How to set SRA after determining true vertical?

Nsgarsh,as usual,is correct regarding aural adjustments,and listening for bass.However I have found that though "the bass thing" is high on everyone's list,what really locks in the "now we're in the ballpark" area is extreme high frequency reproduction,played back at a good respectable level(NOT cracking plaster,though),and concentrating on tonal purity at these frequencies.Also,something like a triangle,being struck repeatedly,or better yet,some handbell music(A handbell choir will have a huge variety of fine inner detail,and hopefully superb naturally resonant inner textures at high frequencies).

What should be keyed on is trying to voice to the PUREST textures.This should come across as almost sweet,without the colorations normally associated with that word.

It's all too easy to "think" we have good bass,and this can leave a gap between fine sound and "spot on",which is the Grail, all of us seek.

A few LP's to consider(not that there aren't loads of others,but these are superb,though possibly hard to find)-----Ancient Airs and Dances of Hungary(Harmonia Mundi).---Music of Ancient Greece(Harmonia Mundi)--The Pealing Bells Of the Westminster Handbell Choir,this one is UNBELIEVEABLE,also can be found for about a buck(on the Omni-Sound label)---the soundtrack to the Bdwy play RASHOMON,another incredible disc,"worth it's weight in styli",and has some amazing and different/unique high freq instrumentation,with gorgeous different music(the Carlton label,which was pressed by U.S.Mercury)---Seventy Six Explosive Percussion Instruments,a direct disc on the Sonic Arts label.This is not what you may think,and has gorgeous subtle instrumental textures,as well as bang.------Russo's "Street Music",coupled with An Amer in Paris,on Deutch Grammaphone,killer sound with a harmonica that should seem to be played by Casper the Ghost,floating between your speakers.----EMI-Rachmaninoff's Vespers(pressed in USSR,but fabs),this has a TON of massed voices at almost constant crescendo level,and will immediately tell you if the arm/cart is dialed in correctly,or it will sound like steel wool.A killer disc(so good,you almost need nothing else).---Lastly---------The EMI boxed set of Penderecki orchestral music(I think three discs)containing the JAW DROPPING Harpsichord cto,which will knock anyone out of the "listening chair"!!----Oh,I forgot to mention "The Music of Franz Waxman",on the RCA label(prefferably English,but I have the U.S. pressing)Here is some great stuff,but the Piece d'la Resistance is "Bride of Frankenstein,Creation of the Female Monster" ,INCREDIBLE,FANTASTIC,STAGGERING,and actually lovely harmonic music.My pal Sid(the LP KING,for new discoveries)surprised me with this,some time ago,and just before Halloween.A real treasure!!High frequencies,and "LOWS" you NEVER KNEW YOU HAD.Guaranteed!!!

Let's face it--Analyzing equipment is great fun,but we do it for the MUSICAL PLEASURE,and great "FINDS",that seem to be available only on LP!!

Hope I didn't waste this post,with these,but they have proved invaluable(along with countless others)for helping to dial in my set-up,as well as some of my friends.The music,and sound are all "to die for",as well!

Best!!

Dan,take a look at the Acoustic Sounds latest advertising.They're selling our little(well,mine)digital guage(95 bucks on Audiogon)for 185 dollars!MAN,we could have bought them all up,and made enough to buy a Blue Pearl!Well maybe a platter mat,for it.

This business of manufacturers making the cartridge bodies to line up one way or another is kinda cute.You have to be careful here,because I can guarantee that plenty of our little cantilever angles are NOT all exact,from model to model.Whomever the mfgr is!The EAR is the only viable way to discern this.But you all knew this anyway.I just wanted some post time.-:)Heh,heh.

PAUL--"To shrug,or NOT to shrug".That question is inarguable to me,as if we want to really hear/know what our favorite "great" cartridges can do,especially the cream of the crop,it seems to be a no brainer to use something like well recorded classical lp's.Or something of that ilk.
I mean to listen for something like the breath being blown,gently through a flute or oboe(for example)trumps an electric guitar being broken over some "groupie's" head!No?Yet that acoustic guitar/singer song writer disc that Cello played for me,really blew me away.No heavy metal,but heavy duty ambiance and gorgeous tonal shadings.I can only imagine how great Larry's set-up must sound by now.

