Clearaudio Concept Setup

[TomS]

I have both the Acoustic Sounds and Hifi News discs and no, you don't necessarily need a scope. I use the Acoustic sounds track 2 and 3 with the Fozgo for azimuth and it works great. The disc is perfectly flat and the hole is properly centered as well. Very nicely done. Anti-skate isn't an issue on my T3Pro arm so I've not used those recently.

[JBNY]

I picked this up and it working great for a speed check

http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Digital-Laser-Tachometer-Contact/dp/B004Q8L894/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1344606454&sr=8-4&keywords=digital+laser+tachometer

Another vote, I have the same one, works great!

-Joe

[richidoo]

Thanks Bob, Tom...

Do you put a strobe tape sticker on the platter for that tach?

[etcarroll]

Rich -

A lot of the expensive digital scales are simply this unit with a new companies label. I bought one based on advice at AC and find it quite useful.

http://dx.com/p/digital-precision-scale-with-leather-case-5g-max-0-01g-resolution-16269

[richidoo]

Nice price Gene, thanks.

[TomS]

Thanks Bob, Tom...

Do you put a strobe tape sticker on the platter for that tach?

Yes just stuck it on the rim with a tiny dab of Blu Tak or similar. Works great.

[richidoo]

I see, it's only temporary...

Bill offered to loan me his Geodisk for an alignment, thanks very much Bill! 

The speed and Azimuth adjustments are on the bottom of my TT, so it's an iterative adjustment process. But better than no adjustments at all.

I also read that the magnetic pivot design of Clearaudio Concept arm has varying downforce across the arc. I'll have to measure it at a couple places and find a setting that works across the record.

[tmazz]

If nothing else, analog is always an adventure. 

[richidoo]

With pumpkinman's GeoDisc I was able to verify that the alignment is good. I didn't have to change it at all. Thanks Bill!

The Geodisc is very easy to use.

The Maestro wood cartridge sides are sculpted, not a flat side, plus the sides are not parallel to each other, they are off by a couple degrees. If one only looked at one side they might be tempted to adjust the cart. Looking on both sides reveals that the sides are both off the grid, in opposite directions by the same amount. But the front of the cart is flat and lines up with the grid.

Now I'll play with the tracking force, see how it changes across the record.

[Carlman]

Tracking force is my weak spot, I'll be interested to hear what you learn.  I know it should be simple but....
Is anti-skate different than tracking force?
Shouldn't it make a left-to-right channel difference? I haven't heard it.
If it's not there, the needle is much easier to slide across your record... bad! 
My Pro-Ject has a weight and a string with 3 notches as adjustment.  Most tables have a dial. 
The cart should have the amount of tracking force it likes in the specs.
-C

[richidoo]

Tracking force is the weight of the needle on the record, adjusted with the counterweight on the back of the arm. My cart likes 2.2g. But supposedly this Concept arm applies different weight depending on the position on the record, due to the magnetic pivot. I will measure it in several places today.

Anti-skate mechanism cancels the lateral force on the needle. Some explanations of anti-skate say that the outward pull of the needle is caused by centripetal force, but that is not true. The needle is not spinning with the record surface, so there is no angular acceleration of the needle, and no centripetal force. It is caused by lateral friction between disc surface and needle.

The needle wants to skate outward because the angle of the groove at the needle is not parallel to the line from the needle to the pivot. As the arm moves across the record this angle between groove and arm changes slightly and the anti-skate force should also change. On a linear tonearm, the angle is eliminated and no antiskate is necessary.  The needle angle is off by usually <1 degree. A longer tonearm reduces this effect. A linear tonearm eliminates it.

Even when there is an angle difference, the needle still stays in the groove because the skating force is usually not enough to lift the needle out of the groove. But it is enough to deflect the cantilever. To adjust the antiskate you can use a test record and voltmeter to balance the amplitude of each channel, or a grooveless LP to adjust the needle to sit still with the record spinning.

My antiskate adjustment is under the plinth, and set by factory, so I'm in denial for now. The arm moves outward on the down cue, even before it hits the record. More magnetic pivot side effects?

[richidoo]

The tracking force of the Concept arm is pretty uniform across the record surface, varying only .1g from outside to inside.

Note to self: don't believe everything you read on the internet! 

[Carlman]

Thanks, Rich... and I remember now what tracking force is..    The name always confuses me.. I would call it 'stylus weight' or something even more confusing for everyone but me.

[bpape]

Note to self: don't believe everything you read on the internet! 

"They can't put anything on the Internet that's not true."

"Where'd you read that?"

"On the Internet...."

Bryan

[richidoo]

Update:  I learned that the anti-skate force of Concept TT is set at the factory to be correct with a 2g tracking force. They say it is touchy, don't mess with it.

Fremer's review and various ads suggests that Concept TT comes with Verify tonearm, but it comes with the black colored Concept tonearm.

Adjusting the VTA to accomodate the Maestro Wood cartridge makes the cue level not work. The cueing beam does not reach high enough to lift the arm with arm adjusted level with Maestro. The Concept carts designed for this TT are shorter in height.

BobM, JBNY, what is the RPM resolution of that tachometer?

Listening to a LOT of vinyl now with my new amp. Starting to think about a better table.