VTA and cartridge loading

There is a useful thread going "MC loading at 47K" elsewhere in this chat so you can look at that for more information.

In my experience I got a much larger change in the sound from adjustments to VTA and the playing weight than the load resistance on the cartridge. But they ALL are important.

Set the playing weight at the center of the mfg. spec supplied. Set the arm level with the stylus resting on an OLD record with the table stopped (unplug it if necessary)! An index card is very useful for this leveling adjustment.Take care with the cartridge it is resting on the record!!!!

Set the load resistor at about 1000 ohms to start with (For a MC).

Now play a record. A string quartet is useful. You should get some bite from the strings and some depth to the soundstage. Raise the back of the arm by small increments. There will be a point when the lower notes die away and the sound gets too shrill. Back off the adjustment. You can level the arm and lower the back to see what happens. Usually the sound gets tubby and loses definition. Somewhere between the raising and lowering the sound will "lock in" and will sound very right.

The load resistor can now be lowered in value while playing a busy passage. Listen for definition of the various instruments in the mix.

Hope this helps.

Set the cartridge loading at 1000 to start with (MC). Set the playing weight at the center of the spec. If an optimum setting is suggested use that instead
Put a very used/scrap record on the turntable and unplug the table from the power. Rest the stylus on the record. Take Care. If you are clumsy stop!! Using a 3X3 index card level the arm by sight by placing the card on the record and sighting the arm.
Lift up the arm get a good record and plug the table back in. I use a string quartet to set VTA but any well recorded acoustic instrument will do. Raise the back of the arm in small increments till the sound stage locks in. (depth and sound). If you raise the back too far the sound will lose body and get shrill. You can repeat the exercise by re-leveling the arm and going lower in the back. The sound will get tubby and lose definition. Somewhere between you will hear it as very right!
The loading of the cartridge is a little more subtle. I use a complex passage such as an orchestra in full flight and listen for the individual instruments. A critically damped cartridge will give you that definition. Too low a resistance will reduce the highs. You are critically tuning a tuned circuit made up of resistance, capacitance and inductance. When undamped this gives the usual peak in the high frequencies seen on ALL moving coil cartridges. The resistive load you put across the cartridge (this includes the connecting cables to the preamp) helps to reduce the peak. Too low a resistance actually drops the high frequency response of the cartridge. This is another wrong case of "if some is good even less is better" This is tweaked by trial and error and depends on the cartridge and system. You cannot damage the cartridge by reducing or increasing this load resistance.

Hope this is useful.

Sambar: Read my link. I hope it is clear enough. Numbers of 10 to 20 times the cartridge impedance for the load resistor are a VERY rough guide. I started with 1000 ohms so that the VTA could be set without the loading affecting the sound. You can then lower the value as I suggested after you have set up the VTA. As with all things in this hobby your ear is the final guide.

Sanhar: No problem. I think setting the VTA/SRA first is very important. It has a MUCH greater effect on the sound than the load resistance. Then you should reduce the resistance from the value I suggested. But it is your call.

Peterayer: That is a good question. I set the VTA for the thinnest LP and find that it works very well for the thickest. I do not alter the VTA for each record. You can easily tweak away and not enjoy the music!

As I said in the prior thread the VTA adjustment has the largest impact on sound. You can start with a level arm (on a thin LP) and then go up in the back to optimize the VTA. However not all stylii are set exactly and 2-3 degree variations exist. The idea of starting with a load resistor well in excess of where you would end up ensures that what you are hearing is due to VTA adjustment only. If you for example chose a very low load resistor you can kill the high frequencies and may think that you need to raise the arm further in the back but you will never get it right.
I should say my load resistor on a Benz Glider SM ended up at 680 ohms for me, so maybe you should start at 2000 ohms which is where I started for this cartridge.

You are welcome. I suggested a method for tweaking the load in my thread of 3-30-11. I have a Phonomena and also have to take the top off. I would leave it off for a while till you optimize. I prefer good quality acoustic instruments for the "body" of the sound and complex classical for the"recovery" of the sound. You should be able to hear the individual instruments even in the crescendo on a well recorded piece.

Good luck!