How to set up a Turntable, cartridge alignment, overhang, VTA, VTF, vibration control, Gingko cloud

How to set up a Turntable

[@dbridger620]

That is a beautiful setup you have, and your advanced explanation of all the critical geometric tonearm adjustments is absolutely essential to get the best possible performance out of your table. My Technics SL 1200 MK II with a Shure V15 VXMR was quite fun to set up, and quite a challenge to get it "dialed" in just right. On the other hand, I could head over to Walmart and get me a $99 Crosley Cruiser. Now, that's sonic perfection!

[@GBLeo]

Thank you Ron, I have been enjoying records for a few years, and I am still learning. I found your video to be one of the most comprehensive and nicely explained guides, and have used it when I recently completely reset my Garrard 401 and custom plinth, with a Jelco 12" arm. The results were impressive, so thanks again.

[@markgallagher0000]

best explanation i have seen,its been about 10 years since my turntable has been out and i thank you for the refresh in how to set it up again,ill keep this video for when i get it out of its box.many thanks

[@RocknRonni]

you are most welcome

[@markgallagher0000]

hi there,seeing as you know so much on this stuff,i was wondering if you now where i can get a cartridge repaired?,i have a ortofon rohmann and it needs re-tipping and the leaver is off to one side,i did find a place but they wanted £450 plus £45 for looking at it{estimate}.kind regards mark

[@RocknRonni]

best place i know of is in the usa soundsmith www.sound-smith.com/index.php

[@DanaHirschberg]

Great review on a subject much talked about, more and more each day. You hit there nail on the head when stating "Using all these tools are just a guide, use your ear as the final guide". This happened to me this morning. Spend time using all the tools to setup all aspects of the table however when I played the record distortion was present when the song played and was stronger as the band got louder. I'm guessing the height is off. Like you suggested, go back raise or lower it and listen again. Many people state "Put on a CD and call it a day", and I do agree CD's or digital media is right for some situations (work, travel, etc.), but with a good setup on a turntable, records are magic.

[@lancedillinger]

Beautiful setup!! I agree about info. I have learned a lot from audiogon, vinyl asylum, and vinyl engine. Thanks for sharing!!

[@RocknRonni]

thanks Lance

[@BruceKinsey]

Great Video. Well explained and shot. Years ago, before the Gingko Cloud came out, I made individual vibration eliminating feet separated by ball bearings set between 2 pieces of glass that allowed me to lightly tap the base with a mallet without disturbing tracking whatsoever. Next to speaker choice, vibration control does give you your best bang for the buck.

[@RocknRonni]

thanks Bruce I value your opinion. Glad you were able to find a way to eliminate vibration.

[@richardriley4415]

I've got a quality turntable coming this week. This will be much help.

[@VinylRescue]

Great info on the video. I've got all the tools you've mentioned, not the exact same ones, but I've used them to make great recordings. For the price of the ginko audio pad (too much for my budget) I've been suspending my turntables for years with great results. I use memory foam under the turntable legs for dampening, and I get no vibration at all. I have a Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB (without the USB preamp) with a Audio-Technica AT440MLa cartridge connected directly to a Cambridge Audio preamp going through my Sound Blaster Recon3D sound card in my PC. I use a Nitty Gritty record cleaner to clean the grooves and a 1lb Rek-O-Kut disc stabilizer clamp that makes a world of difference. I use Adobe Audition to clean my recordings to CD quality. I've learned from various other people here on YT and there's no snake oil about it. I've taken a bit from different people here and made the best of my album collection. I have some CDs of my albums and I notice a warmer deeper sound of the same songs from the LP. Some CDs have bit a high shhh sound that I hear and see with Adobe Audition. Let albums live forever!

[@RocknRonni]

cool memory foam sounds like a winner to me gratz on your setup. i will look into the 1lb Rek-O-Kut disc stabilizer clamp mine is a nagoka and I i only hear a slight difference

[@VinylRescue]

I forgot to mention I use a Herbie pad on top of my anti-static pad. I noticed a difference of the pad when I use the disc stabilizer as it helps deaden and quieten the noise of the platter and the cartridge going through the grooves. Some people would say there probably isn't that much difference, but I can hear it and I'm picky! Considering the first cartridge that came with it and the manual adjustments I've made since then I feel it's worth it. I also have the HI-Fi News Analogue Test LP, which helped with anti-skating. If you're going to be serious about playing and recording LPs then make the investment - within one's budget.

