Mint Tractor

I orderred mine before you did and it's still not here. I guess I'll follow your lead once again. Good luck.

Stringreen,
I'm glad to hear you're happy with your results. Downunder beat me to the punch with what he said about different verses wrong. The Mint and VPI methods may not agree but it doesn't mean the VPI is "wrong". As I understand it, no matter how you align the cartridge there will be two null points in the arc it subtends. Different alignment methods simply bias where these will fall to minimize distortion at all the other points along the arc. That's why alignment is largely a matter of taste. The Mint method satisfies most who try it which is why I think it's worth a try. I also think Yip provides a more precise tool for acheiving his method than Harry provides for his. I'm anxious to get mine in the mail and give it a try. Meanwhile, I'm glad to hear there's another satisfied customer out there.

I think I might try the blue painter's tape when I align my 90x hopfully this weekend. The marks from the Scotch tape are not that bad but I'd just as soon avoid them. I did recheck my alignment and overhang on the Benz LP without tape after increasing VTF to my prefered range without mishap. I think the marks are already fadding(wishful thinking?)
Like others I'm quite satisfied with this method of alignment. I am most impressed with the tool itself. I feel much more confident that I got it right thanks to the lack of paralax interference and the flat and accurate tool. I still think the VPI alignment sounds quite good but wonder if an arc style protractor wet up to that method will ever be available. Is that what the Wally is? On the Fremer video, his Wally alignment seems to match up well with Harry's.

I still have not received my Mint tractor so can't add my alignment experience but let me say this about Yip's service. He obviously follows these threads because I hadn't even contacted him yet and I had an e-mail expressing his concern. He checked his records and has assisted me in tracking it down to the post office right here in West Des Moines. Evidently we've just been missing the mail man every time he tries to deliver it. Here's a guy with a great product at a very fair price and service that's really above and beyond. How often do you find that anywhere?

Stringreen,
I aligned my Benz LP with this excellent tractor this morning as directed. I find the results very satisfying already although I have some VTF adjusting to do. The cartridge had to come back about 2 mm to accomidate Yip's overhang and this has changed my VTF from 1.95 to about 1.87 causing a slight loss in bass weight. Hoping that increasing VTF slghtly won't throw off the overhang but so it goes.
My main question and minor problem is that the Scotch tape holding the tractor in place has left light marks on my super platter. Did you encounter this and if so did you get them off somehow. There's no adhesive residue and distilled water has failed to remove them. Maybe in time they'll fade.
The LP contiues to impress by the way. It's a fine cartridge.

Madfloyd,
Yip will need your pivot to spindle distance and overhang both of which will be posted on the VPI website. Take the arm off and measure yourself too just to double check. Your dealer obviously set your table up using some other tool so don't be surprised if the overhang is different.(I'd be surprised if it wasn't)Also, bear in mind that each time you make a change in one parameter it often affects others as well. You'll need some sort of scale to set VTF to the approximate range first. Otherwise when you change it you'll likely change the overhang too. Even when you're done, always double check everything to make sure no adjustment has changed another parameter unintentionally. If you don't have Fremer's video, it's a good way to get oriented to all you need to do in the beginning though you'll soon develop your own habits. You can recheck all of this with your VPI jig too before the mint arrives and acheive surprising results with it too. This all takes practice and patience but it will go a long way in getting you where you want to be.

Any digital scale should be satisfactory. I use the Audio Additives and like it. It was $99. I doubt spending more than that gets you anything extra. This is harder with a 9 sig than the 10.5i with the VTA adjustment knob, but the VTF measurement really should be done with the arm level to the platter. This means raising the back for the measurement. If you fold an index card lengthwise exactly you can put it next to the arm and it's a lot easier to tell if that tapered arm is level(ala Stringreen). Then of course, level the arm back to record level when done. VTA is hard enough to change on the 9 sig that you'll probably have the best and easiest results just leveling the arm to 180 gm record range and leaving it there. As long as azimuth is still reasonably close, you're then ready to align with the Mint tractor. And on and on it goes but it's worth it.

Dan_ed,
What was the result of your Goo Gone trial? Did the tape marks come off your platter?

Thanks Dan ed,
I think I'll have to contact VPI. This has to have come up before. Meanwhile, it's not the end of the world I guess. I think the marks may even be fading a little. No more Scotch tape for me though.

I would add that Yip sent me a sample of his Mint LP solution and that is a great product as well. I will likely order some when my current bottle of Disc Doctor is gone. In his last e-mail he actually rememberred my wife's name and wished her well.