Right channel bias in analog setup

henrus

... I finally got the system to image correctly, but the arm/cartridge is ridiculously leaning to the left. I can’t believe this is the correct setup ...

Obviously something is amiss.

While azimuth does have an affect on channel balance, so does horizontal tracking angle, and that’s something many users fail to properly align. Please tell us what tools you’re using, and how you’re using them, to align this cartridge.

I’d also experiment with reversing the left and right inputs to your phono stage and see if the problem jumps channels. If it doesn’t, you know the problem is in your phono stage. Improper anitskate can also affect channel balance.

Someone misled you.  Changing azimuth to fix a problem with channel balance can work to some degree, if the imbalance is minor, but in the process of correcting that problem, you inevitably end up with an extreme setting of azimuth that is not acceptable in terms of cartridge wear and LP longevity.  (Both the stylus and the grooves can be damaged by an extreme angle of azimuth, where you are now.)  Azimuth affects most directly the level of crosstalk, the amount of L channel signal that gets into the R channel and vice-versa.  For now, I advise you to re-set your azimuth to 90 degrees as best you can by eye, so that the stylus sits symmetrically in the groove.  Then we can talk about your channel balance problem.  From what you have already written, I wonder whether you have either too much or too little anti-skate set on your tonearm.  Have you played with that setting?

Thank you both for your quick responses. Gosh this forum is amazing. I will set the azimuth back to 90 degrees as certainly there was no way that was the correct setting. As far as anti-skate, unfortunately the VPI Scout does not really have a great solution for that. Their way of providing anti-skate adjustments involve adjusting the coil wire connecting the tonearm, which doesn't really provide for fine adjustments. Regardless, I've tried coiling the wire more and less tightly and it didn't seem to have any effect on the right channel bias. I don't have the mechanical anti-skate mechanism as that was added in the Scout v1.1., though I may be able to purchase it from VPI and add it to mine. 

As for horizontal tracking angle, I'm not sure exactly what that means. I seem to have misplaced my alignment jig that came with the turntable so I just printed an alignment diagram and used that to align the cartridge if that's what you mean. If there is a good cartridge alignment instruction page you can recommend, I'd appreciate it. The VPI manual is lacking and difficult to follow. Thanks.

I seriously doubt its alignment. Odds are your "obvious right side bias" means the center image is a few inches, to maybe a foot, to the right. If that is the case then my question is does it shift as you play a record? Because the way the twisted wire thing works it causes anti-skate to change as the arm moves across the record. Honestly don't even know which way, that's just how messed up a thing VPI has made here. No idea how much torque the wire puts on the arm, or if it increases or decreases as the arm sweeps across a record. Oh, I can see what it would seem to do. But so many people have had so many different problems with it I seriously doubt anyone really knows. Anyway, one thing I am pretty sure of, it is not consistent across the record. So you should be able to hear the image shift and be different at the end compared to the beginning of a side.  

Oh my god. @millercarbon, you are completely right. I have noticed that when the last track of the record is playing, the right channel shift is noticeably less pronounced. Though has anyone else mentioned this problem? It's so clearly obvious that anyone with a Scout or similarly built turntable should be reporting it? How the heck can you correct for something like this. Crazy,

Which VTF do you use - 2,5g ?

henrus:

Oh my god. @millercarbon, you are completely right.

Heh.

Savor.

I have noticed that when the last track of the record is playing, the right channel shift is noticeably less pronounced.

Right. Because the solution VPI came up with is inconsistent. Now again I never used one of these so not really sure if it works the way I’m thinking. But it looks like as the arm moves inward it changes the twist in the wire. Not even sure which way the darn thing twists! But now you know what is going on you can figure it out and fix it.

Though has anyone else mentioned this problem? It’s so clearly obvious that anyone with a Scout or similarly built turntable should be reporting it? How the heck can you correct for something like this. Crazy,

Yeah it is crazy. Actually the anti-skate problem does come up, at least often enough a guy like me who’s never even seen a VPI knows all about it. Usually though people don’t seem to notice until its off enough to cause actual mistracking and breakup. The level of anti-skate error you are noticing, slight center image shift, is actually quite small.

You might be able to tweak it out with patient persistent wire twisting. Or get it down to where its not worth the bother. One thing you may notice, the center image shift is but the most obvious sign. Because if the center image is shifting then really the whole stage is a bit weak compared to what it could be. Fine tuning and tweaks is where its at with vinyl. Its the difference between being a lot better than digital and OMG why does anyone ever even want to listen to anything else!?!
It would be real simple to make your own anti-skate, if it weren’t for your JMW-9 arm being uni-pivot. It can still be done, just a little trickier to implement. Can you use the VPI option?

Which VTF do you use - 2,5g ?

Yes, that is what I set it to. 

You're using Denon cartridge with conical tip and this tip is less sensitive to errors in alignment. 

Your Denon cartridge must have a printed test of L & R output signal, you can also measure it yourself. This is very cheap cartridge and channel imbalance is pretty common if it wasn't specially selected/calibrated sample.  

However, make sure your phono cable is fine. 

 

if VTF 2,5 grams and problem is very evident it isn't antiskate.  
Try to increase up to 3 grams temporally and if bias won't change look for other clues. 

Probably unrelated, but that cartridge, if I am not mistaken, is horribly mismatched to that tone-arm.

Miller is probably on to something, but I would not be surprised given your azimuth experiment, that something is broken/faulty.  Is this the first turntable this cartridge has been on?  Easy test is to borrow another cartridge or just pick up a cheap one and test and see if the problem goes away.

Is this the first turntable this cartridge has been on?

Yep. Will try another cartridge and see how that goes.

Try to increase up to 3 grams temporally and if bias won't change look for other clues.

Will try this as well. Thanks!

Is the turntable level? Mainly level on the plinth?

As another said, maybe not the right cart/arm.