift

actuated by the cueing mechanism, allowing
listeners to savour musical performances to the end in tranquility. The system is
mechanically

triggered as the tonearm reaches the run-out groove, and its

inclusion

does not result in any sonic penalty.

RC

Compensation

Box

The

oxygen-free litz wires

that

connect to the cartridge terminals are conducted

through the arm tube and

into

the RC Compensation Box which can be placed

on the acrylic

base.

Inside this box is a printed circuit board which allows the

user

to optimize the resistive / capacitive loading for the cartridge of his choice.

This

feature also ensures

that

the suspension will remain unaffected by

interference from the bulky tonearm

cables.

8

Technical
Section

SUBCHASSIS
PERIPHERAL WAVE TRAP
PLATTER
MAT

SUSPENSION
LEVELLING KNOB

DOWEL

PIN

DRIVE

BELT-
MOTOR
BEARING

HOLDING

PLATE-

COUPLING

DISC
TAPERED WASHER
SPINDLE LOCK

RING

BUSHINGS

SUSPENSION
LEVELLING STEM

POLYETHYLENE SLEEVE
AND RUBBER DAMPER ASS'Y

BELL SHAPED SPRING—,
SUSPENSION

HOUSING

SPINDLE
MOTOR

BASE
BEARING ASSEMBLY
TUNGSTEN CARBIDE TIP
THRUST PAD
BASE

PLATE

STUD
FELT PAD
ADJUSTABLE FOOT
LOCK NUT,
POLYETHYLENE

SPRING SUPPORT
SPONGE

RUBBER-

FELT DAMPER-

Unpacking

your

PREMIERE

1)

Remove

the

inner

box by

lifting

it

straight

up and out.

2)

Remove

the

straps binding

the

pack-

aging assembly together.

3)

Select a clean,

flat

work

surface

for

setting

up the

turntable

making sure

that

there

is

adequate

light.

4)

Remove

the

polysterene

cap

piece.

5) The

tonearm

is

mounted

in the se-

cond layer

of

packaging

and is not

atta-

ched

to the

subchassis. Carefully

re-

move

the

second layer

of

packaging

and

set it on

your

work

surface; hold

the

tonearm

bottom

plate

from

under

the

polystyrene piece.

Locate

the

proper Allen wrench

to

remove

the

three screws holding

the

arm

and

leave

it in

place

until

ready

for

installation.
Put

the

bottom

plate

and

screws

with

the

arm and set the

polystyrene piece

aside.

6)

Remove

the

acrylic base / subchas-

sis

assembly

and

place

it on

your

work

surface.

NOTE:

Your

PREMIERE'S

packaging
has been carefully designed to protect
it

from

the hazards of shipping. It is ad-

viseable

to save it for

future

use.

PREMIERE

Assembly

1)

Remove

the

laminated subchassis

from

the

three suspension towers

by lif-

ting

it

straight

up, and set it

aside.

2)

Remove

the

polystyrene support

blocks

from

the

suspension towers.

Next, remove

the

protective plastic

film

from

the

acrylic base. Remove

the

three

suspension housings

and the

springs

in

order

to

clean

the

acrylic base

with

the

sample

can of

Brillance acrylic cleaner

supplied.

3)

Regroup

all

suspension parts making

sure

that

the

color-coded springs

are

positioned

as

follows:

Front

left — gray

Rear

left — yellow

Right side — green.

NOTE:

Each spring is optimamly

tun-
ed at the factory to evenly share the
load as presented by the subchassis

with

the

FINALE

tonearm. It is impera-

tive

that

the spring is not twisted or

moved in the support housing or

this

relationship

will

be disturbed.

4)

Locate

the

three rubber damper

assemblies

and

install them

on the

sus-

pension height adjustment stem.

5)

Pick

up a

spring assembly

and a

sponge rubber ring. Position

the

sponge

rubber

ring

well around

the lip on the

top

of the

polyethylene spring support.

Repeat

the

procedure

for the

other

two

springs.

11

6)

Install

the

springs into

the

suspen-

sion

housings,

and

place

the

entire

assembly

onto

the

appropriate suspen-

sion

height adjustment stem observing

the color code previously mentioned.

NOTE:

Align the marks on the spring

supports

such

that

they

face the centre

spindle

of the turntable.

7) Level

the

base

by

adjusting

the

height

of the

feet, mounted

on

threaded

shafts.

