Thoughts on VTA......

Dear @uberwaltz / friends: Different cartridge paremeters set up are for different main issues.

Overhang and offset angle are for geometry alignment tonearm/cartridge set up and mainly to puts at minimum the pivoted tonearm/cartridge tracking error and the developed tracking distortion levels.

In the other side VTF is mainly to the LOMC coils stays centered and to avoid cartridge mis-tracking.

VTA/SRA/AZ are to permit that extremely stylud tip to pick up the maximum true/rigth information recorded on those grooves modulations putting at minimum the developed tracking distortions when the stylus tip is away of the rigth angle on those grooves.

So all those paremeters are way important to have " pristine " quality level performance levels but when we have an " arcaic " LP technology where the LP manufacturers are so faraway of making " perfect " LPs with no micro surface waves, off centered and the like our effort to set up in precise way each one of those parameters is just impossible. We can try to approach the best way and even that we will away of the " perfection ".

Our audio time life is really short and we have to take advantage of our each time listening MUSIC  and we can't do it if we want to stay perfect with each LP side. There is so imperfect LP technologies that even in one side LP " things change " in the quality of what we are listening it.

On ly in my LP tracks that I use in my full evaluation/tests comparison proccess I made the changes of those parameters according what I know is the best quality performance at each LP track on that evaluation proccess.

Each change in VTA/SRA makes a quality change for the better or bad?, yes, always as always happens with the other parameters too.


In the other side to make any single parameter change we have to have a reference to compare with and that reference can't be: " I like it that way ".

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @uberwaltz @stringreen @viridian : The name of the game with cartridge/tonearm/LP is accuracy in the overall set up.

First target is an accurate cartridge/tonearm geometry alignment choosed: accurated P2S distance, accuarted overhang and accurated offset angle.

We can be " anal " to set up the VTA/SRA parameter or all the other ones named here but even that we made it with a true reference as live MUSIC ( not Tidal or LPs. ) things are so imperfect in LPs manufacture that with the same LP things are " perfect " in side 1 but for different reasons the quality level performance in the side 2 is well different ! ! ? ?

In the other side each time we make changes in VTA/SRA the AZ changed too. Any one can use a tiny level at the headshell and make a significant change on VTA up and down and you will see that AZ always change. With some parameters exist an intrinsecal relationship that make imposible that each one of them stays " perfect " and no matter what the LP/analog imperfections will make that our hard and time consuming work falls down.

As better the audio system resolution as wider range margin/limit we have for the VTA/SRA set up, the window is a little wider ( quality really acceptable. Obviously is one and only one point where belongs " perfect " VTA/SRA. ) and that permits that even with all LP imperfections we can stay nearer to the VTA/SRA accurate target.

Those LP/analog imperfections impedes that all of us can have precise/no-compromise rules about because that does not exist and additional to that the tracking error in pivoted tonearms at each single groove makes things more complicated.

Again, what we want to do must has a reference and mine always is live MUSIC at nera field position not: " I like it that way " with no true/real coherent reference at all.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @viridian : First than all I'm like you: a music lover, difference is that things are that I not only want that my LPs be listenable but with the best quality performance levels my ignorance permits to achieve. Yes I´m an audiophile too and no no 78rpm recordings.

Like you I attend at least one day each week to listen live MUSIC.

R.

Dear @cleeds : Did you already do it what I said in my post about?, just do it with that tiny level at the headshell and make a significant up and down VTA/SRA changes for you can see that " characteristic ". If you made tiny tiny VTA/SRA changes you can't detect it.

We have to do it to attest it or not attest it.

R.

Dear @orpheus10 : "  VTA must not be that important, .."

For Rega and for you it's not but for the MUSIC any one ( including you. ) is listening through a home audio system certainly is important and critical adjustement set up parameter.

What you think or what Rega thinks is totally uninportant and useless to say the least.

R.

Dear @orpheus10 : I read that link the same year appeared in TNT but that article does not confirms that you are rigth.

In the other side neither R.Gandy Rega designer said that. Rega designer said that cartridge alignment and VTA ( between other set up parameters ) are " aproximations " ( you can read in the Rega tonearm manual. ) and he is rigth but he did not said anywhere that VTA/SRA  changes does not " affect " the sound quality we are listening.

Yes, we can't match exactly the cartridge ridding stylus tip with the groove LP modulations do that we need it not mm. VTA/SRA changes but cms. that precludes to do it.

The other problem is the totally LP imperfections that impedes accurazy in the cartridge/tonearm set up. 
RG said " aproximmations " and in the case of pivoted tonearm designs the geometry alignment  is exactly that way because always exist a tracking error that we can't avoid it.

In the case of VTA/SRA ( RG said is: futile distress about. ) it's the same for different reasons than the alignment regards.

VTA/SRA  changes at each single LP groove do to micro-waves that we can't even seen/ca'n detect. Exist no single truly flat LP surface at micro level that's where the cartridge stylus tip works.

Even that and that we can't match the LP grooves by VTA/SRA changes these VTA/SRA changes makes a difference in the quality sound we are listening and only a deaf person can't detect it and I'm totally sure that RG is not deaf. He said that " VTA is a Neurosis not a technical adjustment ". To each his own.

I respect his opinion but I know he is wrong as you been a follower of him in this regards. Of course that if the changes in VTA/SRA are " minute " ones we can't detect it but all depends on the quality level of the tonearm, cartridge and set up along the home room/system resolution levels.

Btw, it is weird that RG does not gives to much importance to the cartridge/tonearm overall set up when in his own Rega recordings he takes care in deep at each single link on that recording proccess from the microphones selections and position passing for the micro electronics mixing that he designed and builded and self modifications in the recording R2R he uses. He is way demanding of quality there and I know because  I own some of his recordings where comes all the explanation detail how that recording was made it.

Btw, I found a gentleman through the net that posted :

" 

I have spoken to Roy Gandi a few times on the phone. He does have very definite ideas on what a TT should and should not do. Equally I have spoken to Tom Fletcher (Nottingham) on the phone. He too has very definite ideas on all things TT. Both are respected manufacturers and both have a very dedicated following. Generally they agree on the big picture but not on the details.

From what I have seen adjustment of VTA is not merely a case of how close you get to the angle of the cutting head. It is more about optimizing the balance of arm and cantilever to ensure the diamond rides optimally in the groove.

I think most people will agree that there can be quite dramatic changes in the musical presentation....... "

the key there is: optimizing the balance of arm and cantilever to ensure the diamond/stylus tip optimally in the groove... "

That's the best we can approach ( " optimally " with unavoidable restrictions. ), yes faraway from precise but that's all we can do and makes a difference.

That's LP analog.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

Dear @orpheus10 : The only way to be sure the VTA/SRA is the best that permit that cartridge/tonearm couple is through playback tests doing VTA/changes to determine with which VTA/SRA change ( up or down. ) the quality level of what we are listening is higher. This is a test VTA/SRA proccess making it through an overall evaluation comparison proccess using always the same LPs tracks, tracks that we know in deep.

You can do it through using some shims that I know came with Rega tonearms.

Perhaps what you are looking at eye level could means almost nothing for all what I said in my last post and what other gentlemans said in my post : You can read something additional in this information I pasted from other forum:

"   that, IIRC, at least one stylus manufacturer ( SoundSmith ) explicitly states not to use visual means to verify SRA - because the actual cut of the stylus often has no real relationship to the profile of the stylus as viewed from the side with a magnifying glass.  "

Anyway, you have to test to live the VTA/SRA experiences in your own room/system and then decide about.

R.