Azimuth and the Fozgometer

I agree with Mike, that phase is everything in azimuth adjustment -- however, from my reading of the Fozgometer instruction manual:
http://www.musicalsurroundings.com/Manuals/Fosgate/FozgometerManual.pdf
it only measures L or R crosstalk levels (separately of course which is good) and L vs. R cartridge output levels (balance) AS MEASURED THRU YOUR PHONO PRE. I mention that little detail here because that fact makes it important to know if your phono pre is in perfect balance first! Now, that's easy enough to find out by running JUST the left OR right tonearm lead/signal thru one and then the other channel of the phono pre and making sure the output of each side (measured thru the tape output on your preamp) is the same. The Foz can balance the signal for you internally which is nice; otherwise, if any of the cartridge, the record, and/or the phono pre are not each in perfect balance, that CAN be adjusted with the preamp's balance control, EXCEPT you'll then have to take your readings from the preamp's main outputs, not the tape outputs. Just remember, results with the Foz or any measurement device depend on/assume the L and R signal are the same strength, whether your testing is crosstalk-based or phase cancellation-based.

It's recommended the Foz also be used with a test record -- one with which I am unfamiliar, so I don't know if it contains an out-of-phase mono track. The Cardas record does, and it was cut by Stan Ricker, the best in the business, so I would rely on its accuracy: i.e. that both channels are precisely cut at the same amplitude, AND that there is a minimum of left/right phase cancelling crosstalk in the grooves themselves.

Both measurement techniques -- crosstalk levels or degree of phase cancellation -- will provide dependable result if set up and carried out with good experimental technique ;--) however I prefer the phase cancellation method because I feel it's more precise (i.e. the cancellation is either complete, or it's not) while the crosstalk method involves some subjective judgement (as implied in the Foz manual.)

Yes, you can use an oscilloscope as your measuring device; and if you're measuring crosstalk, it's essential if you don't have a Foz. But if you have a Cardas (or other) test record with a L/R out-of-phase track, and a mono switch on your preamp, then any device (including your ears!) will do just fine ;--))
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...dead on azimuth is where the phase is aligned, not gain. the image snaps in based on phase being equal in each channel.

Now that you mention it Mike, this makes more sense than merely minimizing crosstalk.

Reducing stereo crosstalk certainly helps a binaural listener estimate the size and direction of a mock-single sound source coming from two speakers. But the image will only "snap into focus" when phases are precisely in synch AT THE LISTENING POSITION.

Given the effects of room interactions, which Fozgometer, Wally and oscilloscopes cannot hear, one could argue that final adjustment by listening is THE most accurate method for musical listening purposes.

For me as for you, setting azimuth is a simple, two-stage process:
1. make the stylus look vertical by eye (resting on a mirror helps)
2. fine tune until the image snaps in (this can be done listening to music if you don't enjoy test tones)

Measuring devices just over-complicate this straightforward, though vital, adjustment.

Agree the Talea's on-the-fly azimuth function makes it very easy. I've played with it for visual azimuth but didn't have time to fine tune aurally during my too-brief audition of that exceptional tonearm.

When using the Fozgometer, it's not necessary to go through the phonostage if your cartridge output is sufficient. With my Dynavector XV-1S, output is .4mv and I was able to go directly into the meter without using the phonostage.

Dear Mike, Did you set your azimuth using the Feickert stuff? I ask, because I have seen that done, and phase-matching is used as a criterion for the optimal setting. However, at the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, I would point out that music (or anything besides a pure sine wave test tone) is a complex mixture of many, many frequencies, each of which will have its own phase characteristic. It would be impossible to match them all truly between R and L channels (except possibly with state of the art digital intervention, which we don't want). So we have to settle for some average setting that makes the brain most happy. Then too, there are the unpredictable vicissitudes of one's room reflections, speaker crossover, speaker drivers, etc, to alter phase again, even the phase angles for each frequency were to emerge perfectly matched from the phono stage. But I do take the point that there may be some setting which is found to be most pleasing due to its average effect on all frequencies.

Lew,

Joel Durand, of Talea Tonearms, set up my Talea in my room. he used an Ella Fitzgerald mono Lp to make the dynamic adjustments to the azimuth. i can tell you that it took our 'eyeball' azimuth set-up to another level.