SUPATRAC Blackbird User manual

Instructions
Blackbird
SUPATRAC
supatrac.com

1
SUPATRAC Blackbird
Farpoint
Thank you for choosing the SUPATRAC
Blackbird Farpoint, a revolutionary tone arm
for high-performance turntables.
The Blackbird is the world’s first Sideways Uni-
Pivot Arm (SUPA) with a patented* novel
bearing design which directly opposes the
varying drag on the stylus so that signal energy
and time in musical recordings are reproduced
with unprecedented accuracy.
This manual explains how to install, set up and
maintain your Blackbird Sideways Uni-Pivot
Arm for a lifetime of dependable performance.
* UK Patent 2599073, international patents pending
INDEX
Diagrammes page 2
Box contents page 4
Carriage page 4
Installation page 5
Calibration page 15
Maintenance page 24
Disassembly page 25
Solving problems page 26
Further information page 27
Warranty page 28

2
Blackbird Farpoint Parts
and Their Names
HAZARD WARNING:
SHARP EDGES - USE
GLOVES PROVIDED
TO AVOID INJURY
Right hoist toggle
Vader gate
Transport bolt
Bias rig Transport
spacer
Bias rotor
Bias pulley
Right hoist
Base
Finger lift
Counterweight
Pillar
Rest magnet
Bias pulley
Lever lift holder
Thrustbox
Arm tube
Pivot bolt
Hoist hook bolt
Arm rest
Level control
Base
Finger lift
Counterweight
Pillar
Rest magnet
Bias pulley
Lever lift holder
Thrustbox
Arm tube
Pivot bolt
Hoist hook bolt
Arm rest
Level control
3
DANGER WARNING:
SMALL MAGNETS -
KEEP AWAY FROM
CHILDREN
SME bracket
Vader
Right hoist Bias pulley
Bias weight

BOX CONTENTS
Blackbird Farpoint tone-arm
Mounting base
SME mount bracket
Counterweights
Mass adaptors
Amplifier cable
Downforce scale
Rigid finger-lift
Pivot magnets
Through cable clamp
Base bolts & washers
Alternative bias weights
Spare filament
Allen keys
Spanner
Protractor
Instructions & warranty
CARRIAGE
To transport a turntable short distances with
your Sideways Uni-Pivot Arm attached it is
recommended that you…
1. place a severally-folded tissue between the
pivot point and thrust box
2. stabilise the arm with a support
3. attach a stylus guard
For short journeys, install the transport bolt and
transport spacer. For longer journeys, remove
the arm from the turntable so that it can be
packed separately. See the chapter on
‘Disassembly’.
4
5
INSTALLATION
Attach Base
Attach the base to the arm board or plinth of
your turntable using standard metric bolts.
For Linn:
For SME:
For Rega, Jelco, VPI:
Install Cartridge (Optional)
If you have a stylus guard or removable stylus
you can install your cartridge in the normal way
before mounting the tone-arm.

If you have cartridge bolts with large heads
which do not fit in the headshell you can contact
SUPATRAC for compatible bolts or file them
down by hand or in a domestic drill.
For a three-bolt mount, remove the finger-lift
and use the hole to access the third bolt with an
Allen key or screwdriver.
Insert Pillar
Insert the pillar into the base as shown. The
level control bolt can be used to set a suitable
height so that the arm is level. Start with the
pivot point just lower than the platter surface.
Do not over-tighten the pillar locking bolt.
Orient the pillar so that the pivot bolt points
away from the approximate halfway point of a
record side.
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pillar
base
pillar
locking
bolt
level
control
suggested
pivot orientation
Set Spindle-Pivot Length
Use the supplied protractor (‘Supatractor’) to set
or measure spindle-pivot distance:
-push the protractor hole onto the spindle
-rotate the protractor point clockwise
-base position is ideal when the protractor
point touches the pivot point
-if the points won’t touch, close the gap by
loosening the base and moving it sideways
-if moving the base can not close the gap, a
shortfall of a few millimetres may be
compensated by extending the pivot bolt and
hoist hook bolt, see ‘Extending Pivot’ below
-alternatively, measure the discrepancy to
calculate a new optimal pivot-stylus length
-it may be possible to change the length of the
arm by 5.5mm or 11mm to match the gap, but
this may require re-wiring the arm
-larger gaps will need a different arm board or
arm length
7
Spindle
Protractor
Platter
Protractor
point
Pivot
Base
Pillar

