To antiskate or not antiskate


Well that's the question,  as I'm evaluating the latest addition in my setup.

A dr feickert woodpecker with a clearaudio unify 12 inch tonearm and lyra titan cartridge. 

This is my first encounter with this kind of setup so any advice is welcome ! 

iseland

There is no way to properly answer your question over the internet.  Someone who knows what they are doing needs to set up your turntable properly to make all of the adjustments required to optimize performance.  Pay particular attention to vertical tracking angle and zenith on the Titan.  The recommended tracking force is 1.7 grams and that is usually pretty good for it.  The 12" tonearm might make the need for antiskate superfluous, but it varies from cartridge to cartridge somewhat and arms do vary a bit, although Dr. Feickert is really excellent with tight tolerances and QC variance judging from the examples I have worked on have been negligible.  This is a very nice rig and with care in set up should be superb.   

Post removed 

The OP should prepare for no conclusive/definitive answer as all the archived threads on AS.

The physics underlying tonearm skating forces are well established. Various tonearm designs employ different mechanical or magnetic methods to counteract these lateral forces, each with inherent advantages and limitations. Some audiophiles contend that anti-skating mechanisms introduce more problems than they solve and choose to operate without compensation. Empirical observations from cartridge retippers indicate that both insufficient and excessive anti-skate lead to asymmetric stylus and groove wear. Furthermore, skating forces are not constant—they vary with groove modulation, stylus geometry, tracking force, and record eccentricity—thus, anti-skating compensation represents an averaged corrective force intended to minimize the net lateral load over the duration of playback.