The Avid Alignment Gauge is an almost exact knock-off of the $20 turntablebasics.com Phono Cartridge Alignment Tool that has been around for many years. Or could it be the other way round?
Aligning Cartridge
Well after using a paper version of my Rega Baerwald Arc Protractor for my Rega P7 I have opted to get an Avid Alignment Gauge. For those that think the paper gauge is not adequate, I compared my set up to the Feickert Baerwald and I was less than half of a painted line off...so close enough! The paper was good for the null points but I always wondered if I could do better hence the purchase of the Avid. I do not know what the Avid uses, but it is certainly not the same.
As others said you need adequate daytime lighting, and then it is just trial and error. 10 minutes or so and I was done. Null points were quite easy to set and then the alignment with the grid work and the mirror really helped. Sat down to listen and it is amazing what you hear. It sounds different because "I wanted it to sound different", it sounds better because "I wanted it to sound better". I sat with my critical ears listening to the minutia of sound which I normally am not as critical, so of course it sounded better. Now that I have placated the placebo effect,whether it is better is now irrelevant because I like what I hear.
As others said you need adequate daytime lighting, and then it is just trial and error. 10 minutes or so and I was done. Null points were quite easy to set and then the alignment with the grid work and the mirror really helped. Sat down to listen and it is amazing what you hear. It sounds different because "I wanted it to sound different", it sounds better because "I wanted it to sound better". I sat with my critical ears listening to the minutia of sound which I normally am not as critical, so of course it sounded better. Now that I have placated the placebo effect,whether it is better is now irrelevant because I like what I hear.