I have had my turntables years...and years, and I don't think I have ever really set the tone arm, tracking , anti-skate etc properly! So thank you for a very informative set of videos, my stylus' are no longer dragging along the record!!
Great series. Loving the simplicity of your explanations and how easy you make it look. Some turntables don't have a VTA (tone arm height) adjustment so you may be stuck with what you have. If it is way off, you can shim your cartridge, but this is quite a fiddly process compared to an adjustment as shown in this video.
Hi Jarret. Would this not be a lot easier If You do this part, With the First part of the Video Chain. IE: Floating the arm across the Platter (With a Record on the Turntable). Once You have the Tonearm set Level. All You do Is adjust the Height Ring by turning It Down until the Stylus rests on the Record. Then do the Tracking Force and all the other stuff. This Is the way I set My SL-1210's.
I run this turntable with a marshall stanmore speaker that has bass and treble adjustments, imo its a cheap way to listen the right way if strapped for space and cash when it comes to buying speakers and amps, u can just use the pre built turntable amp and connect to the marshall for easy tuning through their app
wait. but since you already adjusted the counterweight and made it level with the platter, wouldn't adjusting the height mess with the tracking force since you are changing how far down the tonearm has to reach before it hits the record?
The weight should stay the same but it'll just be angled differently. But if you find the tracking force is different, then you can just readjust! Hope this helps!
+Vinyl Eyezz thanks Jarrett! I guess i could just re adjust the tracking force. I watched your top 5 turntables vid and did more homework on turntables and am planning on upgrading to the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC.
i have a technics SL-b3 player from the 80's i believe. it doesnt have the height adjustment, but my tone arm isnt straight like you said it should be while playing. what should i do??
Hey, allo from Montreal. Very good videos. My question is: I’m using the ´Realistic LAB-420 direct drive automatic turntable, and I don’t have the wheel to adjust the arm, is that an issue ?
I just bought this turntable. Can i ask you when you adjusted the height it was in the lock position? Should you adjust it when its unlocked ? Why can you still turn the dial if its locked? Looking forward to your reply Cheers Dave
Hi Jarret! Bought last month the same TT. I was very thrilled at the beginning but seems it had some flaws. Pls help me rectify same. Starting with what has relation to this video. I saw that 1:40 you begin rotating the height adjustment dial and the lever is switched on the opposite of the label "LOCK", then at 1:47 you say that: one can lock by switching the same lever at the same position you just moved the dial at... In my case , wherever the switch is pointing at , the dial is rotating ... seems my LOCK is not working ?
you should've mentioned this feature when you used the digital scale to measure the tracking force since the scale's height would not match that of a record on the platter. otherwise, your method will consistently produce a tracking force that is too weak.
Need your advice again Jarrett. I have the AT LP120 and find that even on the VTA set to 0 I still have a somewhat downward angle on the tone arm when playing LP's, even 180 gram LP's. I'm still using the stock felt mat (upgrading to the deer hide soon) and using the ortofon 2M red. Do you find the same issue with your turntable?
Actually yes! I noticed that problem recently so I've actually decided to get a cork May that is 1/4 of an inch thick! I haven't gotten it yet, but I'll make a video when it comes in. Basically I'm hoping that the mat will raise the tonearm to a level position, being that I can't set it lower than 0 on the height adjust. Be watching for that video!
+Vinyl Eyezz I had the same thoughts but I read that the 1/4" Mat covers the spindle too high on the AT LP120 so 180 gram records might not sit right. I just ordered the same cork mat but the 1/8" size to compare with your results. Your just making me spend that cash Jarrett. And this was supposed to be a 'minor' hobby.
I have a sharp sg-400e and I don’t think it has a height adjust that I can find. The angle is only off by a little bit, a few degrees at most. Will this damage my records over time?
Does the House of Marley Stir it Up turntable contain a height adjustment? I know it contains a counterweight and an anti skate device but I don't if it has a height adjustment. I've been thinking of upgrading to this turntable, what do you know?
My question is other than the fact of the tone arm being level or not. Will you notice a big difference in sound quality if the tone arm isn't parallel with record?
I know this is years old now lol but here goes, if the arm is down at the back you may notice slightly more bass depending on the cartridge you have, if it’s down at the front it’s slightly more treble, both of these cause considerably more record and stylus wear too. Level means you’ll hear what you should/ is intended by the manufacturer and your record and stylus wear should be minimal, hope that helps someone 😊
Would you have to adjust the height as well when you change the turntable mat? I changed mine and its a little thicker than my other one. Its about 1/8th of an inch taller than my other one. Should I raise it any?
