Strange Tonearm Tweak. Long


As you all know, I am a little different. I like to read and study stuff like tonearm technology. I noticed that some of the better unipivot designs have employed "outrigger" style outboard weighting systems on their arms, that work like a tightrope-walker's balance pole. This not only balances azimuth, but also gives the arm better stability to lateral deflections from the cartridge suspension, so the arm is not moved when the stylus is pushed laterally by the groove information. I began to think on this, and I wondered why no gimbal-bearing arm makers are doing this. Surely since the vertical plane rides on a vertical axis bearing, there is still some chance for the arm to be laterally deflected by the stylus, when the stylus should be doing all of the moving, not the arm. I think that this is why they use heavy arms, but a heavy arm in the vertical movement plane is not good for tracking. A heavy arm in the horizontal movement plane is good for resisting sideways deflection that would impair pickup function.

So I decided to try increasing the mass of my tonearm in the lateral plane, while keeping it light in the vertical plane, by the use of "outrigger" weights, just like a unipivot does.

I bought lead fishing weights that looked like long rifle bullets(just the lead part) They were about an inch long and about 3/8" diameter, and weighed 12 grams each. I drilled into the bases about 1/4" and press-fitted them onto the nuts that hold the arm into the bearing yoke, so they stuck out straight sideways, like sideways spikes. This put the weight out pretty far to the sides as outriggers, and kept the weight centered exactly around the bearing pivot axis so it did not increase the vertical mass significantly, but it did very slightly. It did not influence the tracking force at all.

So now the arm had outrigger stabilizers on it in the horizontal plane of motion.

I put on a record and sat down to listen. Let me tell you, fellas, this was a mind blower. I have never heard this much information come out of a cartridge before. I heard sounds on records that I had listened to for 30 years, and never knew those sounds were on the record! And I have had some pretty good analog gear in my time. And what I didn't own, I heard at the audio store I worked at. This is the most astounding mod I have ever heard on a tonearm. And it cost me $1.49 for the fishing weights, and I got 3 extras.

The only slightly negative thing about it, is that it increases the anti-skating force, so you have to cut that back a little, and if you have some marginal scratches that might skip, they are more likely to skip with this mod, due to the resistance to sideways movement provided by the outriggers. I had this happen once last night, but I didn't consider it a problem.

But the increase in dynamics, and detail and overall sound quality is astronomical. It blew me away.

I have a DL103, which is a very stiff cartridge, and it may be that this is not needed for a higher compliance cart. But, I think that it would be good for anything that is medium or lower in compliance.

The key to it, is that it only increases the resistance to sideways movement, without interfering with the effective mass of the arm, or the vertical swing movement that needs to stay light to track warps. I played some warped records with this mod, and they played just as well as without the mod, except they sounded better.

I have a pretty good analog setup now, but I can say without reservation, that this mod made my rig sound better than any analog rig that I have ever heard in my life. I have never heard a Rockport.

Stabilizing the arm against unwanted lateral deflection increases the information retrieval and dynamics by a very large percentage. If your arm is not set up like a Rega style arm, then you can glue a 1 ounce long rod across the top of the bearing housing(sideways) like a tightrope-walker's balance pole. Use lead if you can, it won't ring. You don't have to do any permanent changes to your arm that might wreck its resale value to try this out. If it has anywhere near the effect on your system as it had on mine, you won't be taking it off.

It may come close to the movement of your cueing lever, so make sure you have clearance to use it. Mine was close, and I have to come in from the side now to use the lever, at the end of a record. That is fine with me! This was a major, major improvement in the sound of my rig. It is staying permanently. As in "forever".

If you are a little tweak-oriented, and not afraid to do stuff like this. You should try it. It will knock you over.
twl
Ciao Tom,
thanks a lot, I already got an Expressimo stub and cw which satisfied me a lot! The idea behind your strange tweak intrigued me and I tried to estimate the math relationship between cartridge lateral compliance and additional rotational inertia given by your extra weights, in order to get a general solution...

I'll try to study it in a physical mood...

Ciao, Stefano
About the hanging counterweight,
is it possible to point me to a photo of such implementation? Isn't it loosely hanging and, therefore, blurring the rotating inertia of the arm? Please let me understand :-)

Ciao, Stefano
Stefano, I don't have any photos. But I can explain.

First, we must look at the way that I have the hanging counterweight slung under the tonearm. I use a length of Spectra fishing line, which is high-tensile non-stretch line. Then I hang the long shaft-shaped counterweight on 2 points(each end of the weight) and sling the line over the tonearm. This gives the mass effect in the lateral plane as well as horizontal.

