Cartridge allignment Protractor.

[BeR]

Hello

Has anybody got any suggestions about which cartridge alignment protractor works best with Origin Live tonearms?

Thanks

[Rothchild]

Looks like they have 222mm mounting (like Rega arms) so presumably a Rega compatible protractor will do the job

http://www.originlive.com/tonearm-fitting-set-up-installation.html

https://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-alignment-protractors.shtml

[BeR]

Thanks!

Actually tried Rega. Also tried the card which came with the OL tonearm. Not much difference between the two.

[Barry]

Thanks!

Actually tried Rega. Also tried the card which came with the OL tonearm. Not much difference between the two.

If you used the alignment protractor card which came with your OL arm, what is the problem? (By the way which model do you have; OL make/made quite a few?)

[Ammonite Audio]

Hello

Has anybody got any suggestions about which cartridge alignment protractor works best with Origin Live tonearms?

Thanks

You don't have to be bound by the alignment geometry chosen by Origin Live, but it would certainly be worth asking Mark Baker for his thoughts on what works best. Standard Rega geometry is (IIRC) to Stevenson alignment which trades higher average tracing errors across the record, for lower errors at the inner grooves. Other alignment geometries such as Lofgren B are in my view preferable, but there is no right and wrong here - just a matter of choosing your preferred compromise.

If you have a Windows PC and don't mind a bit of fiddling around, download Conrad Hoffman's custom arc generator from http://conradhoffman.com/TemplateGen.zip . This utility program allows you to generate an accurate arc template to suit the specifications of your arm, with options for different alignment geometries and for different inner/outer groove radii. An arc template is a fiddly and time consuming thing to use, but it is totally accurate, and in this case free. I would recommend aligning the arm/cartridge to Stevenson and then to Lofgren B, then choose whichever sounds best to your ears.

A really good universal alignment jig like the Acoustical Systems SMARTractor can do the job in a matter of minutes, at a price.

[Clive197]

I use a AVID HIFI Rega Phono Alignment Guide on my OL Encounter. It's the best and easiest protractor I've used in the 50yrs I've been mounting cartridges. The mirrored surface also lets you inspect the underside of the cartridge making sure the cantilever is straight in the cartridge body.

[Barry]

Until we know exactly which model of the Origin Live range of arms Bevis uses, any advice is going to be vague and not especially helpful.

Consultation of the vinylengine.com database for pickup arms, suggests that the majority of OL arms conform to Löfgren’s 'B' geometry (also known as the Bearwald geometry), with null-radii at 66mm and 121mm. Virtually all third party alignement protractors use these null points.

But as I said above, if the OL arm came supplied with its own alignment protractor, where is the problem and why should one doubt the geometry chosen by the designer?