Yes, I should not have actually said, "shifts the forces", I should say shifts the relationship of the forces. It gives the various different forces a different relationship (equation) as they relate to each other.
You are correct- if we hang a tonearm straight down, and get gravity to pull it to one side, and put it on the table again, there is no longer any gravity pulling it sideways. It would not have force to pull it to one side. In actuality, the force of the cartridge on the pivot point does not change either (unless we increase the tracking force).
If we visualize a tonearm hanging straight down with a radically offset mass, you can see that it would take a certain amount of pressure to hold it to hang straight down. And the offset weight is resisting gravity. Replace the gravity in this visualation with the pull of the cartridge. It takes more effort to pull the cartridge one way than the other.
While radically shifting the weight in this manner will not actually pull the cartridge in a direction, it will alter the resistance to such a pull. This then also changes the effect of the pull on other forces. The cartridge will pull to one side more than the other, not because there is more pull in one direction, but because there is more resistance in the other.
This can lead to some pretty deep thoughts on anti-skate. While it is the offset angle of the cartridge is what pulls the arm to one side, the pull is actually directly in line with the cantilever. But, we do see that the cantilever deflecting to one side (when we can see it). To use offset mass as opposed to actually applying an offset counterforce, might be a more effective, and accurate way to deal with anti-skate.
You are correct- if we hang a tonearm straight down, and get gravity to pull it to one side, and put it on the table again, there is no longer any gravity pulling it sideways. It would not have force to pull it to one side. In actuality, the force of the cartridge on the pivot point does not change either (unless we increase the tracking force).
If we visualize a tonearm hanging straight down with a radically offset mass, you can see that it would take a certain amount of pressure to hold it to hang straight down. And the offset weight is resisting gravity. Replace the gravity in this visualation with the pull of the cartridge. It takes more effort to pull the cartridge one way than the other.
While radically shifting the weight in this manner will not actually pull the cartridge in a direction, it will alter the resistance to such a pull. This then also changes the effect of the pull on other forces. The cartridge will pull to one side more than the other, not because there is more pull in one direction, but because there is more resistance in the other.
This can lead to some pretty deep thoughts on anti-skate. While it is the offset angle of the cartridge is what pulls the arm to one side, the pull is actually directly in line with the cantilever. But, we do see that the cantilever deflecting to one side (when we can see it). To use offset mass as opposed to actually applying an offset counterforce, might be a more effective, and accurate way to deal with anti-skate.