Advice on setting VTA

except exotic methods:

VTA/SRA is always last, as everything must be right and tight

cartridge (every connection back to pivot), needs to be TIGHT, to headshell/arm. azimuth can/often changes while tightening, do a final check, refine if needed.

Arm Post: perfect vertical alignment of the arm post, viewing down, straight in all 360 degrees, is needed so nothing changes throughout the arc across the lp outer track to inner track. If correct, raising and lowering the back of the arm should not change azimuth.

raising an arm, adjusting VTA/SRA, arm post must be ’loosened’, it needs to be tightened, both to preserve arm post vertical positioning, thus azimuth, and rigidity. then listen to change, it’s not easy.

azimuth is set viewing from front, adjusting left/right/ ... until stylus tip is straight down into the groove (90 degree angle), the grids on the transparent blocks help, and a mirror placed below the stylus reflects any variance, helps get it right. anti-skate off while setting azimuth so the arm stays put while viewing/adjusting.

look at the cantilever/tip, not the cartridge body, occasionally a stylus cantilever/tip is a squeak 'off' square with the body.

I’ve read that using an index card on top of record can be a good way to set it due to the parallel lines on the card. My question is what am looking at to get parallel? The bottom of tonearm, top, or the bottom of cartridge?

Armtube must be parallel to the record surface when the needle is in the vinyl groove. Most tonearms designed this way and a cartridge/stylus also will be in correct position if the tonearm tube is parallel to the record surface. This is very easy to adjust if your tonearm have VTA adjustment (on the fly or not).

So when your particular tonearm tube is parallel to the record your cartridge is not parallel ?

What is your cartridge then and what is the stylus profile on your cartridge? For some profiles a tiny difference in VTA is irrelevant (conical for example).

More important: Are you sure you can detect any difference when you change VTA slightly? Why you’re so concerned about it?

The tone arm is a carbon fiber/aluminum 9 inch pro-ject. It does appear to have a slight taper towards the headshell end of arm.

If this is your tonearm are you gonna say there is no recommendations regarding VTA setup in the manual from Pro-Ject ? Almost any toneam i know comes with the manual and recommendation how to set up VTA correctly.

There is not much info, no, in regards to setting VTA in manual. I’m not that concerned, it was just a question put out there out of curiosity as to how others go about setting their VTA. And yes, I personally can hear a difference in the VTA setting. Right now I have my hana el slightly ass down as I think it sounds nice this way. Too far tilted in opposite direction I feel it to be a bit harsher and the bass not as well defined. The only issue with the pro ject arm is it that it has a taper, it gets slightly narrower as it nears the headshell area of tonearm,  as I noted in prior postings. So to visually see parallel is not easy. That is why I’m going about checking VTA via viewing both top and bottom of cartridge to get it close. Yes, I understand I should be more concerned with viewing the actual stylus take etc. .. but without high magnification i cannot see it very clearly. I’m old.....

Hi,
follow general instructions from cartridge manufacturer, and then adjust by ear (assuming all other alignment is correct). Parallel arms or cartridge bodies tell me nothing. What you want to achieve is nearly correct or absolute SRA (remember it is largely affected by playing weight).

The hana el is a nude elliptical so it is not as critical or as sensitive to the VTA as say a line contact stylus. But that does not mean I dont want to at least get it close to what it should be. Perfection will not be found due to too many variables so I'm not losing any sleep over it. Post was created generally out of my own curiosity. I do appreciate all the responses and will have to take the time to go back and read them all.