(Only rough leveling

is

required
at this time: precise leveling occurs after
the turntable

is

moved

to its

final

posi-

tion.)

8) Install

the

subchassis onto

the

sus-

pension

towers, using extreme care.

9) Retrieve

the

platter from

the

polysty-

rene packaging and install

it

on

the

spin-

dle.

NOTE:

The platter hole and the spin-
dle are tapered. Extreme care should
be taken during installation, making
sure

that

there is no

dirt

on either

sur-

faces.

The

belt

must not be installed yet.

Installing

the

Control

Unit

1)

Locate

the

control

unit

in the

packag-

ing.

Connect

the AC

input line into

a

convenient wall outlet.
Plug

the

7-pin

DIN

connector coming

from

the

motor-base assembly into

the

control unit.

2) Now set the

turntable aside

so you

can

use

the

work surface

to

prepare

the

tonearm.

Cartridge

Installation

1)

Select

the

right

screws

for

mounting

your cartridge. Remember

that

steel

screws

are

two-and-a-half times

the

weight

of

aluminum screws,

and any

unnecessary

increase

in

mass here will

have

an

adverse effect

of

warp-riding.

27 Before installing

the

cartridge, make

sure

that

the

stylus protector

is

firmly

in

place.

Tighten

the

screws

just

enough

so

that

the

cartridge can still

be

moved.

When

the use of a nut is

required,

we

recommend mounting from

the top of

the head

shell.

Cartridge alignment will

be

completed after

the

tonearm

has

been

installed.

NOTE:

We do not recommend the use

of any

putty

or damping compound

between

the cartridge and head shell,
or the use of nylon spacers and screws
since

these materials

will

not allow a

firm

enough coupling.

Place

the

turntable back onto

the

work

surface.

You are

now

ready

to

install

the

tonearm.

Tonearm

Installation

The

tonearm base

and the

subchassis

are accurately marked

to

facilitate their

installation.

1) Set the

FINALE

on the

subchassis

and

align

the

marks carefully.

2)

Locate

the

tonearm mounting plate

and

screws

in the

second layer

of

pack-

aging,

and mount them

on the

subchas-

sis.

Tighten

the

screws

gradually.

3) The RC

Compensation

Box may be

placed

on any

convenient surface

or on

the acrylic

base.

The

connecting wires

are

too

compliant

to

interfere

with

the

suspension. A printed circuit board

is

housed

in the box

which can

be

remov-

ed

for the

soldering

of

resistors

and

capacitors

which

may be

desireable

depending upon your choice

of

cart-

ridge.

NOTE:

The

assistance

of a qualified

technician

may be required to achieve

RC

compensation. Consult your deal-

er.

4) To

remove

the

PC board, remove

the

screw

holding

the box

together

and

gently slide

the

circuit

out of the

alumi-

num housing.

5) To

reassemble, simply reverse

the

procedure.

Cartridge

Alignment

NOTE:

Make sure

that

you use the

section

of the protractor marked

"FINALE".

1)

Place

the

Groove Isolator

mat on the

platter.

2)

Locate

the

CALIBRATOR

disc

in the

packaging

and set it on the

platter.

3)

Remove

the

stylus protector and

set

the tracking force within

the

range

re-

commended

by the

cartridge manufac-

turer.

NOTE:

Refer to the instruction for

tracking force adjustment on page 13.

4)

Set

the

tonearm down such

that

the

tip

of the

stylus rests precisely

in the

identation

in the

center

of the

adjust-

ment grid.

5)

Turn

the VTA

knob until

the arm

tube

is

parallel

to the

disc.

NOTE:

Refer to the instructions for

VTA

adjustment on page 13.

6)

Move

the

cartridge forward

or

back-

ward

in the

head shell such

that

the

sides

of the

head shell

are

lined

up

with

the grid when viewed from above.

Make

sure

that

the

cartridge body

is

also

parallel

to the

grid

(and

therefore

parallel

with

the

head shell).

NOTE:

Extreme care should be taken

during all stages of

this

procedure to

prevent damage to the delicate stylus.

12

Adjusting

your

PREMIERE

1)

Locate

the

belt

in the

second layer

of

packaging.

Remove

the

platter

and in-

stall

the

belt around

the

inner rim. Hold

the belt

with

one finger

so

that

you

can

mount

the

platter

on the

spindle

and

loop

the

belt around

the

pulley making

sure

that

there

are no

twists.

