Tonearms without anti-skate, damage to records?

@rauliruegas , you would never buy a VPI because like me you do not care for unipivot bearings.

There absolutely is a correct amount of antiskating even if the skating force is variable which it is, within a range and is mostly dependant on groove modulation and the shape of the stylus. You can see this easily if you watch the cantilever deflect. The goal is to set the antiskating so that the cantilever remains straight across the record which you can do and it works reliably if you have a good eye. As measured with the Wallyskater with the Lyra Atlas this turns out to be 11% or 0.11 times the VTF other suggestions are wrong to one degree or another. This will change slightly with stylus shape between 9 and 11%. 

I have a human brain like everyone else and are just as subject to psychological deviation as anyone. The only difference is I realize this is at play and take measures to neutralize it as much as is possible. Many of us here deny this is a factor. "Trust your ears." My ears or anyone's ears are the last things you want to trust. I really mean this. After all the theory and set up enjoy the fruits of your labor with your ears knowing you have done the best job you are capable of, to minimize distortions! Sound familiar? 

I have tested every cartridge I own to a patently ridiculous degree. I even built my own horizontal video microscope to make some of these observations. You can see it here https://imgur.com/a/9VcylFy  This is the set up for looking at stylus wear. The scope can be used adjacent to the turntable to view VTA and overhang. Those with a scientific background might recognize the staging mechanism of a medical microscope. 

Dear @mijostyn : No, I did not but that was not the issue why posted VPI and I would like to know what HW was thinking when designed his tonearm with out AS mechanism.

Now, yes I like to put at minimum developed distortions by the roomsystem and I like to do it when exist some certainty that in reality " those " distortions are at minimum but in the AS subject it’s a losted " figth " before that figth begin. To many variables and " if’s " . You ca't have certainty of any " thing " that is constanty changing alomost groove after groove all over each one LP grooved surface where does not exist two different scores in LP’s recorded exactly with similar groove modulations at the same places all over the LP’s surface. We can’t really know if distortions are at minimum with that AS of 0.15gr. against none.

For now I don’t like to " figth " in something that defeats me before I begin against it. Just my common sense on this specific AS subject.

You are fine with what you have and me too with what I have and maybe just maybe the quality sound differences between that 0.15gr and none could be inaudible at least in my room/system and yes with my ears.

For me and taking in count all what I posted about it’s futile/useles to worry about AS. Today I’m really happy not to have be worried because that imposible to fix AS, yes that’s me and my opinion.

R.

The only certainty is that skating is devoloped.

I have read Peter Lederman's comments on AS and stylus inspections he has done and also understand that skating force is real.   So I go with a little goes a long way.   I typically use around 1/3 of the tracking force for AS force setting.   It does seem that I can hear when it is right.  

I use a vinyl with no groove, and check if the tone arm do not move, and stay at its place, and the beginning, centre and end of that no-groove vinyle.  Another trick is that your cartridge at the very end of grooves (of a normal vinyle), the arm should move slowly to the centre to exit.