Precision meets Passion: Wally Tools Redefine Turntable Setup Mastery!

[@larryjohnson855]

I’m glad to see you do this video using and LP12. I have a full spec LP12 and always had my dealer set it up. I bought the Wally Tools kit and had him analyze my cartridge and create shims to correct the cartridge built in errors. I was blown away at the huge increase in sound quality and performance. Highly recommend buying and using Wally Tools!

[@lloydfurness414]

Dude, you look faded, but you are spittin' knowledge. Thank you.

[@MODAC]

Faded????

[@Trojan0304]

Sticking with my old protactor😊

[@bpalpha]

I just picked up a Technics SL-B10 Turntable from a thrift store and this vid makes me glad its a p-mount cartridge! I'm actually waiting on a belt to see if the machine holds speed well. It was the first Technics record player I've found while thrifting.

[@MashBill]

Having a p-mount cartridge doesn't mean the cartridge will be properly aligned. It just means you will not be able to adjust it into correct alignment.....

[@MODAC]

It’s a budget Technics with a P-Mount. It is very limited. Thx.

[@thebuxtstopshere]

Makes sense.. Have traveled the same journey. Thx D

[@restcarl83]

The business model of these type of companies should be based on providing RENTING options

[@MikeHenrick1]

Bang! 14 minutes in the price hit me wtf 395 dollars and 260 dollars. For that I want someone to come round my house and set it up for me, does he own wally world 😂.

[@adotopp1865]

The key to properly aligning the cartridge is to get the best sound out of it.

[@everTriumph]

I shall still set my ant-skate the old way. Ortofon test record and oscilloscope monitoring the constant tone tracks. If one side mistracks adjust anti-skate to shift the tracking pressure until either the issue is corrected or it mistracks evenly. If it mistracks evenly increase tracking force until it behaves itself. Tweak to perfection.

[@WAM-Engineering]

You can read my blog articles to see why by using a test record you have almost certainly overdone your anti-skating and have not had the benefit of knowing the other things about your tonearm that the WallySkater measures.

[@Jammerk40]

I used the Stephenson cartridge setup and I feel like everything went well.

[@richardtaylor8363]

but the anti scate is always changing, depending on what part of the record side the stylus is so it is always a compromise.

[@marcusklingman]

I have the Dr. Feickert Protractor Tool and love it.

[@ivansbacon]

Unfortunately, for me, the Wally tools are not affordable.

[@heifetz14]

If we bought them all it is the cost of a decent turntable or cartridge.

[@timessquarerecordscom1469]

I never use anti-skating Only time I miss it if the Record is warped

[@HliwJN83]

11:43 😬

[@obtainiumgaming4472]

The prices for the products is super high. I’m out.

[@most-best]

These tools are NOT a good investment because investments give a return equal or greater than the money invested. The return is assurance that a turntable is set up properly and that cannot possibly be worth $1000. Most of us will spend less than that on our turntable AND cartridge. These tools should be available for rent.

[@most-best]

I would pay $75 to rent this equipment for two weeks and do what I had to do to my turntable. It’s not worth buying unless you’re completely overtaken by audiomania.

[@ChrisMag100]

@@most-best I know of at least one audio society which owns a set which is available to its members.

[@most-best]

⁠@@ChrisMag100Do you have contact information for that society?

[@ChrisMag100]

@@most-best You’d want to connect with one in your area.

[@joesugarman1355]

I dunno. I wonder if you would have had a much different opinion on the value of Wally Tools if you had actually spent more than $600 of your own money on this equipment. Seems like a heck of a lot of cash to shell out for something that could make cartridges sound marginally better (you didn't sound overwhelmed) but certainly not easier to set up. For that kind of money, I'd want something that would make setting up my cartridge far easier than the current chore it is AND contribute to a truly noticeable improvement in sound. Seems like this is a lot of work for a negligible improvement. And that lengthy text exchange looked ridiculous! No thanks.

[@MODAC]

@DG-ie5ip salesman? That’s not my job. I really like Wally Tools and JR is doing a tremendous job. If you really care about setting up your turntable properly, I can see no superior products or services.

[@ChrisMag100]

I’ve spent over $1500 on Wally Tools. When I’m setting up one of my 3 tables, or those belonging to friends, they make life so much easier.