NOTE:

Extreme care should be taken

to avoid overstretching of the

belt.

Make

sure

that

your hands are clean

and dry before handling the

belt.

2)

Locate

the

tapered washer

in the

tool

bag

supplied, and place

it

over

the

spin-

dle,

tapered side

up.

3) Remove

the

three suspension adjust-

ment knob from

the

second layer

of

packaging,

and

install them

on the

sus-

pension

adjustment stem aligning

the

slot

in the

knob

with

the

guide

pin.

4) Adjust

the

suspension height

to 19

mm (3/4"); this measurement should

be

taken from

the top of the

acrylic base

to

the bottom

of the

suspension tower.

The

final leveling will

be

done when set-

ting

the

turntable

in its

permanent

loca-

tion,

but it is

required

at

this time

to

faci-

litate proper installation

and

fine-tuning

of

the

tonearm.

5) Level

the

acrylic base

by

turning

the

adjustable feet. A spirit level

is

required

for this operation.

6) Level

the

floating assembly

by

turn-

ing

the

suspension leveling knobs. Turn

the knob counter-clockwise

to

raise

the

suspension

and

clockwise

to

lower

it,

using

the

spirit level mounted

on the

subchassis

as a

guide.

NOTE:

In order to obtain an accurate

reading

from

the level, position

your-

self

directly over the centre of the level

and view it

with

one eye closed.

7) Retrieve

the

clamp from

the

bottom

section

of the

packaging

and

screw

it

lightly onto

the

threaded spindle.

Fine Tuning your FINALE

Tonearm

The FINALE

arm is a

precision

in-

strument

and

should

be

treated

as

such.

No

unnecessary

force

should

be

applied

to the

bearings.

Tracking Force
Adjustment

1)

Remove

the

appropriate counter-

weight from

the

second layer

of

pack-

aging

and

mount

it to the

rear

of the

tonearm.

2) Obtain a tracking force gauge

and

adjust

the

downforce

to the

recom-

mended value given

by the

cartridge

manufacturer.

Vertical

Tracking Angle

Adjustment

(VTA)

1)

Place

the

CALIBRATOR

disc

on the

mat.

2) Cue

the arm

down

so

that

the

stylus

rests

on the

center

of the

black reflec-

tive square

on the

disc.

NOTE:

Looking

from

the side of the

cartridge there should be an even angle

reflection on each side of the sty/us.

3)

If

this

is not the

case,

loosen

the

VTA

tower-locking screw.

4) Rotate

the

calibrated knob clockwise

to lower

the arm

and counter-clockwise

to raise

it.

Each

mark

on the

calibrated

knob indicates one-thousanth

of

an inch

(.001")

of

vertical displacement.

NOTE:

With

the VTA tower locking

screw

loosened,

this

adjustment can

be performed while the record is

play-

ing so

that

the optimum setting can be

judged by ear.

Azimuth

Adjustment

1)

Loosen

the arm

tube locking-screws

on

top of the

coupling braces.

NOTE:

The azimuth adjustment screw

is located on the

right

side of the

front

coupling

brace.

13

2) Cue the arm
rests

on the
the disc. Looking
front,

there should

reflection from

flat

screwdriver

tilt the

cartridge towards

counter-clockwise

left.

Once
reached,
gently.

NOTE:

required,

tighten

If a

the VTA

such

black reflective square

the

and

the

correct angle

major

that

at the

stylus from

be an

surface.

screw clockwise

the

to tilt it

the

locking screws

correction

adjustment should

be redone.

Always
arm tube while tightening
screws

support

or

ment screw

tuning

to

protect

the

lower

the

azimuth adjust-

the arm

the

stylus

on

right,

has

been

has

been

the

lock

bearings.

the

to

and

the

even angle
If not, use a

towards

end of the

Auto-lift

The

auto-lift adjustment screw
located
levers
record
down

just

The

auto-lift should engage
before
loosen
length

Adjustment

at the

at the

on the

the

the

of the

base

rear

of the

platter

before

dead groove.

lock-screw

thread

of the

tonearm.

and cue the arm

the

run-out groove.

and

as

required.

anti-skating

To

adjust

is

Place

a

10 mm

adjust,

the

Using

a 1/8"
mounting screws. Attach
ports

on the

cover

by

ges.

