How to balance a tonearm

[@rainroom16]

Fantastic video. Just did this on my Pioneer pl-112d. Your explanation made perfect sense and now my tone arm is perfectly balanced with the appropriate tracking force! Thanks!

[@bundoavfc]

This is the best explanation and calmest tutorial on this I have ever seen. Well done mate!

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

Thank you!

[@bundoavfc]

Watched it again today as my tone arm looked wonky on my PL-400. So clear. This tutorial could be a template for others. Not rushed but at the same time not full of filler.

[@hilltop69hustler]

this is a very well explained video that helped me set up my PL 512.👍

[@andyfortune1226]

Really helpful video in setting up tone arm weight, many thanks.

[@istomantynen]

I have pioneer PL-200 turntable. It is decent turntable. DD motor is very silent. Only what I done is oiling feets isolation rubbers with silicone oil. Now them are elastic. Price/ quality is o.k. It have original cartridge ( sound is good enough) but DUAL ULM 68E fit very well too.

[@mahoo1960-ed3fx]

Thanks, I lost my user manual so this was a great refresher. Any info on stylus set up for this turntable (PL-100), in particular tracking arc?

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

For a turntable at this level, I just use the LP Gear Quick Alignment Protractor. That is, in combination with a conical or elliptical stylus. A more advanced stylus shape is not justified with a turntable as simple as this. A conical stylus is very tolerant of misalignment but, at the opposite end (with advanced stylus profiles), precise alignment is critical. A PL-100 does not offer the adjustability required to properly set up a high-end cart. So, horses for courses. I do own a H-Fi News Analogue Test LP that caters for tweaking high-end gear, that comes with 3 versions of protractors. I can't say that I ever saw breakthrough results because I never knew if I was dealing with the effects of a worn record or incorrect cartridge alignment. The more you move up the ladder to gear that is precise, the more your system reveals the shortcomings in your front end. You can read more about alignment strategies here: www.vinylengine.com/protractor-user-guide.shtml

[@coreyjohnson2093]

Thank you for sharing.

[@bub1mark]

I have this same table love it!!

[@klepp19]

Your video is better. Some other videos say to have tonearm lever down when balancing tone arm.

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

Thank you! The cuing lever helps to protect the stylus from accidental damage. In fairness, I did not have the lever up all the time, but it is good practice to do so. However, the lever must be down when checking the balance between adjustments.

[@margaritazagorcheva4154]

You save us! Thank you ❤

[@babycatshifinvinyl6411]

Great video thanks. Just got a used one as a 2nd one for the room (have rega planar 1 plus outside) and so dont know much about vintage semi automatics. What is the best cart for this please? Mine still has the factory one.

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

I couldn't say what cart is best with this turntable. A safe choice would be Audio Technica AT95E. Finding the best performing cart with your turntable is usually a personal journey of discovery. In general I have had good results with various Audio Technica and Nagaoka carts. But a lot of models are no longer available. You can also look at the Hana brand.

[@chylogurti]

Really cool video. Thank you. I have a technics 3300 that I am trying to get playing. What stylus would you recommend please?

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

Sorry for the very late reply. If there is a cartridge already in place, then the replacement stylus must match the the cartridge model. If you are going to replace the cartridge, a good value model is Audio Technica AT95E.

[@Darren-D.C-Cross]

Thankyou! Very helpful!

[@TimothyGriffin-o5u]

The arm should float level for the zero setting.

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

You are absolutely free to do that. Many references will tell you to. My observation of the dependability of the dial indication vs actual stylus pressure was derived using the method I described here.

[@duncanmatthews1977]

This is an interesting point. Some say the arm should float level, but then different headshell/cartridge set ups will mean the stylus sits at different heights with a level arm, and so true zero should really be where the stylus ‘floats’ to. This is where this video was going by saying set zero = to the top of the rubber mat. This is then an actual zero reference to which the stylus pressure can be added. Where I would slightly disagree is that I think the horizontal reference point should be a record thickness above the mat.

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

@@duncanmatthews1977 your last sentence reflects my actual thinking. The person for whom I made this video was not familiar with turntables and I had to give him a "good enough" level of instruction. With more sophisticated turntable setups and advanced stylus profiles (in particular), the level of detail required can be critical. But the common or garden elliptical stylus is very forgiving. For the most part, applying audiophile knowledge to mass market turntables does not yield a benefit.

[@epg2501]

So basically you balance it by having the needle as close as possible to the mat, correct?

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

Yes. However, I have seen others set up the balance point with the arm horizontal. I believe that in practice there may not be a significant impact between the two zero balance points because the amount of adjustment required between the two is very small. My way may be more finicky, but it's what I prefer.

[@outlaw6849]

I have the same 1980 pioneer phono, what stylus do you have?

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

The one in the vid is an Excell cartridge. I currently use an Aiwa AP-2200 turntable with a Rega Carbon cartridge. The Rega is a fairly nice budget cart which would suit your turntable. I have also recommended Audio Technica AT95E.

[@slowboi1688]

Mines 1.5 on the main bit then 1 on the small anti skate so I’m not sure if that’s ok

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

It's fine if it sounds OK. I believe the arm only needs a bit of assistance to help counter inward momentum. But a lot of records have an off-centre hole, which causes it to swing left and right every rotation, which brings the advantage of anti-skate compensation into question.

[@thomasgeorgantas8502]

Great video! I have a similar one (pl300) and it's lovely. Could you tell me, if you know, its effective tonearm mass? ( I want to upgrade from the AT95e to the AT VM540ml ) Thank you.

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

No, sorry. I believe that most turntables have a similar tonearm mass that works with most cartridges. It is only when you start looking at exotic setups that it may become a concern. Like when you fit an ultra-light headshell or cartridge, for instance.

[@stevenjosephs9]

Why not do it with an old 12 inch record ( 33 rpm ) . I would not put my stylus near platter mat EVER

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

That would be safer. I do address this in the vid, though. Perhaps you missed it.

[@johnvassallo7353]

@@shaunonverwacht9626 the problem i have is that when the tonearm auto returns it can be heard going across the record??

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

@@johnvassallo7353 That will happen if the unit is powered on. It's not going to happen here because power is off. See 2:35.

[@clayton2873]

Sorry to inform you but that is incorrect the factor recommends a weigh setting for each cartridge you set the needle to ride on the record for it's best performance you can set it with the scale they make just for the occasion.

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

Check 7:20 to 7:28. I do mention that the stylus weight I was setting to is the recommended range for the specific cartridge fitted. Also, having set up many turntables, I have discovered that the dial on the weight stub on mid-range turntables in general is reasonably accurate when compared to what is indicated on a dedicated stylus pressure gauge. I have made the audiophile journey and I can tell you that much of it is not relevant for the purposes of a turntable of this spec, which is representative of what most users own.