tracking force help

D

djsaam

Guest
Hey guys, so I just got a new cartrige and needle. My problem is I dont understand the tracking force. In the manual it says for hi-fi, have it at 4.5 grams, but my TT's counterweight only goes up to 4. Then it says for a dj setup have it at 3 grams. Can someone tell me the pros and cons of each type please
 
Depends on what type of needles you got. Hi Fi would be for like if you are just using your gear to listen to records at home. You want that pristine sound. Or if you are converting your vinyl over to MP3. 4.5 grams is a little steep though just for those apps. 3 to 4 grams of tracking force usually works with any current brand of needles in any type of application. But you have to set them up right,especially if you plan to mix and scratch with them.The heavier the tracking force,the better some needles stick to the groove.The trade off is quicker record wear and maybe poor sound quality. Some needles tend to skip more when heavier tracking forces are applied. You just need to compromise with your gear and find a middle ground somewhere. It's trial and error. Sometimes the settings stated in the manual works but most of the time they don't. The manual is just a guide to go by to guage your settings.Hope this helps.

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To get the 4.5 grams of tracking force you need to spin the weight round past 4 grams and then to half way between 0 and 1 which will effectively be 4.5 grams. The correct way to set up cartridges is to make sure the weight is right at the back so the arm flicks up, then roll the weight forward until it floats in mid air so it doesn't rest on the record and doesn't point straight up as far as it can go, it just hovers in mid air. When you've done that, slide the weight upto the line which should be on the back of portion of your tone arm and rotate the front part of the weight (not the whole weight) to 0. Then rotate the whole weight forward until it get to 4.5 grams. The slide the stylus back on and away you go.
 
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