[@RocknRonni]

thank for your very insightful reply glad you are getting the most from your records I appreciate your feedback

[@GrizzlyBearBob1]

Thank you very much for this informative turntable video!

[@RocknRonni]

you are most welcome. wish i had you tube back in the day when I first started trying to install a new cartridge on my then systemdek

[@MarkPMus]

Thanks for the video and for emphasising the need for correct set up. However, I would question the need for VTA adjustment. There are current turntables at very high prices (the Rega range for example) that don't include a facility to adjust the height of the tone-arm. Their logic is that an end user is never going to be able to get the cantilever 100% correct, 100% of the time. Records come in varying thicknesses, for starters, and this will affect the angle of the cantilever. So unless you want to adjust VTA for every record you play, it is necessary to arrive at a compromise. Rega, for example, ensure that if you use any of their cartridges, VTA will always be as correct as it can be, given those external factors. Should a user wish to use another manufacturer's cartridge, as long as the vertical tracking and anti-skate forces are correct, the sound will not be adversely affected. Adding about 0.1g of VTF will level out the tone-arm if you're that worried! :) I would also question the order the adjustments are made in. You adjusted the VTA before the VTF, which would mean that you'd need to check VTA again after the VTF was set. A logical order would be: 1: Level the TT 2: Balance the tonearm 3: Set VTF 4: Align the cartridge with a protractor 5: Set the VTA height, if your arm has such a facility 6: Set the anti-skate bias. Then check VTF and bias with a test-tone record. Verify anti-skate with a blank groove. Everything should now be OK and you can listen to your records, resting easy in the knowledge that your deck is performing at its best! :) Thanks for the video.

[@RocknRonni]

right thanks, when you buy a rega turntable you better like rega cartridges because the only provision to adjust vta is with spacers, shims www.analogplanet.com/content/rega-spacers-final-frontier "Should a user wish to use another manufacturer's cartridge, as long as the vertical tracking and anti-skate forces are correct, the sound will not be adversely affected. Adding about 0.1g of VTF will level out the tone-arm if you're that worried! :)" Wrong if the cartridge body is considerably smaller of larger you cannot level the arm by adding only .1 gram of VTF thats why they make shims but if you are going to invest in a cartridge that is far costlier than a complete rega turntable you are probably going to get a better turntable. Rega is great value for a reason. . Like I said low end 70's type turntables do not have provision to adjust arm height and they come with a cartridge pre mounted one that is in the ballpark for vta once you have vtf set. on these turntables it is important to use the alignment protractor to adjust overhang But now what if you have a $1,200 cartridge as I do that is very fussy about vtf and vta to sound its best? will I use it on a midfi turntable that has no provision to set vta? or will I probably have a higher end turntable that lets me really dial in the setup, to make it sound its best. or like I said you get a platter mat what then? lower end equipment does not provide the details in the music like higher end equipment. frequency response is rolled off so you cannot hear the mistracking and misalignment distortions. problem is now record wear Better arms sound better for a reason. The folks that engineer these products are pretty smart and make a modestly priced turntables sound as best as they can for a price. You are correct lower end cartridges are less fussy for VTF but as you go up the food chain they are now precision made and need a precision set up to sound their best

[@darrenjones3784]

Just what I was thinking.

[@vintagestereo]

that's a mighty turntable, nice video too

[@billwillard9410]

vintage stereo Yes, I think he can afford a digital scale.

[@bronsonbranch7765]

Thanks . I never knew that i was such an amatuer until I watched this

[@kenmeen8918]

Origin Live turntables and tonearms are outstanding, performing at the highest level for a very reasonable price. Can be bought directly from Origin Live on Audiogon. Love your setup.

[@allanredford6070]

very good. one thing, tho, could be clearer, that you first need to balance tone arm(by djusting big counterweight at blunt end of arm), THEN set tracking(downforce)weight - all after using protractor to set-up geometry of arm the first time. you can download and print out stevenson protractor free. oh, if your cartridge has a at stylus guard, deploy it when adjusting arm height(if your tonearm has this adjustment). this avoids bouncing the stylus,bending its cantilever, accidentally.if no guard, make one with a U-shape piece of electrical tape, attached to headshell.

