Ammonite Audio
27-06-2015, 20:16
I've always set up cartridges with a small headshell spirit level, so that they are horizontal to the record for azimuth; and I set VTA by ear, using the same small spirit level to record the optimum setting. Some time ago, I bought the Feickert Adjust+ (http://www.feickert.de/index.php?id=12&L=1) test disc and software, but could never get the thing to work, so it lay unused, until now. The problem was simply too much signal for a PC's microphone input, so there was excessive distortion of the test LP's 1kHz tone. Using a PC with a line-in seems to be the best solution, but a simple potentiometer-in-a-box works well for the majority of laptops with only a microphone input.
So, after quite a bit of time faffing around, watching YouTube videos, reading the manual etc (in that order), I've now arrived at a consistent set of readings for my re-tipped Kontrapunkt B, which did sound pretty good beforehand. The shocking thing is that the azimuth correction for this cartridge is quite large - way more than I ever expected, but the listening results confirm that the hassle has been worthwhile. I now have to go through the Adjust+ procedure for each of the other cartridges that I own, including a new old stock KontrapunktB. It will be very interesting to see how accurately manufactured they are, compared with the paper specs.
There's no way that I want to become obsessive about this sort of setup, mainly because records themselves do vary, and the good news is that you only have to do it once for each cartridge. But it's been a real education for me. I suppose that we never stop learning and the important thing is to remain open to new things that challenge our established understanding.
So, after quite a bit of time faffing around, watching YouTube videos, reading the manual etc (in that order), I've now arrived at a consistent set of readings for my re-tipped Kontrapunkt B, which did sound pretty good beforehand. The shocking thing is that the azimuth correction for this cartridge is quite large - way more than I ever expected, but the listening results confirm that the hassle has been worthwhile. I now have to go through the Adjust+ procedure for each of the other cartridges that I own, including a new old stock KontrapunktB. It will be very interesting to see how accurately manufactured they are, compared with the paper specs.
There's no way that I want to become obsessive about this sort of setup, mainly because records themselves do vary, and the good news is that you only have to do it once for each cartridge. But it's been a real education for me. I suppose that we never stop learning and the important thing is to remain open to new things that challenge our established understanding.