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HELP! Technics SL1200GR/Benz Glider Anit-Skate Setting High

I just mounted a Benz Micro Glider on a LPGear Pro Headshell which looks like the standard Technics headshell but is not up to the same quality as an original and I think is lighter.

When I first mounted it, I couldn't set the VTA correctly because the cartridge height was too low.  I had a plastic "angled" shim that I had from an old Dual DD turntable I had in the late '70's.

I installed that and was able to get the vta set OK.

But, when playing, I noticed that if I set the stylus down at the end of the last song on a side it would just fly into the label area.  I usually set the anti-skate at about 10 below the tracking force.  For the Glider the tracking force was set at 1.9 so I set the A/S at 1.  I kept increasing it until the cartridge would not fly into the label.  I ended up at 3 (the max.) A/S force.

I've never had this happen before.

I tried adding weight to the headshell and resetting everything and the anti-skate setting doesn't change still high.

I've often read many times that people usually have the A/S set too high even when they have it set to the same value as the tracking force.  Mine is set at least 10 higher?

Any ideas?

Thanks, Nick
nicktheknife
nicktheknife OP
194 posts
 
chakster, 

Without the shim or some type of shim I can't get the arm parallel to the record surface unless I use an extra thick mat which I'm afraid will change the sound maybe for the worse.

I had the vta adjuster set at 0 before and the back end of the arm was still higher than the front.

Are there any headshells that are designed with a lower profile to bring the front end up to where the arm is level with the surface?
nicktheknife OP
194 posts
 
I removed the angle shim.

Readjusted all the settings. Even got azimuth corrected.

Vtf is 1.9 g

Vta is set to 0 on the adjuster and arm is parallel to platter or at least very close.

Anti-skate is at 2.

With a/s at 2 I can get thru the first two bands on the HiFi News test record.

The third band I get distortion immediately in the right channel.
Increase a/s to 2.5, no change.
Increase a/s to 3.0 and  get distortion evenly in both channels.

???
lewm
13,263 posts
 
Do you have any idea what "2", etc, means as regards the A/S setting? In my experience, zero A/S typically gives R channel distortion.  If and when I add even a tiny amount of A/S, that distortion goes away.  So, your experience has me puzzled, unless your A/S device is somehow disconnected, such that you only think you have A/S based on the setting on a dial. You may really have no A/S.  Very hard to guess since I am not there. Check the arm mechanics carefully.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
First if you want to understand anti-skate please go to Soundsmith.com or YouTube and watch Ledermans great tutorial. Anti-skate can only be set by ear. Your test record is giving you that information. You just need to understand how to interpret what you’re already hearing.

Facing the turntable you will see the left channel is the left side of the groove, and the right is on the right. Anti-skate pulls the cartridge to the outside or right channel. Too much anti-skate means too much pressure on the right, not enough on the left, and so the left channel will break up. Not enough anti-skate, everything’s the opposite, and the right channel will break up.

Ditch the numbers. The numbers are meaningless. Go by ear. Based on what you said, that means 3.

Watch Lederman, he will say what I just said. Because yeah, that’s how freaking good I, er I mean he is.
nicktheknife OP
194 posts
 
lewm,
I believe the anti-skate mechanism is working because it has some effect, albeit at the highest setting on the dial.
I may have to put my other cartridge back on and see how that responds to the a/s dial.
On the other hand, I can leave the Glider on and put the a/s at 0 and see how it reacts to the HiFi News test.
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