cartridge alignment

There are different schools of geometry for cartridge alignment. Depending on your table/arm cartridge combination you may, or may not, be using the ideal alignment.

Vinyl Engine has a lot of info on cartridge alignment

I like the MintLP tracker better than the VPI jig. With the MintLP you can achieve a very accurate alignment due to the more refined lines and mirrored surface. I think that the MintLP goes for around $120 now, therefore, you really can’t go wrong. If you don’t like the results, the MintLP is an easy sell on the use markets, especially for a VPI arm.

You should be fine! Spend your money on something else. I use a MSL gauge and it comes out the same is the one that was supplied with my SME tonearm.

I reworked MY 10.5i on my Superscout rim drive and found a cleaner, clearer, more spacious sound with my Mint. I found a very sturdy supporting table to be essential to the excellent sound..... get the compliant mini feet off of your table and replace them with Bearpaws.

Stringreen,who makes the Bearpaws you always recommend? I gave them a Google and nothing comes up!

Yogiboy....Edansoundaudio.com

Dear Zenblaster: +++++ " Depending on your table/arm cartridge combination you may, or may not, be using the ideal alignment. " +++++

IMHO there is no " ideal " alignment. The kind of choosed alignment has IMHO nothing to " do " with what cartridge or pivoted tonearm we are using it but more with where we want the lower tracking distorions/tracking error all over the recorded LP area: at the outer side, inner grooves, in the middle or an average in between.

That's where reside the different alignments more used as: Löfgren"A"/Baerwald, Löfgren"B" and Stevenson.

Here you can read about:

http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=4854&sid=c310487171a981f072fc284b0f75a14e

just make click in the first post: Dowland and that's it.

you can read that there is no ideal/perfect solution but several solutions with its own trade-offs.

If I remember MintLP use Barwald/Löfgren"A" solution/alignment.
Several of the japanese tonearms came with overhang spec calculated using Stevenson alignment that permit the lower distortions at the very inner grooves.

Which your choice?, normally I use Löfgren " B" that gives me a lower average distortions as in between the null points.

Of course all that are according with those mathematic equations to achieve the overhang/off-set angle but when in playback all that theory can't be achieved due to human errors on the cartridge/tonearm geometry set up and because the LP im´perfections.

Anyway, I think we have to make our best attempt to make the " right " set-up, don't you think?

regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Raul, Thank you for your eloquent and informative post. I have learned quite a deal from reading your posts over the years.
I am currently using the enclosed products from VPI with the Traveler turntable.
It is impossible to use ideals like "best", each alignment geometry has it's benefits and it's drawbacks as you've said many times. I'm not sure what Harry uses at VPI, I have read that it is a hybrid. My Orton 2m blk sounds very good with this alignment and the rest of my system.

Dear Zenblaster: ++++ " at VPI, I have read that it is a hybrid. My Orton 2m blk sounds very good with this alignment " ++++

IMHO, that's all about: to use the one that works with each one of us.

regards and enjoy the music,

R.