Tracking issue with dynavector 20XL

What an education!!! I feel like I'm back in school, and enjoying it. I will try the o rings and put that record AWAY.

Always a pleasure reading your responses Doug. Thank you for the help as I had also the same issues/thoughts with my Scout and Dynavector 20X-L.

David

"P.S. An easy way to make tiny, repeatable VTF adjustments on arms that lack a fine adjustment is to slip a few O-rings onto or off of the end stub".

I wish I'd thought of that--adjusting VTF with the Scout is nearly impossible. The slightest movement of the counterweight, even to adjust azmiuth (sp?) changes the downforce radically. I'll try the O-Rings and now see a reason to invest in a digital guage.

Thanks for your help

Try this: toss the HFN record into a corner and play the most dynamic record you own with antiskating set to zero. Reduce VTF in tiny increments until the cartridge starts to mistrack (buzz) on the R channel. Now add just enough antiskate to eliminate the buzzing and bump VTF back up by a couple hundredths of a gram - no more. Play your favorite records. I'll wager you'll be surprised by the sonic improvement.

You know Doug, it seemed to me that going through all the intricate details oF VTF, VTA & then leaving the anti-skating to the band on the HFNRR records was missing something. Now that I'm into setting up my system after having it in storage for almost two years things are being looked fresh. Now that Kevin has come up with the prototypr RCA & DIN monting plates for ther 1200 I'm REALLY thinking how to extract the most out of the Creature.

When I'm ready I'll give your method a careful try. My only question is, will this work equally well when using a tonearm fluid damper?

There is a difference between knowing the path & walking the path. Where's HiFi Tommy?

***

Flyfisher,
Beware of strangers calling themselves "Teacher". Remember the DaVinci Code? ;-)

David,
Good to hear from you, and glad to help.

Dodgealum,
My TriPlanar's the same, as was my OL Silver before that. Trying to fine tune VTF by moving a massive counterweight could drive a person insane. Having a bunch of tiny, supplemental counterweights on hand makes it quick, simple and repeatable.

Note: They make O-rings in different thicknesses. Having thicker and thinner ones allows even finer tuning.

Caution: for the safety of your cantilever, lock your arm down before adding/removing rings.

Psychicanimal,
Glad to hear the Creature is about to revive. Will there be a movie? ;-)

Interesting question about the fluid damper. The TriPlanar's fluid damper looks very similar and operates on the same principle. However, while I know many TriPlanar owners I don't know a single one who actually uses the fluid damping. Everyone tries it of course, but its effects with every cartridge I've heard or heard about are entirely detrimental.

If the fluid damping gives you a net sonic gain that tells us our two arms are very different in the way they handle resonances. On my arm the fluid damping muffles microdynamics, harmonics, "air" and leading edge attacks. Those are what I listen for when fine tuning antiskate and VTF, so fluid damping WOULD make it harder to hear. On your arm, who knows? All you can do is try it.

Best to all,
Doug