Alignment tool for SME V + Shelter

Howdy Nsgarch,
well now didn't I read that 'VTA' post, don't know, maybe I did? - didn't I read enough VTA stuff already? Uff...:-)
SRA, VTA, what ever, I do know the difference picture's right there in my head (as I said, didn't I read enough yet?).
I still use(d) the more widely 'used' terminology, it's less confusing with most folks - I think. (Like every UK dude weights in STONE --- then come the Kilogram, etc.)
I do not suggest to start yet another white-paper on the subject. If the stylus' contact ridge angle be always 90 deg to the cantilever it actually would be a perfectly interchangeable figure. Alas, this is not the case, so VTA ~ SRA are somewhat a bit more loosely related ~ by a couple of degrees at best.
As I said, take time out to optimize it for each cart/arm and then - peace be with you brother.

As to the finger lift 'story' we seem to agree on NOT mutilating, stripping down the V arm. It is not the torque (measured in uN/um of 'angel-wings' in this case?) but rather the resonance of this thing sticking out on the side. It's too practical for me to leave it off, putting heat shrink will take care of the resonance (at least in the audio band) so I guess nobody can say that I didn't try :-)
Greetings,

Axel, please! It is NOT another "VTA post" ;-) You do me an injustice!

VTA and SRA are NOT 'loosely' related. In fact, they are not related at all! You really need to edumacate yourself if you want to discuss such subjects.

Yes, the torque of the fingerlift is miniscule compared to the resistance of the vertical bearings. Fingerlift torgue is an issue of course with unipivot tonearms. As for the 'resonance' of the fingerlift? Another 'audio chimera'. It is apparently made of spring steel, yes, but constrained only at one end -- so if it does resonate, be assured it's WELL ABOVE the range of human hearing and at an amplitude only bats could hear! Good God!!

I have the SME V and my dealer never installed the finger lift when he set up my arm and installed the cartridge saying that it made for a less direct connection between the mounting bolts and headshell. Is it audible? Probably not. I simply hold the headshell when I need to move the arm.

Can one hear the difference between the fixed SME V headshell and the detachable SME headshell (used for quick cartridge swaps and azimuth adjustment)? I never tried. It probably did contribute in small part to why my SME V sounds better than my old 309. I like the theory that the more rigid the headshell/arm interface and the headshell/cartridge interface, the better.

Axel, here again is the link:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1140840022&openmine&Nsgarch&4&5&st0

And in any case *SRA* is wrong also, since it should be then called *SCLRA* Stylus-Contact-Line-Rake-Angle, since the 'stylus' is only doing that picking-up via its 'contact-line' touching the groove, yes?
And as it so happens, the angle of the contact-line maybe just as unrelated to that 'clump' of stylus also!

Technically you have a point, however, the usual fabrication of line-contact styli (except the Shibata) produces a shape that is symmetrical when seen from the front or the side. Thats why it's so relatively easy (as my photographs show) to determine when the "line of contact" is perpendicular to the record surface. Getting from there to a useful rake angle is a fairly simple calculation, and with some tonearms, a fairly simple procedure (NOT the SME unfortunately ;-(

The idea of properly setting the SRA (again, only an important issue with line contact styli) is to have the ridges on each side of the stylus 'lean' forward at the same rake angle as the cutterhead (or did you think cutterheads were positioned straight up and down? Ever try using a chisel that way ;-)

Ah the fingerlift again. Well, I don't care if you amplifiy it a million times, you won't hear it ;-)