Channel Imbalance


Can an anti-skate misadjustment cause a perceived slight channel imbalance from phono signal. Assumptions: phono stage and cabling eliminated as a cause. A singer who normally comes out smack in the middle is now slighly to the right.
divo
Marakanetz is correct that either can be an issue. Have you tried other sources such as CD or tuner to see if the problem is specific to the vinyl front end? In vinyl, have you listened to a range of records to isoloate perhaps a bad recording or three? Did this happen all at once, gradually, or come about after a change in components or component placement, especially speaker placement or placement/addition/removal of other large objects in the room?

On a side note with respect to azimuth, a few of us recently purchased a Wally azimuth tool and I found that, after testing, my Graham 2.2 was stunningly spot-on eletronically speaking. Then, as a lark, I adjusted the azimuth both ways beyond the tolerances that Wally suggest as tolerable. The most immediate impression invloved a shift in the soundstage from left to right and vice versa. Luckily, my Graham is very easily adjusted for azimuth. This might not be so easy to test with other arms.
What we hear when antiskating is off is a loss of focus or cleanliness on one channel or the other, no doubt caused by the stylus' inability to trace one groove wall accurately. Images do not really shift sideways, it's just that one side is clearer than the other.

Full disclosure...
Thanks to the same Wally tool mentioned by 4yanx I know my cartridge is:
a) stronger on the L channel by one click on my preamp's balance control and,
b) significantly off-azimuth internally, resulting in 8-9db of crosstalk between channels.

So if you wanted to know what a channel-imbalanced, seriously off-azimuth cartridge sounds like when antiskating is mis-set, well, now you do!
Dear Divo: Wich tonearm/cartridge combo do you have ?
Please let me know for we can try to help you.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.