by Shannon Parks » Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:23 am
I've read a good method for adjusting the anti-skate is to use a non-grooved record. You just place the stylus on the center, and add anti-skate if it drifts toward the spindle or lower the anti-skate if it drifts outward.
This past weekend, I gave my uncle a new garage turntable. It was just a semi-automatic Yamaha, circa '81 belt drive. These Japanese tables are a dime a dozen, but the performance is more than adequate. Combined with a Ortofon OMB10 - an oem OM10 - it is about the best sounding budget table I've heard. Anyhow, while spinning the vinyl, I mentioned hearing some live Joe Jackson recently and my uncle retrieved his Joe Jackson LPs. One was a three sided record called Big World. It was a double LP with one side empty. Interesting, I thought! Even though it has one large return groove in it, the gaps are large enough for this anti-skate adjustment. I plopped the stylus in the center with 0 anti-skate. It quickly drifted toward the spindle. I adjusted to 1.5 anti-skate. It slowly drifting toward the outside edge. I then set it to 1 anti-skate, and it was then perfect. It would be centered, and it would shimmy either direction.
It may have been our imagination, but it sounded even better after that adjustment. :) I'll have to pick up a copy of Big World, but I wondered if anyone knew of a similar record? Maybe one without a groove altogether? I'd rather not pay $20+ for a 'test' record.
Last edited by
Shannon Parks on Tue Oct 23, 2007 5:38 am, edited 1 time in total.