Tonearm height adjustment issue
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  1. #1
    Tech Mentor Hypernia's Avatar
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    Default Tonearm height adjustment issue

    Sooooo, my tonearm is just a bit off level, but I have one issue. I have to lower the tonearm in order to fix the problem, but It's already at its lowest setting. Should I get some thicker slipmats or what? That's the only solution I can think of. Any help is mucho appreciato.
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  2. #2
    Tech Mentor turbo's Avatar
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    I rock one of the most common combos, techs with m447s with butter rug slip mats. With the tonearm adjustment pegged as low as possible, it still has a slight downward angle.

    Yes, thicker slipmats is the solution, but only if its extremely off imo. I've tried a few different combos of different mats, stacking them, etc. I find just plain, paper thin, butter rugs to feel the best for me.

  3. #3
    Tech Mentor Hypernia's Avatar
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    Alright, cool. Thanks for the word. You've given me peace of mind ^.^
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  4. #4
    Tech Guru Alex Wild's Avatar
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    Is there not some sort of spacer you can fit inbetween the headshell and cart?
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  5. #5
    Tech Guru Patch's Avatar
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    I'm a little confused here? What's the problem?

    You balance your tone arm using the counter weight (so that it is perfectly level) then add weight (as advised by your cart manufacturer) by rotating the counterweight and then adjust the tonearm height to your own preference.

    There's a balancing act required that will be based on how you play. If you scratch a lot, you'll have to find a suitable amount of weight to add (by rotating the counter weight) and a tonearm height that suits your style of play. You'll also need to adjust the anti-skip setting to suit your style of play.

    The balancing act is how much record wear you are willing to accept vs how little skipping you're gonna encounter. The more weight/damage to your records - the less skipping you'll encounter.

    It's not a one time adjustment either. As you progress, you'll get lighter hands - and that means you can reduce the weight, and thus, the amount of damage to your records.
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  6. #6
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    ^^^ cartridges differ in height which is why there's a height adjustment on the 1200 (there's a scale going from 0 to 6). the manual tells you which setting for the tone arm height is appropriate for which cartridge height.

    Alex Wild's spacer comment is relevant. (Although it's not technically a spacer. You're supposed to use this thing depending on cartridge weight, not height.)

  7. #7
    Tech Mentor Nicadraus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rgtb View Post
    ^^^ cartridges differ in height which is why there's a height adjustment on the 1200 (there's a scale going from 0 to 6). the manual tells you which setting for the tone arm height is appropriate for which cartridge height.

    Alex Wild's spacer comment is relevant. (Although it's not technically a spacer. You're supposed to use this thing depending on cartridge weight, not height.)
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  8. #8
    Tech Guru Alex Wild's Avatar
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    I made a relevant comment, yay!
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  9. #9
    Tech Guru mostapha's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Patch View Post
    You balance your tone arm using the counter weight (so that it is perfectly level) then add weight (as advised by your cart manufacturer) by rotating the counterweight and then adjust the tonearm height to your own preference.
    No, the tonearm is supposed to be level.

    Quote Originally Posted by Patch View Post
    There's a balancing act required that will be based on how you play. If you scratch a lot, you'll have to find a suitable amount of weight to add (by rotating the counter weight) and a tonearm height that suits your style of play. You'll also need to adjust the anti-skip setting to suit your style of play.

    The balancing act is how much record wear you are willing to accept vs how little skipping you're gonna encounter. The more weight/damage to your records - the less skipping you'll encounter.
    Wrong. The tonearm should be level and you should be using the weight recommended by the manufacturer. The Stylus Arm is made of a bendable metal, and adding too much weight decreases skip resistance. If you go too far, you can get the cartridge body to bottom out on the record, which is really bad. But if the stylus arm is deflected too much, it's possible that any jarring (like your hand slipping or hitting a large transient on the record) will cause the whole arm to jump out of the groove.

    Setting a tonearm up right is what keeps styli from skipping. The best case scenario for adding too much weight is that it wears your records too fast…it also can fuck up audio quality and cause skipping.

  10. #10
    Tech Wizard
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    so, going back to the topic: is there some solution for this height adjustment issue? stacking stuff is one option, any other? like, special headshells?

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