Extend Pivot (Optional)
If your spindle-pivot length does not exactly
correspond to your arm’s pivot-stylus length,
the pivot and hook can be adjusted by a few
millimetres at 0.8mm per turn:
-pivot and hook extensions are set to a factory
default, so be sure to turn both bolts by
precisely the same amount unless you are
deliberately adjusting their relative extension
-loosen pivot/hook nut with supplied spanner
-turn pivot/hook bolt with supplied Allen key
to withdraw or extend it by the desired length
-use Allen key to maintain bolt position when
re-tightening the nuts
Connect Amplifier Cable
Insert the amplifier cable DIN plug into the base
of the pillar.
If you are using a right-angle DIN plug, you may
need to rotate the Black Knight DIN connector
inside the pillar so that the DIN plug exits in the
desired direction.
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Black Knight
lock screw
Pillar
Black Knight
DIN connector
pivot
hook
hook lock nut
pivot lock nut
To rotate the Black Knight:
-loosen Black Knight lock screw
-insert the DIN plug into pillar
-gently rotate the DIN plug, taking care not to
bend the pins, until it is correctly oriented
-gently tighten the Black Knight lock screw
-remove DIN plug and inspect pillar to make
sure lock screw does not contact pins
If there is not enough clearance for the DIN plug
underneath the pillar, contact SUPATRAC about
exchanging your pillar for a shorter one.
Swap Finger-Lift (Optional)
The string finger-lift provides a firm grip on the
arm without applying much sideways or
downwards pressure on the cartridge.
However, if you prefer a rigid finger-lift, use
tweezers to pull the base of the string from
inside the arm tube, untie the knot, and remove
the string. To attach the rigid finger-lift, use
putty or a small loop of sticky tape on the end of
a screwdriver to hold the nut in place to receive
the bolt. Once the nut and bolt have engaged,
insert a flat screwdriver between the nut and
the inner wall of the arm tube to stop it while
you tighten the bolt. Do not over-tighten as this
could damage the fragile carbon-fibre arm tube.
9

Remove Transport Bolt
Once the arm is installed on the turntable and
the pillar is secure, you can unscrew the
transport bolt and remove the transport spacer.
Take care not to strain or abrade the electrical
wires and hoists when removing the spacer. It
can help to lift the whole arm upwards a little
while keeping it level.
If None, Install Cartridge
If you did not install your cartridge before
mounting the arm, place a folded tissue
between the pivot and thrust box to protect
them during cartridge installation.
For a three-bolt mounting, remove the finger-
lift and use its hole to access the third bolt with
an Allen key or screwdriver.
Large head cartridge bolts or large nuts will not
fit in the headshell. It is possible to file large
bolt-heads and nuts in a drill or by hand.
Contact SUPATRAC if you are unable to
procure compatible bolts.
10
Transport
bolt
Pillar
Transport
spacer
Attach Counterweight
When setting downforce, always obstruct
movement of the arm by holding it in your left
hand while adjusting the counterweight with
your right. Attach a magnetic counterweight
under the thrust box and squeeze it forwards
for more downforce or backwards for less. Keep
the counterweight centred on the axis of the
arm by pinching the thrust box from both sides
between thumb and fingers. You can centre the
counterweight by feel. Very small adjustments
of counterweight from left to right allow very
fine adjustment of lean (azimuth).
Multiple counterweights are supplied to cater
for a wide range of cartridge weights,
compliances and tracking weights (downforces).
To measure downforce, place the supplied
downforce scale on the bare platter with either
a penny, a cent or a centime as a balancing
weight in the appropriate bed. The dimples in
the scale represent 1/10 gram increments in the
range 1.2g - 4g. Adjust the counterweight until
the scale almost balances with your stylus
resting in the dimple corresponding to your
desired downforce.
Level Arm (VTA)
The ‘Vertical Tracking Angle’ or arm level can be
set by raising or lowering the pillar. Take care to
set the arm level control screw to an
appropriate height. Guide the pillar up or down
using the level control screw and tighten the
pillar locking screw gently. The tightness of the
pillar locking screw can affect the sound, so
adjust it to taste. Tighter may not be better.
It may be necessary to re-adjust arm level after
optimising counterweights or hoists.
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Adjust Hoists
Hoist length is set when the arm is made, but
they may stretch a little when bedding in.
Ensure that the turntable is level before
adjusting the hoist lengths. Tighten or loosen
the Vader bolt to shorten or lengthen the hoists.
Ensure that the pivot makes contact with the
thrust box exactly on the straight line between
the flex points where the hoists meet the thrust
box. See the section on Calibration for more
information about configuring the hoists.
After adjusting the hoists length the arm will
lean to the left or right. See next section ‘Adjust
Lean’ to correct this.
Adjust Lean
If lean, often called ‘azimuth’, needs to be
adjusted, you can adjust the length of the hoist
to each side of the arm as shown below.
See ‘Set Azimuth’ in the Calibration chapter for
more information on adjusting lean.
Set Pivot-Stylus Length
Remove the Supatractor from the platter
spindle and place it under the arm so that the
pivot and protractor points touch. Use the
curved lines to move cartridge to desired pivot-
stylus length.
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Push arm sideways
while rotating it
around hoist hook
in a see-saw motion
Align Cartridge
Replace the protractor on the platter spindle
and use the null point grids to align the
cartridge.
Install Pivot Magnet
Attach one of the supplied cylindrical magnets
to the blunt end of the pivot bolt to augment
pivot contact. A 3mm or 4mm diameter
neodymium magnet is normally adequate.
Set Bias
Initially the anti-skate force can be set by
holding the bias rotor in the vertical position
and gently pulling the loose end of the bias
pulley until it slips and becomes taut. Then
gently cue the arm as far as the record label so
that the pulley slips back to a length which
allows the playing of a full side. For optimising
bias, see the chapter on Calibration.
Adjust Rest Position
The optional arm rest is a bendy aluminium rod.
It may be supplied bent or not bent. Insert it
into the hole in the top surface of the bias rig
and fasten it with the two M3 locking screws at
the side. It can be bent to suit the geometry of
your turntable. Make sure that it does not foul
the underside of the arm at the beginning of the
record.
The rest magnet can be adjusted to help the arm
settle in the rest position.
13

