Anti-Skating

Nigel
How does it sound without the anti skate adjustment being correct ?
Personally, I would use no more than the recommended amount and forget it. Short of using a contactless Laser assembly instead of a cartridge, (it's been done!) I doubt that there is a perfect solution

Alex

Nigel
It depends if the arm is negative or positive vta.
If the back of the arm is slightly lower than the front (neg vta) and within 2mm then you would need less bias, if the front is higher etc
then you would need slightly more and less tracking force.
you only should match bias and tracking force if the tone arm is parralell (straight)
Make sure the tt is level using a spirit leve,balance the arm as normal, then put the needle on the record about 25mm out (use record thats not warped and not a shit 120gm 80,s disc) then adjust the tracking force till the needle is stable (near the top of the range) then adjust the antiskating (bias) in incraments till you can hear equally in the left and right channel.
not enough tracking force - more in left speaker
not enough antiskate - more in right speaker
I bought the whole ringmat system about 9 years ago, with different sized spacers to go underneath but it would be too much to adjust the spacers for every lp so i just set it up the best i could to leave and forget.
Also tempature affects tracking force and bias as well.
paddy

I too am anti skating.... I nearly got knocked off my bike by one of those little bastards

That was good extra detail Paddy.

Nigel,

Are you using a Technics 12xx/Rega combo? (just curiosity)
What is the cartridge and what vta does the manufacturer recommend?

If you need vta adjustment for more than the one cartridge (future changes or if you tend to "roll" carts )
then something like this is handy. Other peeps make them too, like Michell IIRC. If you have a 3 point mount Rega, there is one for that as well. If you do not plan on changing carts until your current one dies naturally, then a fixed height collar will suffice. Assuming you need anything at all.

....and very nice they are too! With lots of perfectly square lines to set your vta and alignment (azimuth).

20 degrees vta, as you seem to already know, on your cartridge this acheived with the horizontal lines of the cartridge body being in parallel with the LP.

The Rega is very difficult to judge by eye because of its taper, you will need that spirit level you ordered or a vta guage like this one. Simlpy print it onto some card. There are even better ones available to download but I seem to have not saved the links

Use the flat of the headshell and the cartridge as reference points. Confirm this first before you add any height adjustment.

I use the Rega Stevenson protractor for alignment.

Stevenson - a variation on Löfgren geometry optimized for low distortion at the inner groove at the expense of increased distortion elsewhere. compared to Baerwald or Löfgren B you will get lower distortion for the last few mm of the record

Thanks for that link Chris, still waiting for my little spirit level to arrive.

Some interesting stuff here, including stylus rake angle.

www.deadwaxcafe.com/vzone/cartalign.asp#sra

I assume you mean adjusting vtf to allow for the added weight of the level? (Ideally you are also better off with stylus scales as the Regas calibration markings are a bit iffy. I am being very picky here though).

Do you have a purpose made-for/by-Rega armboard on the 1210?



You just need to confirm if any adjustment is even necessary before going down that route.

Nigel: I'd say unless one has the Ortofon test computer kit and/or an Audio Precision, the next best method is to use a test record with trackability test tracks: Set the antiskating so that both channels start to distort at pretty much the same displacement/level. And then decrease the antiskating a bit and fine adjust with regular music records.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

Thanks for that Chris. I seem to be sorted now but that looks a bargain indeed.