Anti skate cranked up to 3

don philipe

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
I have this test record with blank space to check the anti skate and I have to turn mine all the way to max to get it to stop drifting in. Both my tables.
Technics sl 1700 and Hitachi ht 550.What's up with that? Yes they're level.
 
I think a blank space is a good place to start but not all that definitive/absolute in setting AS. How fast of a drift? Rapid or slowly so?
 
No guarantee the anti skate calibration means anything after 30 years. If I had a test record I'd use that too.
 
The higher the tracking force, the more skating effect.......

MacNoob is correct. 30 year old tables are not in calibration anymore (the spring is sprung).........
 
Tracking force is set to recommendations by the manufacturer.
I think I'll leave it wide open to 3 for a while and stretch the spring a bit then back it off,my only recourse.
 
My antiskate on my old PS-X6 is very weak and doesnt seem to work much but the arm tracks fine and stereo images are solid and don't move around.
 
I judge antiskate by ear. Too little and sounds are more prominent in the left channel. Too much and the soundstage collapses. Find a nice point where the soundstage is even and deep. Of course if the antiskating is truly worn out I would use the upper range of tracking force as suggested by the manufacturer.
 
Not all test records are good, or good to use on all cartridges/arm combos so I never use them. Just use a LP set the skate to the VTF and test by ear and the action you see the arm doing.
 
I generally adjust it by ear and that works for me. I believe the Technics is spring loaded but the Hitachi I don't know.Can't see anything visually when It's opened up so maybe it is magnetic.Never heard of that,wonder how it works.
 
So, let me ask, just because you can stop the tone arm from skating on the test vinyl, it doesn't mean it will sound right or good, true?
 
Most of the time you want as little AS as possible and none at all if you can eliminate it all together.

I think that's what they recommend for my VPI. I always thought you don't want the stylus to lean too much on one side of the record groove.
 
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