Sumiko Blackbird Tracking Force please help

Definitely think you would benefit by trying different settings for the VTF. I have found that some cartirdges sound better at the high end of the range while others sound good at the low end. Personally, I prefer settings closer to the high end or even outside the high end of the range with my setup. A little experimenting will go a long way. Have fun and trust your ears.

1.8- 1.9 gm

One thing to make sure of when checking VTF is the scale should be at the same height as the record. If your stylus is higher or lower than when you are playing it will throw your measurements off.

That being said I use a scale to get the VTF within range then adjust by ear.

Regards,
Todd

Don't be afraid to dive in there and experiment and hear the difference. I always ran by Blackbird at 2 grams and found it optimum.

Play around with the tracking force, it makes a big difference on the sound quality your going to get out of the cart. I don't think that your going to get proper performance under 1.8 grams though. You might find that you may even have to go to 2.2 to get the best performance from the cartridge. Just my humble opinion though. I am no expert.

Rainer S.