In my experience, nine times out of 10 I’m adjusting on the fly with my plain old eyes, depending on the condition of the vinyl. Then he adjusted the counterweight dial until 2.5 grams showed up on the readout. To demonstrate, Kain set the gauge right on a test record on the Thorens TD209 automatic turntable, then placed the cartridge on the gauge, which has a digital readout. If the gauge has a hole for the turntable spindle, make sure you’ve mounted the device properly. Kain recommends using an actual test record for better accuracy. Kain used the Clear Audio Cartridge Weight Watcher ($250), which can measure tracking force down to 1/100th of a gram, but there are more affordable and serviceable devices such as the Shure SFG-2 Stylus Tracking Force Gauge ($39), which can handle measurements up to 1/10th of a gram.Ģ Set the gauge right on the turntable platter. Tracking force gauges are also ideal if you want super specific settings and more flexibility in adjustment. Kain says these are sometimes included in the box with your turntable, but they are also available separately. You can also use a tracking force gauge, which is essentially a scale for your tonearm. That’s the most straightforward way of doing it, but if there are no numbers on your tonearm dial, there are other ways to adjust the ideal weight. According to Kain, that’s usually around two or three grams. Next, all you need to do is adjust the dial on the front of the counterweight to the setting recommended by the cartridge manufacturer. First, set your anti-skate setting to “0”, then adjust the counterweight (the big cylindrical knob) until the tonearm looks more or less balanced, like a seesaw or scale with either end at the same height. It’s not as simple as clicking “reset”, but it’s not rocket science, either. And here’s how you to do that.ġ Reset your tonearm. So really what we’re talking about here is setting the tracking force on your turntable, not balancing a tonearm. “All you’re doing is balancing the weight of the cartridge hitting the record.” In other words, the only thing I can control on a standard automatic turntable is the tracking force, which is the process of getting the cartridge to sit on the record with the ideal amount of weight - not only making your record sound better, but also preventing the tonearm from flailing about wildly and scratching your record in the process. “With an entry-level turntable, there isn’t much to balance,” says Ron Kain, a turntable school graduate and audio specialist at New York City’s Stereo Exchange, which has been supplying high-end equipment to masters of the universe and audio enthusiasts since 1984, when it was just down the road from now-defunct Tower Records on Broadway, just above Houston Street. For those who like to get it right, there is a proper way. As a result, I have what is considered a basic automatic turntable, with everything I need - tonearm, platter, plinth, motor - built-in and included (the cartridge is extra). When it comes to audio equipment, I’m like most people: a mass consumer who doesn’t have $3,000 or more to spend on a turntable (not including the tonearm). I decided to consult an expert audiophile just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything, and once again I was reminded of how basic my Technics 1200 setup is. But for those who like to get it right (or those new to vinyl who have never had the opportunity to learn this procedure intuitively), there is a proper way. the cartridge holder itself should not be dragging along the vinyl surface - has served me well. What looks like a reasonable amount of pressure on the record and cartridge - i.e.
I always just used common sense, and I thought that was enough. I’m obsessed with not only not wearing out my record and cartridge with too much weight (an urban myth, it turns out), but also avoiding that jolting needle rip as it passes across an LP with too-light tracking.
I’ve spent years making sure that the weight of my needle and cartridge is just right on my records. When I set out to write an article on balancing a tonearm, I thought: how hard can it be? I’ve owned a turntable and played vinyl since way back when vinyl was still king.
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