Your Favorite Record for Setting a tonearm's vertical tracking angle VTA-SRA By Ear

What record have you used with success. What do you listen for?

 

The Wind or any other Cat Stevens
Album track.
I was informed many years ago that this artists voice is perfect for this particular task!

 

Determining VTA - A Foolproof Method - [English]

Here is close to foolproof method with record recommendations. I use the record and technique mentioned in the article and it works well.

 

Thanks. I have a couple of his albums. Do you know what I should I listen for?

Thanks. I've sent for the disk. Sounds like it might be just the thing.

 

On The actual track "the wind" too high a tone and you will hear brightness or even sibilance,
When you lower .the warmth and in particular the body or tone of his voice becomes apparent.its a bit like focusing a camera.

 

Uh oh, the word is out about this record for testing VTA, now it will start going up in value on Ebay. But it's OK for me, because I already have about 10 copies. And Dave Shreve has plenty too.

Yes, this record, this particular song on the record, and the specific points mentioned in the article to listen for are exactly what I do, exactly what Dave Shreve taught me, and exactly what I teach my friends and customers (unless I do it for them).

The problem is that the resulting VTA setting is only perfect for records of this thickness and of this particular cutter geometry that Flying Fish used. Other labels, and certainly other vinyl thicknesses, need slightly different VTA for perfect tuning. This is where Dave Shreve comes in for more advice about how to tweek the VTA for any other record label pressing and/or vinyl thickness. The Flying Fish record is used as a baseline, then the VTA for any other record is moved up-or-down from there.

For most of us, without very easy to change VTA, it is a good enough compromise to just use this Flying Fish record, and leave VTA there for all other records. But for owners of VPI, Graham, Triangle Art, Dave Shreve's super-modified Rabco, or other tonearms with repeatable VTA graduations, there is this more detailed system available to perfect the art of VTA optimization for ANY record.

By the way, I hear that Jim Hannon, the editor of The Absolute Sound was also trained by Dave Shreve to quickly optimize VTA for any record.

We tried to teach Steve Hoffman to do it, with his VPI arm, but understandably, he just doesn't want to mess with it for EVERY record. I don't blame him, and I don't do it with my Graham either. Furthermore, I am about to install a Dave Shreve super-modified Rabco on another turntable, which MAYBE Dave can convince me to optimize VTA for EVERY record. Maybe.

 

Well, I got Flying Fish HDS 701 (It seems to have no title--just the performers' names.) and it is truly a revelation. I don't think I've ever been completely successful at setting SRA. The track with the bass "Sauerkraut and Solar Energy" makes it easy. The hard part, I think, has always been getting into the right neighborhood where very small changes can really be heard.

I realize there are different record thicknesses, but should I go anal and want to adjust for others (with my 12" VPI arm), at least this disk puts me in the neighborhood. 180 or 200 gm disks present additional problems.

Besides, it's a fun record and I'm enjoying it for the music. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Only if you want to ruin your listening enjoyment.

 

I'd love to think any method of adjusting while listening to music was foolproof, but maybe I'm just a better kind of fool. When I had a VPI, I used to spend many a frustrating hour doing up and down adjustments on the VTA without ever having the experience of 'aha -- there it is'. And believe me, I tried. Instead, I had many 'hmmm...slightly better, maybe' moments once I got into the ballpark and would settle. Maybe I'm just deaf...or lucky!

 

ahh VTA, add me to the ..it will drive you crazy crowd.
I just recently removed the top layer of my blue horizon matt, its 1 mm thick. You are supposed to remove it for 180gram jobs and keep a constant VTA.
People say 1mm is not a difference you will hear. I can hear it. Standard thickness records certainly sound better without the top matt now.
Meh., who knows really.

 

Though touted by HW of VPI I do not make adjustments while the record is playing. In fact I like to put time between my critical listenings for SRA. For me the best thing about using the VPI arm is the ease of changing and the easy indexing of levels--rather than adjusting while playing.

I have also learned for myself what others have written, that when you are far from the correct SRA you can move long distances and not hear a difference at all. But when you are close to correct you can hear very small changes. On Joni Mitchell's "Blue" when I am close I can easily hear differences of about o.1mm which is what I believe 10 index numbers on my 12" arm come to.

 

The best "modern" recordings to my ear are musicals. Fantastic miking with classic stage ambience. Other than that, "Chan Chan" The Buena vista Social Club.

 

I am happy you found the record and reaped the benefit of using it for VTA. I like the music too, and the performers are virtuosos, very famous for their individual careers, particularly Vassar Clements (bluegrass fiddle) and David Holland (jazz acoustic bass).

 

Effectively VTA is set by the VTF of course. Also; VTA is constantly changing during playing by a significant amount.

 

The article linked to above contains a list of other records that can be used but without the specific listening instructions on tracks or instrument. Anyone have a view on using Jarrett's the Koln Concert for this process?

 

Any "Cat Stevens "record.
I tend to set and forget..
You have to move the arm a lot to alter the angle very little.

 

0.1mm? wow. that is less than the thickness of a strand of hair!
i can hear 0.5mm if it is at a critical place on the stylus profile but no less than that.
i use a variety of music and records to make sure VTA is set correctly. "surrealistic pillow" and "this year's model" are two that come to mind. each can sound thin and noisy if the VTA is too high.

 

I wish there was an industry standard and all LPs were the same thickness. VTA makes too much a difference in how a record sounds. Records should be uniform.

 

No worries- that ship has already sailed......

 

I’ve got that record on order and going to try to do the same when I get back from the Holiday. Not sure how close I’ll get as my Linn arm adjustments are basically pulling the arm up or dropping down. Will probably be a happy accident if I get close.

 

I did the same dang thing - ordered a copy of this record. Surely when it gets here, I'll be hoping for some rock or metal record and it'll show up Anyway, I've got a Jelco 750L with the Ammonite base so it's at least easier to adjust VTA now but it's still just a grub screw and no index. Still should be interesting.

 

It's truly amazing, watching Dave in action.