Tracking issue with dynavector 20XL

Flyfisher,
Beware of strangers calling themselves "Teacher". Remember the DaVinci Code? ;-)

David,
Good to hear from you, and glad to help.

Dodgealum,
My TriPlanar's the same, as was my OL Silver before that. Trying to fine tune VTF by moving a massive counterweight could drive a person insane. Having a bunch of tiny, supplemental counterweights on hand makes it quick, simple and repeatable.

Note: They make O-rings in different thicknesses. Having thicker and thinner ones allows even finer tuning.

Caution: for the safety of your cantilever, lock your arm down before adding/removing rings.

Psychicanimal,
Glad to hear the Creature is about to revive. Will there be a movie? ;-)

Interesting question about the fluid damper. The TriPlanar's fluid damper looks very similar and operates on the same principle. However, while I know many TriPlanar owners I don't know a single one who actually uses the fluid damping. Everyone tries it of course, but its effects with every cartridge I've heard or heard about are entirely detrimental.

If the fluid damping gives you a net sonic gain that tells us our two arms are very different in the way they handle resonances. On my arm the fluid damping muffles microdynamics, harmonics, "air" and leading edge attacks. Those are what I listen for when fine tuning antiskate and VTF, so fluid damping WOULD make it harder to hear. On your arm, who knows? All you can do is try it.

Best to all,
Doug

Psychicanimal,
Glad to hear the Creature is about to revive. Will there be a movie? ;-)

Not a movie, but a medieval saga!

Hey, the Creature's coming along...Kevin's just finished prototypes for tonearm rewiring terminals, a back mounted RCA & bottom plate for DIN connectors. Cardas tonearm wire will be standard in the mod.

Interesting question about the fluid damper. The TriPlanar's fluid damper looks very similar and operates on the same principle. However, while I know many TriPlanar owners I don't know a single one who actually uses the fluid damping. Everyone tries it of course, but its effects with every cartridge I've heard or heard about are entirely detrimental.

If the fluid damping gives you a net sonic gain that tells us our two arms are very different in the way they handle resonances. On my arm the fluid damping muffles microdynamics, harmonics, "air" and leading edge attacks. Those are what I listen for when fine tuning antiskate and VTF, so fluid damping WOULD make it harder to hear. On your arm, who knows? All you can do is try it.

As usual, I appreciate your valuable input. The situation with the 1200's tonearm is that is a cheaper version of the titanium EPA tonearm. We end up with a medium mass tonearm with ultra low friction bearings running loose. The 1200's damper actually improves microdynamics and low level decay retrieval. Kevin has stated many times that anti-skating is still needed and that the damper is not a substitute.

Here's Zaikesman's review of the damper in case you would like to read it:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?raccs&1033259530&read&3&4&

From what you tell me it seems your tonearm's damper wouid be to use lower mass, higher compliance cartridges. I doubt people making such a quality arm would throw a damper just for kicks. Also, how much damping fluid in the trough is up to the user.

I'll get it dialed in...but now I'm unemployed and I need to make a rack to place that heavy Densen air suspension platform & granite slab.

***

Kevin has stated many times that anti-skating is still needed and that the damper is not a substitute.

Absolutely correct. The only question is, "How much?".

Since the amount of skating force a stylus sees varies from record to record, and even from one place to another on the same record, the only possible answer is, "It depends".

Logic and our experience indicate that setting by ear listening to music should work best. No test record can claim to work better because no test record can predict how much skating force your next real record is going to generate.

We actually have a few (5% or less) records for which we change antiskate before playing. They are so dynamic a little extra is needed. On the other 95% a tiny reduction in antiskating brings out more harmonics and microdynamic shadings. This is really splittig hairs of course, and whether its worth it is a matter of systems, ears and tastes. For the sane majority, a setting just high enough to cleanly track their most dynamic LP would be fine.

Cheers

Flyf...

The cartridge is still 'new'. Let it settle in for a few hundred hours befoe your run it through track 8 again. The suspension needs to settle in first.

D Visser