Stacker / Changer Turntables?

While researching my Technics sl-1950, I came across several sites describing it as a stacker / changer turntable (http://www.vintagetechnics.com/turntables/sl1950.htm, for one). The pictures shown displayed a turntable exactly like mine, but with an elongated center post. What I'm wondering is how does a stacker / changer turntable work? Is it any different from a regular turntable aside from the ability to stack records atop each other (which I would never actually do)? I can understand how you can stack, but are you to change the records and the sides yourself? If so, how are these different from a 'standard' turntable?

Thanks in advance for any answers you guys can give me.

 

At least it waited for the arm to return to its rest.. I've heard of a couple that didn't .

 

Changers duplicated like rabbits back in the consoles and hi-fi systems of the 60's. Do a search for BSR turntables online and you'll see many examples. My grandfather had a Garrard with interchangeable spindles, in fact.

 

Does anyone remember the changer that had a mechanism that moved up from the platter to get the next record? I can picture it in my head. Can I use a brain scan to download it? My regular scanner does not seem to work for that.

 

dual used to have a single spindle solution for changing

 

the Thorens td224?

 

Many multi-record sets have nonsequential sides pairing, to be played on stacker turntables, were pressed as late as in 1980's (e.g. the Heavy Metal soundtrack in 1981).
2 records set: 1-4; 2-3
3 records set: 1-6; 2-5; 3-4
...
6 records set: 1-12; 2-11; 3-10; 4-9; 5-8; 6-7

I don't know if there are nonsequential sets of 7 or more LP (33 1/3 RPM) records.

 

On my old stacker, there were little prongs that held the records on the pole. When one ended, the arm moved back to its starting position, the prongs retracted briefly, and the next record fell. Audiophile notions be damned - I didn't care about that when I was 12! I just loved being able to let the records play one after another...

 

No, it was made in the late 70's if I remember correctly. I'll have to Google it.

 

There were a number of different schemes. IIRC this method was used by BSR among others. I had old Garrards where you stacked the LPs, then lowered this arm--rubber coated--onto the top of the stack to sabilize them.

Supposedly, the LPs were designed to stack, with a raised lip and center label area so there would be no damage when they fell. I don't have any changers lying around to test that theory.

John K.

 

This is the reason, I've heard, that the Polydor CD version of Electric Ladyland has the sides out of order - the mastering engineer copied some vinyl edition designed for stackers, and sides 1 and 4 ended up on disc 1, and 2/3 on disc 2!

 

That disc was mastered for CD changers.

 

My old stacker turntable scratched my LPs. It makes sense: if your changer DROPS an lp on top of another there's likely going to be some artifact from it. And if it happens over and over, your vinyl is gonna get messy.

 

Geez - that is my old turntable that I finally gave away last year to the Seminarians across the street! Is this turntable renowned to be audiophile or something? In other words have I given up something I really should have kept?
(I always had to adjust the tracking on it and I never stacked albums, but it was a workhorse.)

 

Precisely why the vinyl was slightly thicker at the outer edge and under the label. However, there were very few LPs flat enough for this to actually work. I had several changers as a kid, including an early Garrard. Many had a center spindle with blades in the center that converged to drop a single LP ono the table or atop the last record.

 

Remember the leveling arm that was standard on all Magnovox consoles!!!!I used to watch my buddies change records, even at the age of 10 I would cringe when that record dropped onto the bottom one and you could it slip and spin on unitl it came up to speed just in time for the arm to drop on it. The Magnovox models actually moved the arm upwards to check if there was another record waiting to come down. If it bumbed into one the drop mechanism was activcated and the arm would set down on the run in groove. If it did not sense one it returned to its rest and the motor shut itself off. This was fun to watch too as when the motor turned off the old flywheel idler drive wheel would disengage from the inner rim of the platter and somehow when it did the platter would actually pick up speed and depending on how good the bearing was would take a while to come to a complete stop.