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How do I set anti skate on Nottingham Anna arm????

Please help me get the last adjustment dialed in on my new turntable that is finally ready to use. I have been trying to wait patiently to start listening to records. Last night I was lucky enough to have my buddy come and help me set up my table/arm/cartridge. We couldn't get the anti skate figured out. Please let me know if I am missing something. Thanks very much.
nicksgem10s
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Ozzy62 and I part ways on this one. A RCM is mandatory. No phono stage, however bad, will damage your records. Playing them uncleaned will. This is one of the few 100% guarantees in audio.

A better phono stage will certainly be a worthwhile investment, but for the sake of your vinyl a RCM must come first. In fact it must come immediately. Do not play any record you value until it has been properly cleaned.
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,290 posts
 
Doug,

I did not discount the importance of cleaning records. I have a Nitty Gritty myself which sees lots of action. But I have friends who have lots of records who don't own a RCM, but still clean their records in the sink. Not the preferred method, but as I said before, it will get you by. Maybe a better alternative would be the Audio Advisor Record Doctor, which is pretty cheap, then sink the rest of the cash into the upgraded phono stage.

Oz
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Oz,

Excellent suggestion. I wonder how much difference there really is between an inexpensive NG, Record Doctor or KAB vs. a VPI. They all share the same operating principle (felt-covered vacuum slot), so one wonders if the 2-4 times more costly VPI really cleans that much better.

Washing in the sink, if that implies using tap water, proved unsatisfactory for us. Tap water contains impurities that can be difficult or impossible to remove from a record. When I was young and innocent I tried it. The records got cleaner in general of course, but quite a few picked up noises that weren't there before. Neither my old DIY RCM nor my Loricraft can remove those impurities. I had to re-purchase several fairly expensive records after tap-water cleaning ruined them. :-(

Call me a purist, but the better one's gear the cleaner the vinyl needs to be. Nicksgem10s is already well up the equipment ladder and seems prepared to move higher still.
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