I kinda smile when some audio maven(reviewer) lists the criteria that makes a particular cartridge(or any component)great,and then goes on to list almost all music listed,as hard rock.Oh yeah,you'll notice they throw in one or two classical war horses,to seem interested in that stuff.
Don't get me wrong.I love rock,and have no boundaries in my musical appetite,but when you want to define the sublimeness of a great transducer,nothing compares to listening to the tonal shadings,and harmonic beauty of the instruments of an orchestra.Get that right,and everything else falls into place!Sid always tells me that though something gets a rave,it is meaningless to him,because he has no concept of what that person values in the LP's he listens to.Or what that particular person values in music reproduction.We all seem to skew a bit,in what type of system presentation we favor.It's called individual taste.
Hear that Raul!Enough with the love affair with Heavy Metal!Jan Allaerts SURELY did NOT design his "magic beauties" with the thought of "hooligans banging heads"!-:)
A little humor,if you will,so please no bombs from south of the border.You know you're still the cartridge kin

Sorry for going on so long.It's been three months that my set-up is down.I have nothing else to do!Hey,Mr amp manufacturer,please hurry up.I've got all my other stuff done already.Enough with the hiking cross country!

Best!

Dan,you can E-mail me at Sir Speedy 7068@earthlink.net(just leave out the "0" in my usual 70680).

Best!

How lucky are we to have such a great venue like this.Nsgarsh,you have done it again,and the other Einsteins are also an appreciated necessity.Really!

Raul,you are aware that the cutter angle always determines where the vta will be best.All lp's vary to some degree,but I don't like to adjust to each record.I know this is not new to you.So no need to respond.Also,I use a number of lp's to make my "averaging".Also if one sets to what we hear as high freq "PURITY",over a wide range of tough to track lp's,you will be in the "perfect" zone!!BTW--If you like the wonderful "Breaking Wind",oops,just kidding,I meant "Breaking Silence",You will LOVE the Ricky Lee Jones LP,called "POP,POP"!!Out of print,but worth seeking out.

Best!

Raul,you may want to experience "some" of John Zorn's work.Available mostly on CD.The film series is where I'd start,and is magnificent music.The Tzadik label(he owns)is of very high quality!Also,if you follow some music publications,like Grammophone,etc,you can choose some of the "well reviewed" music,and download samples at some of the better "book/music" stores.This way it becomes clear that there are still talented composers out there.The problem is,that we are not exposed enough,to them.Profits drive the music business,so we have to do the work,ourselves.I have NO problem looking,hard,for NEW music,and it is real fun,when I make a new discovery.

Best!

BTW,Raul--I hope you were not too influenced by your taste for Heavy Metal,when you "waxed poetic" about all the subtle virtues of the ALLAERTS stuff.Somehow the harmonic,and timbrel virtues of something like a softly played oboe,or viola,would seem to be more in line,with what Jan is trying to communicate,than anything by Axel Rose!Not that it isn't fun to "rock out",but you get my point!

Raul,try to find some of the RCA "Classic Film Series" LP's.These are easily obtained,and not alot of money.There is fabulous music contained in the entire series,which is quite a few discs.GREAT STUFF,in gorgeous sound.These were pressed in both Great Britain(prefferable),and the U.S.(not quite as good as the British pressings,but fine,nevertheless)!!

Also,for some really fun stuff,in very good sound(for digital LP's),there is a series called "The Twilight Zone"!I believe there were four LP's released.I have the first two volumes.Wonderful composers,from Franz Waxman,to everyone popular in the fifties and sixties.Though the discs came out around 1981-1982.Plenty of Bernard Herman compositions were on the sound track as well.A real FIND if you search it out.Guaranteed to keep you from falling asleep,if you have become familiar with some of the TV series!!

All this stuff,will definitely provide superb fuel for the fine cartridges you love to write about.These discs contain beautiful music,wide "dramatic" dynamics,and superb timbres with lovely,subtle inner voicings that really seperate the finest of cartridges from oneanother.

Another GREAT LP,but scarce,is the soundtrack to the Bdwy play "Rashomon".On the Carlton label.Sonically this disc blows away the Twilight Zone discs,and they are not bad,at all.Recorded and pressed by U.S.Mercury,so I don't have to tell you how great the sound is.The music is INCREDIBLE,and will show off the "best",in a great cartridge,and system.Believe me,if you want to know how good your set-up is,this disc will tell you!Guaranteed!!

Worth seeking these discs out!

Best!

Hey Doug,time to sell the Mazda and go for the Air Tangent "electro",where you can set VTA by remote and have a cute little digital readout.The price of gas DEMANDS this of you!!

Dan,you may have taken me a bit too literally.You like Jazz!So do I.If you would like to move a bit towards the Classical genre,start listening to some composers like some of John Zorn's film music(only available on digital,but superbly recorded),or Bernard Herrman's output.Jacob Druckman,Ernst Toch's chamber stuff,Gordon Jacobs,Frank Zappa's -Yellow Shark(CD,but who cares,it's great),any music by "Bang ON a Can"(CD),Ralph Shapey,Elliot Carter etc,etc.Go to a Barnes and Noble,and dial up the music on their computers,and welcome to a "New World"!That's what I love about the "flow of new music discovery".Sort of like discovering new foods.Loads of stuff out there,for the "explorer" of new aural worlds!

Best!