SME tonearm experts - about template settings -


Dear All, as usual need your precious advises. I have finally installed a SME 309. Its armboard is dead flat now but about 1-2 mm below the plinth. This means that I had to pull at the maximum the sme pillar to have the tonearm parallel to the LP surface.
In this condition I still have 1 mm of clearance on the tail. in other words I have 13 mm in the cartridge area and 12mm only on the back of the tonearm. To have it perfectly flat I would need a spacer below the armboard. In your opinion , is this necessary or can I live with this 1mm of difference ??
If I shall install a spacer, shall it be metal or wood like the armboard ??
2nd question is about the 205 mm radius distance from the record spindle: Doing this The armrest and the complete arm is not straight but is is about 30 degrees oriented towards the platter. Is that OK ??
In this condition all the requirements of the sme manual are 100% right but aehstetically its not nice to see the arm pointing toward the platter.
Can you pls clean my fog ?
Tks
ad010685
If you mean that the arm is lower at the rear than the cartridge end, then you may want to leave it that way. Bass is usually improved by lowering the VTA some. My Oracle 345(SME) is also angled toward the center of my Micro Seiki but it has to be that way. It doesn't bother me.