Anally retentive.

[sq225917]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience of the Dr Feckert turntable set-up tools, and if so did you find the results to be any better than you would normally achieve.

I've just spent an hour aligning and leaning, titling and turning my Benz LP to get it set-up correctly after swapping bearings on the Kuzma (the LP12 bearing is 2mm narrower so alignment is out a similar amount).

Anyway, I'd value any feedback.

[Dominic Harper]

Hi Simon. I use the Protractor of theirs. Dead easy to use and accurate, but I do set up an awful lot of turntables, so to me its a must have.
I also have the Clearaudio version. More expensive, not as well built and not as accurate or versatile.

If you want to get realy anal the best way by far is a custom made arc protractor. But it must be dead on or it will be useless.

[JazzBones]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience of the Dr Feckert turntable set-up tools, and if so did you find the results to be any better than you would normally achieve.

I've just spent an hour aligning and leaning, titling and turning my Benz LP to get it set-up correctly after swapping bearings on the Kuzma (the LP12 bearing is 2mm narrower so alignment is out a similar amount).

Anyway, I'd value any feedback.

G'day Simon,

I use the Dr F protractor/alignment disc which I find very good and helpful but cartridge alignment can be done for alot cheaper, viz: Project's large and combined disc strobe and cartridge alignment, the size of an LP, also Avid produce a mirrored alignment tool but with the latter you must specify the arm it is going to be used with, mine is for Linn geometry.
The Dr F tool is very good as I have stated but at £155.oop I would look elsewhere. The sad drongo that I am I own all of the aforementioned plus one or two others and it is amazing how they can differ slightly in their measurements... you can't trust anyone these days :eyebrows::) Incidentally, I bought the aforementioned over a period of time.

Ron

[YNWaN]

I'm making my own (alignment jig) and I'm already quite happy thay my alignment is correct.

Is that the kind of thing you were hoping to hear sq?

[Slippershod]

all this talk of alignment and implied 'anal retentiveness' is making me think of Dungeons and Dragons for some reason.

Had the freikart metal thingy - was never too sure about the instructions 'on' it, and wondered if it was a translation thing.

as with JB, I've used loads of the things - and think I've given up on it a bit (entirely if my linear-trackers work out).

no change of alignment has ever helped with the kind of distortion etc I'd actually like to get rid of (and the different approaches do seem to end up with the cartridge in significantly different positions in a headshell) - never helped with sibilance for example - not even as effectively as a change of mat...

feel pretty much the same about VTA too, I guess.

guess I could have been doing it 'wrong' all along - I've certainly sent myself boss-eyed in trying.

[Clive]

I have an older version Dr F alignment disc with a pivot-to-spindle measuring jig. It makes set up REALLY easy & fast as the overhang is correct before you use the 2-position protractor (or whatever you prefer). Making one dedicated to your deck for peanuts shouldn't be hard.

[Patrick Dixon]

But it must be dead on or it will be useless.

Surely not.

At best it will only be correct in one or two places, and the magnitude of the error you get overall will depend on how much of the rest of the record you're playing is actually cut.

Suck your finger and stick it in the air ...

[Dominic Harper]

The tip must trace the entire arc, please read my answer ;)

[Patrick Dixon]

I guess that would be the same arc that the record is cut with? Otherwise it would be useless ...

[Dominic Harper]

Records are not cut with a pivoted arm.

[jaym481]

I guess that would be the same arc that the record is cut with? Otherwise it would be useless ...

It's the arc that a stylus tip will trace if properly set up on a particular arm. The geometry depends on the arm parameters, not the way the record was cut (which is done with a linear tracker anyway).

[sq225917]

Patrick i'm surprised you're not arm geometry savvy, a man of your skills. ;-)

[WOStantonCS100]

I guess that would be the same arc that the record is cut with?

It is if you're using one of those who-zee-muh-whatzit's you see in Clive's avatar, affixed slightly northeast of the platter. ;)

[Clive]

It is if you're using one of those who-zee-muh-whatzit's you see in Clive's avatar, affixed slightly northeast of the platter. ;)
I expect than a specific example of an arc can be a straight line :)

I can't state too strongly how much easier it is to setup a cartridge once overhang is correctly set. Using a jig, whether Dr F or homemade, make the overhand setting easy too. Maybe I'm just useless at setting up cartridges but it's always seemed to me that using a 2 point protractor to set overhang (north / south) and angle (east / west) at the same time is fraught with potential for error. Setting north / south first hugely speeds to process when I exercise my inadequate skills!

Even with a // arm overhang is the first thing you set.

[Patrick Dixon]

Oh I'm perfectly savvy - my point is that with a pivoted arm you will always have tracking error, so the only questions are where on the record it will be right, and how much out will it be elsewhere.

I'm therefore extremely skeptical that it matters that much in reality if you're a little bit out from someone's idea of 'correct'.

[YNWaN]

You make a fair point - often one is simply moving the position of the null points - they still exist, just not exactly at the arbitrary points Baerwald etc dictate. Offset angle is another matter.

[sq225917]

Patrick, I assumed you knew. Truth is it's one of those down to personal taste things, do you prefer minimum EOS distortion and are willing to trade that off for a null further in from the start of the record and higher SOS distortion, or do you maybe prefer lower RMS distortion and align accordingly.

Fortunately because I' m generously hung it's not an issue for me.