Oracle Audio Origine Tonearm

The Oracle Audio Origine Tonearm is the 240mm unipivot arm Oracle fits to its Origine Mk2 turntable, sold here on its own in Paris Mount and Delphi Mount versions. Its pivot sits on the same plane as the stylus and the counterweight, Cardas wires it internally, and a fixed weight inside the arm tube sets roughly 20 grams of effective mass.

Oracle builds the Origine arm from aluminum and Delrin at its factory in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Overhang, VTA, azimuth, tracking force and anti-skating are all adjustable. We recommend it to Oracle owners who want Oracle's own unipivot on their deck, set up with the same tools and procedure Oracle uses on the Origine Mk2.

Key Features of the Oracle Origine Tonearm

• Unipivot Bearing: The pivot contact point sits on the same plane as the stylus contact point and the tracking force counterweight, for stability while tracking
• 240mm Effective Length: 9.45 inches, with 223mm from spindle center to the arm's mounting hole
• Fixed Internal Weight: A weight fixed inside the arm tube sets effective mass at roughly 20 grams
• Cardas Internal Wiring: Wire from Cardas Audio runs to a five-pin connector at the RCA output box
• Owner Adjustments: Overhang, VTA, azimuth, tracking force and anti-skating are all set by the owner
• Silicone-Damped Cueing: A cueing knob beside the arm, rather than a lever, raises and lowers the stylus
• Two Mounting Versions: Paris Mount or Delphi Mount, chosen when you order
• Aluminum and Delrin: Designed and built by Oracle in Canada

How Does the Origine Unipivot Work?

The whole arm balances on a single sharp pivot point. Oracle sets that contact point on the same plane as the record's contact point with the stylus and as the tracking force counterweight, and says the layout adds stability while the arm tracks the groove. The arm lifts straight off the pivot shaft and sits back down on it.

Because a unipivot can rotate on its point, Oracle's manual asks for a little care at the armrest: hold the headshell with one hand and press the arm tube just in front of the rest with the other, so the head does not swing. When the arm is off the shaft, an orange protective cap covers the pivot tip, which Oracle warns is extremely sharp. Oracle also asks that the platter be leveled precisely before azimuth is set, since azimuth is judged against the record surface.

What Happened to the Olive?

Earlier Origine arms carried a movable weight on the arm tube that Oracle called the olive. It split the tube into two segments against resonance, and sliding it toward the headshell raised effective mass for lower compliance cartridges. The current arm replaces it with a weight fixed inside the tube, for an effective mass of roughly 20 grams.

Oracle's own photographs still show the olive, so expect the arm you receive to look cleaner along the tube than Oracle's photos on this page. With the weight fixed, there is no olive to slide and no tracking-force re-check after sliding an olive.

Which Cartridges Suit the Origine Tonearm?

Cartridges whose compliance puts the arm and cartridge resonance in the usual 8 to 12 Hz window at an effective mass of roughly 20 grams. Oracle offers the Origine Mk2 turntable with an optional Ortofon MC-1 Turbo, a high-output moving coil. A cartridge mounts to the headshell with its own hardware, then moves forward or back in the headshell to set overhang.

The tonearm leads follow the usual color code: red for right positive, green for right negative, white for left positive and blue for left negative. Set tracking force to your cartridge maker's recommendation by moving the rear counterweight along its stem, using a tracking force gauge.

How Do You Set Up the Origine Tonearm?

On the Origine Mk2 turntable, Oracle's manual sets it up like this, with Oracle's Calibrator disc and a few Allen keys. The Calibrator disc is a separate Oracle product that comes with the Origine turntable. Overhang: lower the stylus onto the disc's grid and slide the cartridge until it sits on the dot. VTA: loosen the set screw in the flange under the plinth and raise or lower the pivot shaft until the arm tube is parallel to the record. Azimuth: turn the set screw in the side of the tonearm head.

Anti-skating uses a small acrylic barrel hung on a string over a hook at the rear of the arm base. The empty barrel weighs one gram, and each stainless steel pin you drop in adds 0.25 gram. Oracle sets it on the blank side of the Calibrator disc: if the arm drifts inward, add a pin, and once it starts moving outward, take one away. The cueing mechanism is a knob; when its white dot points up, the stylus is off the record. The arm's wire harness plugs into the RCA output box with a polarized five-pin connector, and keep the delicate tonearm wires clear of the RCA and ground cables so nothing restricts the arm.

Which Oracle Turntables Does the Origine Tonearm Fit?

This listing comes in a Paris Mount version for Oracle Paris turntables and a Delphi Mount version for the Delphi. The Origine Mk2 turntable already ships with this arm installed and calibrated. The arm uses a 23mm mounting hole at 223mm from the spindle center.

If you are not sure which mount your turntable needs, or want the arm on something other than an Oracle, get in touch with Mike before you order so he can confirm the mounting for your deck.

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Oracle Origine Tonearm Specifications