What should my tracking force be?
Follow any specific counterweight recommendations and set the tracking force to the middle of the range. In most cases, the range falls between 1 and 3 grams. Keep in mind that some cartridges may set the range lower at 2.5 grams, so you want to read the manufacturer’s recommendations for the ideal range.
What is vertical tracking force?
4 Move to the high end, consider tonearm balance. Balancing a tonearm, a procedure that is often confused with adjusting the tracking force, is a much more custom process, and really only applies to the high-end turntables.
How important is vertical tracking angle?
The VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle) of a tone arm on a record player is a critical adjustment for good sound. Many people would encourage turntable owners to play with the angle until the vinyl sound right. VTA or vertical tracking angle is the angle the cantilever makes with the surface of the record.
How do I set my stylus pressure?
Setting stylus pressure is easy. Turn the anti-skating knob to 0. Then rotate the weight on back till the arm is in balance and tends to stay parallel to the base. Next, rotate the loose reticule on the weight till 0 lines up with the mark on the arm.
How do you know if tracking force is correct?
This step is by no means necessary, but if you want to further check that the weight of your tracking force is correct, you can buy a digital gram scale. With one of these you can just lower the stylus onto its platform and a digital readout will tell you exactly how much force is being applied.
Why are Victrola record players bad?
The reason that the Victrola (and other) cheap record players shorten the lifespan of the records that they play is because the tonearm is typically heavier than one would be on a more expensive player which in turn means that the record grooves become a little bit deeper with each play on the cheap player.
When to adjust vertical tracking force ( VTF )?
One who plays loudly recorded music will need a bit more, and visa-versa. When you are adjusting your VTF, if you use a test record, adjust the anti-skating beforehand as described below, and then fine tune the VTF to allow no audible distortion with a test record with a tone recorded at 12dB over 0 dB modulation. The following is VERY important.
What does the tracking force on a record mean?
Tracking Force is the weight at which your record player’s stylus (needle) sits on the record. The stylus needs to make contact with the record at the correct weight to create the best sound and prevent damage to the record.
Which is the best angle for vertical tracking?
The theoretical optimal angle of 92 ° is based on the assumption that this angle will produce the lowest intermodulation distortion (IMD%).
What does vertical tracking angle on tonearm mean?
The Vertical Tracking Angle generally refers to the angle of the tonearm when viewed from the side. (Technically speaking, it is actually the angle of the cantilever vs the flat record surface).