I'm scratching my records

John,little noise is acceptable when the stylus hit the lead-in groove,not damaging sound.

Try 1.5 gram and see what's going to happend !

Analog isn't easy to set up,but you'll have smile on your face when it's set properly.

CD isn't easy for the ears !!!

It sounds to me like you may also need to adjust the antiskating force. If it is set too high, or too low, it will cause the tonearm to swing rapidly toward (or away) from the spindle when the stylus makes contact with the record.

There are test LP's that are helpful in setting the antiskate force, but if you don't have one, you can also try using an LP that has a blank section with no grooves. Set the stylus down on the blank area, and then adjust the antiskate until the tonearm remains stationary (neither moving toward nor away from the spindle).

John,

The last individual had it right: the problem is your antiskating force. Since the VPI tonearm doesn't have this feature, you must twist the tonearm wires in the direction opposite to the skating direction, clockwise if you're facing the front of the 'table, and then connect them. If one twist isn't enough, then try two. Also, don't be afraid to increase the stylus force pressure, as too little does more to damage records than too much. Do this before you twist the wires, as the skating force is tied to the pressure. Head toward the upper end of the recommended range.

I agree with SDcampbell that insufficient anti-skating force could contribute to this problem, but I disagree with the suggested method of setting it.

Skating force is a function of friction and offset angle: the record groove moving past the stylus pulls upon it at an angle to the stylus-pivot line, causing the arm to swing inward. If the stylus is not riding in a groove, the friction acting upon it will be much lower, so the resultant skating force will be proportionately reduced. Skating force even varies with the dynamics of groove modulations, because larger modulations result in more friction. Adjusting one's anti-skating to compensate for the much lower force of a flat surface is unlikely to correlate well with the actual skating force that occurs when the stylus is in a modulating groove.

I'm also not sure it's a good idea for the stylus to be run while resting on its point. Maybe harmless, but it wasn't designed to do that and clearly the tip must be the most vulnerable part.

You might also check to make sure you are starting with a LEVEL table. No insult intended; just good to check the basics since what you are experiencing is consistent with a turntable on a slight tilt.