2. analog
  3. 124087-1252

Anti skate. I think something's wrong

I have an Acoustic Signiture TT with a Graham 2.2 tonearm and Ortofon Cadenza Bronze cartridge. My anti skate is set close to tracking weight and it would always dig to in inside when I would start a record. I read this is wrong so I got my Cardas test record out and placed it in smooth section and it imediately gravitated to inside. I adjusted anti skate to where cartridge slighty pulls to inside . Here is the problem. To get this I'm having to adjust anti skate to the max. I rechecked TT and it is right on level wise. I have less sibilence now and swear the two channels are more even. The right channel has always been just slightly lower than left in volume. The only qualm I have is the max antiskate I have to use. Is bearing bad? I have the blue fluid. Or I shouldn't worry and enjoy the music. Mike
128x128blueranger
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,440 posts
 
For the best sound you shouldn't use the a/s at all.  I never use it.
almarg's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
almarg
9,670 posts
 
I got my Cardas test record out and placed it in smooth section and it imediately gravitated to inside. I adjusted anti skate to where cartridge slighty pulls to inside .
If, as I assume, when you refer to the "smooth section" of the test record you are referring to the ungrooved sections it has, keep in mind that when "playing" an ungrooved surface the skating forces that would result when the stylus is in the groove of a rotating record are not present. Therefore I suspect that the amount of anti-skating force that is being applied is still too low. Although not being familiar with the arm I have no idea why that may be, given that you have set the anti-skating to max.

One thing I would do, if you haven’t already done so, is to view the cartridge head-on (from the front) while the stylus is in the groove of a rotating record, and see if the cantilever is visibly deflected (probably to the right, toward the outside of the record), relative to its position when the stylus is lifted off of the record (presumably straight ahead, or close to it). If deflection to the right is evident it would confirm that for whatever reason your anti-skating force is still too low, IMO.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
Did you remove the protection cap from the bearing tip?
blueranger's avatar
blueranger OP
719 posts
 
Oh what's that??? What's it look like?
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

One some test records there is a blank piece at about 5 cm.

''Blank'' means without grooves. One can adjust anti-skate

at this place on the record such that tonearm remains stationary.

Aka not moving to the inside or outside. This was the old way

to adjust the anti-skate. By increasing the anti-skate force one

can increase the tracking ability of the used cart. But there is 

no sense in increasing tracking ability above, say, 60 microns.

60 microns is sufficient for the cantilever/stylus combo  to trace

 any record. The mentioned ''blank piece'' one can use as a kind

of indication  for further adjustment which should consist in reduction

of the anti-skate force . Either by listening or by adjusting till

60 microns value is reached. The advice is to use the minimal anti-

skate force. This is not my advice but advice from Van den Hul.

The advantage of such test record is that one can see how

anti-skate actually works.

 

More to discover