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Setting tonearm angle?

I recently lucked out and got a great deal on a VPI Scoutmaster 2 with JWM 9T arm and proceeded to set it up.
I had never owned a high end table like this so the set up was a bit new. My question concerns the VTA of the arm. I set it by measuring from the bottom surface of the arm to the record surface at several places along the arm to get the arm as close to level as possible.
Is that a logical thing to have done? Would the sound better if the angle was biased in one way or the other? (Dynavector DV-20X2 H cart being used) Thanks.
rmcfee
rockitman's avatar
rockitman
417 posts
 
01-06-13: Wolf_garcia
I got a tiny bubble level for my Akito and set it on the flat top above the cartridge and levelled it. Seems to have done the job and the cart tracks perfectly.

If you don't have a Graham Phantom Supreme which seems to be the only arm with a built in VTA bubble level, I also use a small circular spirit bubble level on the top of the cart mount like you do. It works very well on my Clearaudio Universal arm that has on the fly VTA. My bubble level weighs .5 grams so it doesn't effect VTA too much through cantilever compresion due to the added weight of the level over and above the desired tracking force.
actusreus
733 posts
 
Rockitman,
Where does one get such a small bubble level? I tried to use a small (as compared to what you usually see) level attached to the tonearm tube, but it was too heavy and was compressing the cantilever way too much to make it usable.
If you know your level is 0.5 g you can easily make that adjustment with the counterweight to counteract the compression.
rockitman's avatar
rockitman
417 posts
 
I bought mine from a photo website. It is a Gitzo Tripod bubble level replacement. Here is one

http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/store/gitzo-replacement-bubble-level-for-tripods-and-leveling-bases.html

Yup, I do that added weight to compensate for the added weight of the bubble level when when using it for leveling.
actusreus
733 posts
 
Thanks for the link, Rockitman!
wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
I found a bubble level set on Ebay...a tiny one and a REALLY tiny one...cheap.
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