Turntable dealer/set up percon

Normally I would ascribe to the 1950
”
rebuild your own transmission “ philosophy but nobody asked the OP about a variety of skills and yes physical acuity needed to wring the best out of a TT setup.

so have it done, learn if you can and or to your comfort level and ability and move on...

hoping the OP enjoys the music !

I heard my name mentioned :-)

I’m still here and am happy to help.
Likely doing a road trip east in October, in case anyone is interested. Detroit, upstate NY, and Pennsylvania so far.

Brian Walsh

@cleeds 

@fsonicsmith what setup info do you think is missing from Fremer's DVD?

Short answer-all the minute details.
The Fremer video takes the viewer through the basic set up of a turntable. Each of the variables are explained and demonstrated. What is lacking is experiential. The best analogy I can give is that you can watch a video on soldering audio circuits, but that will not make you good at doing it. Brian uses a mix of computer software programs coupled with a ton of experience. 
The people I most respect when they describe their set-up practices are those who talk about using their ears to fine-tune azimuth, VTF, and VTA to get the perfect combination. Very few possess that skill. Since each parameter affects the other, it is hit or miss even for those with the ability to do it by ear. Brian's methods eliminate the hit and miss. 
I spent many years using all sorts of tools-Mint, Feickert, Fozgometer, and I would sometimes get close, more by luck rather than by skill. Once you hear the perfect set-up, you understand how the old adage "close only counts with horse shoes and hand grenades" applies. 

I set it up myself...  I think few pros will take the time and care necessary to do a proper setup. 

I think you guys are all correct.  Watch a good video AND get hands on personal help from someone who knows what they are doing (like Brian), and then you will be all set to do it yourself from that point on. Select the set-up tools that work best for you and learn how to use them well from the videos and from an actual person.  Good protractors are worth the cost.  It's that old adage about giving a man a fish vs teaching him how to fish.
fsonicsmith, With all due respect, how would any of us know when we are hearing "the perfect set-up"?  We hear a system that sounds great and associate that with perfection; that's all we can do.