2. analog
  3. 166643-161434

Help with getting shims for my Ortofon Cadenza Blue.

I have a Technics SL-1200G with a Cadenze Blue.   I haven't bought a USB microscope yet, but it looks like I have too much VTA.   And I have a Ortofon LH-9000 headshell.  Even with my tonearm is all the way down, I seem to have way too much VTA.   The bottom of the cartridge is parallel to the record.

I think I need something like a wedge shim to lower to back side (closest to the tonearm pivot point) of my cartridge.   Can anyone give me some recommendations.   Or even heard of too much VTA
proflex957
nmmusicman
276 posts
 
Send your cartridge off to WAM and they will do a microscope analysis of your stylus and provide custom shims to correct the errors specific to your cartridge/stylus.

Here is their link - https://www.wallyanalog.com/stylus-cantilever-microscopic-analy
anthonya
126 posts
 
use your magnifier on handphone to try. place it on blank cd. and reduce vtf to half. anti skate off
roughly it can be seen. but ortofon is not easy to get vta right they have quite soft cantilever. they will change when stylus is playing . normally 94 95 is ok for a start. when broken in it will go 91 92. so too much is usually ok 

your assuming sound is brittle and gritty  too much vta? sometimes it's just new.. need 40 hours of play time before serious listening

azimuth is more critical.. actually. 
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
First, VTA is adjusted by ear not eye. Nevermind how it looks. Raise it up a bit and if it sounds better it was too low. If it sounded better and better as you were lowering it, and when you are as low as you can go you are sure even lower will be better, then yes shim it. The best way by far to do this will be to buy some fO.q tape. This will both improve the sound a lot as well as effectively lower VTA. Then if one piece isn't enough and you want even lower, put another piece towards the rear of the cart to angle the rear lower. Use the rest of the sheets all over your arm, table, and other components. A very effective tweak sure to bring out lots of low level detail.
proflex957 OP
2 posts
 
I broke my cantilever on my Cadenze :( and just got it back from a repair at SoundSmith.   Maybe I do need more break-in hours and see where VTA settles in at.   I bought a digital microscope yesterday to see where VTA is, but currently I don't think it's near 90 degrees to the record.   Once I can get it to near 90 degrees I'll use my ear to adjust it.
avanti1960
1,480 posts
 
i have the cadenza blue on a technics also.  use the stock headshell because it puts the cartridge closer to the platter.  i use one shim to keep the azimuth ridge out of the headshell recesses.  
for a great starting point put a small round bubble level on top of the headshell and adjust vta dial until it is level, assuming the platter is level, stylus in the groove of an lp and VTF adjusted to compensate for the weight of the bubble level.  
https://www.lpgear.com/product/SCREWONWTS.html
More to discover