Antiskating .... The last analog secret

In 1969 an in depth scientific/theoretical study was done on what they termed "bias compensation".It is still available for anyone interested for download in the members area of The Vinyl Engine.Anyway the upshot was that they determined an "optimum" level for bias compensation at 30% of your tracking weight.Here is a link if your a member.
http://www.vinylengine.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=46

That is interesting because Sumiko recommend a setting of about 1/3 of the tracking force in the manual for the Blue Point No.2 cartridge and I wonder if there is a connection.Anyway it was Bob Fulton who proposed that the "art" stylii were producing incorrect results because the shaping of them caused minute "catching" in the groove making the cantilever vibrate unnecessarily,thus there was more distortion than with a conical shape.He had Entre in Japan mod an MC with a conical stylus and even produced one of his own at one time I believe.I had a communication with a fellow in Minnesota who swears by Fulton's discovery and will not let an "art" stylus in the house.You can tell by the violins he says.I am not that dedicated but do use a DL-103.Anyway I hope people read that article and some more research is done in this area.

The old cartridges did not of course have the R&D of today's science behind them and you could not really compare.I did not mean the Sumiko was some kind of killer cartridge,but where do you engage anti-skate if at all.That's something that needs some good science behind it now.The article bucked the trend even then I guess of saying you set tracking weight and bias about the same,by saying 30% of weight was the most you could need.

Here is a method for setting Anti-Skate.This is of interest here I think."Anti skate is best set visually, not with the dial on the tonearm. This because of the large variation in groove friction developed by different stylus shapes and VTA settings. Watch the cantilever very carefully from the front of the headshell (use strong light) as you lower the stylus into a groove in the middle of the first band on the record. If the cantilever deflects to the right when the stylus hits the groove, increase the antiskate until the cantilever remains in the same position (relative to the front of the cartridge body) in or out of the groove. (If it deflects to the left, reduce the anti skate force.)It takes a little practice, but gets you very close to perfect with the rest easy to do by ear."