SOTA NOVA, HR-X VPI, Technics 1200G recommendations?

That they can keep the whole mess quiet is more amazement.

A fair amount of feedback is used. Its not for linearity so much as to insure channel separation. My Westerex setup uses 30dB. 

Dear Mijo, Please don't put words in my mouth.  "Velocity" is a vector quantity, meaning it formally has both magnitude and direction, although we usually omit to specify direction.  "Speed" is a scalar quantity, meaning it describes a magnitude only.  When the groove is especially tortuous, the angular distance on the arc traveled by the stylus tip with respect to the spindle or the center of the LP is less than the actual distance the stylus travels to get between any two of those points on the arc, because the stylus is wiggling back and forth in order to follow the path of the groove.  What I was saying is that each "wiggle" forces a change in velocity, if you were sitting on the stylus tip.  (I think it would be like riding "The Whip" in an old time amusement park.) A change in velocity is by definition an "acceleration".  Any time a mass (the stylus tip) is accelerated, a Force is required. Since the vector direction of that tiny force is generally in the same direction as the force required to overcome friction, I am suggesting that the two Forces add, which results in one reason why the skating force is never constant.  (The other reasons have to do with the ever changing angle by which a line drawn through the stylus/cantilever to the pivot is not tangent to the groove.)  Like I said before, this is only my own hypothesis.  But it survived my own close examination. I am open to criticism.

@anthonya 

lucky me u said that..@chakster. nearly bought the cu platter lol thanks

Yes, I had to sell one CU-180 to Technics owner in UK simply because the diameter was slightly bigger (within Micro Seiki tolerance) and it was impossible to fit on Luxman PD-444 platter. But another CU-180 was fine! Right now I have two Micro Seiki CU-180, my spare still in the box, I could try to fit on luxman platter. But cheaper alternative is SAEC mat, stunning performer on PD-444 (I think I have 3 of them NOS). 

@lewm, that is a very complicated way of admitting you made an error in terminology:-)  In my simplified mind velocity and speed are synonyms.
I think we agree on the difference and the effect it has on skating. We only disagree on terminology. But, somehow Ralph and I seem to understand each other. Maybe he is just lowering himself to my level of mentality to be polite.
@atmasphere , 30 dB is a lot of feedback! I didn't know that, but then controlling the cutting stylus at that level and managing to come out with the results you get with any good pressing is amazing in an of itself.

Mijostyn, no matter what you may “think” and no matter what is your opinion, “velocity” and “speed” are not synonymous. We, all of us, may use them as such, but when we do so we are being sloppy, in a convenient sort of way. Why are we even arguing about this? It has nothing much to do with anything substantial. the fact is that if you are going to talk about what is going on with a stylus in a groove, then it does become important to distinguish between velocity and speed. The reason the speed is changing up and down as the stylus negotiates the groove is because the groove necessitates rapid changes in direction. Changes in direction are what distinguishes velocity from speed.