Dr. Feickert Protractor

OP,

After that little trip down the rabbit hole courtesy of Raul, maybe we can get back to your topic.

I use the Acoustical Systems SMARTractor, (https://www.arche-headshell.de/alignment-tools/smartractor/)which is similar to the Dr. Feickert protractor. The difference between these tools and a paper protractor is not the accuracy, but the ability to perform your alignment in a more accurate way. IMO these protractors allow you to see the alignment better, and because of that you can achieve better precision.

The Mint protractor, which I have also used, is designed to be used for a particular brand and model of tonearm. If you have different tonearms you need a different protractor for each different tonearm. A great tool if you only have or will have one tonearm.

I also have an alignment block similar to the one referenced by rsf507. IMO also a great tool and worth owning.

Best Regards,

Jim Perry

Dear @slaw : There are several LP’s that comes with dificult grooves to track NOT ONLY at the very inner grooves ( last 5-6mm ) where we can listenig using Löfgren A or B vs Stevenson.

Example: the Reference Recording Symphonic Dances comes with those " cresendos " way before the middle of the LP, Refrenece Recording Dafos ( Gate of Dafos track. ) almost the same: first part of the LP surface.
Mercury Firebird with the big drum attack at the middle. Reference Recording Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique where the high velocity recorded grooves are at the end but at the middle too.
The Telarc 1812 has not dificult recorded grooves at the inner grooves ( last 5-6mmm that’s where <<stevenson " works " ), it has several passages all over the LP surface.
Pictures at an exibition or Nigth Bald Mountain st several passages recorded at high velocities and not necessary in the low bass range.

As a fact exist several recordings where the hard task comes with mid and high frequency ranges at different LP surface areas. Many piano LPs recordings are dificult to track it and produce high distortions.

Now, when the cartridge/tonearm has dificult to track some LP grooves and these are at the inner grooves what we can do to find out which the problem we need to make this test ( obviously that the TT/cartridge/tonearm set up must be accurated. ): we listen to the LP in normal condition ( all the LP. ) after the side finished we clean perfectly the LP and the stylus tip and listen again only to those inner grooves and normally the tracking improves with lower distortion levels.

Why normally those happens?, well even if we can’t see any sign of dust in the stylus tip after only one LP side exist microscopic dust accumulated down there and this very tiny quantity of dust goes against the tracking abilities of the cartridge especially in the high velocities recorded grooves an increment distortion levels.

High velocities recorded grooves are hard to track it does not matters at what place in the LP surface. As I said piano can gives problems but trumpet or other " easy " instruments different of drums/percussions/organ makes its " job " challenging the cartridge rides. It does not matters either the kind of alignment choosed.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @jperry : About the MINTLP you posted:

"""  A great tool if you only have or will have one tonearm. """

I think it's a great tool even if you own 2-3 tonearms. There is nothing better than a TT/tonearm DEDICATED protractor that was made in specific to those items specifications and you can have it for only 125.00 for each tonearm.

makes no sense to invest any dime higher than those 125.00 even if you own several tonearms.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Well sort of Raul, but if you own 4 or more tonearms it starts making economic sense to own a more versatile setup device.

Have a great day and enjoy the music.

Dear @slaw /friends: The Stevenson alignment is " valid as said lewm but non-practical and really useless.

This alignment only gives lower distortion levels in the last 6mm. of recorded LP side and against Löfgren A alignment that happens in the last 4mm. ! ! ! all over the LP side Stevenson alignment has higher distortions.

Problem is that not only Stevenson but the followers ( mainly japaneses tonearm manufacturers and audiophiles. ) just did not analize the reality that's that almost none recorded LP side has " cresendos " only in the last 4mm-6mm ( inner grooves. ).

To my mind comes the Ravel's Bolero that ends at the higher climax but I can't think or comes to my mind other composition and if we take composers as Mahler his " cresendo " in the compositions are all over the compsitions. Same with other compositors. Even the works by Bach as the Toccata y Fugue comes the cresendo not at the end.

Perhaps for some of you Stevenson still make sense and I respect that. For me has no sense at all and can't help to any audiophile. MUSIC belongs to the whole compositions. 

Even in the 7" recordings make no sense because instead of the last 4 mm. this number change to only 1 cm.. of the overall recorded surface.

Stevenson has not the culprit, for he was valid his alignment calculations. The culprit comes from those " vintage " followers and latter on from  " stupid " persons that wanted to sold the idea more by commercial $nterest and they were sucessful about but it's time to rectify  because all those " promotional followers " were wrong because their interest was something else but MUSIC.

Anyway, as always is up to you.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.