Cartridge alignment kit?

My turntable comes with a basic protractor but I am looking for something better with a test record . Does anyone make a kit that has everything you need? I own three tables and want to invest in some good tools to do alignment properly. Do I need this LP as step 1:

The Ultimate Analogue Test LP

 

A test LP is good & I own the HiFi News one.

This is what I use to accurately align a cartridge:

Needle nose pliers (cartridge tags)
Small screwdriver (headshell screws)
Blu-Tack (helpful for pressing cartridge nuts whilst fitting screws from above on a fixed headshell)
10x & 30x loupe (alignment)
'Bendy neck' lamp adjacent to the turntable (IKEA etc have these) - I use two for greater coverage
Small digital scales with tare weight (plenty of options on ebay)
3 Self made wedges cut from an eraser or from foam to chock the platter during alignment (to stop it moving)
Small mirror (very basic azimuth check, I also use other more accurate methods but expensive)
Dr Feickert alignment protractor (as the OP has several TTs, this is a universal tool - an alternative would be a print-yourself free protractor like Conrad Hoffman)

...very steady hands & patience.

(I'm in the USA for several months at present & can't recall anything else in my 'kit' but maybe I've forgotten something. I have 5 turntables +8 headshells for one of them so cartridge alignment is something I do quite regularly. I keep a Technics gauge, needle pliers, screwdriver & spare headshells/tags/screws/nuts at my Daughters as I purchase the occasional American cartridge & do basic setup whilst here & a friendly local forum resident lets me check on his TT)

 

While test LPs can be good they can also be missleading. I would never adjust my anti skate according to a test LP unless I knew the exact groove modulation percentage for example. Same goes for VTA/SRA.

The best tools to get in general would probably be:

• A good bubble leveler
• A good digital scale
  
• Dr Feickert allignment protractor
  
• A test LP if you know how to use it effectively

 

Oh yes, I knew I might have forgotten something (tack Leonthepro) - I have two bubble levels & a small spirit level as well.

 

Thanks for the replies. Looks like "Dr Feickert allignment protractor" is what I need. But it is quite expensive!! Is there anything under $100 like that?

 

Not that I know of. But if you want to save money then there is nothing wrong with buying cheaper options like a carpenters leveler from a hardwarestore for 3$ instead of a 30$ turntable one.
In all honesty you should just go down to a hifi store and ask to borrow these tools. It could be completely free like it was for me.

Ive never had a specific budget when buying tools for someone else but I could try.

 

The test LP is very good to have, especially to setup azimuth to achieve the best channel separation, you'll need a Fozgometer for best results or you can use a DVM to get close.. You can also use it to test platter speed, if you have speed control then you can adjust for accurate 3150Hz track. You can go to VE and use their Tools section to find a bunch of protractors listed for your setup and try different ones out........I use a protractor by AccuTrak.

 

I guess this needs repeating.

 

I've no experience of these, but they do answer the OP's question, although not cheaply.

Pro-Ject Audio Systems

Pro-Ject Audio Systems

The individual pieces are available separately as well.

 

I have not spent a huge ammount .
Elite Townshend alignment protractor .
Shure stylus balance
Hi - FI News Test Record
Precision screwdrivers,
Perspex azmuth
Alignment block to set headshell paralell
To platter.
Screws and nuts and washers for cartridge fitting and a million other odds and ends.

 

Here's some of the vinyl tool stuff I use from past posts here ...


Digital scale from amazon, around $13



Conrad Hoffman arc protractor printout, free



Index card to set tonearm parallel to record as starting point, free



Carbon fibre brush for dusting before play, about $20, with water spritz bottle and nylon brush to clean



Drill grinder used with fingers to clear vinyl flash and paper from center hole before first play, from toolbox, probably about $2

 

I have a Rega. The others have posted good items to own. I have a Wally Tractor and the directions advise to shove cotton balls under the platter to keep it from moving during alignment. So add cotton balls to your kit if your deck is belt driven with a subplatter. I had a Music Hall with a metal platter. It was be trickier to use cotton balls, but it's probably still work. You'd just ball a couple up together and shove them under the edge of the platter. The Wally Tractor also came with a jeweler's loupe. It's helpful to look at your stylus without being so large.

I think Test Record are good especially if they have anti-skate groove. I have an old Hi-Fi News and a couple others. I like the Hi-Fi News one the best.

 

Wanna hear why I dont like anti skate grooves on test LPs? ;^)

 

Smooth areas on an LP do not correctly replicate the centripetal forces applied by the groove wall itself (dragging the stylus in an inward spiral).

 

YUP

 

Correct, although the thing is that we dont need to match it by any specific groove, we only need to know 2 things. The average skating force and how to match it with an equal anti skating force.

Let me know if its faulty somehow, to me it all makes sense.

So according to Ledermann music in general, through different genres and styles, tends to spend most of its time in 30 - 40% groove modulation. Most of its time meaning around 90% of all the grooves. Thats a great average for the average listener and gives us a satisfactory answer for the first question.
Now all we have to do is come up with a method to set an anti skate force to counteract the 30 - 40% modulation. Turns out as you mentioned that the blank deadwax on a record can be used to find that force. All you have to do is set the anti skate so that the arm moves very slowly in towards the spindle while playing the deadwax between the runout grooves. That should get us close enough.

Of course, if a test record has a properly placed anti skate track which simulates 30 - 40% modulation then that should work great too. But sadly they never seem to give out those specifics and often overcompensate.

Now if you are a very specific listener who lets say only enjoys soft or loud music then you can always get a better overall performance setting by adjusting for your needs. Thats what the deadwax method does not do, its just a very good average.
Same with allignment curves, most use Baerwald because LPs are most common but Stevenson is much better if you only play classical orchestral or singles for examples.

 

People mentioned the HiFi News Test LP. It comes with a printed protractor that you fit over the spindle, works great. Like Leon mentioned the antiskate test can be misleading. For me, if I set it using one test as accurately as possible it might throw off another test later on.

 

No one has mentioned this but the test record you linked in the op is meant for users w test equipment, so that's not the one for you. Hifi news is a good one as others have said. Though don't be upset if you can't pass the most extreme mistrack test track. It's extreme
Dude!
A good thing to use is a mirrored protracter. Same as a print out one but you get the extra angle from the reflection in the mirror. I truly think the special alignment stuff is a ripoff. ie- you can get a spirit level for like $2 at hardware store etc

 

Have a look at the turntablebasics.com protractor. It's great and costs just $20. Because it has a mirrored surface it's easier to align the cantilever with the line on the protractor. It's been around for a long time.

 

This.

 

I am little skeptical of using printouts for the alignment protractors. How do you know it printed exactly to scale? And how do you punch the center hole out precisely?

 

Which scale is that?

 

What's nice about the printable protractors at Vinyl Engine (Free Cartridge Alignment Protractors - Vinyl Engine ) is that they come with a bar along the side which you can measure with a ruler to make sure you've printed it to scale.

Also, I'm another person who would recommend the HiFi News test record. I have found it to be a good way to confirm that things are set up and aligned properly.

 

Most print versions (VE & Hoffman) have a vertical & horizontal scale to check against once printed & adjust. It's easy to get an accurate hole by perforating a tiny line of close spaced holes on the spindle circle print line with a needle etc & then just push this out. Alternatively cut an equal triangle around the printed circle.

 

basic $50 test record , protractor & stylus force gauge - advanced $750
AnalogMagik All in One Cartridge Alignment Software