REGA Planar 6 - Turntable Manual

UNPACKING YOUR TURNTABLE

• Always keep the turntable flat.
• Follow the unpacking guide printed inside the front of the box.
• Save the packaging in case you need to transport your turntable in the future.
• Place the turntable on a rigid level surface.
• Ensure the drive belt is in place and remove the transport hub card from beneath the sub platter.
• Carefully place the glass platter on the hub and fit the turntable mat.

OVERVIEW

1. GLASS PLATTER
2. DRIVE BELT / PULLEY
3. TONEARM
4. BALANCE WEIGHT
5. PLINTH
6. POWER INPUT
7. PHONO OUTPUT
8. FINGER LIFT

SETUP AND CONNECTIONS

1. Only use the Rega supplied PS1 AC adaptor.
2. Connect the power DIN lead (supplied) between the rear of the Planar 6 and the 24 V AC input socket on the rear panel of the Neo.
3. Plug in the Rega PS1 and switch the mains power on.
4. To turn the Neo on, push the button marked 'power' located on the front panel and the turntable platter will rotate at the selected speed.
5. When the power supply is switched on, if the Rega logo illuminates red, 331/3 rpm is selected.
6. If the Rega logo is illuminated green, 45 rpm is selected.
7. To change between speeds, press the button marked '33/45' on the front panel as required.

Note: To minimise the risk of hum picked up by the cartridge, the Neo should be situated as far from the turntable as the interconnect cable will allow.

CONNECTING TO THE AMPLIFIER

The tonearm external phono leads must be connected to a suitable phono stage.
Connect as follows: Red = right chanel / Black = left channel
Depending on the type of cartridge you have chosen, you will require the appropriate moving magnet (MM) or moving coil (MC) stage. If your amplifier does not have an integrated phono stage, you will require an external stage (sold separately).

CARTRIDGE MOUNTING AND SETTING UP THE RB330 TONEARM

Firstly, ensure the cartridge fixings are orientated correctly according to the cartridge makers specification. Use the cartridge alignment protractor (supplied) to accurately set the position of the cartridge. Ensure that the tracking force dial (A) and bias adjustment slider (B) are both set to zero. Place the balance weight (C) on to the balance weight shaft. With the stylus guard removed, position the cartridge above the lead-in groove of an LP. Whilst supporting the headshell, carefully push the weight further up the shaft until the stylus is floating just 1 mm clear of the record.
The recommended tracking force can now be applied using the tracking force dial. Always use a force which corresponds to the upper limit of the cartridge makers recommended range. Finally, push the bias adjustment slider to the same number as the tracking force control.

SPEED ADJUSTMENT

(FACTORY SET - ONLY ADJUST IF NECESSARY)
The speed control functions are sited on the back panel of the Neo:
Speed program switch: This enables the set speed mode.
Program mode LED: This indicates the two modes of operation: Factory default mode and speed adjustment mode.
Speed adjustment: This encoder is used to adjust the speed. The step size of the speed control is 0.01 rpm.

ADJUSTING THE SPEED

Note: We recommend the Rega Strobe kit to accurately measure the speed during adjustment (sold separately).
Note: The speed is adjusted whilst running at 331/3 rpm and any adjustments made at 331/3 rpm will be automatically be applied to 45 rpm.

1. Select 331/3 rpm.
2. Press the 'speed program' switch on the rear panel once to put the unit into setup mode - The 'program mode' LED will now be permanently illuminated red.
3. Adjust the speed via the 'speed adjustment' control using a 1.7 mm allen key. Turning clockwise will increase the speed and turning counter clockwise will decrease the speed. The step size is 0.01 rpm. Only make small adjustments of up to five 'steps' at a time to ensure accurate adjustment. Check the speed after each adjustment to achieve the best accuracy.
4. When the speed has been correctly set, press the 'speed program switch' once to put the unit back into 'run mode'. The 'program mode' LED will now go out and flash approximately every ten seconds indicating the speed has been changed from the factory setting. Your turntable is now set and ready to use.

RETURNING THE NEO TO FACTORY SETTINGS

This process is recommended when fitting a new drive belt to your turntable or after a service, to help optimise the range of adjustment available to you.

1. Select 331/3 rpm.
2. Press and hold down the 'speed program' switch until the 'program mode' LED flashes every few seconds. Keep the button pressed until a solid LED is illuminated.
3. Whilst illuminated, press the 'speed program' switch button once again to fully factory reset and return to 'run mode'.

Note: We recommend changing Rega drive belts every five years to guarantee optimum performance. Using the Neo with old worn belts may result in lower performance and variation in speed stability.

USE OF MOBILE PHONE APPS TO CHECK AND ADJUST THE SPEED

Rega, along with a London mastering studio, have used the iPhone 'RPM' app (available on the App Store) developed by Philip Broder to check and adjust the speed of a turntable using the Neo, with positive results. We have verified the basic accuracy of the 'RPM' app using Rega's in-house speed measuring equipment, but as this is a third party app we cannot guarantee the readings because of uncertainties, which could be caused by the age, condition, and operating system of the phone the app is installed on. If you are in any doubt, you should check the calibration of the 'RPM' app using a suitable reference.

REGA STROBE AND STROBOSCOPIC DISC

(SOLD SEPARATELY)
The best way to adjust the speed of your Planar 6 is to use the Rega Stobe kit. A stroboscopic disc is an optical instrument used to measure the speed of the turntable by freezing the bars on the disc. The bars are illuminated by an accurate quartz locked LED pulsing at 100 Hz.

USING THE STROBE KIT

Simply place the strobe disc on the turntable platter. Switch on the 100 Hz LED and hold it approximately 2 cm above the rotating strobe. If the bars do not appear to move and are stationary, the speed is 331/3 rpm. If they move clockwise, the turntable is running fast, and conversely, if they move anti-clockwise, the turntable is running slow.
If over one minute the bars appear to move by one bar to the left or one bar to the right, the speed is 0.016% fast or slow respectively. Using the speed control on the Neo, it is possible to achieve ±0.05% or ±1.3 rpm.
Note: If over one minute the bars appear to move by two bars to the left or by two bars to the right, the speed is 0.01 rpm fast or slow respectively. Using the speed control on the Neo, it is possible to achieve ±0.01 rpm, which is one step of the speed adjustment.

Because of the nature of the stroboscopic effect of the disc and the LED light, we strongly recommend anyone with photo-induced epilepsy not to use this device. Although this condition is very rare, we must make the user aware of this condition. Ask your dealer for assistance if required.

Do not unplug the power supply from the turntable whilst the unit is on - turn off the power supply before unplugging. Do not operate the power supply without the turntable connected. A 24 V AC plus a 20 V DC signal present on the pins of the plug - if these are shorted it will cause damage to the power unit. Use only with the Rega PS1 power supply or Neo. Never expose the unit to rain or moisture. Do not open the case covers. There are no user serviceable parts inside.
The Neo incorporates resettable fuses in the driver amplifier to protect it from overcurrent faults, which will cause the turntable to run erratically or not at all. If in the rare circumstance these are activated, they are reset by turning off the Neo via the front panel for approximately 10 seconds. If the fault should persist, consult your dealer.