Antiskating .... The last analog secret

Good thread, all. Good thread.

I set antiskating by ear, using a Shure test record (i.e., a torture test with increasing modulation levels). Setting antiskating this way always improves the ability to track test records. Frankly, I have so few regular records that my cartridge cannot track cleanly, it is hard to set antiskating this way with anything but a torture test record.

With all of the arms I've set this way, the result is FAR less antiskating compensation than what the manufacturer of the arm recommended. My guess is that most people end up dialing in too much compensation.

I checked my antiskate over the weekend by eye. Set it to zero and didn't notice any sideways movement of the stylus as it dropped into the groove. Set it high and also didn't notice any changes. I have a Dynavector 20X-H on a Moerch DP6 tracking at 2.05 grams.

Also didn't notice any difference in sound or tracking ability. So I set it fairly low and kept enjoying the music.

Bob

It has been my experience that torture test records are usually damaged and worthless

Bob, I know it can be hard to use the visual method with low compliance cartridges. The Dynavector 20X-H (like most MC cartridges) has a dynamic compliance of: 12 x 10-6cm/Dyne. Anything below 15x more or less, is considered low compliance (meaning stiff suspension) and so it's going to be hard to see the cantilever deflect. Strong light and practice can help, as can a cartridge with a body that makes it easy to see and reference the cantilever's position. What's even more exasperating with low compliance cartridges, is trying to tell when the cantilever doesn't move!

Most (I'd guess as high as 90%!) of MC cartridges (both high and low output) have the following three specifications in common:

VTF = 2.0 gms +/- 10%
Dynamic compliance 15 (+/-) X 10 (to the minus 6) cm/dyne
Micro-ridge or line-contact stylus

This means that their AS settings will all fall into a rather narrow range -- which I've found to be around 0.8 gm to 1.2 gm. When you think about those (small) numbers, it's not hard to understand why many folks hear no difference with/without AS! I have to admit, I don't, at least not MOST of the time! But once in awhile, I'll hear fuzziness in a not-necessarily-loud passage (remember, actual track-skipping is not an antiskating problem ;-) When this fuzziness occurs, I'm always curious whether it means I need more VTF?, more AS?, more of both?, or possibly "Sit down you fool, someone overdrove the cutting head!";-) The last option is usually the case; and it happens, I've found, on a rather high percentage of Direct to Disc recordings!

For what it's worth, I follow these two rules (and I've never been disappointed): First, I always run micro-ridge-stylus-equipped cartidges at their maximum recommended VTF. This will not hurt either the cartridge or the record. And it will NOT (interestingly) increase the necessary AS force because it won't increase groove friction appreciably! Second, I set the AS at 1gm. That might be 0.05 gm too high or too low, but so what!? As many have already said here, it's close to impossible to hear any difference between AS = 1 gm and AS = 0 gm either! So I set it and forget about it! My rationale for using a LITTLE BIT of AS rather than none at all, is simply that (as someone already pointed out) the laws of Physics demand it!
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