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Dumb VTA Question

Sorry ... I have a dumb question about setting VTA. I own a VPI Classic TT which has "VTA on-the-fly" capability. My cartridge is the Lyra Kleos. When I mount the Kleos, the last adjustment is VTA. I start by setting VTA so that the tonearm appears horizontal. Then while I'm playing a record, I raise the tonearm and then lower it until I like what I hear.

Ok ... that's what I do. But here's the dumb question. Some vinyl buffs talk about setting VTA at 91.5 degrees, or 92.5 degrees, and the like. How the heck can someone know the degree of VTA adjustment with such precision?? Is there a tool or special protractor that permits such close adjustments?

Thanks for the education.

BIF
bifwynne
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
5,250 posts
 
Bif...you're talking about SRA, not VTA. SRA is "stylus Rake Angle", VTA is "vertical tracking angle".

http://www.vinylzone.com/cartalign.asp

Most users are using a USB digital microscope to set this up.

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/how-use-usb-digital-microscope-set-92-degree-stylus-rake-angle-sra
jcarr
382 posts
 
Dear Bruce: The SRA monitoring procedure is as Mofimadness stated.

However, as I recently wrote in Stereophile, the construction of every tonearm that I am aware of (with the sole exception of the Eminent Technology linear trackers) guarantees that altering SRA will simultaneously cause the effective length to change, along with the tracking force.

To make sure that any SRA-induced audible changes are truly attributable to SRA rather than sundry alignment shifts that came along for the ride, you must recheck the overhang and tracking force and "put them back" to what they were prior to the VTA change.

At the end of the day, you may ponder about the real value of "VTA on-the-fly" mechanisms (grin).

kind regards, jonathan
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Bruce, you will note that in the first photo of the analogplanet link that Mofi posted, Mikey is also using the digital microscope to set up a Lyra Kleos cartridge, just like yours.

Great links Mofi!

Cheers,
John
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