VPI JMW setup

The actual stp distance is 222.8. So, you're fine either way. 222 is the accepted distance. There is a guy KWILIS on the Vinyl Asylum that creates really nice protractors for $50. He just did one for me and it's great.

As for the wobble, That sounds like a LP pressed off center not a cart problem. I've never noticed this.

Do you have an accurate VTF gauge? And, is it calibrated. I use one of those digitals that you get on A'gon for $50 but are sold at Music Direct for $130 and it works great. But it got out of calibration and I didn't realize it. I kept having cart problems and finally I double checked the VTF and found the problem. Easily fixed.

I shoot for my tonearm to be pretty much level when setting VTA, but some carts will want the tail up and some others will want the tail down. But I'm not a big believer in this needing obsessive attention.

Getting my azimuth more or less set has made the biggest improvement in my sound.

Creativepart, what cart do you use and what is the recommended vtf? I obsessively adjusted the azimuth after my last alignment and it is a major difference being dead on. I think stinggreen is preaching the truth as well. The VPI tractor is good, but not precise enough to hit the bulls eye. I think I may find myself looking more closely at the mint tractor as alternative to the VPI.

$110 for the mintLP protractor is a lot of money, but not so much when you consider the gear you are working with. I'm certainly no analog expert, but the mintLP was the first protractor I've used that didn't leave me wondering whether I really got it right. And the improvement I heard confirmed it.

Now, if Yip could come up with something for azimuth, I'd really be in heaven. I still haven't come up with a way to really dial it in. I guess WallyTools would work, but it's hard to get in touch with that guy.

Cheers.

correct me if this is the wrong way to do this, but I simply removed a vial from a cheap level, placed it on the machined groove for azimuth alignment, and centered the vial on the cartridge. voila!

The "true" best way is to set it electronically. There is a computer program and you can dynamically adjust it. Or you use voltage meters to minimize cross-talk. But the way you've done it is the way that I do it and makes both sense and good sounds to me.

The computer program costs a couple of hundred dollars and you need an outboard A/D convertor (sound card, etc) to get the info into the computer. It's a new thing.

Wally sold a device for this that was meters etc. But you can't get Wally to deliver anything unless you work for Stereophile magazine.

I don't have VPIs protractor. I have three that I printed out plus Ken's protractor that I mentioned earlier and I feel with these I'm getting it set just so.