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What about Uni Din?

I finally broke down and purchased a Smart Tractor. The owner of that company created another cartridge alignment he calls Uni Din. He makes a very reasonable argument for favoring the inside third of records particularly those cut down close to the label. This is at the expense of the outer grooves. But the outer grooves are traveling three times faster thus a given tracking error has 1/3rd the significance in terms of distortion. 
Has anyone here tried this alignment? If so how did you like it? I will certainly give it a spin as reorienting the cartridge in a Schroder arm is as easy as it gets. 
128x128mijostyn
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn OP
8,570 posts
 
Dave you are absolutely right. Under magnification ( I use a medical microscope with special lighting) The best you can do is confirm zenith relative to the cantilever then you have to get the cantilever parallel to the protractor lines all by eye. So, there are multiple sources or error some, such as the cantilever alignment to the coils are unseen. All you can do is hope to get close. I should have said, "dead on as far as I can see."
Then next question is does it really matter? I use Lofgren B because it results in the lowest average distortion over most of the record. The reality is you can be a little off one way or the other and very few people if any would know it. So why even bother? I'll tell you why. It makes me feel better and my psyche will think things sound better. Perhaps I will limit record wear.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn OP
8,570 posts
 
I for got to mention that the way you do this micro a microscope is under high magnification you orient the stylus so that the long axis is perfectly horizontal. Then you back off to low magnification and the cantilever should be perfectly vertical. I have an eyepiece with a grid so I do not have to guess were 90 degrees is. Regular microscopes are not the best tool for this job. 
boothroyd
365 posts
 
To these ears, Baerwald has a lot going for it. I find Lofgren B, Stevensen, Uni Din or anything that is more leading edge forward in the arm to actually sound that way - forward.

Another interesting take on the process:
http://www.vacuumstate.com/fileupload/GuruSetUp.pdf

Using extensive target zone magnification, don't fall into the potential pitfall that cantilever grid alignment will yield optimal zenith - it won't unless you're running a conical stylus :-)
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I find Lofgren B, Stevensen, Uni Din or anything that is more leading edge forward in the arm to actually sound that way - forward.


When you align a cartridge by Stevenson it will be backward (not forward) compared to Baerwald on a tonearm.
boothroyd
365 posts
 
When you align a cartridge by Stevenson it will be backward (not forward) compared to Baerwald on a tonearm.

May have to give it a go. Thanks for that clarification!
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