How to Balance a Turntable Tonearm & Set Tracking Force - Vinyl 101 

Great point added. Glad you liked the video!

Great! I'm glad the video helped. Enjoy the new cartridge and happy listening!

Glad it helped! Happy spinning 🎶🎧

Glad it helped! Happy spinning 🎶🎧

Glad it helped and thanks for watching :)

Great to hear! Happy spinning

Great! Always nice to hear. Enjoy the music!

Glad it was helpful! Happy spinning 🎶🎧

Just seen your comment: how is the 2M Bronze? Good? Happy spinning

Really glad to help. Enjoy the music

@@soundmatters with everything dialed in properly and correct VTA it sounds awesome. Makes a big difference!

Glad it helped! Happy spinning

Glad it helped 🎶🎧

Thanks! Glad it helped. Enjoy the music!

Glad it helped 🎶🎧 - enjoy the music

Thanks! Glad it helped. I think you are talking about VTA (vertical tracking angle). Adjusting the height of your arm will change this. A good starting point is to make sure the arm is parallel with the record. You can get an acrylic block to measure this. Does that help? And have I understood you correctly there?

@@soundmatters Thank you!. that must be it. it heightens or lower the entire arm. It helps to know what it is. Not sure about he acrylic block but I will look into that. Thanks a lot man!!

Hey Dan. A video on test records would be good actually! I'll add it to my list. Lots of content on the channel and site about cleaning records - just let me know if you have any specific questions :) Here's a link to the full record cleaning guide, by the way: www.yoursoundmatters.com/clean-vinyl-records/ Hope it helps

@@soundmatters Well I got the scale and dialed that in perfect to 1.8 (grams - 180 mg) now I have the test kit and it is quite confusing for a novice. First I need to assess the cartridge alignment with the enclosed protractor. There are three test parameters. The first one is Two Point technique suitable for 9" arms. This would be irrelivant since my tonearm is 224 mm or 8.82"; The Next one Universal technique. Suitable for all tonearms: Here is were I have a question: The settings are 30 to 140plus and I need to align the cartridge headshell parallel with the vertical lines printed according to specified by the tonearm manufacturer. The Fluance manual doesn't indicate any such specifications relative to this assessment - any thoughts? I did the third one Linear Offset and it seems quite accurate if I am looking for the correct things.

@@soundmatters Yes I have that link saved. I am thinking that the stronger G3 and rinse might be necessary for older albums that I might purchase.

Hi Marc, I played for over an hour with the HiFi Test LP and still unsure of the anti-skating tracts and which way to adjust the anti-skating value up or down? On Side 1 Track/band 1-5 were self evident and spot on. Then the Bias Settings also referred to as (anti-skating) Track/Band 6-9. I did hear a little distortion on the right channel during playback on Band 6, so do I adjust the value higher or lower? or would I play all the tracks/bands taking notes on which ones I hear any instability then make the adjustments on the first one noticed? The last one? Then there is Side Two with Tracking ability test? Is that the same as anti-skating? And many more question because as a novice the instructions on the LP are a totally different language. Example on Side Two Band 2 it states that generally a resonant frequency of between 8-15Hz is considered ideal from a a point of view of a cartridge's ability to track pressing warps and handle rumble? Huh? How do I assess this? Then Band 5 on Side Two tests for Cartridge Alignment? Is that what the protractor was for? I appologize for so many questions and thank you.

​@@HeroicCoachDan Hey Dan. No worries at all. I'd like to go more in-depth with this with a full article, but for now I will say this: Turntable setup can be a polarizing topic as a lot of it is about compromise. Because of how a tonearm pivots from the outside of a record to the center, it can only line up perfectly with the groove in a couple of places. In very simple terms, this is just a law of physics. Records are cut using a linear cutting stylus. Fluance recommend a Baerwald method protractor, here: support.fluance.com/s/article/Which-type-of-protractor-is-used-for-cartridge-alignment As for the anti-skating, this is a much-debated topic also, but in short, the blank space on the test record is there for you to set the "zero point" just as I did with the blank-sided single in this video. From here, you can fine-tune to setting using those test tracks. Because there is groove modulation going on here, this is likely to give you a more accurate reading. As you're hearing distortion in the right hand channel, it would suggest that the anti-skate (bias) is too strong. This is because the grooves closest to the outside edge of the record are the right-hand channel. Hope this helps as a starting point. It's best to get your alignment checked first, of course, to make sure this isn't influencing the result.

I think those turntables come pre-set from the factory if I'm not mistaken

Just the first time you set up a cartridge 👍 though it is a good idea to check it from time to time. Just in case of any movement

The auxiliary weight is only required for heavier headshells/cartridges when the additional weight would be required to balance the tonearm. Hope that helps answer your question

This model here? www.ebay.com.my/itm/404616630920 It seems it does have a counterweight. Is the counterweight missing on yours by any chance?

Is your turntable VTA adjustable? If so, getting the tonearm level with the playing record is a great start using one of these VTA/Azimuth blocks (affiliate link): amzn.to/3rHNxrN There is debate about it though. Some feel the tracking angle should be the same as the angle the records are cut at (usually 92°). To achieve that, get it level and then raise it to approximately 15°.

@@soundmatters set on 1.5 all good 👍

I'll put a video together on this at some point. The adjustment mechanism for VTA varies from turntable to turntable though, of course

The same as tracking force is really just a starting point. To really get it nailed you have to use a test record or flat-side of an EP or single to balance central (as it sounds like you have). I'd go off that as the final say rather than setting my numbers alone. A test record will help you listen for distortion too

If that's an LP120x I have the exact same thing. The counter weight is proper when I checked with the analog scale, but the anti-skate should have like a very slow inward bias. If I set it to 2gr it flies outwards, but I have it on 1gr.

By adjusting the VTA (vertical tracking angle). Not all turntables have adjustments for this

Hard to say without seeing where you’ve gone wrong here, but it sounds like you turned the whole weight to the zero mark rather than the dial followed by the exact downward tracking force. If you have any questions, just let me know. 🎶🎧

Sounds like yours is factory set. What model is it?

@@soundmatters mine is a jam turntable, im not sure what model as it was a gift. do you know if its normal for jam turntables to me like this?

Oh no! If you have any questions, let me know. What seems "broken" about it? and what record player/turntable is it?

😂🎶

Well, at least you're not an atheist.

Your feet smell

Do you not know what a volume button is?