cartridge mounting

lewm

OP did mention Zenith, I don’t have a tool or method for it specifically. Because he didn’t mention Overhang (or Null Points which for pivoted arms really is about averaging Zenith Error) I decided to re-post my list for OP and/or others following this. I want to get it ’right’, but resist trying for perfection. 

In my world, inexpensive tools/simple methods, I am unable to see/ascertain Zenith Error. I don’t think I don’t have it, I believe in averages, but my cartridges give great imaging and involving sound, not the problems he describes in the video at 2:40

Ray at VAS just checked, cleaned and ok’d all of my styluses, he didn’t mention zenith which is not proof, just saying nothing caught his attention.

This chart shows over 80% of cartridges WAM recently checked have issues averaging just over 2%

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XAbw1BjdF8

It’s the makers job to get it within industry standards, and I have lived my whole life with whatever they sold me. 

Never get it right: Inward skate happens naturally, anti-skate we make happen to compensate: It varies moment to moment due to varying degrees of friction during play. We can only make a best average.

Null Points, which is about Zenith, we can only set a best average, theoretically a longer arm helps, I had years of 12.5", Oh Happy Day, but I would never say I could hear ’better’. I think ease of height and azimuth adjustment are far more important to achieving better results.

richardbrand

Yes, linear tracking does not need anti-skate, zenith (If factory mounted straight in the cantilever) is always perpendicular to each and every groove,

might as well make an easy cartridge mounting system, oh, they did come up with T4P P Mount which has standardized weight/tracking force/auto-alignment, single lock in place screw.

Both still exist, but we love out Pivoted Arms and nightmare of minimized errors.

Speed could be perfect, but .......

OP

"the distance from the pivot to the stylus can be changed by about 2 cm, plus/minus....this is what I remain confused about"

The proper OVERHANG (center spindle to stylus tip distance)

Often Hard to see, which arm length do you have, they vary

I scratch marks on the side and top of my cartridges with an xacto blade, so I can see/know where the tip will be. MM, you can remove the stylus, do the work, put the stylus in last. MC you can put the stylus guard on while working if you make yourself an easily seen mark.

OVERHANG is the distance you need to set, you lightly tighten one screw, then you twist the cartridge body sideways, (looking at the lines/marks on the protractor below the cartridge) finding the best compromise of ’parallel to the groove’ at BOTH the inner and outer null points.

ANY pivoted arm, throughout it’s arc across the LP: starts wrong, gets right (outer null point), goes wrong gets right a 2nd time (inner null point), goes wrong again. 

Maybe they should have called them ’right points’, or ’straight points’.

Anyway, you twist until you get the best compromise at those two distances (which vary for each arm, or the 3 nut/null jobs we have cast in memory), and tighten the screws,

without letting it change the overhang distance when you twist it sideways!

again, thank you all...analog reproduction, at its best is wonderful, BUT a "comedy of errors",...do you hear them, really, or just chase the physics/measurements....gives some of us something to do...some just settle on getting close and enjoying what they have...whatever floats your boat, I guess