Mr. R, I concur that most tonearm manufacturer's calibrated A/S or VTF scales are of little use. I pay no more attention to those than I do to test records. The world's best tonearms don't even have such scales, for good reason.
The goal is simple: optimize the behavior of the stylus in the groove when playing music. This is all we care about (or at least all the OP cares about).
The solution is simple: adjust for the conditions we care about, ignore everything else (including blank, ungrooved surfaces, which - as Stringeen noted - do not resemble the conditions we care about).
The goal is simple: optimize the behavior of the stylus in the groove when playing music. This is all we care about (or at least all the OP cares about).
The solution is simple: adjust for the conditions we care about, ignore everything else (including blank, ungrooved surfaces, which - as Stringeen noted - do not resemble the conditions we care about).
everything needs to be verified aurallyHear! Hear! This is the essential step. All else can be dispensed with, saving time, money and distraction.