Inner groove distortion solved!

So exactly as I said, too much twist, too much anti-skate. Way too much, apparently.

Now here's the thing. The skating force varies as the record plays. The more drag on the stylus the greater the force. The amount of anti-skate that is perfect for loud music will be a little too much when its quiet and way too much when its silent. If you're with me then you know what's coming next: the blank record method is even less drag than a blank lead-in groove, and so your stationary arm method isn't nearly enough anti-skate.

In other words, what you have done so far is go from way, way, WAY too much anti-skate to not quite enough. You were so far off that this seems better. And it is. But it could be better still.

Search around on Sound-smith.com and watch Lederman's anti-skate tutorial. The correct way of setting this is playing a really high amplitude track. Then if you get no breakup its perfect. If the left breaks up that's the inside groove and you need less anti-skate. If the R breaks up that's the outside and you need more.

You're a lot closer now. But still not quite there yet.

A test record that has progressive levels of intensity and combined tones, so you can hear the anti-skate channel matching emerge via the distortion in each channel. Being careful to pull the stylus out of the groove of the anti-skate test section the moment you discern the increase in intensity of the given distortion, in one channel vs the other. Then to set it so they break up in each channel evenly.

an anti skate test section on a test record...only has so much life in it, and then it is finished...

Or we may progress to more modern versions of this ’test’. (software, computers, etc)

What's the point of getting anal about anti-skate, once one has arrived at a value that avoids grossly audible distortions?  Every single LP will be different at the minute level, and no LP will be exactly like any test LP.  Joey, I'd say, if you're happy, forgeddaboudit.

Thanks all. I did watch the Lederman video yet again and took millers advice and put on a record that has a demanding passage at the end. There was breakup in the left channel so I made small adjustments until the distortion was minimal and both channels were relatively equal. I can be anal lewm, just ask my wife, but I listen carefully and if I don't feel that I am getting the most from my rig I am bothered. With all of your help I think I am much happier. Happy and healthy New Year to all.

I did watch the Lederman video yet again and took millers advice and put on a record that has a demanding passage at the end. There was breakup in the left channel so I made small adjustments until the distortion was minimal and both channels were relatively equal.

Perfect!

Analog playback is far from the black magic everyone makes it out to be. Its actually really easy to understand, at least once its explained. Ledermann I think is even better at this than Fremer, maybe even as good as Miller! Almost! Ha! 

Anti-skate is just one small aspect of perfect LP playback. If you listen close, want to get the most, and are willing to try things like this then you are in the most rewarding niche in all of audio. 

So where you are now, you've pretty well gotten rid of all of the worst most obvious mis-tracking. Your rig is sounding a lot better now. You may even notice it sounds better even in places you never thought it was bad before. That's the beauty- you fix one problem, you notice benefits well beyond. Huge side benefit, you've learned to hear - and understand it. Take this same approach with the rest- VTA, VTF, etc- learn to understand both the mechanical aspects as well as how they sound, its really hard to overestimate just how much better you can go even from here. 

Good stuff MC, thanks. Do yourself a favor and check out Hans Theessink on Bluegroove records, outstanding!

Funny you should mention. Big Terry and Hans fan here. Live and Let Live with Terry and Bobby King has Ry playing throughout. Great Album. 

Yeah dentdog, Ive had that album since it came out! As a matter of fact it's going on the tt soon. Also waiting on delivery of Jederman Remixed- the soundtrack from discogs by Hans. Ry is on that too. Heard about it from JV at TAS. Ry is tops in my book, a real treasure! Be well.

Joey then you noticed in Peter's video that he and Frank Schroder recommend setting the anti skating so that the tone arm drifts in slowly between grooves in the run out section. I set my arms with the HI FI News test record and low an behold they both drifted in slowly between grooves in the run out section. So I have to conclude that without a test record this is a reasonable way to approach life. 
If you are a real Ry fan check out Captain Beefheart's Safe As Milk. Ry only lasted one album with the Captain who was notoriously difficult. He would be replaced by Bill Harkleroad aka Zoot Horn Rollo an extremely under rated guitarist.

Hi mijostyn, how ironic I just got that test record today! The last band on side 1 is tough! I've been a fan of the Captain since the 70's. Got to see him 3 times, with Zappa on the Bongo Fury tour at the Trenton War Memorial, at the old Emerald City which was the Latin Casino in the 60's and at the ole Bijou theater in Philly where I live. The Bijou was the best, really intimate and he did the Shiny Beast Bat Chain Puller album. He finally  succumbed to MS, which my wife has, terrible disease. Respect.

I had been following this thread since it's inception.

Regarding my VPI Classic 3 tt. ...I knew that any more twisting of the the tonearm wire WAS too much. However, because of this thread/s I played around with the mechanical anti-skate provided to great effect. The sonics are:...greater bass low end/definition which always improves other areas.

Another nice/noticeable reception is the much more realism regarding vocals....it’s almost like vocals have a different timbre ...much more realistic! Midrange is MUCH more meaningful which has an effect of positively effecting all other aspects.