Michell Transcriptors Hydraulic Reference Turntable / Fluid Tonearm

Here we have a vintage turntable from British company Michell. Built under licence from the Transcriptors company between 1973 and 1977 the Hydraulic Reference Turntable was an amazing looking turntable for its day and was featured in the film “A Clockwork Orange”. We believe this to be one of the early Michell examples as it is fitted with the earlier style of feet. This unit is fitted with the Fluid Tonearm and is in very good condition. It will be professionally packaged along with our standard three month warranty, although please note this warranty does not cover the fitted cartridge.
Michell/Transcriptors Said….
The Transcriptor Hydraulic Reference Turntable represents the very latest in record player engineering techniques and are designed to complement the finest stereo reproducing equipment. The complete unit is free-standing on three, adjustable acoustic feedback damping legs.
The Hydraulic Reference Turntable employs a low-speed, recoil start synchronous motor on a double-deck spring mounting driving the platter via a rubber belt thereby providing complete vibration insulation. The main bearing incorporates a silicone fluid filled well rotating at the same speed as the platter, fine speed control being provided by a static vane immersed in the fluid. Platter speed is therefore determined by the AC mains frequency, which is effectively constant, and the viscous fluid flow onto the vane, also effectively constant. Speed changing (45 rpm and 33⅓ rpm) is accomplished by moving the drive belt from one motor pulley to the other and a neon-lit stroboscope is provided for accurate speed setting.
In order to eliminate completely any mechanical shock to the equipment, on/off switching of the drive motor is accomplished by means of a magnetically actuated vacuum switch. The sintered gold contacts on this switch guarantee an extremely tong operational life.
The Hydraulic Reference Turntable also has provision for the unique Transcriptor Sweep Arm representing a great advance in the field of record cleaning devices. This consists of a fine squirrel hair brush mounted on a balanced beam so that the brush tracks the record at a downward force of less than 1 gramme. Thus, the use of the Sweep Arm ensures that the record is cleaned thoroughly whilst in use without producing any wear on the record or causing any noticeable amount of static.
A swinging squirrel hair brush is also available as an accessory for cleaning dust from the stylus assembly.
Specifications:
Platter: 305 mm diameter cast and machined aluminium alloy disc fitted with six gold-plated brass weights. Total weight 5 kg statically balanced to within 3 grammes. The record is supported on soft rubber pads thereby reducing rumble and induced static to an absolute minimum
Main Bearing: Slim section ball-ended ground and polished steel spindle running onto a hardened steel thrust pad and into PTFE bushes (PTFE is a plastic material having a lower coefficient of friction than any other solid and requires no lubricating)
Motor: Single phase synchronous, recoil start
Power Requirement: 115 V or 240 V, 50 Hz or 60 Hz.
Speeds: 33 and 45 rpm
Speed Control: ± 2% of nominal
Speed Indication: Neon-lit stroboscope geared up 6:1 to give a 6° reading for a 1° variation in platter speed
Wow and Flutter: 0.01% at 33⅓ rpm
Rumble: Not measurable
Dimensions: 438 (W) x 432 (D) x 178 (H) mm (lid closed); 438 (W) x 540 (D) x 508 (H) mm (lid open)
The Fluid Arm has been developed specifically for use with modern cartridges of not more than 16 grammes weight, tracking at not more than 2 grammes.
The Fluid Arm employs a unipivot working in an oil-filled well, so that the arm beam assembly relies for its lateral support, stability and resonant damping on the fluid surrounding the pivot. This results in a substantially friction-free pivot of high stability.
An adjustable eccentric counterweight allows both lateral and longitudinal balancing of the arm. Fine control of longitudinal balancing to allow adjustment of the stylus tracking force within a fraction of a gramme is provided by a screwed counterweight.
Also provided is a bias compensating device so designed as to use a rolling motion. An adjustable bias weight operating through a pulley gives correct compensation as the stylus moves towards the centre of the record.
A lifting and positioning (or “cueing”) device is provided incorporating a hydraulic lowering handwheel which lowers the arm onto the record automatically, but which can be over-ridden when required for accurate manual positioning.
A plug-in headshell is fitted for mounting the cartridge, no soldering is required, and the signal outputs are taken via a pair of 3-feet (914 mm) long screened leads terminated in co-axial plugs.
Specifications:
Length: 9 in. (229 mm) or 10 in. (254 mm)
Fixing: Single hole, 1 in. (25 mm) diameter
Adjustment: Vertical: 2½ in, (64 mm); Horizontal (all planes): ½ in. (13 mm)
Principal Dimensions: 9 in. (229 mm) arm; 10 in. (254 mm) arm
Counterweight Overhang: 3 in. (76 mm); 3¼ in. (82 mm)
Overall Length: 12 in. (305 mm); 13 in. (330 mm)
Pivot To Turn-Table Centre: 8½ in. (216 mm); 9½in. (241 mm)
Lead Capacitance: 65 pF/ft.