How do I know if my cartridge is misaligned?

Possible symptoms of poor alignment include poor bass reproduction, poor treble reproduction, change in sound quality as the arm/cartridge tracks across the record, sibilance, muffled or muddy sound, and poor tracking.

How do you use a turntable cartridge alignment protractor?

Align Your Cartridge

1. Place this protractor on your turntable platter with hole over spindle.
2. Move cartridge/ tonearm until stylus rests exactly on center of bulls eye.
3. Move cartridge/ tonearm until stylus rests exactly on center of inner bulls-eye (66.04mm radius), Rotate protractor around spindle as required.

How do you calibrate a record player cartridge?

This adjustment is simple: using a level, check the positioning of the turntable on the axis of the width and depth, then adjust the height of the legs of the furniture or add wood slats under it until the turntable is at level. On some models, it is possible to adjust the feet in order to get the device at level.

How is cartridge overhang measured?

If you measure the distance from the tonearm pivot (or know it otherwise) to the center of the platter and subtract it from the distance from the tonearm pivot to the stylus (effective length) the result is the overhang.

Do I need to align my cartridge?

To ensure the most accurate reproduction of the recording, low noise and least amount of wear on the record and stylus, it is important that the stylus is aligned in such a way that its tip remains as tangent to the record groove as possible as it travels across the record.

What is a two point cartridge alignment protractor?

The two-point protractor has a dot for the stylus tip to rest on and a grid to which the stylus cantilever (the tube that extends from the cartridge body and has the stylus attached to it) aligns. If the stylus cantilever is not easily seen, align the sides of the cartridge body to the lines on the grid instead.

What is an overhang gauge?

This gauge sets the “overhang”. The “overhang” is the pivot to spindle distance plus the amount the stylus literally “overhangs” beyond the spindle. The gauge shows the two “null” points where there is zero tracking error (the stylus is tangential to the groove) if you accurately set up the stylus!

What is the gauge on the cartridge for?

The gauge aligns the cartridge/stylus so that the stylus tip contacts the walls of the record groove at the proper angle. Attached is a PDF file of the gauge. It can be printed and glued to thin cardboard if you wish to fabricate your own gauge. Print the PDF with No Scaling.

What is designed cartridge alignment?

Designed to allow users to align their cartridge at any two null points between 60 and 150mm. A quick and easy way for experimenters to judge the sonic merits of different alignment methods.

How do I align the LP5 cartridge to achieve this tangency?

A two-point cartridge alignment protractor can help achieve this tangency. You can download and print a two-point protractor from our website – just be sure to print the protractor to actual size. The LP5 comes with a printed protractor for convenience.

What is a two-point cartridge alignment protractor?

With a pivoted tonearm, it is possible to achieve perfect tangency at only two points as the tonearm travels in an arc across the record. These two points are known as null points (points where there is no tracking error). A two-point cartridge alignment protractor can help achieve this tangency.