Vinyl Eyezz in my case though, the ProJect Esprit tonearm is low, so my cork mat plus the acrylic platter made the cartridge end of the tone arm elevated, now its not parallel to the plinth/platter. :( ...or should i do what i was told which is using the acrylic platter directly under the record and that i was told theres no need for cork mat?
I agree you probably don't need a mat with your platter. Also, mats can introduce their own problems. I never use them unless there is a specific reason to do so.
I don’t think your diagram with the pink line representing the record is very good. The reason I say that is that it would be better and more true for YES if the stylus was touching the pink “ record” as if it’s floating above the record and the arm is level it means nothing lol it looks more like a diagram for balancing the tone arm to zero the calibration lol, Yes lowering the image to touch the pink line would have the counterweight hitting the line too but the answer to that is delete the line under the count weight as the counterweight isn’t over the record anyway and often the bottom of it is below platter height if it’s level obviously. The top “no”should be touching the record too obv and again deleting the line below the counter weight so it can sit below record level will fix it, only the bottom “ no” is actually correct, I don’t mean to be pedantic and it’s an old video, but that would send a total noob down completely the wrong path, great try anyway😊
This is underrated content, I have never seen a more intuitive tutorial in my life. You should become a teacher, 10/10
I have had my turntables years...and years, and I don't think I have ever really set the tone arm, tracking , anti-skate etc properly! So thank you for a very informative set of videos, my stylus' are no longer dragging along the record!!
Great series. Loving the simplicity of your explanations and how easy you make it look.
Some turntables don't have a VTA (tone arm height) adjustment so you may be stuck with what you have. If it is way off, you can shim your cartridge, but this is quite a fiddly process compared to an adjustment as shown in this video.
Hi Jarret. Would this not be a lot easier If You do this part, With the First part of the Video Chain. IE: Floating the arm across the Platter (With a Record on the Turntable). Once You have the Tonearm set Level. All You do Is adjust the Height Ring by turning It Down until the Stylus rests on the Record. Then do the Tracking Force and all the other stuff. This Is the way I set My SL-1210's.
hey Jarett ,need to know what do u do with a turntable tone does not have a hieght adjustment like the project turntables
Do you need to change the height when you listen to 180g records? Because they're thicker than normal 120-140g's
I run this turntable with a marshall stanmore speaker that has bass and treble adjustments, imo its a cheap way to listen the right way if strapped for space and cash when it comes to buying speakers and amps, u can just use the pre built turntable amp and connect to the marshall for easy tuning through their app
wait. but since you already adjusted the counterweight and made it level with the platter, wouldn't adjusting the height mess with the tracking force since you are changing how far down the tonearm has to reach before it hits the record?
The weight should stay the same but it'll just be angled differently. But if you find the tracking force is different, then you can just readjust! Hope this helps!
+Vinyl Eyezz thanks Jarrett! I guess i could just re adjust the tracking force. I watched your top 5 turntables vid and did more homework on turntables and am planning on upgrading to the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC.
Nice! Good luck to you!
My Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB height adjust ring does not turn? It seems to have grooves but is a solid piece? Is that normal???
I have the same model too, it's a solid piece
i have a technics SL-b3 player from the 80's i believe. it doesnt have the height adjustment, but my tone arm isnt straight like you said it should be while playing. what should i do??
Love that Jose Gonzalez record
Hey, allo from Montreal. Very good videos. My question is: I’m using the ´Realistic LAB-420 direct drive automatic turntable, and I don’t have the wheel to adjust the arm, is that an issue ?
I just bought this turntable. Can i ask you when you adjusted the height it was in the lock position? Should you adjust it when its unlocked ? Why can you still turn the dial if its locked?
Looking forward to your reply
Cheers
Dave
Hi Jarret! Bought last month the same TT. I was very thrilled at the beginning but seems it had some flaws. Pls help me rectify same. Starting with what has relation to this video. I saw that 1:40 you begin rotating the height adjustment dial and the lever is switched on the opposite of the label "LOCK", then at 1:47 you say that: one can lock by switching the same lever at the same position you just moved the dial at... In my case , wherever the switch is pointing at , the dial is rotating ... seems my LOCK is not working ?
you should've mentioned this feature when you used the digital scale to measure the tracking force since the scale's height would not match that of a record on the platter. otherwise, your method will consistently produce a tracking force that is too weak.
