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Setting VTA on a new Shelter 901?

I'm trying to dial in a new Shelter 901, knowing I face several dozen hours of break-in before I ought to be too critical.

It's in an SME IV.vi arm on a SOTA Star. The arm has a VTA adjustment dial/rod...but it's not that easy to move, up or downward. Both ways requires loosening some base screws, etc. Not precisely repeatable, either. Nevermind that, my question is...

What's a good "geometry" ballpark to begin VTA tweaking...
cartridge bottom parallel to record? Slightly down at the back? Somebody on Audiogon mentioned slightly down at the front, but that sounds (and looks, in my mind's eye) very scary. But, so far, what do I know?

The cartridge is very, very slightly down in the rear right now, about 1-2° I'd say. Bass seems mostly controlled, but load...treble (strings) are very bright...vocals I'm familiar with seem pretty about right...so far, nothing I'd call warmth. That's some break-up that happens on crescendos...sounds like eggs frying ...seems more like electronic distortion ugliness that mistracking.

Thanks for any help and ideas.

Noel
128x128nnauber
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
The breakup on crescendos sounds like existing record wear from previous mistracking damage - electrical input overloading distortion would be very unlikely, for either a phonostage or a preamp partnered with one - but make sure you're not tracking at too light a VTF if your records are known to be in great shape. Anything near horizontal (I'm talking about the 'arm) should track properly with the correct VTF applied on the new cart. Give it around 50 hours before getting concerned about the tonal balance. When it is broken in, look into optimizing the loading impedance if you haven't already done so, and I wouldn't worry too much about fussing with the VTA until then either.
nameci
53 posts
 
My Shelter 901 took ~80 hrs for break in, it's sound is getting better and better.
I would just set the cartridge in parallel to record until cartridge has at least ~50hrs on it(same for the loading, run it at 47k until cartridge has ~50hrs on it).
Initially, changing VTA did not yield significant changes in the sound. But after break in, I like the sound of it when it is slightly tilted back(very slight) with 1.8gram VTF.

Also I messed around with cartridge loading initially and ended up staying at 47k(becasue before cartridge was broken in, any loading under 10K yielded somewhat of muffled/congested/lack of dynamic). After ~80hrs, I tried the different values again and now I'm running at 200 ohm.
thsalmon
348 posts
 
That sounds like a pretty precise instrument, very interesting.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
I use a deck of playing cards when setting the VTA on arms that have coarse adjustments like yours. Put the deck under the arm, touching the bearing and lower the arm until it touches the cards. To increase VTA add more cards and lower the arm down on the deck again, to reduce it, just remove some cards. This allows very, very precise control of VTA on even the most persnicity of arms.
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
The playing card approach is a GREAT idea, Viridian. No dealing off the bottom, though!
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