Most of the visual cues you know are still there, right down to that same cartridge alignment tool, but everything is finished to a much higher standard. I prefer the Technics alignment. With the mounting hardware loose enough to allow forward and backward movement of the cartridge in the headshell, position the cartridge to allow the stylus tip to rest on the protractor’s outer dot (the dot farthest from the center spindle). Interestingly for such a popular-to-the-point-of-iconic turntable, the alignment recommended by Technics is … For the AT-LP120-USB turntable, the effective length is 230.5 mm. They should align to the inner dot/grid without further adjustment. Next, align the stylus cantilever to the lines on the grid. There are various tools available for achieving this alignment. The protractor on our website is suitable for both of these turntables. I bought a Technics SL1200 deck last week to have a play with. When aligned, your cartridge body should be parallel to the headshell, with the distance between the tip of the stylus and the rubber washer at the rear of the headshell exactly 52MM. Arc protractors allow super fast, accurate cartridge alignment. Hi Ashley; Following unsatisfactory trials of various protractor downloads from Vinyl Engine, including those with my own measurements, I purchased and tried the Polaris alignment and found it to provide the result you thought it would, ‘just OK’. TECHNICS SL-1200 MK2 STANDARD PROTRACTOR CARTRIDGE ALIGNMENT TOOL. This protractor will align a cartridge to the factory Technics alignment, the same that is achieved when using the supplied overhang gauge. Another protractor for the Technics, this time aligning to the Lofgren A or Baerwald alignment, with IEC standard null points of 66 and 120.9MM. Other protractors can be downloaded from the Vinyl Engine. Be sure to choose a protractor that matches your arm or turntable, as the accuracy of these protractors relies on the pivot to spindle distance being correct. If you choose to use a different protractor, it is important to select one that is suitable for the effective length of the tonearm on your turntable. $7.33. This Arc Template Generator will calculate an arc protractor like those above based on your tonearm mounting distance, desired null radii and any of the 3 common alignment families. The 2 alignment geometries are calculated to minimise tracking error and distortion. 2 turntable simply because this turntable is so ubiquitous. AT-HS1 Universal Headshell - Silver. This alignment offers less RMS and peak distortion than the factory Technics alignment, though you may find the difference to be subtle at best. Audio-Technica. Better results can be attained using the Turntabulator app for iOS. A simple way to set overhang is to use an overhang gauge that has markings in millimetres (mm). This protractor offers an extremely accurate way to align your cartridge using the Technics null radii of 58.8 and 113.5MM, resulting in an overhang of 15MM and an offset angle of 22 degrees, exactly as specified by Technics. Aligning your cartridge is a precision task and cannot be done by eye or guess work alone. 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. There are 2 popular alignment families, known as Baerwald (or Lofgren A) and Stevenson. Below are some downloadable PDF arc protractors, used to align a cartridge to various standard null radii. Cartridge Alignment Procedure When installing a new cartridge or headshell on the AT-LP120-USB or AT-LP1240-USB turntable, leave the mounting hardware just loose enough that you can move the cartridge forward and backward in the headshell with moderate effort. Seb's Arc Protractors. Most Rega arms follow the 222MM mounting standard, including the RB300, 301, 303, 330, 808, 2000 and many others. Cartridge fitting Notes. Interesting article Here. Technics 1200 Cartridge Alignment. If you know the pivot to spindle distance if your arm, creating your own protractor is a simple task. This will set the correct stylus overhang. Title: Turntable phono cartridge allignment protractor Author: Rowan Holmes, Styli.co.nz ADJ Products TT-HEADSHELL Turntable Cartridge 4.5 out of 5 stars 130. Make any necessary adjustments, then recheck the alignment against both the outer and inner dots/grids. Excel Spreadsheet To Make Your Own Protractor! The alignment gauge also includes the arc prescribed by a correctly aligned cartridge on the standard Technics SL-1200 Mk. Note: Before aligning your cartridge, make