Discuss The Viv Lab Rigid Arm

please check.

if you can trust the math it seems that putting the null at around 72-75mm will net the best overall compromise.  Below is what 72mm looks like compared ot 99mm and a typical Lofgren A.

dave

I think the whole point is that minimizing TAE is not so critical or rather that minimizing skating force is more important. But I will measure the template and see exactly where the null is in mm from spindle.

OK. I just measured from the center of the hole in the template for the spindle to the center of the much smaller hole in the template for the stylus tip, using a Matatuyo caliper, 89.7mm

@lewm, 

Straight underhung arms still skate, one way or the other depending on where they are on the record. The only arms that do not skate are straight tangential trackers. The problem is there are currently no straight line trackers that do not have substantial issues. 

The fact that the Viv are sounds satisfactory to many people is an enigma as the distortion is substantial. Maybe we are not sensitive to that type of distortion. I applaud you for your curiosity and willingness to spend money on a device that might not work out. It is how you learn.  

It's good to know you've read all my many posts in which I mentioned that underhung tonearms generate a skating force, except at the null point where.... there is zero skating force, in contradistinction to conventional overhung tonearms which generate a skating force even at their two null points, owing to the headshell offset angle. 

As for the rest of your post, what I find so far with each of 3 cartridges that I have extensively audition on conventional tonearms, is that the Viv sounds excellent in every respect and even has some uniquely appealing qualities that I would say add to the sense of verisimilitude with recorded music on LPs.  And that's what we are after, TAE notwithstanding.