[@coda514]

Thank you for this, I have a much better idea of how to set up my table now. I am experiencing noise as the tonearm gets closer to the center of the album. It was suggested that I check the alignment, overhang ,etc.I enjoy a good challenge.Well done.

[@RocknRonni]

as the tonearm gets closer to the center of the record the neddle is going around the record faster and the centrifugal force, forces the needle to be pressed harder to the inner grove wall this is called skating. and we adjust the anti-skating to apply a force equal to the skating force to balance it out

[@thebreretons]

Ron Beaudry Centrifugal force has nothing to do with the requirement for anti-skating bias. The amount of bias required is directly related to the frictional force the stylus "sees" as it reads a modulated groove and varies according to modulation depth. The longitudinal force acting along the length of an offset cartridge does not pass through the arms pivot point thus creating a pull to one side. A simple diagram triangulating the forces acting on the stylus would prove this point. Incidentally Sony introduced a range of Bio-tracer turntables which incorporated lateral tone-arm damping to improve bias accuracy and stability.

[@canuckkhan]

Your video is great, very educational and informative. I just wish you could explain, a bit more, about the VTF, and the arm alignment. I am not an expert but I do know that precise VTF will give you highly musical sound and you won't risk damaging your records. And I can't remember any mentioning about anti-skate adjustment.

[@gullgrey]

Very sympathetic and very informative video!! Thank you!! :)

[@gullgrey]

..a pity about the ending though :)

[@RocknRonni]

Dennis Block yes the longest video i can put on you tube is 20 min

[@RocknRonni]

thanks Dennis hope you enjoyed the video

[@gullgrey]

I surely did. And I even learned a thing or two :)

[@bugdrvr]

Thanks a lot for the video, it helped me out a great deal.

[@RocknRonni]

your welcome when I bought my first turntable with an height adjustable tonearm I was lost no youtube back then. My HI FI dealer helped me out sold me the protractor I still use today. On my first attempt I broke the stylus on the cartridge. yes you need good advice and some experience to do this its not hard but you need good sight and patience.

[@truthseeker9243]

You’re wearing a pinkfloyd t-shirt ... you can’t go wrong in my book !!!

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

The question: Is it snake oil or not? If you can hear the difference on the gear you can afford and it matters to you then it is very real. But if your gear and your ear just can't go there, well, you have to understand that perception is truth just like it is to someone with "the bug." Both are valid. Perspective, perspective, perspective.The only sin that people on both sides of the equation commit is to assume that there's is the only way. There are people who get just as much joy from a Farm-all tractor as you get from a high-end system. And yes, some of them are laughing.

[@mic982]

Perhaps my purchase of the Denon TT was a good one for me because that model does not have a lot of these adjustments and so, no need to fidget with them. I can adjust tracking force and that's about it. As long as i continue to use the proper Denon cartridge a lot of the need for adjustments are nil. I too have 40 and 50 year old records that still sound fantastic on this early '80's TT. This is NOT to say there is no merit in this videp, because there really is. Nice job.

[@jochenstacker]

I always though the alignment protractor was to ensure the cartridge was parallel to the groove, nothing to do with overhang. Overhang is merely how far the tip of the needle is past the spindle, an entirely different measurement.

[@RocknRonni]

well you are right but to set overhang you use the alignment protractor using the same method to achieve zero tracking error using the null points. When you set one you effectively set both because the adjusting point on the head shell is the same. you can read more on this topic here www.analogplanet.com/content/setting-overhang-using-double-null-point-grid-type-alignment-gauge

[@jochenstacker7448]

Ron Beaudry Thanks, I will check this out, I have a Kenwood KD 990, which hasn't been adjusted since the 90's, so I guess its time to give it the once over.

[@RocknRonni]

yes and if the alignment is off after the adjustment you will maybe hear a difference especially during complex music passages but your records will surely feel the difference and last longer

[@ArshadHaroon]

Hi Ron, hope you can help me. I have a BSR 35CS Mcdonald record changer, everything works great except when I want to turn it off, and slide the slider to Auto so that it should turn off, the tonearm goes to the resting place and right away goes back to play the record. It does not go down upon the resting stand so that it should turn off. It use to work great but may be I touched some setting, please let me know how to do this. Thanks in advance.

[@fingersmagoo9344]

great suggestion on the protractor line, I just bought that and was trying to figure out how to level arm or at least see how it rode on record, now I can figure that out. I actually have my table mounted on one of my foundation posts that hold my house up. I use hockey pucks for control. You are never done learning or trying new stuff to get this science right. Great table you have there. What is the name of the table?

