Cartridge alignment, WallyTractor, SmartTractor, oscilloscope and Analogmaigk.


I am building my new system in my second home in the US which I use only when I go to the US to work, and I will not have the benefit of having my partner and analog guru with me when I set up my table there. 

To be clear she much rather have a new cartridge, tonearm, table or phono amp than nice jewelry, shoes or dresses, and 2 of the best hifi stores in the area are always asking for her opinion and sometimes to set up tables. 
Until now, all I had to do was to put my record on the table of her choice, and enjoy the music. 

 During our dinner with her, we were discussing,  what should I be doing and what tools to bring with me. I am an a mathematician  and work with electrical engineers so I understand numbers so I like the idea of an oscilloscope and Analogmagik and I have done quite a few setups with the WallyTractor before I met her, but she swears by the SmartTractor and claims that the SmartTractor is more accurate, simpler and flexible.

My question then is, what is your opinion on the 2 protractors?
Please do  not add another different one, I am not going to buy another one. :) 

In her opinion the  UNI  alignment is superior to the new record in the Wally, and since pivot to spindle is never identical, the SmartTractor does a better job as it actually takes into account for those imperfections/discrepancies in the spindle to pivot distances, while the Wally does not. 

If I am going to face the firing squad, I want to have some good different concepts.

I apologize for my English, until a few months ago I never discussed Hifi in English. 


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Showing 1 response by jbhiller

I have the Feickert.  It's a nice machine. 

However, setting the pivot to spindle is not so easy on my Technics 1200 GAE.  It's kind of tricky to get the thing to hit and stay on the very dead center. 

Interestingly, if I ditch the Feickert and just use Technics overhang gauge (that cute little guy they give you with their tables), and then I use a basic paper protractor from Hi Fi News & Record Review setup disc, things sounds just as good.  

So MillerCarbon may have a point--at least to me. :)