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Audio Additives vs Acoustic Sounds Digital Scale

I have an Acoustic Sounds metal digital scale. It looks identical to the Audio Additives one. On my Acoustic Sounds scale, the cart magnet makes the platform and scale read negative numbers prior to lowering the cart onto the scale. I use the tare button to 'zero' the platform prior to lowering the cart.

The Audio Additives scale on the Music Direct website says the metal case is non-magnetic. Does this include the scale too, unlike the Acoustic Sounds scale?

Anyone who uses the Audio Additives scale, could you please let me know if its magnetic or not? In other words, does the scale require taring due to suspending the cart over the scale making it move from zero?

As a side, I have heard some say the taring in a magnetic situation is not needed and when you lower the cart onto the platform, it weighs the actual weight/force of the cart. This doesn't make sense to me as before the stylus touches the scale platform it should read zero in my mind and not, for example -0.051g.

Thanks in advance for any info.
philb7777
bill_k
671 posts
 
Actusreus - thanks for the tip regarding the weighing platform. After some research I found that this Proscale LC50 is the one used by Clearaudio in their $250 stylus gauge fitted with a plastic weighing platform. You can use the plastic cover that comes with the scale as the base of a platform, turn it upside down and affix a small L-shaped piece of plastic to its side, setting the stylus platform to be at the desired height of a record. The scale automatically adjusts its zero point to compensate for the weight of the platform, or you can manually reset it using the tare function. That does the trick, awesome!
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
5,112 posts
 
OK Doug...I stand corrected. (I only use one cartridge although I've had many)
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Bill, similar to Actusreus, I often suggest cutting up some credit cards and glueing the pieces together. It's bound to save you some money. ;-)

Seriously, mine is made of a 1" wide length of copper strip. I folded it over several times to center most of the weight on the weighing platform for stability. Then added an "S" curve to drop down to a record height shelf for the stylus. The copper's fairly thin, so getting to record height without touching the platter is easy.

EXTRA BENEFIT
Digital scales use load cells. Load cells are most accurate/reliable when weighing near the middle of their range, least accurate/reliable when weighing at either extreme.

So, make your DIY step's weight = half the scale's capacity minus 2grams. You'll be measuring VTF in your scale's most accurate region.

Example: I use a MyWeigh scale of 50g capacity. My copper step weighs 23g. Adding the typical ~2g of downforce from a cartridge puts me at the midpoint, which should result in the most accurate/reliable readings.

A bit of harmless OCDing, which many vinyl-philes enjoy!
harold-not-the-barrel
799 posts
 
"Example: I use a MyWeigh scale of 50g capacity. My copper step weighs 23g. Adding the typical ~2g of downforce from a cartridge puts me at the midpoint, which should result in the most accurate/reliable readings."

Very informative & very simple, Doug. Thanks !
bill_k
671 posts
 
Doug, thanks for the helpful tips for the best accuracy!
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