[@joemartin6439]

I built an audio sandbox on haft Squash balls on my 2.5 Birds Eye maple bench

[@RocknRonni]

most of the better modern turntables have the ability to adjust VTA by raising or lowering the arm. As i say in the video older vintage turntables do not have this provision.

[@vinylcity1599]

2:30, that's exactly what I keep telling people, if you play them back properly and keep a unworn stylus on your cartridge, also keep the stylus and the record clean! Then there's no wear! I try to tell them not to believe in a lot of these videos on KZbin (record under a microscope after 50 plays for example), because that guy probably played them on a crappy turntable, among other things! The number of plays doesn't matter if you play them correctly!

[@RocknRonni]

Exactally Brother

[@wadebradley7388]

WHAT KIND OF GAUGE ARE YOU USING, ITS THE BEST ONE I HAVE EVER SEEN! LOVE YOUR SETUP TOO!

[@RocknRonni]

+Wade Bradley thank you very much its a low cost gauge currently on ebay to make it easier use a large nail with a sharp point to make a very small dimple precisely on the dot where you must place the needle point makes it a lot easier to locate www.ebay.com/itm/Turntable-Phono-Cartridge-Stylus-Alignment-Protractor-Tool-Mirror-/391121764118?hash=item5b10ac7f16:m:mqzHElu2TveCQnENKTo7mkA search under Turntable Phono Cartridge Stylus Alignment Protractor Tool Mirror

[@darrenjones3784]

This is all well and good, but how do you allow for warped and records that aren't quite flat? No record, especially new ones are totally flat.

[@RocknRonni]

I don't have any problem with minor variations of flatness with my turntable something that's badly warped is belongs in the trash

[@robertdevoy3119]

You left out azimuth adjustment. Does your tonearm allow for this?

[@allanredford6070]

not many do, its sometimes an adjustment on the headshell, especially if arm has fixed eadshell like my old Grace G707.- azimimuth is lateral parallelism of the headshell to record/platter(and therefore cartridge, if its fitted properly), when headshell isviewed from the front, head on.

[@cabinfever5605]

Hey man I just bought an ion profile pro and it has a lot of distortion when records are played on it- not sure how to fix it.

[@ConnahJay]

Great video! Whats the model of protractor you use? I need to get myself one like yours.

[@RocknRonni]

+Connah Jay There is no identification of any kind on the protractor just search ebay "turntable protractor" you will find it. Glad you liked the video, and thanks for watching

[@ceceandrick]

Liked your video. Yes I use the anti static inner sleeves on everything I own. What a difference. I cleaned all my records first. I have a Pro-Ject carbon Debut. I was checking out the isolation slab's and interested in them more now after your video. I do have the dust cover and noticed the first day how it picks up noise like a microphone when i just touched it. So the nice thing is it can be removed without tools by just sliding it up off the spike hinges from back of TT. I will be removing it when playing records for sure now. What brand was your isolation platform ?

[@RocknRonni]

Richard Braun it's called a Gingko cloud

[@ceceandrick]

Thanks

[@aphatdj1]

Sir very informative video here thank you for making it. But i cant make out what the tt base is called. Are you saying Ginko Cloud? Also what brand or model surge protector strip should i buy for cheep? Will it also condition the ac power for noise or , is that a separate purchase i have to make as well? Thank you for reading this sir. Danny.

[@RocknRonni]

Hey Danny www.gingkoaudio.com/cloud10.html i found the cloud to be a worthwhile purchase about power conditioners yes they are good to have but I cannot recommend any because I do not have one but Audiogon is a good place to get that information if you take the time and search the forums you can learn alot from like minded folks that have more experience app.audiogon.com/

[@tigerbos9101]

Well here's one maybe you can help with. Recently joined Vinyl Me Please and one side of the record at the end when the arm picks up after the record is over, scrapes the end of the record as it's moving back into position. None of my other records do that and it only does it on one side of this album. Tried the same album on a different turntable and that one does fine so not sure what it is 'special' about this album that the arm doesn't lift high enough on side 2 and doesn't do it on any of my other albums. I have an 80's MCS turntable so not sure how to adjust the arm lift but it's driving me nuts that somewhere something is off...I know it can't be the vinyl so something needs adjusting....

