Technics SL1200: Baerwald or 1200 white gauge?

For an alignment that is *mathematically guaranteed* to be wrong everywhere on the record except for two points, the MintLP seems a tad too expensive for the reward.

Given the intrinsic inaccuracies of cantilever alignment in the context of visual acuity and skating/antiskate force, as long as the null points are at least on the surface area of the record, I think that's about as accurate as anybody could get, $110 protractor or not.

What you've said is of course basically correct. That at only two points (at best) can a Stylus be correctly aligned to the groove with a Pivotal Tonearm.

I'd probably be correct as well, saying that a large number of us end users, that were using poorer quality tools for alignment, never even succeeded to achieve correct alignment at least at those two points. For those that actually did, when they eventually compared to a better, more accurate tool (such as the Mintlp Tractor) dare I use the word "luck"?

The question arises, then just how accurate must one be? How much error will then impart a noticeable degradation of sonics? Some say accurate alignment should be within +-.5mm. But, perhaps what if the tool istelf has its own inherit error of poor resolution, and not designed-manufactured well enough for repeatable accurate results?

Of course again correct, an end user must conclude-decide what is the worth-value of a highly accurate alignment with a well made tool. Or take the other path-philosophy that says "My Technics Plastic Jig, or a lesser protractor is good enough, and the rest must be poppycock"?

All I can say from personal experience, using a lesser, but thought to be a decent tool, the Turntable Basics Mirror Sight Line Tractor, I used this tool a number of times, and every time I used this tool, I came away with what I saw as minute error, and a uncertain interpretation of that I had precisely aligned my Cartridge-Stylus. No doubt an inherit flaw of such tools, is the repeatable accuracy of aligning the site line, to center of Tonearm Pivot.

All one is doing with such a tool, is "guessing" where the center of Arm Pivot is. An ever so small error in aiming of course equated to an error of where the Null Grids would be positioned. Not only skewing correct overhang, but zenith angle as well.

After the use of the Mintlp Tractor, for the very first time, I did not feel compelled to re-check, or have a doubt that I did finally succeed in correctly aligning my Cartridge. Versus the TB Protractor, the Mintlp Tractor did indeed show the errors, in both overhang, and zenith angle.

All here who have used the Mintlp, including myself have noted worthy sonic gains. The value of those sonic gains are again up to an end user to determine what thier value is? Mark

I would like to welcome Siniy123 and Rtollert to A'gon. I see you both are relatively new here and I hope you both will continue to share your knowledge with the rest of us. Hopefully, you can learn from us and we can learn from you.

Rtollert is correct. All alignment methods with pivoted arms is based on a model that does not have a 100%, dead nuts on final solution. It is all an approximation and as such there is built in error. The best we can ever hope for is to reduce this error as much as possible. And that is all the MintLP can help with. Minimizing the error. Otherwise it is just another arch-style protractor.

Here is an analogy that may help illustrate how the MintLP works. It is an over-simplification but I think works to help understand what this is all about.

Take a big, fat marker and draw and "X". Notice the size of the area that is covered by the two crossed lines. Now find the exact center.
Next, draw an "X" with a heavy ball point pint. Notice the size of the area that is covered by the two crossed lines. Now find the exact center.
Now draw an "X" with a #5 lead pencil. Notice the size of the area that is covered by the two crossed lines. Now find the exact center.

Get the idea?

And all the while you are doing this with the MintLP you are also continuously going back to check that you are still hitting the arch at the extreme points, one close to the spindle, one as far outside of the edge of the record as possible. It is an iterative process that takes a lot of time and patience. It really cannot be done in one session either. Think in terms of something like doing this every Saturday for an hour, for a month or so.

Fanatical? Absolutely!
Rewarding sonically? Absolutely no question about it. Necessary? That is up to the individual.

Dan_ed, I feel the Alignment with Mintlp Tractor can be done in one sitting but a quite long one. I myself took about 1 hour 45 minutes before feeling confident that I'd never have to go back again. Insuring that I did indeed have exacting precise Spindle-Pivot Distance, and providing Yip with this info, I had eventually noted "absoilutely poifect" tracing of the Arc at both extremes, but this of course is only 1/2 the battle!

Then comes zenith angle adjustment, and of course, this then becomes another monkey wrench-fly in the ointment, as making any adjustments in this regard will-can skew your hard worked-on overhang. So, it's back, and forth, and I found I walked away, and came back to the Table a good 1/2 dozen times, took a break, took a deep breath, and then back again at it.

Of course there's no law that says "this is it", and of course, I'll agree with you Dan_ed, that all parameters-adjustments on a Table should be periodically checked.

Of course as has been brought up before, and Doug Deacon I believe commented about this, and that is the fine tuning of VTA, as some of you folks do like to do almost on a "per record basis".

By varying VTA, this will of course slightly alter Overhang, and possbly as well Zenith Angle to an extent. I haven't my Airy 3X to be quite so sensitive to altering VTA all the time. Mark

I would like to know if there is big difference between what Turntable Basics offers for $20 to the $110 for the MintLp. I took a look at the MintLp site and the only difference I saw was it was optimized for each arm. Oh, and the lines are on an attached plastic sheet rather than etched on the glass. It provides for two null points. I use the Turntable Basics tool for my Linn/Ittok/ATOC9 setup, Dual CS5000/Grado Gold and a Fisher Studio Standard/AT440Mla.
P.S. I am not affliated with any brand or company nor a reviewer. Just a long time amateur audiophile trying to get by on the cheap!