Parallel? How do you set the VTA?

Wrm57,

Good to know there are other flawed creatures without mystical audio powers out there. I was about to commit myself to an audio asylum for VTA challenged individuals.

..another way is to take a lined index card, fold it in half like a tent with the blue lines horizontal.... This tent can be propped up against a straight arm like the VPI and if you site it properly, you can get an idea where horizontal is. The VPI arm is especially easy to adjust VTA, but this will give you a beginning ref. point.

Stringreen,

Thank you and all others who provided great advice and tips in response to a simple question without pontificating.

Actusreus-
You said in op "silly question", I want to agree with you.

You asked "how to detirmine conclusively if arm is parallel"
VTA is a "moving target" that changes everytime you change records.

So, it can't be detirmined conclusively.

Therefore, charts, levels, cards etc. seem like a waste of time/effort to me or "doesn't make sense to me"

Nothing personal, I was just sharing my experience with vta.

I am surprised no one has yet pointed out one of the most obvious considerations: having the tonearm parallel to the record surface tells you very little as far as wether the STYLUS is resting in the groove at the most desirable angle. As has been pointed out, attention needs to be paid to alignment/centering of the cartridge's coils; but, that does not necessarily guarantee that in that position the stylus will, likewise, be in the ideal position. Bottom line? It's a balancing act of various parameters, each of which will affect the resulting sound differently. So, experiment, experiment, experiment!