how do you determine anti-skate settings?

In addition to the suggestions above, a commonly used method is to view the cartridge from the front while a record is being played, and adjusting the anti-skating force such that the left or right deflection of the cantilever (if any) is the same as it is when the stylus is lifted off of the record.

Skating force will vary somewhat with the position on the record, so if that method is used the check should be performed at more than one point.

There are more sophisticated methods available, for instance using an oscilloscope to monitor the signals while a suitable test record, such as the Analogue Productions "Ultimate Analogue Test LP," is being played.

As the others have indicated, it is best to err in the direction of too little anti-skating force, rather than too much. Some people find that none at all works best.

Regards,
-- Al

I think that some useful data might result if those who have used zero anti-skating in combination with high vtf, and also if those who have adjusted anti-skating purely by ear, were to indicate if noticeable left or right cantilever deflection occurs when the stylus is playing a record (as viewed from the front), compared to the cantilever position when the stylus is raised above the record.

Obviously this should be checked when a soft (low volume) passage is being played, so that any deflection is not obscured by groove modulation.

Regards,
-- Al

Re the posts by Yogiboy and Oddlots, I've read on several occasions that the technique of using a record having a blank side to adjust anti-skating is not a good one, and will usually result in a setting that is excessive.

That is because a basic factor in the origin of skating force is friction between groove wall and stylus, and the blank record does not have any groove walls. Therefore the resulting contact and friction are very different in the two cases.

It would be interesting if Yogiboy and Oddlots were to perform the visual check of cantilever deflection that I described earlier. I suspect they will find that the cantilever deflects to the left as it enters the grooves of a record, unless the suspension of the particular cartridge is stiff enough to resist the excessive anti-skating force.

Regards,
-- Al