New Rega tweak : 2-motor, 4-belt turntable 

I have been thinking of experimenting on a "2-motor Rega" for some time....

In fact after experiencing the marked improvements brought about using dual pulley with 2 belts, I was "inspired" to move another step forward on this "path of no return"! I began to mull over the idea of transforming my Rega further with two motors, each driving 2 belts instead.

"4-belt Rega"? Yes, you got it!

Why? Well, this is not something new in turntables. Many high-end turntables are designed with 2 or 3 ... motors.

Better torque and inertia - not only an advantage to handle heavier platter, but provides greater speed stability, hence pitch stability.

Gonna try it out on my Planar 3... It would be exciting to see 4 belts turning on my aluminium sub-platter!

Stay tuned .....

Finally.... and sharing with you here my idea of "4-belt Rega":

1. From the top the plinth, cut out the new pulley hole directly opposite the existing pulley hole so that both pulleys are of equal distance from the bearing. This is to ensure that the pulling force from the two pulleys on the sub-platter is balance on both sides.

2. Next the part at the bottom of the plinth (just below the new pulley hole) must be cut out big enough to accommodate the motor (like the motor compartment). This part requires handyman skill or you may have to enlist the help from a carpenter.

3. Ready now to fix the 2 motors. Getting 2 motors is not a problem for me since all my Rega turntables are with detachable outboard motors (on my stainless steel motor bases). I just need to get hold of two to do the testing. (Not advisable to mount 2 motors on Rega light plinth. The motor vibrations can ruin the music.)

4. With 2 sets of motors sit under the plinth, the 4 belts are lined up (alternating between the 2 pulleys). Fortunately, the sub-platter is just thick enough to do the job! (The idea of 3 motors has to be shelved then!)

5. Putting back the acrylic platter and my "4-belt Rega" is ready for test!

Two motors/motor bases

Two pulleys opposite each other 

4 belts in a row

2nd Dual pulley

4 belts in action 

Now, it's time to spin some lps' and hear the difference ....

WOW...  the immediate impression is like having a system with much bigger "wattage"; the platter attains full speed almost instantaneously; the music is louder and clearer. Possibly this is due to better torque to turn the platter using two motors with dual pulleys. Rumble is also reduced as pulling force on the sub-platter is more balanced from two sides. Higher inertia with greater speed stability is another reason for the sonic improvement. One important point to remember is in order to get maximum benefit from this tweak, both the motors must be off the plinth as vibration from one motor is already bad enough, two.... would "kill" the music for sure.

Try it out if you are adventurous. Hear for yourself as hearing is believing!!

It's a positive mod to me. But to do this mod requires some effort.

My conclusion is simple :

I love dual pulley.... 
I love dual motors+dual pulleys more .... 

That's what I can say after all the hard work!

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Rega motor upgrade kit though solves the motor wobbling problem in Planar TT's, motor vibrations transmitted to the plinth would not be eliminated with this upgrade. However, if the motor is mounted off the plinth, those undesirable motor vibrations picked up by the cartridge would be "gone". As a result, background noise is very much reduced and we would be able to enjoy music with better imaging.

Scott Lea of Arizona, USA has upgraded his Planar 2 with motor isolation base, dual pulley and silicone belts upgrades. Let's hear what he says:

Hello Michael,  When I decided to upgrade my Planar 2 I thought the right thing to do was get the Rega Motor Upgrade Kit. I was truly disappointed to see the motor mounted with a sticky pad. That's when I did the research I should have done in the beginning.  When I saw your webpage I knew I was in the right place. Your method of mounting the motor off the plinth is a truly elegant solution.  I also love the double belt pulley.  The turntable is now awesome! My Dynavector Karat 17D2 now sings!  I have been collecting vinyl since the 60s and am rediscovering the treasures I have!  Also been buying new and used LPs in the last month like crazy.  I was frustrated with digital and went so far as purchasing an Ayon CD player. A very excellent machine but I still was not satisfied.  Thanks for helping return the joy of listening to music again! The thrill is back!  Highly recommended!  Thanks again!  Scott Lea  Arizona, United States

Motor isolation base upgrade 

Dual pulley and silicone belts upgrades

Thanks Scott!