Allen wrench, remove

acrylic

sliding

base.

the

support into

the

Install

the

hinge sup-

the

dust

the

hin-

Anti-skating

Due

to the
the groove tends
towards
amount
the opposite direction
this. This amount varies according
the tracking force
shape

This
increased
the L structure located
right
more leverage,
it

towards

In

order
anti-skating force required visually,
mine
tion relative
at rest and when playing
inclines
increase
towards
the anti-skating.

An

insufficient amount
audibly manifests itself
distortion.
skating,
prone

NOTE:
test
amount

nature

the

of

force should

employed.

amount

by

of the

tonearm

the arm

to

determine

the

stylus

to the

towards

the

the

If

the

to

break-up.

We

disc

to

of

anti-skating. Consult

Adjustment

of

tonearm geometry,

to

pull

the

centre

of the

disc and some

be

to

and the

of

anti-skating force can

sliding

anti-skating;

outside grooves, decrease

there

left

recommend

determine

the

weight along

at the

base,

or

decreased

base.

the

and

compare

cartridge body when

the

channel will

the

centre

of

as

is too

the use of a

the

stylus

applied

counteract

type

of

stylus

bottom

to

give

the L

by

sliding

amount

its

posi-

groove.

of the

if it

anti-skating

right-channel

much anti-

disc,

inclines

be

more

optimum

your

dealer.

in

to

be

of

exa-

If it

Attaching

1)

Locate

assemblies.

2)

Place
your work surface
long side
towards

3)

the screws from

4)

of
facing away from
loose
cover,
and

5) Set the
edge
the edge
ing easy
holes.

the

you.

Use a Phillips screwdriver

Place

the

dust cover

metal plate

align

tighten moderately.

of the

the

Dust

the

dust cover

dust cover upside down

with

the

the

turntable

acrylic base hangs

of

access

with

two

sets

the

hinge assembly.

hinge against

with

the

the

cover. Position

on the

holes, insert

so

your work surface, provid-

to the

Cover

and

hinge

the

back

of

to

the

angled hinge

inside

the

that

hinge screw

(the

holes)

remove

outside

of the

screws

the

rear

out

over

on

the

Motor

Before
ment,
and

Three
The
the acrylic base are factory adjusted
should

The
sure
of

the

from under

Angle

proceeding

verify

the

subchassis

screws hold

two

screws parallel

requireno further attention.

front

screw

that

the

pulley. This adjustment

the

Adjustment

with

that the

can be

belt rides

acrylic

acrylic base

are

the

motor

to the

adjusted

in the
base.

this

still

center part

adjust-

level.

in

place.

rear

to en-

is

of

and

done

14

Control

Unit

Operation

1) Start the

turntable

by pressing the 33

or 45 speed selection button.

2)

Press

the "OFF"

button

to stop the

unit.

3) Increase the selected speed by
pressing the

button

to the

right

of the

digital display.

4) Decrease the selected speed by
pressing the

button

to the

left

of the

digital display.

NOTE:

There

is a 1/100 RPM speed

variation

every

time

either

button

is

depressed. The speed can be

varied

to

a maximum of ± 5 per

cent

of the 33

or 45 standards.

5) Depressing the 33 or 45 speed

selec-

tion

buttons instantly brings the speed

back to the set reference.

Speed

Calibration

Potentiometers for speed calibration are
located at the back of the control

unit.
To determine if these require adjust-
ment, use the strobe disc supplied

with

the turntable.

If adjustment is necessary, depress the

45 speed selector

button

and

turn

the

potentiometer using the

flat

screwdriver

supplied in the

tool

kit. An increase in

speed

is effected by

turning

the screw-
driver clockwise, and a decrease by
turning

it counter-clockwise.

Now perform the same operation for the

33 RPM

speed.

NOTE: Make

sure

that

the

digital

dis-

play

reads

"45.00"

and

"33.00"

res-

pectively

before

carrying

out

this

ope-

ration.
NOTE: The AC

circuit

is

protected

by

a .5 ampere

fuse.

Tightening

the Record

Clamp

Overtightening the record clamp could
result in damage to your records. For
optimum performance the clamp needs
only be finger

tight.

Gently tapping the

run-out

groove area using a pen or pen-

cil

will

provide an audible indication of

how well the record is coupled

with

the

mat.

Improper clamp tightening may result in
misaligned azimuth as the disc assumes
a

concave rather than a

flat

surface. This

can

be determined by clamping an LP

with

an unusually short playing side, us-
ing the smooth black lead-out area as a
reflective surface to check azimuth.

