Hello to you. A bit confused. Some TTs have different arms as J-shaped or S-shaped. These arms ( I have heard ) need antiskate to prevent them from skipping. And that is true, I use J-shaped arm and must set a proper antiskate. All this works. But my question is - if there are some TTs ( old or new it does not matter ) that have no antiskating at all - how can you prevent stylus from skipping ? Do they need to have all straight arms ? Because straight arms probably need not antiskate for they do not skip. So do really straight arms can track well and can a lack of antiskate track the stylus correct ?
No antiskating and skipping prevention
- Thread starter stereoman
- Start date
nopiano
Well-known member
It is quite a big topic, but all arms need an anti skating device to work optimally.
A few points:-
1. It's nothing to do with skipping! That's when the stylus completely leaves the groove.
2. It is required because the headshell is offset. That is done by angling the head in a straight arm, or having a S or J shaped arm. Otherwise the cartridge would not sit 'square' to the groove.
3. Because of that angling, the arm is naturally drawn more inwards than outwards, by a slight force. It's enough to mean the inner groove gets more pressure than the outer one.
4. Antiskating gently counteracts this force. Without it, the right channel will distort as the left channel gets more tracking force.
Therefore straight arms aren't better or worse, just another way to achieve the same outcome!
A few points:-
1. It's nothing to do with skipping! That's when the stylus completely leaves the groove.
2. It is required because the headshell is offset. That is done by angling the head in a straight arm, or having a S or J shaped arm. Otherwise the cartridge would not sit 'square' to the groove.
3. Because of that angling, the arm is naturally drawn more inwards than outwards, by a slight force. It's enough to mean the inner groove gets more pressure than the outer one.
4. Antiskating gently counteracts this force. Without it, the right channel will distort as the left channel gets more tracking force.
Therefore straight arms aren't better or worse, just another way to achieve the same outcome!
Al ears
Well-known member
nopiano said:
Nopiano has just about nailed it with those points.
The only tonearms that do not need anti-skating adjustment are the tangentially tracking ones.
nopiano said:
? I think it has ! That is why I asked this question - if you do not set a proper antiskate for J or S shaped arms they will have tendency to skip. So thanks a lot for your reply but in this point I do not get it must say...
Al ears
Well-known member
You are, of course, entitled to your opinions but nopiano is quite correct in that skipping is an entirely different phenomenon.
All pivoting arms whether straight, J or S-shaped require some amount of anti-skate applied but as long as the correct downforce is applied and the record is not severely warped then the stylus should not leave the groove, it simply does not track the groove properly being forced against inner or outer wall of the groove.
Only in extreme conditions of too low a downforce and too little anti-skate can cause the stylus to leave the groove and 'skate' over the record towards the spindle.
The usual cause of 'skipping' is dirt in the groove itself that causes the stylus to be thrown upwards.
I quote ;-
Step
Address anti-skating force only if the tonearm consistently drags to the center of the album during play. Anti-skating is a side-to-side force and does not usually factor into conventional tracking skip.
All pivoting arms whether straight, J or S-shaped require some amount of anti-skate applied but as long as the correct downforce is applied and the record is not severely warped then the stylus should not leave the groove, it simply does not track the groove properly being forced against inner or outer wall of the groove.
Only in extreme conditions of too low a downforce and too little anti-skate can cause the stylus to leave the groove and 'skate' over the record towards the spindle.
The usual cause of 'skipping' is dirt in the groove itself that causes the stylus to be thrown upwards.
I quote ;-
Step
Address anti-skating force only if the tonearm consistently drags to the center of the album during play. Anti-skating is a side-to-side force and does not usually factor into conventional tracking skip.
chebby
Well-known member
From some people with experience ...
http://blog.audio-technica.com/audio-solutions-question-week-anti-skate-feature-turntable-need-set/
I remember the anti-skate setting dial on my old Dual CS505 had two scales, one for spherical stylii and one for elliptical. I assumed this was because elliptical stylii sit deeper in the groove, have more contact area and need more (?) counter force to prevent differential groove wear. (I think.)
My Rega's (four of them between 1983 and 2009) all needed far less anti-skate than recommended by their instructions especially on the last track of each side. (Usually a tad less than half of the suggested figure.)
http://blog.audio-technica.com/audio-solutions-question-week-anti-skate-feature-turntable-need-set/
I remember the anti-skate setting dial on my old Dual CS505 had two scales, one for spherical stylii and one for elliptical. I assumed this was because elliptical stylii sit deeper in the groove, have more contact area and need more (?) counter force to prevent differential groove wear. (I think.)
My Rega's (four of them between 1983 and 2009) all needed far less anti-skate than recommended by their instructions especially on the last track of each side. (Usually a tad less than half of the suggested figure.)
Thanks , I get it. So it looks like I set up an antiskate to prevent skipping but actually the reason of skipping on this particular album is not setting of antiskate itself only the dirt or sth. similar. I can nothing on the groove notice - looks clean and without scratches yet applying some antiskate keeps stylus in groove and prevents skipping.
nopiano
Well-known member
Yes, in an extreme situation where debris might cause a groove skip, if the antiskating is correct the stylus might stay put, rather than slide across the record altogether.stereoman said:
Al ears
Well-known member
chebby said:
I don't know much about the OP's TEAC deck but I know a fair bit about decks in general and can concur with chebby that Rega decks (two owned) are notorious for suggesting higher anti-skate than required. I too found that about half the recommended was what I used to run.
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