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This is a question many may ask when considering the aluminium feet upgrade, including Nick Jenkins from United Kingdom:

" I also wasn’t sure whether your aluminium feet would just slot straight in, as I believe the P9 feet do require some filing down first.... "  

Rega P9 feet 

Don't you worry, my aluminium feet are designed slightly different from the original Rega P9 feet and there's no filing required and I shall add this note under my post on aluminium feet earlier to avoid confusion.

Here's Nick Jenkins' upgraded RP3 and his comments on the upgrades:

Pictures : courtesy of Nick Jenkins of United Kingdom

Dual pulley and silicone belts upgrades on RP3

Sand-filled Aluminium feet upgrade on RP3 

Dear Michael,  Just wanted to thank you for your products. I was a little apprehensive about removing the original pulley but the pulley puller and a drop of white spirit made it very easy. I filled the feet with sand as per your suggestion – it was a bit more difficult to get them into the aluminium cups as the rubber was pretty stiff and a small screwdriver helped to prise them in.  I was really surprised at the improvement in sound, particularly with the dual pulley. There’s more bass weight, rhythmic drive and detail, and surface noise is less obvious. I listen a lot through headphones which can be rather unforgiving compared to speakers, but I’m now enjoying my records a lot, and needless to say am very pleased.  Thanks once again.  Best wishes,  Nick, United Kingdom

Thanks, Nick!

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The main bearing of a turntable is the housing for the hub or sub-platter which plays the major role in spinning our records. Therefore we shall not overlook the importance of this main bearing.

I notice most of the better decks I own come with main bearings of around 3/4''( ~18mm-20 mm) diameter . Here are a few examples:

Rega P5 TT, Planar 2/3 TT, Linn LP12TT, Thorens 150/160TT, Thorens 125TT......

In my opinion, to handle the rotating load efficiently,  the bearing must be sufficiently big (in thickness) in order to maintain rigidity. The bigger the diameter/thickness, the more rigid the bearing housing is. Moreover, bigger mass also helps to absorb some of the vibration and heat energy that is emanating from the bearing when the sub-platter is spinning.

I have a P1 TT which has a smaller bearing hub (12mm or ~ 1/2" in diameter). Its housing wall is thinner and fits the same sub-platter as my other Rega decks. It is also of lesser mass(~ 1/3 ) than that of its bigger brethren( P2 to P5).

Have nothing better to do, recently I thought of tweaking my P1 main bearing(12mm). With rigidity and higher mass in mind, I  designed and custom-made a hexagonal shape stainless steel main bearing sheath (19mm or 3/4") to be screwed on to the existing bearing. Of course you may say, just change this 12mm bearing to a new bigger bearing will do. But that would involve more tedious work like enlarging the mounting hole on the plinth which I don't wish to do.

If you are concerned that heavier glass/acrylic/delrin platters would be strenuous to the main bearing of your RP1/P1TT, this 3/4" heavy duty stainless steel bearing sheath probably would relieve you of your anxieties.

This simple tweak is easy to carry out for anyone without technical skill.

Bearing Sheath For P1/RP1
(BS1 - USD 8.00)

Side view

So improving the rigidity of the main bearing is another tweak to bring about sonic improvement!



Wes Anderson of Canada commented :

The "nut" does work well, you can definitely here a sound quality improvement over stock.

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I am very glad to receive and post here some very useful tips from Rafe Arnott of Vancouver, BC Canada which would be beneficial for those who are upgrading their decks.

Enjoy!

