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Cart not parallel after Mint LP alignment?

Howdy,

So after reading about 1000 paragraphs on how good the Mint LP Tractor is - I purchased one and had a marathon session yesterday with my new SL-1210 M5G, AT440MLa and Zupreme headshell...

After all was said and done - the alignment itself took 90 hard minutes - I am finding the cartridge sitting about 5-7 degrees "right" of center. The actual cantilever and stylus are about as dead on as I wanna go with it for now.

Now a comment and a question....

Question: Is this non-parallel result in the headshell normal? It's making me think I may have a bent cantilever or something.

Comment: I have run 10-12 sides thru the rig so far and I must say - I have not yet heard the "revelation" that others have described when comparing their alignments to other protractors or even the white Technics alignment gauge. The rig sounds good...but...what I am missing here.

I must temper the above by saying I have changed phono stages frequently in the last month as well...I was getting nicely familiar with a Bellari VP-130 and then moved that for a Cambridge which lasted less than a week and I now have a Moon LP3 with maybe 25 hours on it...Even my AT440MLa might have 40-50 hours on it as well....

I am thinking that a whole bunch of stuff might need to "burn" in before the system starts to really reveal itself.

But I am very concerned with the stylus/cantilever on the cart...even with all the moves the Mint required...I expected the cartridge to sit straight in the headshell...perhaps expecting too much?

Appreciate any feedback.

Cheers!

VP
vocalpoint
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rauliruegas
13,084 posts
 
Dear Srwooten: I use it in three different tonearms in friend's systems, not in my system.

Btw, IMHO there is no black magic or moon rocket " secret " in tonearm/cartridge accurate set up like some people think.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
IMHO there is no black magic or moon rocket " secret " in tonearm/cartridge accurate set up like some people think.

I am still trying to find where anyone ever said anything like that.
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rauliruegas
13,084 posts
 
Dear Dan_end: All over the Agon forum has a lot of posts where people are talking of the MintLP " magic " ( or similar words. ) where there are only different kind of distortions, there is no magic at all.

In the other side, why are you so " delicated " on what I posted or post?, if you don't like it or agree or even if you has nothing to learn or share through then just ignore it: why affect you so much?, seems to me that you have a ressentiment against me, if you have it just grow up and make that whatever you have on your brain just: disappear in good " health " because IMHO your posts about are not helping any one, even you. ?????????!!!

Btw, thank's for the people emails and words for the request of the Barwald Calculator, always are welcome.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Raul,

Well, if people are carried away with hyperbole then that is their problem. No one that I know has ever said anything but how the Mint is simply a better tool because of the precision, not because there is some new math theory. I don't find that, but then I'm not looking for it. Absolutely, no magic. The Mint is just a simple, arc style protractor made to a more precise specification.

You love that word, distortion. Sure, hitting the absolute perfect alignment is in reality impossible. The precision of the Mint is all about minimizing distortion. So I guess if I think a minute I can find a connection between the results I, (and many, many others), get with using the Mint as simply choosing one form of distortion over another.

I was absolutely sincere when I posted that I hope people will contact you, or someone, or do their own research about what I think is basic cartridge alignment before coming here with threads on how/why their cart is twisted in the headshell. If the OP had done that, we wouldn't be getting this attitude of how it must be all of us who are just bleating sheep with no ears or minds of our own.

I'm really sorry you feel like I'm "after" you in some way. I don't follow you, or your threads, or your posts. From time to time we cross paths. If you feel like I'm after you, then perhaps it is you who needs to grow some thicker skin.
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rauliruegas
13,084 posts
 
Like I say: useless posts, bye.

regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
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