VTA setting for 'parabolic' and 'elliptical' styli

Raul's memory of how Paul and I play is correct. This craziness is not mandatory, unless your name is Doug or Dertonarm or you have Paul's ears.

We write each LP's optimal arm height on a sticky note on the record jacket or sleeve. Setting height for replays takes no playing time - I do it while the platter is spinning up.

Records that we've played for years develop a long list of height settings as we change cartridges (5 or 6 so far) and tables (3). This history makes finding the setting for a record we haven't played in a while easy: I just add up the known changes due to equipment swaps since we last played it. This always gets us very close.

We also get close to optimal VTA very quickly on many records that we've never played. Find an LP on the same label that weighs about the same (we record the weight of every LP as a proxy for thickness). Whatever height setting is right for that is usually close to being right for the new one. It varies widely by label and era, as Dertonearm said, but within those limits the settings are very consistent.

Also worth noting is that the window for optimum VTA (SRA actually) for any given LP is extremely small, especially with a modern stylus profile. Our recorded settings are to the nearest 1/200th of a turn on a TriPlanar's height dial. Small movements away from that spot are quite audible. Larger movements do not make much more difference, if any.

Madness? Perhaps. But no interested visitor has ever failed to hear the difference when I've demonstrated. Whether the difference is worth the trouble is up to each of us, naturally.

Dear D: +++++ " This here is the maybe most important point in the cartridge/tonearm evaluation. Missing the correct VTA for the given record is dangerous in a serious test set-up. " +++++

absolutely right, unfortunately there is no other way, vital as you say.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Doug: " Madness? ", I don't think so because if like Paul and you that are organized and discipline this kind of attitude on the subject makes that that " madness " be really easy and not time consuming.

The issue here is to start doing and through the time this kind/vital routine will appear very " friendly " and of curse that it will be worth the effort.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

DerTonearm,
I have an SME V, you'd recall and I use hardwood spacers, my shelf would start to look like a 'Baukloetzchenkasten' :-)

>>> Changing VTA becomes a matter of 15 seconds. <<< maybe with a Micrometer VTA arm, yes.

Doug,
:-).... >>> Records that we've played for years develop a long list of height settings as we change cartridges (5 or 6 so far) and tables (3). <<<
Like I'm so behind the curve people, shame on me, what can I say :-)

>>> for any given LP is extremely small, especially with a modern stylus profile <<<
Hey, keep it coming Doug! I's afraid to hear all of that. I start looking for my CD player from underneath the table (where I've taken cover).

No joke, how on earth can you practice that with a more 'normal' arm I ask?
I'd be up to my eyeballs in wooden spacers and not talking in microns of up/down...

In terms of this gambit a hell of a lot of tone-arms would just not quality, or? Makes me think of all these old ones... you know.

Big thanks you for sharing some of your 'inner circle' stuff, I truly appreciate that. So much more food for though, oh my!

Bless all your dedication, now I gotta go and try sleep this off...
Axel

Raul,

Just kidding about "madness". You're right about organization and discipline. The longer you do this the easier it gets. Record keeping makes it quick and practice makes your ears better. Like Dertonarm we usually adjust without even thinking.

Still, if we listened mostly to rock, R&B or other amplified music I doubt we'd bother. The nano-timing cues that VTA affects matter most for acoustic instruments and very skilled vocalists. Getting a harpsichord or mandolin right is impossible if VTA is off. Getting an electric guitar right, or at least close enough to boogie, is much easier. Alot of rock listeners just rock on, and that's probably best.

***
Axel wrote:

No joke, how on earth can you practice that with a more 'normal' arm I ask?
I'd be up to my eyeballs in wooden spacers and not talking in microns of up/down...

Good question and a true observation.

We first heard the effects of VTA fine tuning while using an OL Silver (Rega clone) with an aftermarket height adjuster. That was worse than SME, since we had to loosen the locking nut underneath the armboard for every adjustment. Micrometer precision was almost impossible, since there was no dial with finely spaced and numbered marks.

Yet we heard the difference when VTA happened to be just right and it began to annoy us when it was off. Thus we discovered one "non-negotiable" requirement for our next tonearm: on-the-fly height adjustment with easy and precise repeatability.

That eliminated pretty much everything but Graham, VPI, TriPlanar plus a few very costly linear trackers. We couldn't afford those, so at least the shopping was easy!

Good night!