Hi Michael,  Just wanted to say thanks for your reference-quality hardware that I purchased. After a bit of confusion regarding the necessity to trim the thrust-bearing spring for proper tension pressure, I'm very happy to say my Rega RP1 is sounding its best yet.  My 33.3 stainless steel dual-belt pulley, twin silicone belts and motor thrust bearing arrived a couple of days ago, but I finally had time today to undertake the upgrades. I had already swapped the stock cart - an Ortofon OM5E for a 2M Red, and replaced the 'Bakelite' platter for a Rega glass one. Two upgrades that yielded huge sonic improvements, so I was pretty stoked at how noticeable the improvement was after installing your gear. The clarity and separation of highs, mid-range depth, an expanded soundstage and punchier, tighter bass response were just a few differences I immediately heard. I've only had a chance to spin two albums today since completing the mods, so I'm looking forward to hearing a lot more detail revealed in my LPs over the months to come.  Since I modified my TT in a different way than I've seen mentioned on your blog, and because I found there to be a few details lacking mention in any previous posts on your site, I thought I'd send along a few pics and notes that might be helpful for other TT mod newbies and future customers.

Dual pulley, silicone belts and thrust bearing upgrades

The first image (above) shows the gear as it arrived. The second (below) shows the TT flipped over, tonearm secured, and supported by a few soft pillows while I removed the motor cover in preparation for the thrust bearing.

Removing the cover

The third image (below) shows the motor exposed and the cover removed; HINT - you only need to remove one screw all the way, as the cover can slide out either way if one screw is removed and the other loosened slightly. Putting on the thrust bearing is very straightforward once the motor housing is removed, it simply snaps into place (IMPORTANT NOTE: Prepping the thrust bearing properly is essential. I added a few drops of high-quality lubricating oil to the bearing after placing it on the spring only to find my motor now making a very audible noise upon application of the bearing - the trick is to TRIM THE BOTTOM (or angled end) OF THE SPRING between one-and-a-half and two coils with small wire cutters. I found this info nowhere, and only after emailing Michael was I appraised of this. Needless to say I was relieved when I was told of this key step!

Cover removed

With the bearing now properly seated the only problem is that you cannot now re-attach the housing as the thrust bearing assembly is quite large, and precludes fitting the housing without either  A) using rubber washers to raise the housing enough (which I didn't like) or  B) just not putting the housing back on at all. I went for  C) (fourth image, below)and drilled out the housing for the thrust bearing to poke through, thus keeping the motor properly secured and not exposed.  TIP: To properly mark where to drill, I covered the mounted thrust bearing with a bit of scotch tape and daubed a touch of red children's paint on it. Then I aligned the motor housing. The paint on the tape accurately marking the inside of the housing, pinpointing exactly where to drill. The fifth image shows everything back together. With a little sanding I smoothed out the drill hole, and after cleaning up the cover; voila! A nice, neat solution.

Drilling a hole on the cover

Viola! A neat, nice solution

"Hi Michael,  Here are a few pictures and a couple tips on pulley installation for anyone who is as Rega-modification challenged as me :)   The first image shows the stock Rega plastic two-speed pulley removed, (I used a few drops of isopropyl alcohol to loosen the glue attaching it, and let it sit 10 mins. The pulley then came off no problem). Following the advice of a previous poster, I made a shim to help me eyeball how low to mount the the new stainless pulley. (You want to keep the lower belt from being too close to the very bottom of the sub-platter). I used a q-tip to apply a sheen of light lubricating oil to the spindle shaft and then attached the pulley with a moderate half- twist to the Allen bolt.

Fixing the double pulley

I then carefully attached my new dual silicone belts, making sure not to stretch them, and that they were properly aligned.

Dual pulley and silicone belts installed

Then I put the glass platter on and Rega reference felt slipmat back on, plugged the TT back in and sat back to enjoy some '57 Coltrane as I've never heard him before....

Upgraded RP1!

Rafe Arnott (Vancouver, BC Canada)'s system

I 'm currently running the RP1 into a Rega Fono Mini, a NAD 3020 and a pair of Heresy II's. Many thanks Michael, I look forward to purchasing more of your reference-quality upgrades in the near future and enjoying them for years to come. Sincerely,  Rafe Arnott Vancouver, BC Canada

Thanks, Rafe for sharing your tips and pictures with us!

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