Project Debut III: Is it possible to align cartridge?

Hi all,

I am sort of a vinyl hardware newbie here. About 12 years ago I purchased a newly released Debut III. 5 years back I swapped out the original OM5e stylus for an OM20, but keeping the original stock OMB cartridge. I purchased the speedbox and the acryl-it platter about 2 years ago. I'm pretty sure the OM20 is ready to be replaced and I have spent the day checking out forums trying to figure out what might be a good cartridge for it. But, more importantly, I wanted to be sure I could feel confident how to properly align the cartridge and I'm stuck on something; I could use some help!

One of the resources I read was this:
http://www.audiophilia.com/features/cartridge_setup.htm

Which states:

Headshells containing fixed-position holes (such as those of the venerable Rega RB300 and Naim Aro) assume that the geometry of the partnering cartridge is such that correct alignment will be achieved using the holes supplied. Unfortunately, tonearms whose headshells contain fixed holes will not allow for correct alignment of all cartridges . They do, however, make setup of compatible cartridges relatively simple (tonearm manufacturers who advocate fixed-hole headshells usually have a particular cartridge, or set of cartridges, in mind at the time of design - namely their own or those of a manufacturer whose products are believed to work well with the arm in question).
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My version of this turntable is indeed one that has a Headshell with fixed holes (no slots). Furthermore, I believe the VTA cannot be adjusted but it IS possible to adjust the azimuth. My question is if I decide to swap out the stock cartridge is there really any aligning I can actually do? It seems like I can only check if it's out of alignment and if it's not- that's about it!

Am I missing anything?? I have read that some people swapped out their cartridges on the Debut III, but I am having trouble understanding if/how they made any adjustments. Did they just plug it in and ignore any alignment issues? I'm considering just getting another OM20 stylus because I'm not confident about trying a new cartridge in this model which I would really be interested in trying out if I were confident I can actually align the cartridge.

Thank you kindly!
Alf P.

 

Could you post a photo of the tonearm? I have a Debut III and it has enough room to align the cartridge.

There's an exploded view of the RB300 here, and the slots are visible.

http://www.audiomods.co.uk/images/regarb300destructed.jpg

 

I bet if you remove the tonearm lift you'll find slots for adjusting cartridge alignment.

 

Yes, my Debut was like that as well. It can look fixed, but once you loosen the screws, there's are short slots underneath. Depending on the cartridge, the slots may not be long enough to reach the best alignments. One tip on this is to go for the "DIN" versions of alignments (see the alignment info and tools at vinylengine.com).

 

Also, the Ortofon OM cartridges are pretty awesome at their price point. You could just move up to the 30 or 40 stylus if you're looking for an upgrade. What cartridges did you have in mind?

 

Ah ha! I think you guys have found the thing I'm missing. I will check this out, thanks!

 

I actually ordered an OM30 this morning. I think I'll be happy with that and spring for a new TT for my next upgrade.

 

Good choice as the Debut doesn't have adjustable VTA and works ok as is with the OM series cartridges. The great thing about them is that the styli are all interchangeable. The OM30 is the fine-line version and roughly equivalent to a 2M Bronze (some say the OMs are better than the 2Ms). It's a little more critical to get the alignment on it right but once you do, it will track extremely well and give you a lot of detail without harshness.