Unconventional RP6 Setup Success

[ZenAudio]

So I followed Rega's setup instructions to the "T" and had a persistent intermittent distortion/skipping problem with my Sumiko BPS Evo III Hi cartridge.  Free floated the arm with the counterweight and dialed in the recommended tracking force of 2.0g and set the anti skate to 2.  Never worked right.  Called my dealer who suggested I first set the tracking force dial to .5g and then set the counterweight to get to the 2.0g TF, using a digital scale. His logic behind the technique was that his method brought the counterweight closer in to the table.  He also suggested setting the anti skate to 1.  I'm like no way, dude.  Tried it skeptically and, lo and behold, it worked like a charm - problem solved.  No more skipping, monster bass, but treble seemed harsh.  Dialed back the TF to 1.75g (using the counterweight and scale) and everything sounds great, despite the new setup going against all manufacturer guidance. 

I guess the lesson is to keep an open mind and try things, especially if recommended by those with experience. 

 

[fullheadofnothing]

Every time I've done a zero balance and used the marks on an arm, it's been pretty far off (usually by more than a decigram). Whether this is from not finding the true zero point, inaccurate markings or a combination I'm not really sure. Scales are so cheap now (<$20) that it's really hard to justify not having one.

Antiskate should be set by what the arm/cart needs. The numbers don't mean very much. Personally I consider the blank LP side method of setting AS to result in too high a setting. I prefer to use the tracks on the HFNRR test record for this purpose, but doing the blank side and backing off a bit is usually good enough for government work.

According to CartridgeDB, the tracking force for an Evo3 is 1.7-2.1g. It is always worth remembering that tracking too light is more damaging to records than tracking too heavy. Also since it's an elliptical, fine tuning VTA would be very helpful, although your up the creek there having a Rega.

 

[mkane]

  You can alter the VTA using different platter mat thickness