Clearaudio Speed Strobe Light v2

The Clearaudio Speed Strobe Light — A Quartz Reference the Mains Cannot Move

A strobe light for setting turntable speed, running from a 300 Hz calibrated quartz oscillator. It is used with a stroboscopic test disc: the light flashes at a known rate, and the pattern on the disc stands still when the platter is turning at the right speed.

The reason it exists is that most strobes cheat. A strobe taking its flash rate from the mains is measuring your platter against your power line, so if the line frequency drifts, so does the answer — and you have no way to tell which one moved.

Accuracy, Range and Fit

Where the 300 Hz Comes From

A quartz oscillator is a mechanical resonator cut to vibrate at a fixed rate, and it does not care what the grid is doing. Clearaudio calibrates this one at 300 Hz and drives the light from it, so the reference is entirely internal.

That makes the measurement independent of the power line. Whatever your mains is doing when you set speed, the flash rate is the same, which means the reading is repeatable from one session to the next.

What You Need Alongside It

A strobe light is half of a measurement. The other half is the pattern: Clearaudio designs it for use with their Stroboscopic Test LP, and without a strobe disc on the platter the light has nothing to read against.

It is an external light source rather than a built-in one, so it works on any turntable regardless of make — there is nothing to fit and nothing to wire in.

Who Is the Speed Strobe Light Best For?

• You have set speed with a mains-driven strobe and never trusted it — this removes the power line from the measurement
• Your turntable has adjustable speed — a measurement is only useful if you can act on it
• You own more than one deck — an external light works on all of them
• You want a repeatable reading — a quartz reference gives the same answer every session
• You do not own a strobe disc — the light needs a pattern to read; Clearaudio's Stroboscopic Test LP and other test records provide it

How Do You Use It?

Put the strobe disc on the platter, start the turntable, and shine the light on the pattern. If the bands appear to drift forward the platter is running fast; drifting backward means slow. Adjust the turntable's speed control until the pattern holds still, and give it a moment at each setting before deciding.

Pairs Well With

What most owners use alongside a strobe.

• Test records — how you confirm the speed you have set
• Speed controllers — what you use to act on the reading
• Record mats — the next thing worth attention once the deck is steady
• Cartridge alignment tools — worth a look once the turntable is relevelled

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is it?

The flash rate comes from a 300 Hz calibrated quartz oscillator, so the reference is fixed and independent of the mains. That is what separates it from a strobe whose accuracy is only as good as the power line at that moment.

Do I need a strobe disc as well?

Yes. The light provides the timing reference and the disc provides the pattern; Clearaudio designs this one for use with their Stroboscopic Test LP.

Will it work with my turntable?

It is an external light rather than a fitted part, so it works with any turntable. What matters is whether yours has a speed adjustment you can act on.

Why not just use a mains-powered strobe?

Because it measures your platter against your power line. If the line frequency shifts, the reading shifts with it and nothing tells you that is what happened.

What if the pattern will not hold still?

Steady drift means the speed is off and needs adjusting. A pattern that wanders back and forth is a different problem — that is speed instability rather than a speed error.

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