[@Coneman3]

JR is a good guy

[@len9518]

Several excellent tables, do not have antiskate functions. The superb AR-XA, introduced in 1961, could track easily and cleanly, at 1 gram, on the hottest records, using a high compliance cartridge, such as the ADC-1. Most folks cannot hear the difference with various antiskate settings. As you indicated, a proper AB test is needed. You are likely hearing the placebo effect. I say this with due respect, as a subsciber. Careful use of the standard tools, will yield th eproper settings.

[@mustbeblueraininAfrika]

🙄🤔no...use a old Vinyl with a stripe

[@jedi-mic]

Is there a measuring chart for knowing of for overhang? I can draw the angle must be something on the internet lothrum maybe, I'm repairing a turntable for a mate and he needs a decent mat what I'm going to make, I want to draw it on the mat so hes got a reference always. What null points distance did you use between the two and from spindle to first marking. Thanks

[@MODAC]

I'm not knowledgeable enough to answer questions like that. That's a question for JR.

[@ChrisMag100]

The Wally Tractor has Baerwald and Lofgren B alignment arcs. Baerwald nulls are 66mm and 129mm. Lofgren B are 70.3 and 116.6 mm. As far as overhang, it will vary depending on the pivot to spindle distance and the chosen alignment arc. It seems like Stevenson has the shortest overhang, then Baerwald, then Lofgren B.

[@jedi-mic]

@@ChrisMag100 I thought it said it was 120mm cheers it's 120.9 and 65.9

[@geoffreydebrito2653]

I find your podcasts to be of value but with all due respect... I have a couple of constructive criticisms. They may seem inconsequential to your theme here but however subconscious the impact of them may be, they at the least detract from the legitimacy of your message. Properly setting up a turntable takes patience and precision and the items I'm pointing out call into question how faithfully you follow your own advice. First is the background which is cluttered (scattered items in the open closet) and the Magnepan's appear to be positioned haphazardly. Little things matter, especially so as the fidelity of our system increases. Secondly, the record on the turntable is heavily scratched and filthy... The obvious point being what good is a properly setup table when it is playing records in appalling condition? Using a clean record, closing the closet door and positioning the Magapans and camera angle such that it presents an ordered view could be easily accomplished. As things stand, the above leads me to wonder how consistent and faithful to your own advice you in fact are in practice. A case of do as I say not as I do? Your prior videos indicate that not to be the case but someone watching the channel for the first time might well come away with that impression. Again, this is offered as constructive criticism. I wouldn't offer this feedback if I didn't value your experience-based podcasts. Thank you for bringing attention to the Wally Tools, any greater ease of use and certainty of precision is welcome in the exacting hobby that is vinyl playback.

[@MODAC]

I don’t agree on any of your points. Thanks for watching, though.

[@geoffreydebrito2653]

@@MODAC So much for "'Precision' meets Passion". Thank you for clarifying your position.

[@joemartin6439]

Wally tools are unreliable. Send money . Items don’t arrive for months

[@sexytasmin]

The correct term for anti-skating is BIAS. The control is a bias compensator!

[@MODAC]

Yes, I am aware...I believe I did mention bias at the beginning. Thx

[@everTriumph]

Either is correct. To avoid bias with my SME3009s2 I just fiddle with the dangly thing a bit.

[@papoosee]

I used to obsess over proper cartridge set up/alignment, but after realizing that all of this alignment philosophy is mostly theoretical and implicitly assumes an absolutely perfect pressing (not warped AT ALL, perfectly centered, etc) it really doesn’t matter because vinyl records are never perfect. Even the slightest warp, will throw off your VTA by magnitudes (think about how precise and small the changes we make to VTA or cartridge alignment and now imagine a edge warp or dish warp). Or imagine an off centered pressing (most records too) and how that affects anti-skate and stylus alignment. Of course, alignment matters, but not to this extent (unless your records are perfect). I just use simple tools to get it “close enough” and be done with it.

[@Fluterra]

Actually, it does matter, and proper setup makes a HUGE difference to sound quality. Don’t give up and get lazy.

[@JWD1992]

Regarding the comparison to a trip to the dentist, I can safely say that having wisdom teeth removed was less unpleasant than trying to align a cartridge. I actually understand all the concepts very well, but my hands are pathetic, so I cannot apply them correctly.

[@MashBill]

I've setup hundreds of turntables and have always used (and had good results with) the Dennesen Soundtractor.