THORENS TD 126 Mk III

Semi-professional Transcription Turntable

Without doubt the best transcription turntable on the market

Servo controlled electronic belt-drive system with DC motor - a THORENS design

Load-correcting automatic pitch control (APC)

ISOTRACK TP16 Mk III tonearm with very low effective mass

Low resonance tonearm tube utilising "split wave technology"

Friction-free velocity-sensing electronic shut-off

Separate motor for tonearm lift operation

Three speeds 33, 45 and 78 rpm

Precision craftsmanship to meet the highest professional standards

The TD 126 Mk III by Thorens  is "the" transcription turntable for discriminating music lovers and professional users. It is the product of 95 years experience in the construction of musical instruments allied to the mastering of the most advanced technilogy in the fields of fine mechanics and electronics. The main objectives of Thorens engineers remain unchanged robustness, reliability and life-time maintenance of the original performance specification.

In their constant battle against rumble, Thorens designed a servo controlled electronic belt-drive to associate with unique floating suspension system.

Every turntable must be damped by a suspension system to prevent the sensitive pick-up from environmental vibration and from acoustic feedback. If the springs are placed between motor and turntable platter, they then fulfill the additional requirement of decoupling motor vibrations almost completely from the turntable and the pick-up system.

The turntable platter and the tonearm are both mounted on a secondary chassis carrying the motor. Thanks to their exclusive design Thorens Transcription turntables claim rumble figures equalled by no other drive system. 

THORENS ISOTRACK TP 16 Mark III tone arm

For optimum in tracking ability it is not sufficient that a tone arm has low bearing friction. It is much more important that is has a low effective mass, because high mass prevents the stylus from following the imperfections (waro or ripple) of the record as it should do. To overcome high effective mass one can increase the stylus force, but this results in excessive record wear. Thorens has solved the effective mass problem by removing any unnecessary weight from the tone arm.

The head shell is reduced to a shielding device, and the detachable connector is placed close to the pivots where it has negligible influence on the effective mass. In addition, Thorens Isotrack is a straight arm and not S-shaped. The necessary offset angle is independent of the arm shape.

Typical arms have effective masses of around 15 grammes.

The Thorens Isotrack is half this figure, allowing it to track at the lowest possible stylus pressures.

A special surface treatment of the tone arm tube - "split wave technology" - absorbs all undesirable resonances of tone arm.

Friction-free velocity-sensing electronic shut-off

As the lead-out grooves of records show a higher pitch - i.e. the grooves are further apart from one another - the tonearm motional speed increases towards the center of the platter. An electronic circuit picjs up the signal produced by the change in the tonearm velocity and commands the motor to stop and the tonearm to raise. The precision associated with Thorens turntables is further emphasised here, since the activation of the auto stop process is not position  sensitive, but fully electronic and friction-free.

The Thorens automatic stop system also enables the operator to cue with studio precision at any point on a disc, even at the very centre.

Another circuit prevents the activation of the auto stop process when the tonearm is moved by hand over the disc surface. A separate motor is using for tonearm lift operation.

Specifications:

Drive System:  1 step belt-drive

Motor:  DC Motor with 72 pole tachogenerator

Speed:   33⅓, 45 and 78 rpm electronic speed selection

Motor Speed Control:  Electronic regulation with load correcting automatic pitch control

Pitch Control:  ±6% illuminated stroboscope

Turntable Platter:   3,2 kg zinc alloy dynamically balanced

Platter Diameter:  30 cm (12")

Wow & Flutter:  Less than 0,035% according to DIN 45507

Rumble Unweighted:  -52 dB according to DIN 45539

Rumble Weighted:  -72 dB according to DIN 45539

Rumble Measured with the THORENS Rumble Measuring Device:

Rumble Unweighted :  -65 dB according to DIN 45539

Rumble Weighted :  -78 dB according to DIN 45539

Tonearm TP 16 Mk III

Cartridge Wand TP 63

Tonearm Lenght:  230 mm (9")

Effective Mass:  7,5 g

Stylus Overhang:  14,4 mm

Offset Angle:  22⁰

Lateral Tracking Error:  Less than  0,18⁰/cm radius

Skating Compensation:  Magnetic force without friction

Stylus Pressure Appliance:  by spring

Bearing Friction:  Less than  0,15 mN (15 mp) in bith planes

Cartridge Fitting:  Standard ½" centres

Capacitance of Cable:  190 pF ± 10%

Auto Stop:  Electronic velocity sensor

Mains Voltage:  117/220 V, 50/60 Hz

Power Consumption:  11 Watt

Dimensions:

(W x D):  505 x 395 mm

Height with cover closed :  170 mm

Height with cover open :  460 mm

Depth with cover open :  395 mm

Weight:  15 kg, (33 lbs)