Inner groove distortion solved!


I started a discussion last Friday about my dissatisfaction with my VPI Prime Sig. with Soundsmith " The Voice" cart and received many kind responses. I untwisted the tonearm cable as you all told me and experimented with real anti-skating. Today I got a blank record and adjusted it so that the tonearm was stationary. Wow, great sound from start to finish! I don't see how VPI can advise their method. I just listened to Hans Theessink and Terry Evans record "Visions" on the Bluegroove label and it's unbelievable. I was familiar with Evans from his work with Ry Cooder since the 70's. I want to thank you all for the info, I tend to shy away from making adjustments to turntables because I thought I would leave it up to the pros. But you guys are truly the pros! Back to listening.
joeyfed55
A test record that has progressive levels of intensity and combined tones, so you can hear the anti-skate channel matching emerge via the distortion in each channel. Being careful to pull the stylus out of the groove of the anti-skate test section the moment you discern the increase in intensity of the given distortion, in one channel vs the other. Then to set it so they break up in each channel evenly.

an anti skate test section on a test record...only has so much life in it, and then it is finished...

Or we may progress to more modern versions of this ’test’. (software, computers, etc)


What's the point of getting anal about anti-skate, once one has arrived at a value that avoids grossly audible distortions?  Every single LP will be different at the minute level, and no LP will be exactly like any test LP.  Joey, I'd say, if you're happy, forgeddaboudit.
Thanks all. I did watch the Lederman video yet again and took millers advice and put on a record that has a demanding passage at the end. There was breakup in the left channel so I made small adjustments until the distortion was minimal and both channels were relatively equal. I can be anal lewm, just ask my wife, but I listen carefully and if I don't feel that I am getting the most from my rig I am bothered. With all of your help I think I am much happier. Happy and healthy New Year to all.
I did watch the Lederman video yet again and took millers advice and put on a record that has a demanding passage at the end. There was breakup in the left channel so I made small adjustments until the distortion was minimal and both channels were relatively equal.

Perfect!

Analog playback is far from the black magic everyone makes it out to be. Its actually really easy to understand, at least once its explained. Ledermann I think is even better at this than Fremer, maybe even as good as Miller! Almost! Ha! 

Anti-skate is just one small aspect of perfect LP playback. If you listen close, want to get the most, and are willing to try things like this then you are in the most rewarding niche in all of audio. 

So where you are now, you've pretty well gotten rid of all of the worst most obvious mis-tracking. Your rig is sounding a lot better now. You may even notice it sounds better even in places you never thought it was bad before. That's the beauty- you fix one problem, you notice benefits well beyond. Huge side benefit, you've learned to hear - and understand it. Take this same approach with the rest- VTA, VTF, etc- learn to understand both the mechanical aspects as well as how they sound, its really hard to overestimate just how much better you can go even from here. 
Good stuff MC, thanks. Do yourself a favor and check out Hans Theessink on Bluegroove records, outstanding!