2. analog
  3. 125601-1644

What is more accurate: magnetic anti-skating, or barrel weight attached a fishline?

I have seen turntables from Project, Music Hall, and a few other brands that still incorporate a small barrel weight attached to short fishline string which is stretched across a hooking loop to set ANTI-SKATING. It seems to be an artifact from the 1960's and 1970's tonearm design. It is also easy to lose or break 

My question is how accurate is that "device" compared to magnetic anti-skating employed by many turntable manufacturers   Thank you

sunnyjim
stefanl
296 posts
 
There is an old trick to correctly set anti-skate.Because two (i.e L+R channel) signals out phase with each other will cause a -3db drop in volume when they meet.This is audible.You also need a mono switch on your preamp and your cartridge well aligned. I put my right channel on my cartridge out of phase and put the right speaker back in phase by changing polarity at the input.To find the correct anti-skate position put the preamp into mono.One side is out phase the other in phase.Adjust your anti skate until the signals meet and a volume drop occurs.You have electrically set correct anti-skate.Put preamp back into stereo mode to hear this.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,468 posts
 
Stefani...no...you can only use your method and have it work only for that particular second of the record....it will change an instant later.
stefanl
296 posts
 
That in practice is not actually the case.I found as most of us have that the last track of a side is the problematic area.Look at Stevenson's alignment method for how far you can take that.Usually a slight increase in anti skate here will deal with this issue.I will grant that it is a get you in the ball park method bottom line.I now adjust by ear anyway.But what it did was to teach me where approximately to set my anti skate so I now can do it relatively quickly.
boofer
86 posts
 
Sunnyjim: does this discourse help in considering the turntables you are considering: Project, Gem Dandy, and Rega? I agree the antiskate issue ahould not be the deciding factor.] Purchase the least expensive TT which matches well with the Blue Point Evo. III,, keeping in mind the next one up  in the Sumiko line is $1250  [vs. $550. for the EvoIII. and $450 for the Blue Point 2.]
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

Stringreen, I deed not say to have any distortion in the right

channel of my Triplanar. I confirmed Lew's statement that

distortion will start in the right channel if the anti-skate force

is not sufficient. This can be easilly checked with tracking ability

test records. If one wants, say, 70-90 microns ''pure'' one need

to increase anti-skate force to get those values without distortion.

BTW those values are not reachable with LOMC's. I myself am

satisfy with 60 microns. This value is sufficient for any record.

However Van den Hul warned against such values (above 60 microns)

 exactly because they need increased anti-skate. Aka:

to much anti-skate is worst than no anti-skate at all. This is the

reason that some of use the ''minimal amount'' of anti-skate.


More to discover