Turntable dealer/set up percon

Try contacting Brian Walsh at http://www.ttsetup.com.
Brian used to haunt Audiogon under username essentialaudio but, for some reason, can't be found. Brian travels the midwest (based in North-West Chicagoland) and is a master at turntable setup.

Thank you.

Please don't.

Instead watch the free Michael Fremer setup videos on YouTube. At least half the protractors and stuff he talks about are unnecessary, and perfect examples of how some audiophiles just love to make things harder than they need to be. So just buy the MoFi Geo Disk and DIY. This way you will totally know what is going on and be comfortable around your rig. When you see how easy it is you will marvel at why anyone is willing to pay anything for someone to do this. Its like paying an extra $200 to fill the car up because you can't be bothered with the technical complexity of the gas cap.

Please don’t, the MoFi disc ( I have one ) relies on visual alignment of the disc to the pivot point Or plane on the Arm - something not obvious on all designs and the sighting blade is dark wide and a source of lack of precision- use it in a pinch. 
A decent $40 tool but hardly up to snuff for the investment you have already made.

Bull! I have Fremer's set up DVD. That dude made a lot of money off of that. I thought it would teach me all I needed to know. Not even 10%. If you have an expensive rig (say 10K or more inclusive of cartridge) hire Brian Walsh and you will agree that it was the best investment you ever made. Like Peter Lederman, Brian Walsh is a national treasure. I swear by it. 

Wow, if Brian is that good as Peter L then why not..

But the other comments is also valid. That you need to be able to do it yourself. But if videos and other types of ways of information is not preferred for you as getting taught by a person is a personal preference.

That I can say is that more or less each type of adjustment can be done in several ways. And keep it in mind that even if you get taught one way to do it there can be more optimal ways to adjust the same thing!

Another thing is that many final adjustments is by ear and it should be to your preference when it is you that is going to listen on your system. So it is highly beneficial that you can fine tune it yourself..

(For example you can try max and minimum of the recommended VTF (it alters by the way antiscate setting among other things..) just to hear what happens and in what way the sound reproduction alters. When you know what is changing then you can fine tune to your liking and with your albums that you listening to)

For example I have studied the two great giants in the industry Michael Fremer and Peter Ledermann in how they adjust different aspects of a TT. 
And I have found that hands down that Peter Ledermann uses the most optimal and pricise methods at how he goes about it.

But I have of course learned a lot from Mr Fremer like that OVERALL the Löfgren B has the least angel error over the whole radius over a record. (If not it is more desired to have little better angle nearer the lead out and sacrifice little bit at other radius further out on the record)

Good luck in your TT setup! 👍

fsonicsmith

... I have Fremer's set up DVD ... I thought it would teach me all I needed to know. Not even 10%.

@fsonicsmith what setup info do you think is missing from Fremer's DVD?

Optimizing phase and crosstalk by adjusting azimuth is best done with measurement software.

@nekoaudio adjusting azimuth with a test disc and software is certainly best way to adjust THAT specific test disc to the stylus.

The problem is that if we take 12 different pressings/brands of test discs then they all varying from each other. That variance is also between all of your albums on our collections.

The reason is that the cutting head in the lathe machine have of course also azimuth variance.

So the best way in my humble opinion is to put the azimuth as vertical as possible and that will then in average be the best "compromise". Because of the variance between all the different albums will give the best setup on average for all the discs in our collections.

So  adjusting azimuth with software/fuzometer/oscilloscope and one test disc is in my opinion a waste of time and resources.

@optimize well from my experience a bunch of records went anywhere from slightly blurry or an outright sonic mess to focused enjoyable music, after matching phase across two channels using software. So I will continue to recommend it. Especially as the stylus alignment may not exactly match the internal alignment.

@nekoaudio good to hear! Thanks for the feedback.

Normally I would ascribe to the 1950
”
rebuild your own transmission “ philosophy but nobody asked the OP about a variety of skills and yes physical acuity needed to wring the best out of a TT setup.

so have it done, learn if you can and or to your comfort level and ability and move on...

hoping the OP enjoys the music !

I heard my name mentioned :-)

I’m still here and am happy to help.
Likely doing a road trip east in October, in case anyone is interested. Detroit, upstate NY, and Pennsylvania so far.

Brian Walsh

@cleeds 

@fsonicsmith what setup info do you think is missing from Fremer's DVD?

