Uni-Protractor Set tonearm alignment

Dear T_bone: Of course that we always can change the EL and I posted we can.

On the other subject and due that's so simple through the different VE calculators ( thank you VE! ) when you or any owner of the DT protractor have it on hand you can take the parameters from cartridge/tonearm ( no big deal. ) where the protractor was used for the set up and use that " numbers/data " on the VE calculators and confirm if you have lower distortions over the LP recorded area against the normal calculations or against the manufacturer numbers.

In this subject we really don't have to argue/ask anything other that : after calculations shows lower distortions numbers/values or not?, easy!!!! , here the subjectivity does not count what you, me or any other person could think does not matters at all ( well always an opinion matters but you know what I mean. ) the easy VE calculations tell us the real distortions levels against other set ups.

Btw, when I talked of white papers it's only those simple calculations and that's all.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear friends: I think that is important to remember that what I'm talking over the thread and IMHO over those white papers outside is to align the cartridge stylus/cantilever where the pivoted tonearm is only a tool and a " must " for do it. From the tonearm we need to know only the effective length and that's all.

The star is the cartridge ( is the source if we don't take in count the LP it self. ) but it needs the tonearm to hold it.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear friends: IMHO any manufacturer protractor with multiple set up alternatives, like the DT protractor, should/could gives his customers the chart with the different distortions level with each set up geometry/template for the set up.

IMHO we customers need to know at least which is the distoprtion level to decide which one to use, I think there is no reason for a protractor of this type does not comes with this main and critical customer information.

Dt, what do you think? could be?, thank you in advance.

Attitudes like the VPI manufacturer that undisclose the tonearm set up parameters IMHO is wrong because we are the customers and we have the right to know about, this kind of information is not a " subject " that you can attain a patent and even if yes: which the problem? why manufacturers put on sale audio items for " blind/unable to speak " people that things are we are not " blind " and certainly we can speak to ask.

Anyway, only a thought.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Of course that to make comparisons the effective length must be the same because if we increment ( any increment, it does not matters how tiny. ) the EL distortions figures goes lower, the same happen when we increment the most inner groove distance on Löfgren A/B calculations.

R.

Dear Raul,
Now we are getting somewhere... If you agree one can change EL on a given arm, despite what the manufacturer says should be the EL, necessarily the setup parameters will change. It should even be possible for it to sound better than normal should the EL be more appropriate than the original mfr's declared EL. Numbers could easily provide lower distortion results. Any tonearm where one creates a longer effective length than the mfr's own by the power of assumption will have lower distortion 'results'. I hope you see where this leads.

However we define 'white paper', I still think being open-minded is its own reward. 'Proven results' negate the need to be open-minded. However before that 'proof' arrives, speculation runs both ways. I choose my way and you can choose yours.

As to the suggestion that tonearm/protractor designers should provide the distortion levels for their setups, it might be useful. The problem becomes to what degree one takes it. I personally don't think most people want 9 sets of pieces of paper with each of their tonearms (3 curves - one each for DIN, IEC, and JIS standards, and possibly a fourth if the manufacturer's recommended setup results are not specifically one of the three), and definitely not 3 sets multiplied by the number of possible inner groove results (let' say 50mm-80mm every 5mm (makes 21 sets of distortion numbers per tonearm)). The best way to do so is to provide an Excel spreadsheet which contains the entire curve from 50mm to 146+mm for each of the curves, and a cell for inner groove and outer groove and the three calculations. But those exist already. If a mfr like VPI creates a non-standard mounting distance with non-standard (i.e. not one of the 'big 3') alignment curves, it would be nice of them to say it, but these things get out anyway.

In any case, the number of people who have multiple arms is limited. Among those, the number who want to fiddle with different setups for different records is relatively limited. Most want something to set and forget. And in that case, I assume that the prevailing wisdom per arm will always be caveat emptor! I do, however, encourage you to do so for your arm and template when it comes out.