sure your turntable is set up properly and the tracking force is adjusted – How to set up your turntable. These two points are known as null points (points where there is no tracking error). This simple tool makes aligning a cartridge and stylus a breeze on my Technics SL-1600MK2 and SL-D2. I wound up with. If your cartridge wasn’t aligned, you’ll hear the difference immediately and it will also help with stabilising the arm, which means no skipping. You'll find an Excel file at the link located below this article. While a little crude, this protractor works well if you don’t know the specific pivot to spindle mounting distance of your turntable and if your turntable wasn’t provided with an alignment gauge. For s-shaped tonearms, technics, at-LP120 you can use an alignment tool to put on the headshell, keep cart straight in headshell and move to end of alignment jig (52mm for technics) and 53 mm for LP120 ( move 1mm extra last jig for LP120. A Lofgren A protractor for Rega arms mounted at 222MM, aligning to the IEC standard null points of 66 and 120.9MM. There’s lots of info on Vinyl Asylum including spreadsheets and formula to help you find the correct figures. Hi Ashley, Technics overhang gauge The two key factors in mounting a Cartridge to a Technics Headshell are the that the Cartridge needs to be absolutely PARALLEL to the sides, and that the the Tip of the Stylus needs to be 52mm form the Headshell mount as shown in the graphics. ... STYLUS for TECHNICS P34 SLBD20D SLBD22D ATN3472 ATN3482 … Hi everyone, I recently purchased a Technics 1200 mk2, and did some research into setting it all up. At the very least, the specified stylus overhang (the distance the stylus tip extends beyond the centre spindle when the headshell is positioned directly above the spindle) should be set. I have been unable to ascertain it’s associated null points, which.don’t appear to have been published thus far. Any amount is gratefully received! Note that on a turntable that includes a premounted cartridge/stylus the overhang has typically been preset at the factory. $27.36. How To Change The Stylus On Your LP60 & LP3, How To Change The Stylus On Your LP5, LP120 Or LP1240, You can download and print a two-point protractor from our website. This tool is suitable for accurate mounting and alignment of all Linn mounting pattern tonearms. High-performance phono cartridge with finely polished elliptical diamond tip. Cartridge Alignment Protractor Tool - Phonograph LP Phono Cartridge Stylus Alignment Protractor Tool Record LP Vinyl with Magnifier. Free Turntable Cartridge Alignment Protractors and Strobe Discs, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Part 14, Addendums, glossary of terms and Conclusions, A Guide to Turntable, Tonearm and Cartridge Specifications. Continue reading: Part 14, Addendums, glossary of terms and Conclusions. I've ran into a couple of ways one can align the cartridge; using the overhang tool and using a protractor. It came supplied with an entry level Ortofon OM Pro S DJ type Cartridge. The correct alignment of pick up arm, cartridge, turntable adjustment and regular needle check give maximum sound reproduction and keep records in good condition. Turntable Phono Cartridge Stylus Alignment Protractor Tool Mirror 4.4 out of 5 stars 271. Alignment is setting the stylus tangent to the groove at both inner and outer alignment nulls, by setting both cartridge rotation and slot position. An incorrectly aligned cartridge will cause premature wear and tear and distortion on your cartridge and it will not sound anywhere near as good. If they don’t, recheck that the stylus overhang has been set correctly, that the headshell is properly attached to the tonearm, and that the stylus is properly attached to the cartridge. If your turntable manufacturer specifies an alignment, it is best to stick with their recommendation. Please see This Post for a detailed rundown of our reference system. Click here to view the two point protractor in action. Those that like to geek out the older 1200s usually concentrate on a couple of areas first; dampening the platter and the chassis; the former being tougher than the latter, because of balance issues. Then play your favourite record! When done, the cartridge may not necessarily end up being parallel to the headshell. They should be used together. This might take a few tries at first but it will be worth it! Technics is Stevenson, slightly modified for even better inner groove tracking.