Once you?ve "hit it on the nail? a centrally recorded female voice should be
precisely located in space with no difference in the decay characteristics
between channels.
Starting with the armwand parallel to the record surface, VTA adjustment
should be carried out in small steps until the best separation between
individual instrument in space, the least amount of "grain? audible and the
best integration of fundamentals and upper harmonics is achieved (see
above)
There is no "perfect? position, varying record thicknesses and a different
cutting angle used for most records made before 1965 necessitate a new
setting for every other record (if you want to get the absolute ?best? out of
each record). Stylus shapes are also more or less susceptible to changes
in the VTA - generally speaking, the "sharper? the stylus, the more
sensitive to changes..) The more time you spend on adjusting the VTA the
less you?ll get to actually enjoy your records.
The tracking force determines the tracking ability and also the position of
the coils in the magnetic generator. Follow the manufacturer?s
recommendation and try increasing or lowering the tracking force by
increments of 0.1gr. Low frequency tracking ability shouldn?t be lower than
70my. Sound-wise more relevant is the high frequency tracking ability. The
appropriate tracks on the Shure TT115 test record are helpful to get closer
to the optimal tracking force.
The damping is , as already mentioned, a function of the distance between
the magnets, or, more precisely, the flux density in the gap between the
magnets.
It is to be adjusted so that the lower registers will be reproduced with
control and heft without loosing the resolution of high frequency fine detail
and "air?.
Overdamping this arm is close to impossible (often the case with silicone
fluid damped arms) but rarely does the smallest gap result in the most
satisfying sound.
The amount of tightening of any of the arm?s screws has an influence on
the energy transmission and therefore dissipation and should be
experimented with.
Generally speaking, only screws b and f should be tightened well. Screws
g, i and j require some experimentation.
Should you have any questions regarding mounting/adjusting or
technical details of this tonearm, feel free to contact me via phone or
email.
Equally welcome is any sort of criticism or suggestions for
improvements.
Yours truly,
Frank Schröder |
ACEC