Then we must look at what we are trying to accomplish. First, it is understood that the counterweight mass should be as near the plane of the record as possible, for best tracking ability. The standard Rega counterweight does nothing in this regard, as the mass is all centered at the same plane as the tonearm. The Expressimo Heavyweight does lower the plane of the mass(by making the hole off-set) and has more of the mass below the tonearm, for better tracking. But the off-set hole causes the tonearm to shift tracking force when the arm rides up over a warp, because the mass distribution is unequal in the vertical plane, and when the arm rides up over a warp, the bulk of the mass of the Heavyweight actually moves foward around its rotational circle(which is different than the rotational circle of the tonearm). Additionally, the mass that is below the tonearm on the heavyweight only comprises a relatively small shift in the center of gravity of the counterweight mass(although it is audible improvement). It has a price, and that is the counterweight mass is no longer symmetrical when the arm is in vertical motion. This is the reason why Mark Baker is not using an off-set counterweight on his OL tonearms.

Now, to make the full step to making ALL the mass of the counterweight at the same plane as the record, for best results, requires some different implementations. First, the mass must be equally distributed in all planes for symmetrical operation during movement of the tonearm during play. Second, it must provide the normal counterweight functions, which are balancing the arm, providing tracking force, and providing a certain amount of lateral stabilization.

By hanging a shaft-shaped counterweight cross-wise under the arm end-stub, we can hang it like a child's playground swing, with the string slung over the end stub. By slinging the string over the end-stub, we have lateral stabilization as well as vertical, because the string wraps over the end-stub and has enough contact around the diameter to provide the mass effect laterally on the tonearm. The non-stretch string(Spectra fishing line) provides a solid tie to the counterweight on each end, thus effectively making the counterweight operate as a solid tie to the tonearm in the lateral and horizontal planes. However, the counterweight will still "yaw" in the "z plane"(fore and aft), so that the counterweight mass will remain plumb under the end-stub of the tonearm during rise and fall during warp play, and still retain the correct tracking force, and still maintain the correct position of center of gravity down near the plane of the record.

The result is that ALL the mass of the counterweight is now moved to the correct position at the same level as the record, not just some of it. Also, the mass remains efffectively constant during vertical movement of the arm. Third, and possibly most important, the mass is effectively mechanically decoupled from the end-stub, which results in a free-er sound, less encumbered by high mass and addtional parts, so its natural resonant properties may occur with less reflection and harmonic effects due to 2 different masses being coupled together by a screw at a random point on the end-stub. The string has a natural resonance damping effect by simply vibrating, and the ends of the string are placed into the lead mass of the counterweight shaft, which has sufficient mass to absorb and damp the vibrations.

Regarding your question about horizontal stabilization effects, the hanging counterweight is coupled horizontally well enough to provide this stabilization function. Remember, that the purpose of horizontal stabilization in the tonearm is to prevent it from being moved by the compliance of the cartridge during play. If it gets into motion from these forces, we have already failed to stabilize it. It is the "static moment of inertia" which we are dealing with here. The amount of force needed to start this body into motion. If the static moment is higher than the cartridge(on the arm) can apply, then the arm will be stable, and not be moved into unwanted motion by the forces applied by the cartridge, and the performance will increase, because all the stylus movements will then be generated into electrical signal, and not lost in unwanted arm movement.

I wish to mention however, that this is a small increase in performance, not on the level of the HiFi mod. It will add to the sonic performance of the arm in an amount of a few percent. The liquidity is better, and the sound is more open.

I have found that just slinging the string over the arm, results in a "crawling" effect of the string on the end-stub. This causes change in tracking force, and is unacceptable. I then put a rubber O-ring on the end stub, to act as a "stop" for the string, so that the string cannot crawl toward the back of the end-stub, which is where it wants to go. It is not needed to put an O-ring in front of the string, because the string only wants to crawl backward. It also acts as a guide for replacement of the counterweight, if you ever want to remove it for cleaning or anything. You just put the string back on the end-stub, just contacting the front of the O-ring, and you have your pre-set tracking force established. Setting the tracking force with the O-ring is place the first time, is a bit finicky, and can be tedious. But once it is placed, the position is set, until you move the O-ring. If you want to make small VTF adjustments, it is advisable to use Doug's VTF on the fly modification, since small VTF changes with the O-ring is a pain in the ass.
I've used the C/W Twl just described on my O/L Silver, based on his description earlier on this thead. I can confirm all the sonic changes and benefits he described. One more tip: adjust the mass of the weight so you can hang the thing as close to the pivot as practical for proper cartridge balancing and VTF. This should improve warp tracking and reduce the weight's tendency to swing.

I would not necessarily want to use a free hanging C/W on a floaty, suspended TT. On a solid, nonsuspended one it's a nice upgrade. Not as big as the HIFI Mod, like Twl said, but it really does reduce armtube resonance reflections. This results in less overhang on virtually all notes, for a cleaner and tighter presentation. Recommended if you can deal with a bit of fiddliness. The O-ring is essential, the C/W would be insufferable without it.
For anyone wondering, I just deleted the post I made here yesterday. I'm working on replacing it with something I hope is a little more sensibly thought-out...