@scooby2do - your Soundsmith Aida Has an Optimized Contour Line Contact Stylus - these require the MOST PRECISE setup!
I would highly recommend setting it up using the Best Mint Protractor first (or a protractor that provides for the same amount of precision) and get a younger pair of eyes to perform the setup for you with a very good loupe.
My setup took around two hours of dickering around with the setup and verifying it was correct using a digital camera for closeup analysis.
This stylus type is critical of mis-alignment but the rewards of getting it right is well worth it.
A printed protractor WILL NOT give you the precision required!
The anti-skate method as detailed on the Soundsmith web site basically mirrors Almarg’s post (i.e. you want to make sure there is no sideways force on the stylus) - with a few little refinements that may make a difference...
https://www.sound-smith.com/faq/how-do-i-adjust-anti-skating-my-cartridge To see if the position of the stylus is being altered when you lower the stylus on the record you should be using a good loupe. The naked eye is not really good enough for Soundsmith cartridges..
It then took just under 2 hours to get the A/S of my Soundsmith’d Denon cart with the Optimized Contour Line Contact Stylus just right. My cartridge is mounted on an Audiomods arm that use a weight and quadrant antiskate system to optimize the A/S force across the record.
http://www.audiomods.co.uk/antiskatenotes2.pdfs
"Dial-in" anti skate systems can present issues that are difficult to rectify - My old rega arm was so far off I had to set the A/S dial to the maximum, so basically I had to use the "trust my ears" method...
- Start with the dial set at zero
- then play a troublesome track while you advance the dial in equal increments (e.g. 1/4 of a turn)
- when is sounds good set the dial back half an increment to see if it sounds better or worse.
- adjust in fine increments until best image is attained
- It might be an easier/faster way to proceed.
- Do this at the center of the recording surface, that way the beginning and end of the recorded surface will only be a little off, which is always the issue with dial A/S systems.
- At some point during this process this cartridge should snap into focus.
Hope you get your problems solved soon - Steve