[@RocknRonni]

+Tiger Bos well if none of your other records have the same problem its something with the record maybe dished where its slightly higher on one side than the other, no adjustment that I know of on automatic turntables sorry

[@tigerbos9101]

Yeah, I've been playing records for years and never had this issue. I actually wondered if it could be higher on one side but quickly decided I was crazy for thinking that! Thanks for your thoughts!

[@RocknRonni]

the record may be cupped that's why it's higher on one side than the other

[@elliotbuckingham674]

how accurate is the alignment on a concord style cart

[@fredfungalspore]

Everything makes a difference it depends how deep your pockets are 😁

[@turntablesrockmyworld9315]

Good attempt at explaining but like most of these videos, one cannot follow the video and do what he says as there are many terms and details glossed over.For example, when he is showing how to use the protractor to set the height, you cannot even see what he is doing with it. It did clear up a couple things, but in the end not the best video as it started out to be. People forget simple rules of training: explain, demonstrate clearly, repeat, anticipate questions. Thanks for video.

[@dulls8475]

I missed the overhang> Where did that happen?

[@RocknRonni]

You overhang is when you use the alignment protractor 5.50

[@AndreasProdromitis]

what Gingko cloud model is that?

[@RocknRonni]

+Andreas Prodromitis Gingko 11 made for a VPI got it on a really good sale works really well

[@elvislad]

I have a rega rb 250 arm which doesnt have vta adjustment so I suppose I could achieve the same effect with a thicker or thinner platter mat?

[@RocknRonni]

if you use a Rega cartridge VTA is set If you want to use a different cartridge Rega sells spacers you put under the arm to set VTA for other cartridges

[@rabarebra]

Ron, what about Mofi Ultra Low Noise feet? $249. Do you think they work? I can't find any video on YT or review of them anywhere.

[@RocknRonni]

Anything that helps with vibration is it good tweak

[@rabarebra]

@@RocknRonni I can't find one single review or test on those. I have them at home for testing. I can't hear a frickin' difference to be honest.

[@RocknRonni]

Well if you can't hear a difference there probably isn't one when I used my Ginkgo Cloud not only could I hear the difference but my two kids could hear it as well

[@rabarebra]

@@RocknRonni Which one of them do you use? And underneath the turntable? Did you have vibrations come from the floor, or is it vibrations caused by sound waves hitting the turntable (I believe the latter should bounce off?).

[@jedi-mic]

I got something even better for you and cost you about $4 if you're interested let me know I've got time to write it now

[@mikecoffin3160]

I've a linear tracking turntable (Pioneer PL-L1000A) it calls for 0 (zero) over hang, can I use a protractor to set this?

[@thecarman3693]

Stylus protractors have 1 or 2 locations (null points) where the stylus/cartridge has zero tracking error to the record groove. Using it on a linear tracking arm should work just fine, as theoretically the arm has zero error across the entire LP, not at just those 2 points. Having 2 measurable null points however will let you know if the tracking remains consistent to the groove across the record.

[@jimlayhey1965]

i have audio technica lp120 usb i have mini bookshelf receiver it has no phone plug inputs. i use aux input turntable has pre built in.the cd sounds better than turntable if i get amp with phono inputs will i get same results

[@RocknRonni]

no you should get a lot better sound with a lot better phono preamp keep in mind you probably need an upgrade on your turntable as well but one thing at a Time

[@RocknRonni]

the phono preamp is built into the turntable correct so you can use your auxiliary input best way is to come off the turntable bypass your built-in pre photo in the turntable and get a better preamp with a better phono section that will give you better sound actually a better turntable and a better preamp much better sound

[@jimlayhey1965]

thanks

[@onlyfacts4me]

how important is your selection of external preamp to you?

[@RocknRonni]

everything is important phono preamp and your external preamp mine is tubed and battery powered makes a big difference so does your turntable selection your cartridge selection right now I'm looking at the Avid pulsus phono preamp as the next upgrade for me

[@Jonathan_Watts]

What's the name of that vibration base? Cloud what? Can you send me a link?

[@RocknRonni]

just Google GINGKO CLOUD

[@onlyfacts4me]

Do most preamps work fine with both MM and MC cartridges?

