I started typing up some turntable adjustment tips, and, well, I got a little carried away. I hope you folks (not just George) find this information useful:
TURNTABLE ADJUSTMENT FOR DUMMIES
1. Level your turntable!
Before you start making any adjustments to your turntable, make sure it is level. You cannot hope to make proper settings to your table unless it is perfectly level. The best thing to do is to get it perfectly level in place where you’re going to leave it and work on it there. If this proves cumbersome or impossible, just make sure it is perfectly level on your workspace and in its final location.
2. Align the cartridge
If you are using the alignment tool from
www.enjoythemusic.com/protract.htm the stylus tip should line up on both points. It may be that your print-out is a little out of alignment (improper aspect ratio). Try printing the PDF version of the alignment tool. This should help avoid printing/resize problems with the tool.
3. Balance your tonearm
Every time you realign your cartridge, you need to rebalance your tonearm. You do this by rotating the counterweight until you’ve achieved perfect balance. From there, you adjust the counterweight’s marker to zero. Only then is your counterweight “dialed in” and ready to properly reflect the stylus pressure you set it to.
3. Adjust stylus pressure
As far as stylus pressure, I would use 1.7 minimum and work your way up. Dial the counterweight until it indicates 1.7 grams. Put a record on the turntable and make sure it is unplugged. Lower the stylus onto the record and pay attention to the cantilever (the narrow rod that holds the stylus) in relation to the cartridge body. If the body presses down to much and the cantilever collapses so that the cartridge body is too near the record, then you know you've set the stylus pressure too high for the cartridge. Experiment with different settings and observe how this affects the cartridge body's height above the record surface. As you increase the stylus pressure, if you notice very little or no decrease in this height, then you'll know you can get away with a higher (and more preferable) stylus pressure setting. If you can get it to 2.0 grams without causing any undue stress on the cantilever, that will be optimal for CD-4 performance.
4. Adjust anti-skate
As a rule of thumb, anti-skate should be set to be the same as the stylus pressure. However, I've never found this to be optimal. The best way to set anti-skate is with a record with a blank band (no grooves) designed for such a purpose. But, my guess is you don't have one kicking around. The next best method is use the tonearm lift mechanism to gently lower the needle onto a regular, spinning LP, close to the "sweet spot" (the spot indicated on the alignment tool; the one furthest from center). Now, as the stylus touches down on the record, look very closely, and see if it has a tendency to pull to the left or right. If it does, make a corresponding adjustment to anti-skate. Repeat this process until the needle gently lands in the record groove and jerks neither left nor right. There you have near-perfect anti-skate.
5. Remember, they’re connected
At a later date, if you decide to back off on the stylus pressure or maybe crank it up a bit, don’t forget to re-adjust your anti-skate!
6. Keep it clean!
Finally, keep your records and stylus clean! I use a stylus brush and Ronsonol lighter fluid. A clean stylus will make all the difference in the world, and lighter fluid is great for removing that vinyl gunk build-up. Discwasher stylus cleaner is useless, but their brush works nice as long as you stick to a back-to-front movement. Just douse the brush with lighter fluid.