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Hello Klara: The Rodine 3 turntable is very capable. I believe Rek-O-Cut is the model line (Buick) Rodine 3 is the model (Crossfire). Rek-O-Cut turntables are manufactured and sold through Esoteric Sound. There are other turntable dealers that also sell them. Here are the specs: http://www.esotericsound.com/Turntable_Rondine_3%20Spec.htm I'm not sure if all Rodine 3 turntables were manufactured with the same length tonearms but Esoteric Sound's current version can take 17" transcription disks without issue. The platter on the one I own is just under 12" inches in diameter. They cannot adjust to "any speed", but they have 12 different speed selections with a +/- 15% pitch control at each speed. This will cover most any "real time" playback speed as well as fairly accurate half speed (or slower) mastering for many transcription disks that are too warped or damaged to try and run at the original speed the disk was intended to play back at. Yes, you can interchange the cartridge head shells (the styli "needle" is mounted in the cartridge which is mounted in a head shell) and or interchange the styli depending on the styli/cartridge combination you use. There is no one styli/cartridge combination that I would consider as optimal. Each disk is different and I'm always changing combinations. The one complaint I have with the Rodine 3, is that I cannot run much heavier than 3 grams tracking force as the anti-skate adjustments only go to 3 grams - there are times you require more. This is an additional modification you need to make to the turntable. Kind Regards, John Schroth On 12/10/2013 11:28 AM, Klara Foeller wrote: > Hey colleagues, > I'm in the market for an affordable archival turntable, the ET turntable I currently have has a bad bearing and is probably 60 years old. From threads I've read on this listserv, I've been thinking (and looking) at the Rondine 3 turntable. I have some questions and PLEASE guys, don't go all nerdish on me, I won't understand! I just need to know: > > * Are all Rondine 3s the same with 10" tone arms; large enough for 16" ETs (is the platter that large?). > * Is a "Rek-O-Cut" Rondine 3 any different? Or is it the same product? > * Am I correct that they adjust to any speed? > * Am I correct that they have interchangeable needle cartridges? > * What is the optimal needle cartridge for WWII era ET recordings? I'm not sure what's in the machine we're using, but it's been doing an excellent job. > * Any vendor recommendations? > > I probably won't be digitizing music 78s for a long time; most everything is already available anyway, I'm working mostly on radio, spoken word ET s. Any pertinent observations or recommendations? > > Klara Foeller, Curator, > Moving Image & Sound Collections > Missouri History Museum > Library and Research Center > Tel: 314.746.4513 | Fax: 314.746.4548 > [log in to unmask] | mohistory.org > [Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/missourihistorymuseum> [Twitter] <http://twitter.com/mohistorymuseum> [History Happens Here] <http://www.historyhappenshere.org> [You Tube] <http://www.youtube.com/user/MissouriHistory> >