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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
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!
don_c55
823 posts
 
The Audio Additives scale is very low (close to the record), non -magnetic and as accurate as needed.

A jerry rigged step is not the way to go, and will not buy you anything.

The VTF measurement method should match what the designer used to arrive at the optimal setting! Period!
john_tracy
341 posts
 
Doug, I didn't mention the possibility of the cart. being attracted to something in the body of the scale so as not to confuse the issue. The problem as stated was a negative reading before the stylus touched the weigh pan of the scale. This can only be caused by a magnetic attraction to the weigh pan. Any attraction to something in the body of the scale will affect the measured weight only after the weight of the cart. is resting on the weigh pan, not before. The advise to not use the tare button to zero out the negative reading is correct. If anyone is worried about this other issue that you brought up they can adjust the counter weight on their tone arm so that the arm is in balance (zero VTF) and position over the scale. If there is an attraction, the scale will read what it is and this value can be used to correct further readings. IMO what is important here is the repeatability of the scale, not its ultimate accuracy. Since one will set the VTF by ear and having the ability to make small, repeatable changes is what matters.
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