[@RocknRonni]

+Kyle Comeaux MC cartridges are low output so they must be stepped up to have enough gain to drive a preamp. A mm cartridge has enough gain to drive a preamp with out an additional gain stage. so the preamp must have both a mm and a mc phono section to play both types. many of todays new preamps have no phono section at all. Many of the vintage preamps have only MM then you have others that have both mm and mc sections built in.

[@ROBERT60ify]

How far forward in the headshell should the cartridge be??

[@thecarman3693]

To determine this distance, I strongly recommend using a cartridge protractor with 2 null points ... although you can get pretty close with just 1. They are a very modest investment and should be used every time your cartridge is replaced.

[@canuckkhan]

@@thecarman3693 What is a NULL point? A video or an image would help on this one. Thanks.

[@DaMo-Studios]

can I use that same protractor for an S-shaped arm?

[@RocknRonni]

yes np thanks for watching and good luck

[@SDsailor7]

What if your turntable does'nt have a vertical adjustment? Then what do i do? Anyone know? Thank you

[@RocknRonni]

You need to stick with the kind of cartridge it came with the turntable upgrade path will include a new turntable

[@SDsailor7]

@@RocknRonni Thank you for the fast repply Ron. And for the advice. Cheers

[@thecarman3693]

A method that can work in tilting the cartridge back (lifting the front of the cartridge up) is to use shims between the body of the cartridge and headshell. This will cause the tonearm to stop its lowering earlier upon contacting the record's surface. Very thin washers may work as well, and some cartridges come with those.

[@SDsailor7]

Thank you for the tip.Cheers

[@bootasinghwarring1109]

Good job One record Plyar send me please sir Thanks

[@richardannor9282]

wow what a hassle just to listen to my vinyl ive got an audio technica player and Ortofon 2m red cart might as well send it to hifi repair shop would be a lot cheaper.God Cds I hate to say so much easier to deal with>

[@RocknRonni]

on the low end turntables you don't have the adjustments that were talking about on the video except for the overhang and the tracking force

[@anthonybernard3689]

audio cheapskate? this system probably cost over 10k!

[@RocknRonni]

hi thanks for the comment I have purchased most of my equipment used and the items purchased when reviewed punched well above their price point. In high end audio HI FI its easy to spend 10k on just a turntable setup, but i understand where you are coming from

[@RocknRonni]

Vta we're referring to the angle of the stylus not the angle of the tonearm your correct in the way you're thinking of it you put a lot of time and thought into the process I appreciate your input

[@johnsweda2999]

Vta nonsense, you don't want to be way off of course but close enough, a perfect rake angle would be 88° rake, but every records you put on your turntable is going to be a different height 1 to 4° differences only if you can adjust it for every record you play people can't and wouldn't want to not necessarily. Yes Origin live very good you use their bearing oil? What is the tonearm you've got thinking about getting a silver ? not seen that arm what model is it. Couldn't Find out where the motors are made do you know are they Swiss? is it AC or DC. It's not the arm that has to be level it's the body of the cartridge has to be level with the surface of the record it should be lined when they line-up the counter lever under the microscope is the body of the cartridge is level with the record your needle should be at the right angle or close to it. You can make your own isolation feet use soft silicone ideally and Blu-Tack, find a containers that's at least an inch across or 2 inches ideally and an inch and a half deep. Fill it with silicone like bathroom sealant two-thirds to the top allow about half an inch from the top .After the silicone has dried fill with Blu-Tack. and a piece of blue tack underneath to give a stability and more isolation you might want to place some felt pads on top of the Blu-Tack if you have spiky feet on your turntable, rest the turntable on the feet no pressure put down on it. When applying Blu-Tack give it a gap around the edge to the container use a bit of thick card around the inside of the container, on the inside of the card rub a candle liberally on the card to stop the blue tack stick into it you might find plastic might work better ideally want millimetre or two gap after you put the blue tick in and levelled it to the surface carefully remove the cardboard try not disturb the Blu-Tack. You can make your own mains cable use standard cable if it's decent multi-strand, but layered on top 2.5mm solid core wire same stuff to use in the wall two core and an earth, the Earth from the solid core connect to the Earth to the plug but the the other end unconnected, still leave the Earth wire on the multi Strand cord if it comes with one always connected at both ends, you're adding shielding to the cable floating Earth. the solid core helps with base multi-strand cable is better for Mid to High frequencies. Try and go with silver here is better something like QED, shrink-wrap put them all in a shrink wrap and you got a good cable try and get oxygen free cable ofc copper, if you can. You always connect your shielded wire for the mains back to Earth same with interconnects back to the amplifier and only. That's Why they have arrows on them

[@cerrem1]

Using the body of the cartridge against a protractor as a reference has no true correlation to the stylus/cantilever alignment..... You would be surprised to see how far off these two are on all price levels of cartridges... Use of a test record and a scope + distortion analyzer will get real life dynamic calibration results....