Tips to

Maximize

Performance

1) Your

PREMIERE

turntable

is equip-

ped

with

a superb suspension system

capable of

filtering

out virtually all un-
wanted mechanical energy. Like all turn-
tables, however, it performs at its best
when located on a solid

platform

well

away

from

your loudspeakers. For opti-
mum sound quality, we recommend
that

you mount the

PREMIERE

on a
solid foundation — preferably on a shelf
anchored to a load-bearing wall — away
from

the direct path of the loudspeak-

ers.

2) If your system is capable of gene-
rating high sound pressure levels (SPL)
at 20 Hz and below, try using the

PRE-

MIERE

without

its dustcover attached.

Under such circumstances, the dust-
cover may act as a diaphragm and trans-
mit energy to the acrylic base exceeding
the

filtering

capability of the suspen-

sion.

3) When the

turntable

mat becomes

dusty, it should be cleaned

with

Bril-

lance,

the foam wiped off

with

the

lint-
free cloth supplied. Allow the cleaner to
dry by

itself.

4) Make sure

that

the peripheral wave

band is

firmly

and evenly seated around

the

platter.

5) Certain types of record warps may
be flattened more readily

with

the taper-
ed washer placed on top of the mat (in-
stead of underneath the mat).

Maintenance

1) The bearing and spindle assembly

are designed to offer many years of
trouble-free operation.

Each

bearing

assembly

on the

PREMIERE

is specially

lubricated and permanently sealed to

the spindle. No service is required.

2) All metal parts

(with

the exception of
the bearing and the spindle) are manu-
factured of an aerospace-grade magne-
sium / aluminum alloy treated

with

a

durable baked acrylic finish. They may

be periodically cleaned

with

a soft cloth

and a mild detergent. Do not use a sol-

vent-based

cleaner

which

would

mar the

acrylic

finish.

3) All acrylic parts should be cleaned
with

Brillance and a

lint-free

cloth.

4) Every 6 months, remove the platter
and clean the belt, the motor pulley, and
the inner rim of the platter

with

a few

drops of denatured alcohol and a clean

lint-free

cloth. Check the belt for signs

of deterioration, such as cracking or

hardening. Under normal cir-

cumstances,

the lifespan of the belt

should be approximately 2 years.

15

Accessories

1) Replacement parts are available

through your dealer.

2) Transformer / power supplies are
available in two versions:

a) 100-115-130 VAC (50-60 Hz).
b) 200-220-240 VAC (50-60 Hz).

Power

consumption: 500 mA at 24

volts.

Packing List

General

PREMIERE

Speeds:

Drive system: Precision injection-mold-

Motor: DC Oracle/Papst (Hall effect,

Suspension:

Dimensions:

Weight

Description

Turntable

33 1/3 and 45 RPM (adjust-

able + or - 5 per cent).

ed

flat

belt.

3-phase,

(with

brushless).

Spring-suspended floating

subchassis

Hz.

80 cm x 60 cm x 26 cm.

FINALE

tuned to 3.5

tonearm): 16 kg.

FINALE

Effective length: 250 mm.
Effective mass: 8.5 g.

Overhang:
Offset angle: 22°.
Allowable cartridge weight: From 5 g

Horizontal and vertical friction:

Recommended

range: 50 to 10jum/mN.
Weight: 0.54 kg.

-DUST

Tonearm

16.5 mm.

cartridge compliance

COVER

to 25 g.
Less

than

15

mg.

GROOVE
AND

-LINT-FREE

-HINGES

-TONEARM

-HINGES

-BRILLANCE

-RC

-FINALE

-ADJUSTMENT

-SUBCHASSIS

-REMOTE

-POWER

-COUPLING

ISOLATOR

CALIBRATOR

CLOTH

BASE

COUNTER

COMPENSATION

ARM

CONTROL

CORD

DISC

DISC

WEIGHTS

BOX

KNOB

UNIT

16

TOOLS
TAPERED

-ACRYLIC

-BELT

-PLATTER

-PERIPHERAL

AND

WASHER

BASE

PLATE

WAVE

TRAP

TRANS

AUDIO CORPORATION LTD.

505

Industrial
Sherbrooke,
J1L 1X7

Blvd.

Quebec, Canada

iff.

LITHO CANATW GAUVIW ETASSOCIES SHERBROOKE

CONCEPTION GRAPH1QUE

ET

LITHOGRAPHS

QUE.