Basic Cartridge Cantilever Alignment

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Before you begin using AnalogMagik, you will need to perform a basic cartridge alignment.  In this free video tutorial, we will show you how to:

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1. Mount the cartridge onto the tonearm

2. Determine the Pivot to Spindle Distance

3. Perform a basic cantilever alignment using the Acoustical System Professional Alignment Set or any alignment protractor of your choice

4. Introduce the concept of landing behavior

5. Optimizing Torque on the headshell screws

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After the basic alignment, you will then deploy the AnalogMagik software and Test LP to fine tune all the setup parameters.   We have made one video tutorial for each of these parameters.  They include:

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• Achieving proper turntable speed

• Setting up Azimuth (Horizontal balance & leveling)

• How to set Vertical Tracking Angle or Stylus Raking Angle (VTA & SRA)

• Determine proper Anti-skating force

• Optimizing Loading & Gain on the phono stage

• Measuring Vibrations & Resonant Frequencies

• Optimizing Vertical Tracking Force (VTF)

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An optimal cartridge setup is one which delivers the most accurate retrieval of recorded signal on an LP.     In order to achieve that, each setup parameter must be calibrated carefully.     Each setup parameter is interdependent on each other, and no single parameter can be set up in isolation.       You cannot simply setup Azimuth while ignoring Anti-skating, because if your Anti-skaing is off, chances are your Azimuth setting is inaccurate.    This sames applies to VTF, VTA and vice versa, they are all inter-dependent and correlated with each other. 

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AnalogMagik is the only software which will allow you to calibrate ALL the setup parameters.   We do not guarantee that ​meaningful measurements can always be derived from each of the setup parameters, because this is limited by the quality of the cartridge, tonearm and phono stage, but taken as a whole, if you can achieve good measurements with as many of these parameters as possible, we believe it will result in a much higher level of accuracy and a better sounding system. 

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Feel Free to Post the Video Links anywhere you like.  All the information on this website can be shared with anyone!

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