how do you determine anti-skate settings?

If you consistently observe mistracking in the left channel, decrease the anti-scating; if the mistracking is in the right channel, increase it. You can use test records for this or just listen to your own records. The inner cuts are usually the most critical.

I recently spoke to a Clearaudio rep about this very topic. I was trying to figure out how to set up anti-skate. His response surprised me. He said that as long as your TT is level (use a bubble leveler to make it so), anti-skate is not only worthless, but can actually harm both stylus and record. So, I asked, if that's true, why even bother to supply your rigs with anti-skate weights and hooks for them? He said, "if we don't, people think the design is incomplete or defective." Basically, he said the stylus will track most true in the grooves without any anti-skate at all. He also told me that on cartridge tracking forces, what's listed is actually a bare minimum, tossed out there to prevent a cacophony of phone calls about damaged styli. He suggested that I nearly double my "suggested" tracking force to get optimal results. Take it for what it's worth....I've ditched AS entirely, and my turntable seems to produce better bass as a result. I've also set the tracking force on my Talismann cartridge for 3.5 grams, well above the recommended 2.2-2.4 grams.

I recently spoke to a Clearaudio rep about this very topic... He said that as long as your TT is level (use a bubble leveler to make it so), anti-skate is not only worthless, but can actually harm both stylus and record

Clearly, that Clearaudio rep is not an engineer and knows nothing about physics. He should not be speaking on behalf of a company that designs a tonearm with anti-skating adjustment.

Just my 2 cents.

In my rig, less is better. I recently did a bunch of testing and it sounds better at about 1 than at zero. IOW, half the value of my vertical tracking force (2.0g for AirTight PC-1) on my SME V arm. I have found it to be very arm/cartridge dependent. Trust your ears.

i spoke to the benz micro distributor and they said the same thing as the clearaudio rep said mentioned above by Afc. i was recommended to increase the tracking force of my benz ebony to 2.8gms and back off antiskating to zero.
my bass is now rock solid and deep and no issues with mistracking.