VTA on the fly

Ralph(Atma-sphere), I agree on the Triplanar, but I’m not sure why you think I needed to know how to adjust VTA on the TP. As you know, I’ve owned mine since the early 90s, at least. Built by Herb Papier in his basement factory. But I also these days use 4 other tonearms regularly. I find with all of them that unlocking and then re-locking the adjuster is difficult to do without disturbing the stylus in the groove during play. And to avoid such traumatic events, I prefer to stop play, do the adjustment, and then drop the needle back down on the LP exactly where it was. That’s just me.If my aural memory was so poor that I could not recall the SQ before the VTA adjustment to compare it to the result of the adjustment, then I really ought not to be an audiophile. That said, I would not own a tonearm that did not have the feature of easily adjusting the VTA.

I agree also that Herb’s design for VTA adjustment on the fly has been copied by many. Since the TP probably dates back to the 80s, I think we can now fairly say that it is a vintage design, and a classic one at that. Probably should be in any audio hall of fame.

Nope. I agree you didn’t claim to have golden ears. And yep, when you change vta all those other parameters change, but my point is that a tiny change in vta such as might be expected by a half turn on a micrometer type vta adjuster would likely make such minute changes to vtf, etc, as to be inconsequential. Which I guess is a subjective way to say I wouldn’t expect to hear a new “distortion” as a result, and I consider my two systems to be highly resolving.

Or the change in VTF and overhang are so miniscule, when you turn the micrometer typically used to alter VTA on an "on the fly" tonearm by only 180 degrees, as to be inaudible even to a pair of Golden Ears such as your own.  I actually doubt that a half turn could make any important audible difference in bass response, but I wasn't in the room.

Perhaps he had no idea of "the advantages of VTA on the fly", but your story as told doesn't prove that, if you made your adjustment surreptitiously.  Do you know approximately how far the pivot moves when you make a half turn adjustment of VTA?  Every one of my 8 or so tonearms has the capability for VTA on the fly, but I would never think of adjusting VTA "on the fly".  I lift the tonearm, make the adjustment, and then drop the tonearm, using the cueing device.