Derek is and will be missed by many, I was lucky to get him to visit my Camberwell home to set up a Funk Vector LP12 etc and watching him work was very interesting. He just made it look so easy and he had it all down to pure skill, experience and a fine art and my wife and I just kept the fresh coffee going for him. A lovely gentle chap to talk to as my (then 2 year old) daughter said to me and we all chatted en route to Camberwell train station.
I find this very interesting having bought, sold and set up/serviced rather a lot of Sondeks. The only one I've ever regretted selling was the fully Funk Vectored one.
Would seem Derek was a tad more open minded than some folks on here. A fly on the wall re conversation between him and Arthur K would have been interesting to say the least!
Never had any dealings with Derek but in my dealings with Arthur, couldn't say a bad word about him. As one of the earliest adopters of his Vectored kit for my LP 12, kept in constant touch re my opinions and sent me numerous upgrades free of charge as it developed.
Would still sit beside my Oracle had I not needed the funds and if anyone thinks an LP 12 is hard to set up, dismantle, box and ship.. then pray the customer has a clue, hence the sale of 'customized' or 'vandalized',lol, LP 12. Fully Vectored LP 12/Zeta/ZYX in a custom build plinth was thing of real beauty and sounded superb. Older Oracle Delphi (with war wounds, survived an Earthquake in California), Kuzma Ref, arm and Koestu was worth way less in resale and needing the bucks, the Funked one went.
Have to say, of the various mates that listened, they preferred the Oracle. Never been sure I agreed, the Vectored Linn was an utter revelation.
All down to synergy of deck, arm, cartridge. Mounted a Kuzma Stogi/Benz Glider on my Oracle for set up/transport to go on an LP 12 and had I not committed to selling the arm/cart would have went nowhere. Blew my mind and cheaper than my current set up. With tables, you live and learn.
I've also learnt over the years that a lot of folk spending ludicrous money on turntables do not have a basic clue how to set them up, often with disastrous consequences!
Sorry if it's a bit off topic, not a Linn hater, been to their Factory to 'learn' how to set one up. All I learnt was that some are utter pigs and some are a dawdle to set up.
The one they gave me that day should have been consigned to the bucket as not withstanding all their special tools, it defied me to get the bounce.
Enjoyed the ones that passed thru but can't understand the blinkered approach to alternative tables and seriously can't understand why a decent set up could cost more than any cars I've ever owned.. it's a mugs game these days, happily out of it.
I have a Karousel on my Akula. It's very close but it fits with no problem (and sounds very good!)
