TONEARM DAMPING : DAMPED OR NOT ? ? USELESS ? ? WELCOMED ? ?

Right nandric, I am not as graceful with the english language as thee but lets see if I can give it a go. Every theory starts with an assumption (two s's.) If I do "X", I will get a certain result "Y". In order to move that theory to scientific fact you have to do an experiment with "repeatable" results that show X indeed leads to Y. Galileo did this. Aristotle belongs in a different subject. Asserting ideas you can not prove to influence others is the reason we have so much mythology in this hobby. "That sounds like it will work" is much different than "This works." It seems the two are always confused. I see no consistent data that proves tonearm damping improves tracking in all circumstances which is what is being assumed and asserted. Certainly in the case of a very compliant cartridge in a heavy arm it might. Otherwise there is no good explanation that it should and no proof that it does otherwise some very brilliant tonearm designers would add it to their best arms. SAT, Reed and Schroder are some examples and there are many more. Reed and Schroder give you instead the option to change the effective mass of the arm, a better approach IMHO. Raul makes assertions based on what he hears. Unfortunately, and we should all know this, hearing is not a repeatable experiment.

My spelling and grammar are the result of a bad education. When this was being taught I was thinking about flying rockets through the neighbor's windows and being a WW2 fighter ace. Spelling and grammar
held no interest to me and my teachers were incapable of making it so. Nobody (except the neighbors) realized I had a brain until I waltzed away from my peers in math. Today they would label me as having a progressive developmental disorder. 

@rauliruegas, et.al, 

Per your request from PM, attached is the link to the Audio March 1981 magazine with the article on VTA/SRA and the effects of both.  https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-Audio/80s/Audio-1981-03.pdf.  While the results are now widely accepted that Shibata and similar contact line shapes are very sensitive to SRA, this other article pivot vs tangential in Audio magazine June 1982 https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-Audio/80s/Audio-1982-06.pdf highlights an associated problem.  The tonearm resonance can cause large changes in VTF which then alters SRA. The Audio 1982 article addresses  "There are two practical ways to stabilize the cantilever deflection'  One is tonearm damping, the other is to reduce the effective mass of the tonearm/cartridge system to change the resonant frequency.  We are now some 40 yrs past when these articles were written, and better materials and manufacturing processes offer a wider range of solutions, but the root of the problem(s) are the same (thankfully, it does not appear that we have created any new one; at least not yet).  Also note that static on the record can also change/increase the VTF, and could cause similar distortion.  

antinn, thanx for the articles. Article #2 is really great and I think important for any turntable jockey to read. It demonstrates the effects of varying tonearm effective mass brilliantly. It argues that if radial trackers sound better it is only because they are lighter (they are talking about servo driven units.)  It also makes a sound argument as to why a shorter arm is better than a longer one. And why a pivoted arm should sound better than a radial tracker with a very high horizontal mass. The graphs of this are very provocative.  

Dear @antinn and friends : Thanks for your asking help to link that article and for the other one too.

Both articles along the other ones linked in this thread confirms with facts not only what some gentlemans posted here including the M.Townshend design but what I posted in this forum for at least 15+ years and that almost all Agoner’s diminished for say the least about tonearm/cartridges/TT mat.

The best example about the tonearm issue are the SAEC 560/8000 and FR 66/64 undamped and heavy mass models pivoted designs that I owned and that several past and today owners touted and tout as " great tonearms " almost ever designs.

Through all those years I always posted that what we like it’s not important in the overall issue but the important and critical subject is what is rigth or wrong and why and I said to all those gentlemans that all of them are/were listening way higher distortions ( no matters what ) and that I’m not questioning what they like but ( again ) what should be and why ( this thread has all the " why " facts about. ).

Along those I said to them that exist 3 problems to any one of them can understand that " should be " against their wrong practice.
One is that we have to have a high quality resolution room/system and the other is to be experienced with live MUSIC seated at near field position that’s where the recording microphones are positioned.
The true is that some of those audiophiles not even attend to enjoy live MUSIC very often.

Second other issue ( no pun intented please. ) is that around 70% of those gentlemans own tube electronics that per sé impedes that high resolution need it for.

Third, to have a bullet proof evaluation/test proved process that can be repeated as many times we need it and using the same LP tracks.

Even in this same thread a gentleman loves its Acutex very high compliance and ligth weigth cartridge mated with the over 30grs FR64 undamped tonearm design ( the FR66 is over 40grs on EM, go figure. ! ) and that’s what he like it and it’s fine with me but he is listening with very high developed distortions.

Those SAEC and the FR66 are over 12" EL, really long tonearms: another mistake they do it and when I posted about and as I said all of them just think I has no " ears ".

Way wrong, not only I have very good ears ( not sayed by me but for Agoners and some friends at my town. ) but a room/system quality high resolution that several of them not even can imagine.

I already said here ( and said it for years ) that the well damped tonearm designs goes in specific to fulfill the cartridge needs not the tonearm it self even that helps to the tonearm too but the main subject are those cartridge needs.
Tonearm is a slave of the cartridge.

I explained in deep and step by step all what the cartridge must pass before the signal stays at its output pin connectors: where almost no one cares about because they are entiltled only in what they like no matters what, they don’t want and are not willing to improve their MUSIC home experiences.

I hope that after read this thread they can do something in favor of they.

The two examples I posted in the OP thread comes from two gentlemans that think to know everything on these thread issues ( and in other audio/music topics. ) when their knowledge levels and true experiences are really poor with low knowledge about.

The CARTRIDGE needs to be well damped and not only by the tonearm but by the mat, clamp and silicon damping.

In one of the linked articles we can read:

"" There are two practical ways to stabilize the cantilever deflection. One is to use a damping mechanism such as the brush supplied with Shure and Stanton/Pickering cartridges, a DiscTraker or Zerostat Z -track device, the silicone damping supplied with some tonearms, o ""

So, there is no doubt about.

I owned/used all but the Zerostat Z.

Something interesting I have to say is that way before this thread and even in this thread but before the linked articles I posted the advantages that offers to the cartridge the silicon damping through a paddle:

- that the stylus tip stays the more time in touch with the grooves.

- that changes in VTA/SRA/VTF due to micro and macro LP surface waves been in more gentle way for those cantilever deflections stays at minimum.

- that the antiskating need through the use of cartridge silicon damping will goes down that the normal needs with.

- as me other gentleman here posted that silicon damping improves cartridge tracking levels ( no matters what. ). Means way lower developed distortions.

All those and other issues already confirmed with facts in this thread and this was and is what I was looking for when I started it.

Btw, other that the example I posted in the OP about the silicon damping paddle in tonearms at least two other gentlemans in the thread posted that the paddle on their tonearm are used empty.

I don’t want to change the way of thinking of any one or change what they like it but only put the facts and through that all of them have a " new " oppotunity " to at least think on it.

I forgot. The cartridge FM mentioned in one of those links is something that we don't care about and if I recall only Ortofon gives the cartridge specs on it. I can't remember of other cartridge manufacturer, maybe Allaerts.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Btw, the moniker of one of the OP examples is: the great " keep walking " gentleman. Go figure ! ! the one with the Triplanar is other person.