US Distributor for Nottingham Analogue Turntables
Nottingham Analogue Studio was founded in Great Britain over four decades ago and produces some of the finest turntables in the world, The primary purpose of better analogue LP playback is to savor every last bit of music buried in the timeless grooves, and Nottingham’s design philosophy does just that.
The basic design idea, incorporated into nine models, is to liberate the platter, arm and motor from the resonance-laden, box-like base which housed most turntables in the past. Using low torque motors and materials that work wonderfully well together, Nottingham Analogue Studio creates a range of turntables not only pleasing to the eye but (and more importantly) to the ear.
The Nottingham Analogue unipivot tonearms are, obviously, designed with our turntables in mind, lightweight yet robust they allow the stylus to do its job with the minimum of interference.
Tom Fletcher of Nottingham Analogue Studios has likened most modern audio products to a brass violin. “Pretty to look at, but not something you'd want to try to play music on! We won't make a brass violin, no matter how many we could sell.” In this simple phrase so much of the Nottingham philosophy of music and design is made clear. Since the 1960’ Tom Fletcher and his small but dedicated team have hand built fine instruments for the playback of recorded music. Never interested in the quick and easy answer, the folks at Nottingham Analogue Studios still believe that some things simply should not be short cut.
First and foremost, Nottingham never forgets that what they are after is the music. If there is no music, there is no purpose. If there is no purpose, they'll make something else. Music gives them their purpose. Everything from the size and shape of the parts to the materials they are made from is purely subservient to the music. Even the finish that is put on the various parts is carefully considered with respect to the effect it would have on the music. If making something shinier results in poorer sound, Nottingham will use a different finish. Every last detail, down to the type of rubber used in the feet on the plinths, has been tested for resonance characteristics and is then listened to by trained cars. Nothing is left to whim.
The key, Tom says, “Is the magnificent marriage of materials.” Each material on its own may be common and unremarkable but the way they perform together to maintain the proper phase of energy throughout the system is where the magic takes place. No frequency is overly diminished or amplified. No frequency is overly damped or allowed to sustain. Every bit of energy is carefully managed across the spectrum, whether from the motor itself, or as generated through the tonearm by the stylus as it is driven by the grooves on the record.
From the ultra-low torque motor (“You want just enough energy to keep the platter spinning, any motor with enough power to start a heavy platter has too much to properly play records.”) to the mechanically damped unipivot tonearm, these ultra-simple looking turntables have 40 years of experience and loads of engineering skill cleverly concealed within them. Like a figure skater they make years of effort seem effortless. Give one a spin today.