I have a scout and went through many alignment tools trying to avoid buying this http://www.feickert.org/index.php?id=17&L=1 Go ahead and bite the bullet you will never look back stupid easy and stunning results have fun Willy-T |
the bigger problem with the geodisc, IIRC, is finding the center point of the tonearm pivot. Missing that by a degree or so can and will generally give you a bit more unwanted inner groove distortion. As we go to (move up the stylus chain of qualities) more and more severe stylus profiles, (Gyger, Fine-line, micro ridge, shibata, etc) this becomes more noticeable. With conical or the more limp versions of elliptical (0.4x0.7), this can be less noticeable. So I might use the geodisc, but then do a check on it with the paper protractor. And then see how much the paper says it is off, and then go back to the geodisc and finally see how much I missed the center point of the arm pivot. A few mm of missing the center/pivot, is a lot, when it comes to inner grove distortion and human sensitivity to such. this is where the bigger or better and more complex devices show their worth. The ones with an arm on them...to find that center pivot point perfectly, are the better units. In the end, it tends to be all about inner grove distortion. |
At the end of the day you get what you pay for and really the Smartractor is the bees knees, seriously. A good friend has one and he has set up all my carts on my table ( after I have rough set them with simple tools) using it and watching him at work it looks very simple with the only caveat being the carts that have the stylus buried under the body instead of out front being more difficult but that would be true with any tool. Is it worth $650? Depends on how often you are changing carts, arms TT etc. I am very fortunate that he lives just 2 miles down the road........ |
I have a Mint for my SL1200 GAE, but since I have other turntables decided to buy a Feickert because it is cheaper when multiple tables are involved. The simple and free paper protractors are also an option and work fine, but are a bit fiddly to use. I also bought one Accutrack, which is for a tt recently sold, so I gave it to the new owner. All of these work, a fact I can attest from personal experience. The easiest to use are the single point units like the Feickert or the Smartractor, which can rival the accuracy of the Mint if used correctly. The proprietary gadgets from VPI or the overhang gauge from Technics are for people who do not really care. The Mint is the most accurate, but the most fiddly to use, and for multi tt users, needing a different one for each tt gets to be perhaps the most expensive option. Bottom line, though, no matter which route you go, it is important to align your cartridge for optimum sound, stylus life and record life. |