Short answer-all the minute details.
The Fremer video takes the viewer through the basic set up of a turntable. Each of the variables are explained and demonstrated. What is lacking is experiential. The best analogy I can give is that you can watch a video on soldering audio circuits, but that will not make you good at doing it. Brian uses a mix of computer software programs coupled with a ton of experience. 
The people I most respect when they describe their set-up practices are those who talk about using their ears to fine-tune azimuth, VTF, and VTA to get the perfect combination. Very few possess that skill. Since each parameter affects the other, it is hit or miss even for those with the ability to do it by ear. Brian's methods eliminate the hit and miss. 
I spent many years using all sorts of tools-Mint, Feickert, Fozgometer, and I would sometimes get close, more by luck rather than by skill. Once you hear the perfect set-up, you understand how the old adage "close only counts with horse shoes and hand grenades" applies. 

I set it up myself...  I think few pros will take the time and care necessary to do a proper setup. 

I think you guys are all correct.  Watch a good video AND get hands on personal help from someone who knows what they are doing (like Brian), and then you will be all set to do it yourself from that point on. Select the set-up tools that work best for you and learn how to use them well from the videos and from an actual person.  Good protractors are worth the cost.  It's that old adage about giving a man a fish vs teaching him how to fish.
fsonicsmith, With all due respect, how would any of us know when we are hearing "the perfect set-up"?  We hear a system that sounds great and associate that with perfection; that's all we can do.

@lewm that's why I would go with software and measurement tools wherever possible. People have already picked out a sound preference, so to speak, when they selected their equipment and music.

fsonicsmith, With all due respect, how would any of us know when we are hearing "the perfect set-up"? We hear a system that sounds great and associate that with perfection; that's all we can do.

Yes, Lewm, I could not agree more. Flip it around for a moment. Someone, an expert, shows you what is possible and you go "whoa nellie, I had no idea!". 

A hi- liner can’t teach you how to be a high liner in one trip to extend the fishing analogy... just a bit....

@yale1 I will be passing through the Indianapolis area in late October and would be happy to help you. I will have covered multiple states during this long road trip (see my website, referenced in this discussion thread) before heading home from your area.

Brian Walsh

The degree of mysticism around what is a very simple process is beyond belief. It would appear Brian that you have a lot of work to do. It seems that audiophiles have a hard time using little screw drivers, tweezers and Allen wrenches. What else could it be? The geometry of the situation is relatively simple and there is no such thing as perfect because the target is moving.
 So everyone, your turntables will never sound right and you just have to cry yourselves to sleep. 

@mijostyn, you shouldn't paint iwith such a broad brush. While there are some common aspects, every setup is different, as I’ve learned over the years. It is true that many do not feel comfortable doing the work, and it’s also true many do not feel confident of the results. Having the proper tools is one thing but far from the only thing.

I agree with @lewm    If you have someone in your area that know's what there doing and will take the time to talk to you about the process while setting things up, this is valuable. Unfortunately in Miami, I haven't found that person. I'd love to have a knowledgeable pro that know's vintage carts and arms around to help me with my collection. I just don't want to F something up that's in perfect condition and 50 years old!

I am sitting listening to James Mercer's (aka The Shins) "Wincing the Night Away" with my Thorens TD124 (hot-rodded-see my profile if interested) and Reed 3P with Van den Hul Crimson XGW Strad cartridge that Brian Walsh set up for me last weekend. This cartridge had been set up once before and sounded quite good but then I sent it back to The Netherlands for the 200 hour adjustment VdH does. 
Now let me confess that some changes have been made to my system. My Devore O/93's now have a suitable match with an eight watt SE Class A dual mono beauty of an amp by the name of an Ampersound Nautilus. Speaker cable is Auditorium 23. This amp weighs the same as my 160 watt ARC Ref 150 SE not that too much weight should be put upon that but I will declare to the heavens that this eight watt beauty is built the right way. 
I have NEVER heard anything like this in my home. The pure emotion conveyed is tops, closely followed by enveloping sound that I have never heard before. Brian spent three to three and a half hours of focused attention getting everything perfect. He made settings, analyzed, and went back time and time again until all parameters were correct. 
So maybe it is my love for the low powered amp matched up with the Devore O/93's that is causing my newfound amazement but Brian's technical know-how is no small component. 
Brian is to turntable set-up as Jim Smith is to room set-up.