VPI non-Anti Skate Q

Ignoring, or Denying the importance of Anti-Skate is a pet peeve of mine.

VPI being historically guilty IMO. and over many years people quote them as a trusted source.

No doubt, getting Anti-Skate right is the hardest part of tonearm calibration.

I just experienced an anti-skate issue on a different tonearm related to Tonearm wiring 'Pushback' similar to what VPI advocates with their 'twist of wire' 'pushback' anti-skate solution.

The problem is, 'twisted/stiff wire pushback' cannot be calibrated, or made consistent throughout the arc.

To be careful, and as exact as possible, then to rely on this inconsistent solution is unacceptable to me.

My long arm came with very tiny very flexible litz wires that had no pushback as the arm pivoted. A dangling string like SME for anti-skate, worked well for several years.

Each silk covered wire had 37 strands, impossibly thin.

The silk wore off, hum developed, VAS rewired the arm and put a VPI mini-din connector and VPI junction box. 

They rounded the bottom edge of the hole the wire passed thru (original design flaw since modified), the wire is similar to VPI wire, and a protective sleeve thru the hole

I can no longer set the anti-skate with the dangling weight, because the stiffer wire, even without a twist, pushes back. How much? I don't know. Consistent thru the arc? Nope.

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here's the Anti-Skate Mechanism that was developed years later for older models

https://www.vpidirect.com/products/anti-skate-mechanism

If you ever had an SME arm with the dangling weight, you appreciate their solution.

OP

Reading, comments from both Soundsmith and other re-builders, anti-skate is NOT being properly solved, by us (not amateurs), with refined expensive equipment, setup carefully by .... using .... tools..

I just confirmed again, with Steve Leung of VAS Audio:

MOST cartridges sent in for re-tip/re-build have uneven wear, one side of the stylus worn more than the other. Improper Anti-Skate the cause.

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One reason I prefer light tracking cartridges, i.e. 1.25 g rather than say 2.0 g, (2.0 g is not excessive, but it is +60% force) is IF your anti-skate is off, lets say by 50%, then the amount of force error is also -60% than it would be at 50% of 2.0 g.

elliottbnewcombjr

No doubt, getting Anti-Skate right is the hardest part of tonearm calibration.

I couldn't disagree more. I think zenith is not only trickier to get right, but it's overlooked altogether by many users. And you can hear the improvements when you get it right.

What's this...a VPI to AS or not AS question?

As if there isn't enough VPI AS threads already😂

Longtime NO AS(GASP) VPI user. 

The stylus is wearing uneven and my LP's are worn on the right side.

Next...

@cleeds 

your are right, however,

most of us ASSUME manufacturing perfection regarding zenith, and most are unwilling to spend $1,100. for AnalogMagik, (even if aware of the possibility, and Wally’s error % findings).

AI Quickie

"Azimuth and zenith are two distinct cartridge alignment parameters that address different angular errors:

• Azimuth refers to the vertical plane angle of the cartridge, viewed from the front.  It is the tilt of the cantilever left or right relative to the record surface. The goal is to have the stylus sit perfectly perpendicular to the groove walls to minimize crosstalk (signal leakage between channels) and maximize channel separation. It is typically adjusted by tilting the tonearm up or down at its pivot or by shimming the cartridge. 

• Zenith refers to the horizontal plane angle of the cartridge, viewed from above.  It is the rotation of the cartridge (like turning a clock face) to align the stylus with the record groove, compensating for errors where the stylus diamond is not mounted at a perfect 90-degree angle to the cantilever. Incorrect zenith shifts the tracking error null points and increases distortion. It is adjusted by rotating the cartridge slightly in the headshell. 

In short, azimuth is vertical tilt, while zenith is horizontal rotation.  Both are critical for optimal stereo imaging and low distortion, and both are best set using electronic measurement tools like AnalogMagik for accuracy."

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I should add, in addition to anti-skate, imbalanced one-sided wear of a stylus can occur by improper Azimuth, and/or Zenith, either/both of which can be more harmful to the LP’s grooves than slight anti-skate error. 

Especially if using an advanced stylus shape, closer to the shape of the cutter blade that made the grooves. This is why more careful alignment is needed when using those desirable shapes