In the free setup report I offer to subscribers of our mailing list, I mention the interaction of turntable setup parameters with each other.
For example, a large tracking force change (say, 0.20 gm) can affect SRA/VTA and overhang, along with indirectly affecting other parameters.
I decided to quantify some interactions which affect azimuth.
Those who have read my comments on the subject of interactions quickly grow tired of my harping on revisiting your entire setup when you adjust one parameter.
Who wants to spend hours on a setup?
Fortunately, as you get closer to the sweet spot, your adjustments become smaller, and along with that, the interactions are minimized.
So, a .05 gm tracking force change won’t alter your VTA/SRA very much.
My experiment was by no means an exhaustive, but it demonstrated that even these trivial changes tell a story.
I ran 3 sets of measurements
For this experiment, I used my trusty Lyra Delos and a Kuzma 4Point-9 tonearm.
- Anti-skate disabled, with cartridge overhang (effective length) about 1.5mm longer than Baerwaald.
- Anti-skate enabled (minimal amount), with the same overhang as in #1.
- Anti-skate enabled (minimal amount), with a perfect Baerwaald alignment.
Observations
As you can see, the big difference is between anti-skate being disabled vs. enabled. Cycle #1 differs from both #2 & #3.
The double crossing lines in trial #1 leave you with a choice. If you choose one, your setting will match that of trial numbers 2 & 3 (both with anti-skate enabled).
Note that the azimuth track on the Feickert software is near the beginning of the record where the skating force is near its minimum.
If the track was closer to the end of the record side, I suspect we would have seen more dramatic differences than those shown.
The Takeaway …
Do I really have to tell you?