Need your advice again Jarrett. I have the AT LP120 and find that even on the VTA set to 0 I still have a somewhat downward angle on the tone arm when playing LP's, even 180 gram LP's. I'm still using the stock felt mat (upgrading to the deer hide soon) and using the ortofon 2M red. Do you find the same issue with your turntable?
Actually yes! I noticed that problem recently so I've actually decided to get a cork May that is 1/4 of an inch thick! I haven't gotten it yet, but I'll make a video when it comes in. Basically I'm hoping that the mat will raise the tonearm to a level position, being that I can't set it lower than 0 on the height adjust. Be watching for that video!
+Vinyl Eyezz I had the same thoughts but I read that the 1/4" Mat covers the spindle too high on the AT LP120 so 180 gram records might not sit right. I just ordered the same cork mat but the 1/8" size to compare with your results. Your just making me spend that cash Jarrett. And this was supposed to be a 'minor' hobby.
What about a vertical turntable?🥲
I like the audiphile intro music.
What are you listening to in the background?
I believe I was listening to "The Unicorn" by The Irish Rovers haha, great folk song!
I have a sharp sg-400e and I don’t think it has a height adjust that I can find. The angle is only off by a little bit, a few degrees at most. Will this damage my records over time?
Does the House of Marley Stir it Up turntable contain a height adjustment? I know it contains a counterweight and an anti skate device but I don't if it has a height adjustment. I've been thinking of upgrading to this turntable, what do you know?
i got a JVC L-A11 from the 70's and i cant adjust the height on it??
My question is other than the fact of the tone arm being level or not. Will you notice a big difference in sound quality if the tone arm isn't parallel with record?
I know this is years old now lol but here goes, if the arm is down at the back you may notice slightly more bass depending on the cartridge you have, if it’s down at the front it’s slightly more treble, both of these cause considerably more record and stylus wear too. Level means you’ll hear what you should/ is intended by the manufacturer and your record and stylus wear should be minimal, hope that helps someone 😊
Would you have to adjust the height as well when you change the turntable mat? I changed mine and its a little thicker than my other one. Its about 1/8th of an inch taller than my other one. Should I raise it any?
There is no height adjust on mine
Stick whit Orginal slip mat thicknes
i wanna buy pro-ject debut carbon, but it doesn't has hight adjustment. give me a doubt about buying that.
you guys have some advice?
I have the atlp120 with stock cart and even at 0 height the height is too high. The tone arm is angled slightly downward. Is yours like that?
I'm having the same problem
Yeah it is definitely a little too high. I guess we can try thicker mats to even things out a little better.
Same here with mine though mine is a Project Essential but it doesn't have an adjustable VTA, so I can't get a mat that's too thick.
I have a really nice turntable but it has no height adjustment? :(
+Ben Glady no worries, if the height is too low you could always try a thicker record mat!
Vinyl Eyezz in my case though, the ProJect Esprit tonearm is low, so my cork mat plus the acrylic platter made the cartridge end of the tone arm elevated, now its not parallel to the plinth/platter. :( ...or should i do what i was told which is using the acrylic platter directly under the record and that i was told theres no need for cork mat?
I agree you probably don't need a mat with your platter. Also, mats can introduce their own problems. I never use them unless there is a specific reason to do so.
Some turntables don't have these adjustments.
I don’t think your diagram with the pink line representing the record is very good. The reason I say that is that it would be better and more true for YES if the stylus was touching the pink “ record” as if it’s floating above the record and the arm is level it means nothing lol it looks more like a diagram for balancing the tone arm to zero the calibration lol, Yes lowering the image to touch the pink line would have the counterweight hitting the line too but the answer to that is delete the line under the count weight as the counterweight isn’t over the record anyway and often the bottom of it is below platter height if it’s level obviously. The top “no”should be touching the record too obv and again deleting the line below the counter weight so it can sit below record level will fix it, only the bottom “ no” is actually correct, I don’t mean to be pedantic and it’s an old video, but that would send a total noob down completely the wrong path, great try anyway😊
I don't think my old numark tt100s have a height adjust.... :-(
my turntable does not have that