How does one align a stylus tip?

I'm having a hard time doing this with my AT440MLb with the Geodisc on my Project Debut Carbon DC.

 

I have heard many good things about the Geo Disc, but have no experience with one. Are there any instructions with it? If not I am sure there are many online resources. Try Audioasylum.com and go to vinyl FAQ section.
I have the db systems protractor and the directions are clear and easy to understand.

 

And don't trust the cartridge body. Look at the stylus shank and tip. Use a magnifier if needed.

 

A Geodisc is a terrible protractor to align to the stylus. It's made more for alignment to the body. It's black and it sucks up light. I have one. I used it a long time ago when I still had my Music Hall. I bought a Wally Tractor for my Rega and never looked back. Good luck getting a Wally Tractor though. Mint makes a knock off called the Best Tractor. If you don't want to ponie up for the Mint, buy a cheap mirrored one. The mirror will give you parallel lines to align the stylus.

Get down eye level with the stylus, use a jeweler's loupe for magnification. Have lots of light. First set the over hang. You are in the right spot when the reflected image is right on top of the printed or scribed lines. Now align the sides of the stylus to the lines. Recheck the over hang. If everything checks out with the null points and overhang target, you are done. The Wally Tractor has a groove that the stylus will follow if it's done properly.

[Edit] Pro Tip: Shove cotton balls under the platter to keep it stable during the alignment process.

 

I use painters/masking tape to keep the platter from moving. Two 3 or 4" pieces will do the trick. Been doing this for 40+ years.

 

I bought one of these for my coin collection, but it also works really well for other things like checking the stylus.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007CDJKM2

 

Cartridge body-course adjustment
Cantilever (viewed through a clear grid)-fine adjustment
Listening tests- final adjustment

 

I like the Geodisc. It is not as precise as some other protractors, but it is fast and easy. And considering there are so many alignment standards (that people argue about which is best, e.g. Bearwald, Stevenson, Lofgrin, etc) I think alignment is the least critical of the various cartridge adjustments required. The official procedure is:

1) align the raised ridge to point directly to the center of the tonearm's pivot center.

2) move the cartridge forward or rearward so that the stylus tip comes down right into the center of the round dot, and rotate the cartridge so that any straight edges of the cartridge body align with the grid lines.

That is it, you are done.

3) If your cantilever is not perfectly aligned with the cartridge body, you may want to rotate the cartridge a bit more, so that the cantilever is more perfectly aligned with the grid, instead of the cartridge body. This is sometimes easy to do (if the cantilever protrudes out, very easy to see) or other times very difficult to do (if the cantilever is difficult to see). But if you can already see that the cantilever is not straight in the body, then you can guess how much rotation, and what direction, will be required to accomplish this cantilever alignment. Or, as a previous post noted, you can try using a good light and a magnifying glass to align the cantilever. In some cases (like a Koetsu), the body is so large, and overhangs the cantilever so much, that this can be very difficult.

4) Adjusting alignment further by ear, I do not agree with. But maybe the internal magnets and coils are not aligned well with the body and cantilever, so some advantage to further tweeking of the rotation MIGHT result in an audible improvement -- I doubt it. You will have a lot of work with the next steps, adjusting tracking force and VTA by ear, so I would spend your time and energy on those, before going back to re-think the alignment. And then there is azimuth, which is a whole 'nother story... and finally fine tuning of anti-skate.

Are you sure you want to do all this by yourself?