[@z1522]

Actually, the major old established brands generally make cartridges so that when the proper force and a nearly level headshell are established, the stylus will ride within the proper range, so bothering with esoteric micro-tuning or brands may be a waste of time and money.

[@0177MrGreen]

Did you ever wonder why you get so many thumbs down? Just asking ..

[@RocknRonni]

never even looked at that before, probably because its not a video for kids and how to set up a crosley. Its long and boring But if you want to learn how to set up a high end turntable this video is full of knowledge, and you will learn how to do it right. Did you notice it has almost 152000 views so i guess only 73 folks not liking the video is not so bad lol Michael fremer one of the editors of stereophile has a turntable setup video with about 50,000 less views he has 40 dislikes so I guess there's no pleasing some folks

[@CitizenofTatooine]

cd's, digital downloads... yuck.

[@javonteburris3954]

They pay all of that money for a record player without a dust cover lol

[@RocknRonni]

lol ha ha ha Dude you don't want a large piece of Plexiglas attached to your turntable it acts as a megaphone to transfer vibrations back into the turntable muddying up the sound. Now of course on your lower end record players they are not as sensitive so the dust cover is not an issue with them.

[@javonteburris3954]

Ron Beaudry How do you know what kind of record player I have again?? Yes I see what your saying but you mean to tell me your going to play your records while they attract all that dust. I'll stick to the "MUDDY sound" if I'm going to keep my records longer

[@RocknRonni]

My records are clean they come out of my anti-static inner sleeves now the records are static free and do not attract dust. When you pull a record out from a paper inner-sleeve that creates a static charge on your record. when i put a record on the turntable for 20 minutes per side tell me again how they get dusty? they do not . Now if i leave the record on the platter for a week then yes maybe it will have minor dust issue. I want the best sound I can afford so I don't want a dust cover attached to my turntable when i play a record. How do I know what kind of record player you own by your first statement shows a lack of experience and knowledge about turntables, but we all start from the same place. I hope you are willing to learn and will watch more of my videos in making them I have learned much about records thanks again for watching

[@jgfergus]

Never have a dust cover on when playing records. Use a dust cover when the table is not in use. Ron is correct.

[@thecarman3693]

Turntables such as this should have a custom acrylic cover made to sit over the entire set-up without touching any part of it ... like a box without a bottom. That way you can choose to either keep it off when playing an LP or place it back over it. I had 2 made to keep on my Cary tube amps when not in use.

[@plantsnpets8563]

your instruction is too way long... i need direct to the point... thanks

[@RocknRonni]

+Woodywood Picker setting up your turntable is a combination of many important separate factors don't get in a hurry. it takes time to do it right. watching a 17 min video is the easy and least time consuming part of the process. if your turntable has a vta adjustment it will take time to do it right if not then you are watching the wrong video. setting up a Analogue turntable to maximize performance takes time.

[@plantsnpets8563]

ok thanks pal....

[@RocknRonni]

you are welcome and thanks for watching

[@MrJamescord]

Saw a guy doing a turntable set up seminar and he said it could be a 3 plus hour task, said to get comfortable and not to wear a suit while doing this!

[@rcwiseman6857]

Excellent(?) lesson in the theory. Nothing much practical. "tan-jen-shall". Tangential. 1:10 HTH.

[@RocknRonni]

Thanks for your comments Let me know when you make a video so I can see how great it is. I'm just doing my best To try to help folks that don't know much about turntables sorry if I didn't meet your expectations

[@rcwiseman6857]

@@RocknRonni - that's rather petulant isn't it, Ron. Not a rational response to criticism and correction. Please note: all you did was speak about the things that should be done. Pure theory. You showed nothing about actually doing it. That's the purpose of video instruction, surely? And now you know the pronunciation of tangential. That's valuable, isn't it? A waste of time is visited upon everyone who clicks.

[@kidnamedfinger6323]

And digital still sounds better lmao