Quartz Lock ?

[Dirty Seven]

Hi all, I'm looking at (and reading reviews on) turntables while I save up the money for my setup. I came across a review of the Synq Xtrm 1 that mentioned that the quartz lock automatically locks in when you're around the zero point, making it difficult/impossible to micro adjust the pitch when beat matching. Yet other reviews say it's just the zero position light that comes on. Does anyone have any experience with this particular TT, and is it the same for any of the other "super OEM's"?

Also, some TTs have a 10% pitch range instead of the more traditional 8%, is the longer range much of a disadvantage when it comes to accuracy?

Thanks.

[Windows 95]

A pitch lock button is preferable over one that locks in at zero in my opinion. But I doubt it makes any difference in pitch adjusting.

+/- 8 or +/- 10 are more of a preference thing. Most people learned using +/- 8 so the tighter +/- 10 is noticeably shorter if you're used to using Technics turntables.

[SWS Productions]

^^^ +1

Quartz lock is just marketing gibberish referring to the clock frequency and how well the system electronically syncs the platter rotation to the clock frequency. Moving the pitch fader changes the synchronization clock frequency.

An indicator light is just telling you it's within 33 1/3 or 45 RPM within whatever deviation margin they set it up to.

Quartz is the material used in the clock chips to resonate a precise frequency which is multiplied or divided in the circuitry as necessary. It's been a while since electronics class/training - memory is that varying the dc voltage applied to the quartz crystal varies the resonating frequency. In this application, they could have a fixed clock and a variable clock. When the variable clock that the turntable motor is sync'd to gets close to the frequency of the fixed clock the indicator light comes on.

Most likely it's just marketing gibberish - but an indicator light is a good way to know when you're dead on beat frequency - not that it matters that much to be closer than just centering up the slider.

Very unlikely, but it could actually be designed to "lock" onto centering frequency or platter RPM when the slider is within a certain range of center. But, that would render smooth platter RPM transitions around center clock frequency\platter RPM impossible. Who know what an idiot designer will come up with. I would contact tech support with questions before purchase just to be sure or find someone that has one to talk to.