Audio Technics AT-LP120 Anti Skate Spring Replacement.

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Jack Williams, Nov 2, 2018.

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  1. Jack Williams

    Jack Williams New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ohio
    After posting the question about the 120's anti skate not working I was pleased to receive so many responses. Hats off to Marcev who was kind enough to send me to a post from Dale Murray who had Audio Technics tech email address. I email them and two days later I had a new spring, same size just shorter. Toby at Audio Technics was very helpful also. The anti skate works great now.

    My message to anyone that has the AT-LP120 with this problem don't hesitate to change the spring, it's not that hard at all. If you know how to solder you can do this, the tone arm comes apart very easily. Now I have a turntable with a working anti skate. Thanks to everyone for all your help.
     
  2. Both my AT 120's actually had an overactive anti-skate. I spoke with an AT tech years ago and they told me that they purposely disabled it.
     
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  3. Jack Williams

    Jack Williams New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ohio
    The only thing to the anti skate mechanism is a small spring which is to long, that's why it doesn't work. If that's what they did to your 120 then you have no anti skate. Don't know why they would do that, doesn't make any sense.
     
  4. NIN8185

    NIN8185 New Member

    Location:
    Auburn MA
    Are people really sure that the Anti Skate is not working on their Lp120? I recently heard about this issue and started trying to figure it out. My Lp120 is probably 4-5 years old. When Zeroing my tonearm balance the Arm slowly pulls towards its resting place. Now when I did the blank Vinyl test it quickly pulled to the center. I then dialed in a the highest antiskate (7) and its still pulled quickly but slower then at 2. More importantly it came down to an ear test. I set the antiskate to 4 with my counter balance set at 2 just to compensate the pull to the center. Even though it still pulled fast on the blank test. At the center point of my audio setup My ears clearly total me with the anti-skate set at (4) instead (of 2) the L & R where unbalanced. The fine percussion on the left was strong and weak fine percussion almost not audible on my right speakers. I also turned around to make sure the difference was not my actual ears (my left ear is my stronger then my right) Got the same results speaker wise. Put the Anti skate back to (2) and the fine percussion was perfectly balanced.

    My theory is the opposite directional pull from the Zero balance and the Blank test is the LP120s actual counterbalance anti-skate when the stylus is in the groove and the "weak" spring is really just a fine tuner of these opposing directional forces. My ears tell me my LP-120 anti skate is functioning fine.
     
  5. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    The problem is your biased choice of LP to test with.

    Skating forces change across the record grooves and also depends on the modulation.

    If you listen to a loud part it might be balanced but wont be perfect on quieter parts.

    The blank record test isnt simulating a groove per se, its just showing you about how much anti skate is on. Turns out your best average is to have the arm still or slowly moving toward the center. Then it will be optimal for most grooves, far in and out, loud and quiet.

    Unlesd you just listen to 1 record in which case you might as well optimize it for that.
     
  6. tables_turning

    tables_turning In The Groove

    Location:
    Mid Atlantic, USA
    At 0g, while balancing the tonearm on my 120 with anti-skate set at 0, I noticed the arm pulling ever so slightly toward the armrest at a very slow speed. Advancing the anti-skate caused the arm to pull toward the spindle slowly, so at least on my example there seems to be some control/effect exhibited by the anti-skate mechanism. Since I usually track at about 1g or a tad over (Shure M91ED w/original stylus), it didn't take much advancement of the dial to get things where they needed to be. The scale on the anti-skate dial probably isn't as accurate as it should be, but I could eventually get the arm to hover properly after some trial-and-error adjustment.

    For those tracking at heavier VTFs, it may not be robust enough to counteract those forces, but in the range where I usually operate, it seems to be functioning well enough. Not to say that there aren't examples out there with disabled controls -- this table was originally intended for DJ use after all -- but mine seems to be working. Not ideally, but working.
     
  7. I pulled my oldest AT120 out of storage the other day and just for the heck of it, I played with the anti-skate. What I found was that it is plenty effective. At 0g, anti-skate set to 0, the tone arm just floated there. As I increased the anti-skate, the tone arm would move back towards the rest. It should NEVER move toward the spindle. That is the whole point about having a working anti-skate. Theoretically, while a record is playing, inertia causes the tonearm to move towards the spindle, following the grooves of the record. Anti-skate pulls back on that inertia force towards the spindle and keeps the stylus centered in the groove. I just doubled checked my turntable and it still works as it is supposed to.
     
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