So it was pitch after all? We tried defining the terms at the start of the thread and that misunderstanding or misalignment of mutual comprehension led us all on a merry dance. Happy you found that it was in fact a pitch issue where everything was sharp due to incorrect platter speed.
A pitch too High!
Recently, I damaged the V2 MM cartridge of Clearaudio Concept Wood turntable, so had it changed with a Grado Prestige Blue. The VTF for V2 is 2.2g while Grado blue stands at 1.5g. I took someone’s help to fix this. He even made azimuth adjustments and it sounded fine. But I soon realised that the sound had become thinner, voice being the primary indicator and just before the stylus landed on the record, it skipped back a bit then hit the record. Sometimes the tonearm would skip all the way out of the record, backwards. I called the guy back, and he felt the VTF should be fixed to around 2g to avoid the backward skip. He did so and that problem was licked and it seemed the voice thinning issue had also vanished. But last night, I put on the first pressing of Aretha Franklin Amazing Grace, and all along I found her pitch way higher, it was all too high pitched and uncomfortable. Seemed the bass had gone missing a little. On my Boulder 866, I could immediately hear the difference when the track was played through Roon. It was not as high pitched, thin as it sounded on analogue. I intend to call the guy again but wanted to know from experts here as to what the issue could be.
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@chakster Got what you are saying. Asking you or anyone familiar with Clearaudio Concept anti-skating, if the thick black mark on the larger circular mound, below the red mark, is anti-skating zero. Please check the image in the link: Well, if this is anti-skating under the plinth then it’s the worst anti-skating I have seen in my life. Not surprised you have a problem using it, it’s so inconvenient. You can try maximum and minimum to find out where the side force is canceled (when the arm is balanced without tracking force), you will see it, if the arm is balanced above the record (not moving to any side) then anti-skating is zero. |
@terrible, From your pics, I'm reasonably certain that you have a Verify tonearm instead of a Satisfy tonearm. Check out instructions here in section 2.5.6 that may have what you are seeking re: antiskate. https://clearaudio.de/_assets/_pdf/manuals/tonearms/CA_Verify_E+D.pdf - My last thought: You've gotten plenty of guidance now on how to zero out and reset antiskate, and how to visually and then even electronically verify. But as you're still working thru all that, try something simpler. Set your VTF at 1.7g. That is within spec tolerance range for your existing cartridge See how it behaves and sounds. With your turntable speed no longer 11% out of compliance, and with everything else that you have improved with others help here, maybe you no longer have tracking/skipping/pitch issues and you can enjoy your system while refining your setup and contemplating needed cartridge upgrades. You've rec'd some very good info from others here and should be well on your way to managing your tt and system setup on your own. good listening! |
@terrible : This should be my last post to you. First than all re-read my very first post to you in the page 1 and after that this: DOES NOT EXIST A MM TURNTABLE. EXIST JUST TURNTABLE ! ! What exist are different kind designs of cartridges and between others: MM, MI ( like your Grado. ) and LOMC ones. The advantage of your Grado MI cartridge and your electronics is that that MI design comes with an internal 40mH of inductance and this fact makes that load impedance does not affect its overall performance. You need to improve your knowledge levels because as I told you in one of my posts you show that as this thread go longer and longer by gentleman posts as more confused you are. R. |
@dalims4 Yes I read this post a while back. I have even ordered a Clearaudio Smart Scale which I think is made of cardboard. I also understand that he wants me to add 1.2g to the 1.5g stated by Grado for Blue before I adjust the anti-skate. However, what is confusing the ’F’ out of me is how to operate the anti-skate button. I cannot figure out what ’Zero’ AS is on the contraption under the turntable. Since I don’t know the start point, everything else is difficult, hence, I am not messing with it. @noromance It is certainly one of the issues and correcting the RPM seems to have corrected that issue. However, I spent around 3 hours last night listening to records. On one song towards the end of the record, in a Norah Jones album, I felt I heard sibilance. On other records, it seemed fine. Don’t know if I can even identify sibilance correctly. @chakster The complication does not end with the fact that the AS is under the turntable and there are no correct markings, to begin with. Apparently, the AS instructions in the manual are correct if you look at it as if you are looking through a transparent platter, which basically means whatever the instruction manual suggests, counter and clockwise are exactly the opposite in practice. This is according to Musical Surrounding, Clearaudio distributor in USA. Difficult to know how many turns of the screw takes you where. @sandstone I am not sure if there is a black Verify arm and I think I remember checking with the distributor about the arm, and they told me it’s a black Satisfy, which is out of production now. But not sure. If you look at the Verify manual, the AS contraption is not exactly the same. And yes you are right, there is more than enough good guidance for me to rectify things. I have done so in some places too, however, my issue is not with the theory of it all, I get it now; thanks to all of you. It is the specific AS on this damn turntable. I don’t know the start point on it. If I go by the Verify manual, the black mark is AS for 2.4g VTF. This means, my AS is off currently. If you look at the mark on the screw, it is not aligned to the black mark on the circular post. https://www.imagebam.com/view/ME4SPVK @rauliruegas I understood mate I do not have load impedance issues because I have a great phono stage but I have to beg your pardon as I don’t understand much of what you write. As is my English is not very fluent, being an Indian, yours does not help either. But I know you have noble intent. If sometime soon I do not understand how to operate the AS on this turntable, I am going to junk it and go for an SME 6 Classic or 12A. It is a company owned by Indians, so I can expect easy service as I’ll buy straight from the company. |
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