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Setting Azimuth

Details:
VPI Scoutmaster
JMW 9 standard tonearm
Soundsmith Zephyr cartridge band new
Using a Fozgometer and Hi Fi News Test LP both also brand new
I'm measuring at the interconnects off the turntable.
I cannot seem to achieve a proper azimuth that will give even channel balance. The only adjustment on this tonearm is the counterweight which is weighted a the bottom so turning it side to side should effect azimuth. Only extreme changes are affecting channel balance. I changed the interconnects in case they were causing the problem, but I get the same results. The right channel is a few decibels louder no matter what I do to the azimuth unless I make an extreme adjustment which has the tonearm cocked to one side and obviously this is not correct.
arnold_layne
actusreus
733 posts
 
Soundsmith cartridges are notorious for uneven channel balance. Fremer wrote about it in his Analog Corner a while ago. A friends of mine had a similar issue with his Soundsmith cart a few years ago. Apparently, Peter does not share the same opinion regarding channel balance in cartridges as many others do, i.e., he does not consider cartridges defective even if they exhibit differences in channel balance that many would consider unacceptable. I also have heard of problems with Fozgometer accuracy, but it just might be your cartridge.
tswisla
176 posts
 
The azimuth ring is for fine adjustment, for coarse azimuth adjustment, you have to move the counter-weight side to side. This is made tremendously easier with a SS counter intuitive weight, as someone has already mentioned. Otherwise, you will almost certainly affect the tracking force when you loosen the counterweight.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,368 posts
 
I don't have the counter-intuitive, but isn't it only worthwhile to repeat a setting already worked out? It doesn't do anything to make the initial setup any easier...or am I wrong..
actusreus
733 posts
 
Stringreen,
The CI allows minute adjustments without disturbing the counterweight. As I'm sure you know, VTF and azimuth changes on a VPI tonearm can be quite painstaking as fractional adjustments are very difficult. You still need to dial everything in quite closely, but the CI makes it much easier to make that final adjustment, whether it's your initial setup or not.
tketcham
291 posts
 
Hi, Arnold; before you come to a conclusion about the Fozgometer you need to eliminate other possibilities. Have you tried switching the RCA leads from the CD player during the calibration test to see if the CDP has equal signal output? Switch RCA leads and set the meter to zero (with RW1) playing test tone track 1. Then, using test tone track 3 (to account for the reversed RCA connections) set the right meter to 20. If the CDP is correct and the Fozgometer is off, test track 2 should put the meter slightly below 20 as before. If the CDP is off the meter should read slightly above 20 since you calibrated for a lower output coming out of the left channel.

Regards,
Tom
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