Add Inertia (Optional)
A nine-inch Blackbird Farpoint has an effective
mass of around 11g. If you intend to use a mid
or low-compliance cartridge you may wish to
add mass to increase the arm’s inertia. The
external mass adaptor can help to establish the
ideal arm mass for your cartridge.
See the chapter on Calibration for more
information on using the mass adaptor and
calculating an equivalent position for the
permanent internal mass.
Attach Lever Lift
Bolt the lever lift holder onto the bias rig. Rotate
it so that the platform makes contact evenly
with the underside of the arm. A small locking
screw stops the holder rotating. Adjust height
via the platform bolt or the locking screws in
the side of the holder. If the lever will not stay
up, unscrew the mechanism’s drum top slightly.
Swapping Arms (Optional)
If your tone-arm has a wiring connector on the
pillar you can remove the tone-arm from the
pillar for quick swapping. Use your left hand to
raise the arm up and gently pull the connector
out using the loop of thread before removing
the left and right toggles. Take care not to strain
the fragile signal wires.
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mass adaptor
ballast block
CALIBRATION
Follow the check-list below routinely to
establish and maintain optimum performance,
especially with a newly-installed arm.
(1) Level Turntable
(2) Set Downforce
(3) Level Arm (Vertical Tracking Angle)
(4) Set Pivot Contact
(5) Clear Signal Wires
(6) Attach Pivot Magnet
(7) Set Pivot Height
(8) Set Cartridge Lean (Azimuth)
(9) Set Bias
(10) Adjust Inertia
A quick guide to calibration is at
www.supatrac.com/calibration
As with all tone arms, inaccurate configuration
can produce poor results, whereas precise
calibration will enable you to get the best from
your records.
Level Turntable
It is important to level the turntable so that the
arm hangs reliably against the bearing.
Set Downforce
Place the downforce scale on the bare platter
with either a penny, a cent or a centime in the
appropriate hollow. The dimples in the
downforce scale represent 1/10 gram
increments in the range 1.2g - 4g.
To adjust downforce, hold the arm in your left
hand and squeeze the counterweight forwards
for more downforce or backwards for less.
Adjust the counterweight position until the
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scale balances with your stylus resting in the
dimple corresponding to the desired downforce.
Keep the counterweights centred on the axis of
the arm by pinching thrust box and
counterweight from both sides so that it is not
necessary to adjust lean (azimuth) after
adjusting downforce.
Level Arm (VTA)
The ‘Vertical Tracking Angle’ or arm level can be
set by raising the pillar. Take care to set the arm
level control screw to an appropriate height
using an Allen key. Guide the pillar up or down
using the level control screw and tighten the
pillar locking screw gently. The tightness of the
pillar locking screw can affect the sound, so
adjust it to taste. Tighter is not always better.
It may be necessary to re-adjust arm level after
optimising counterweights or hoists.
Set Pivot Contact
It is crucial to the correct function of the SUPA
bearing that very gentle contact is maintained
between the pivot point and thrust box during
playback. To ensure this, remove the pivot bolt
magnet and put the arm in the play position
with a stylus guard on. Gently tap the back of
the thrust box. Any gap between the pivot point
and thrust box should be discernible by sound,
feel and watching thrust box movement when it
is tapped from behind. If there is a gap, you can
correct this misconfiguration as follows:
-take care not to pinch the hoists with any tool
-insert an Allen key into the hoist hook bolt
-loosen the hoist hook locking nut
-turn the Allen key anti-clockwise until the
thrust box comes into contact with the pivot
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17
-check that contact is maintained at all
playback positions
-use the Allen key to ensure that the hoist
hook bolt does not rotate while you tighten
the hoist hook locking nut
Clear Signal Wires
Ensure that the wires below the thrust box are
not tangled or obstructing arm movement.
Attach Pivot Magnet
Do not forget to return the pivot bolt magnet to
the blunt end of the pivot bolt after adjusting.
Set Pivot Height
An 8mm x 60mm slip of paper with straight
edges can be used to set correct pivot height.
Raise the headshell high and insert the paper
between the hoists and the thrust box so that
the paper’s straight edge sits on the flex points
where the hoists meet the thrust surface. Pivot
contact should occur just below the paper’s
edge. Adjust the vader bolt to level the arm and
raise it to the correct height. After adjusting the
vader bolt be sure to check and correct lean (see
section ‘Adjust Lean’).
A period of incremental adjustments to pivot
height can establish optimal performance.
pivot bolt straight edge
paper
hoists
thrust box