Overhang for Ortofon 2M Bronze on Rega RB301

Johnbrown - apparently there are people on vinylengine.com who think otherwise; that's where I got my information. The blank side of the album I use does work for anti-skate; once you get it right the cartridge stays right in the middle and won't be pulled inward or outward.

Bobgates, that might be true, but the setting arrived at is but an approximation of the real playback conditions, since there is much less friction generated in a groveless portion of the disc.

The 'listen' to the distortion in both channels method is superior.

salut, Bob P.

Inpepinnovations - I can't agree with that; I much perfer the grooveless record approach and find it gives me the best results. Of course there's more than one way to skin a cat.

Skating force is caused by the drag of the stylus in the groove during heavily modulated passages. If you are setting it by watching it on a blank disc, you are not setting anything. But at least you are having fun!

01-15-09: Johnbrown
Oh, and as an aside.....a 'blank' record cannot be used for anti-skate adjustment. Just saying. Anyone who tells you otherwise hasn't a clue.

01-22-09: Onetwothreego
Skating force is caused by the drag of the stylus in the groove during heavily modulated passages. If you are setting it by watching it on a blank disc, you are not setting anything. But at least you are having fun!

Huh??? Skating force caused by drag?

Last I heard -- and maybe this is old physics or something -- but skating is a simple byproduct of centripetal force. Anti-skating by spring or weight or twisting tonearm wires (as on a VPI arm) is a means of counteracting it.

Therefore, a blank record absolutely can be used to at least ensure that whichever antiskating device is being used is (a) functional and (b) at least somewhat properly calibrated.

Using the blank band on the HFN test record, when the stylus hovers in the center of the track without moving inward or outward, then antiskating force is equal to tracking force -- albeit in a vacuum of sorts. Using an unfamiliar arm, it at least gives the user a jumping off point.

I say...who cares?

The amount of skating force varies across a record's playing surface anyway. The right setting for the beginning of a record is the wrong setting for the end and vice versa. Just as there is no single correct alignment methodology.

My feeling -- which has served me right for over 20 years -- is to simply pick one darn school of thought and enjoy the music.

With regard to antiskate: on a Rega arm, confirm that the mechanism even works. Then set it to equal the tracking force. Tweak it by ear if necessary but don't listen for problems. Listen to the music. If you happen to hear something wrong, then investigate. Because with all the variables involved with analog playback, and so many imperfections and compromises at the budget end of the spectrum, if you want to listen for something wrong then that's exactly what you'll hear.