Michell Transcriptors Hydraulic Reference Turntable / SME 3009 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”.  This later unit has the ‘wishbone’ feet and is fitted with the SME 3009ii 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. Also included are spare armboards and the very rare tracking force scales.

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)