VPI Prime, Prime C User Manual

VPI Prime

Turntable Manual

Setup and Instruction Manual

VPI Industries, Inc., 77 Cliffwood Ave. #3B, Cliffwood, NJ 07721

http://www.vpiindustries.com

Prime Turntable Packing List

Prime Chassis

Stainless Steel/Delrin Clamp

Azimuth Rod

Gauge

Motor

Instruction Manual

Flash Drive

Drive Belt

Power Cord (110V Only)

Alignment Jig

Platter

3D Tonearm

Isolation Feet

Serial #:________________

Date: ______

Final Check by: ________________________

Important: Read Before Proceeding!

Follow the instructions below to reduce risk of electrical
hazard or injury.

 Read and follow the

 Safety Instructions below.
 Save all packing materials. The Prime should only be moved or shipped in its

original packaging to reduce the risk of damage in transit.

 The Prime must be placed on a flat, level surface. This will make setup easy,

provide better sound quality, and put less strain on the main bearing.

Safety Instructions

 To avoid electrical shock, do not open the motor housing.
 If the power cord provided with the Prime does not reach an outlet, use a heavy-

duty, grounded extension cord.

 To avoid electrical shock, always plug the Prime into a grounded outlet.
 Do not expose the Prime to rain or excessive moisture.

 Do not touch the male pivot point of the tonearm

assembly. It is extremely sharp and will puncture
your skin.

Minimum Specifications

 Wow and flutter: >.1%
 Rumble: >85db down
 Speed Accuracy: >.03%
 Total shipping weight  54 pounds.
 Platter run out  +/- .001 inch.

Unpacking the Box

The warranty does not take effect until the warranty
card is returned on line as given at the end of the
manual.

The turntable and tonearm are packed very carefully to avoid damage during shipping. It is
important that you save the packing materials and box to use for shipping or moving the Prime.

 Carefully remove the tonearm watching for the built in 3D printed tonearm finger-lift and

delicate wiring with Lemo connector

 Remove and set aside these items:

Alignment Jig.

Record clamp.

Power cord.

Stylus force gauge

Tools

Prime bottom feet

 Make space for the Prime and remove the chassis from the box. Put the chassis down on a

solid surface that will not be marred by the pointed Delrin feet. If possible have a second
person handy to put the foot supports beneath the cone feet. If not lift up each corner
separately and place the Prime cones into foot bottoms with the three ball bearings facing the
shelf the table sits on.

 Remove the Prime motor and place it in the Prime cutout to the left. Be very careful not to hit

or damage the motor pulley. It measured +/- .0005” when it was tested at the factory. Try
not to disturb it at all.

 Remove the turntable platter and peel the tape of the bearing hole. Carefully lower the

platter on to the Prime spindle, (there may be a red cap on the spindle – remove it). The
platter is lubed with PTFE grease and needs nothing for at least two years.

Setting up the Prime

The Prime must be placed on a flat, level surface. This will make setup easy, provide better sound
quality, and put less strain on the main bearing.

 Place the turntable chassis, with the motor cutout on the left, on the shelf or stand where it

will be used. The better isolation you provide the Prime, the better it will sound. We highly
recommend a 1 to 3 inch thick maple shelf sitting on rubber isolator feet for this purpose.

 Connect the power cord to the motor, put the belt around the motor pulley and platter, spin

the platter by hand and the belt will self-level.

1

 For 33 RPM operation, place the belt on the upper part of the pulley. For 45 RPM operation,

Top

Bottom

To avoid injury, do not touch the male pivot point. It
is extremely sharp. In addition, skin oils can blemish
and cause corrosion to the assembly.

place the belt on the lower, wider part of the pulley. The center groove in each diameter is the
correct speed. The VPI Synchronous Drive System (SDS) speed controller is an accessory that
provides the ultimate speed accuracy and improved sound. Check with your dealer about
availability.

 Verify the turntable is level by using a 9 or 12-inch bubble level front-to-back and side-to-side

on the platter. If it is not level, rotate the cone feet up or down. If you must turn the Prime
feet more than three full turns, level the shelf or platform the table sits on first.

 The Prime comes with 4 isolation platforms for additional stability. These platforms can be

used on any “tip-toe” type feet but are especially efficient for the Prime. The base has been
made to provide additional stability and focus in your musical experience! Besides being used
as the standard base on the VPI Prime, they are also an easy upgrade for the VPI Scout
turntable!

Installing and Aligning the Cartridge

 Remove the protective cover from the male pivot point on the arm base assembly.

 For cartridges with threaded mounting holes, use the screws supplied by the cartridge

manufacturer. Other screws may not fit properly and may cause damage to the threads and
cartridge.

 To avoid damage to the 3D tonearm, use one of the washers supplied by VPI under the screw

heads and do not tighten the screws too tight.

 For cartridges with pass-through mounting holes, use the hardware supplied with the

tonearm. Be sure to use washers under the screw heads.

 The tonearm wires are color-coded as follows:

Red  right hot

Green  right ground

White or Black  left hot

Blue  left ground.

2