Azimuth vs. Anti-skate

(click to enlarge_

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.

(click to enlarge)

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

(click to enlarge)

For this  experiment, I used my trusty Lyra Delos and a Kuzma 4Point-9 tonearm.

  1. Anti-skate disabled, with cartridge overhang (effective length) about 1.5mm longer than Baerwaald.
  2. Anti-skate enabled (minimal amount), with the same overhang as in #1.
  3. Anti-skate enabled (minimal amount), with a perfect Baerwaald alignment.

Observations

(click to enlarge)

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?

Related Posts

Record Cleaning – Part 1

click to expandWith apologies to Wayne Gretzky …Wayne Gretzky was quoted as saying: “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. With respect to cleaning machines, the best machine is the machine you actually use.I’m reminded of cameras, where a similar rule applies: it doesn’t matter how good your camera is if your rig is

Read More

Shipping a Van den Hul

(click to enlarge)Shipping a mounted Van den Hul  …Preparing a mounted Van den Hul cartridge for shipping is not for the faint of heart.We recently prepared a Van den Hul Colibri XGW Signature Stradivarius, and these photos are the result.In a perfect world, cartridges would have stylus guards that actually work, but other design considerations

Read More

To DIN or NOT to DIN

5-pin DIN ConnectorThat, is the question … For years, we bought into the common knowledge that tonearms wired with a straight run from the cartridge clips to the connectors (RCA or XLR) are superior to arms with plug-in cables employing a 5-pin DIN connector. Then, we put the theory to the test. The ExperimentWe compared two 4Point, 11″

Read More

Treating Your Connections

Wind RiverCan we talk? Quite some time ago, we published photos of a well-maintained stylus, and followed up with a post describing various stylus cleaning methods. It’s time to have a serious conversation about our connectors …Audio HygieneMaintaining a high-performing audio system requires a minimal amount of work, and one chore involves periodically cleaning and re-treating our

Read More

Thom


Your Signature

Never miss a good story!

 Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a sample setup report we created for a customer.

Subscribers also receive discounts on all accessories, including Audiodesk, Feickert and AnalogMagik. 


This report is in 3 sections:  


Documentation of the customers's setup and QC

30 pages packed with general setup information - tricks you may not have seen before
An appendix with a guide to tools and other setup tips, including how build your own azimuth gauge


Click the photo below, to subscribe.

Click for Free Setup Report