RB300 Setup with Sumiko Blue Special

[gdmfsob]

Ok, could someone explain to me what the slider on the RB300 does!

I understand that I need the tracking force weight to be 2g with the blue.....easy enough.

I also understand that with the blue I need to set the dial to half of the tracking force weight. This would be 1g, which I understand that it is No2 on the dial (3 being 0).

What does the slider do?

Please help

[JaS]

There seems to be some confusion here? Firstly set the VTF dial (on the side of the arm) and the antiskate slide (in front of the bearing holder) to 0; then rotate the counterweight until the arm is floating approx 1mm above the record (or 5mm above the bare platter). Now turn the VTF dial to 2 to set 2g of tracking force. Finally set the anti skate slide to around the 2 mark - this should be fine tuned by ear as the anti skate slider on Rega arms isn't particularly well calibrated. The best place to test different settings is at the end of a record, listening for sibliance and signs of mistracking on loud sections.

All the above presumes that you have aligned the cartridge in the headshell

RB300 user manual

Regards,
JaS

[gdmfsob]

There seems to be some confusion here? Firstly set the VTF dial (on the side of the arm) and the antiskate slide (in front of the bearing holder) to 0; then rotate the counterweight until the arm is floating approx 1mm above the record (or 5mm above the bare platter). Now turn the VTF dial to 2 to set 2g of tracking force. Finally set the anti skate slide to around the 2 mark - this should be fine tuned by ear as the anti skate slider on Rega arms isn't particularly well calibrated. The best place to test different settings is at the end of a record, listening for sibliance and signs of mistracking on loud sections.

All the above presumes that you have aligned the cartridge in the headshell

RB300 user manual

Regards,
JaS

Thanks for the info......just a couple more questions though:

1: I thought I read somewhere that "3" on the dial was effectivley zero force. Moving the dial to "2" would mean 1g of force. Is this understanding not correct? What you have stated makes alot more sense but I want to make sure

2: If I have a SHURE stylus force guage, then do I just place the arm and cartridge on there without doing the balance above record by 1mm. My current cartridge is balanced at 2g so I am thinking that its more than likely to be a straight swap with just minor adjustments (is this theory correct?)

3: What does the bias slider actually do? I understand what the antiskate dial does (nets off the force from the tonearm and cartridge) but not sure about the slider (its currently set at 1)

Many Thanks

[Blue Angel]

Hello gdfmsob

Jas follow the guide posted for you by JAS exactly. You'll soon get the hang of it. Like JAS said, the VTF and the bias dial must first be set to zero. Turn the armweight anticlockwise if you wish, so that the arm and cartridge rise high above the platter. Hold your left hand carefully under the arm to protect the stylus and then carefully turn the armweight CLOCKWISE in small increments until the stylus tip 'hangs' or balances 4/5mm above the bare platter. Then, dial in whatever your recommended tracking weight should be - say 2g and then dial the same value on the bias adjuster. This is all there is to it.

Bias is a natural force exerted by the grooves of a spinning vinyl record which tend to pull the cartridge inwards toward the platter spindle sticking out through the centre hole of a record.

To oppose this unwanted force or minimise it, tonearms have a bias adjusting mechanism to counteract this 'pull' to as close as dammit to
neutral or zero. Example: If you have say a lamppole firmly planted in the ground and you have an identical tractor positioned on either side of this pole, facing in opposite directions and each tractor attached by steel cable to the pole - if each tractor starts pulling on the pole at the same time, that pole will go nowhere as the pulling force has been neutralised by the opposing force from the second tractor.

Blue Angel

[JaS]

I thought I read somewhere that "3" on the dial was effectivley zero force. Moving the dial to "2" would mean 1g of force. Is this understanding not correct?

I see where the confusion stems from. The tracking force on the RB300 is controlled by a spring and some people consider this to have a negative effect on the sound. At the zero setting the spring is applying a negative VTF of around 3g, but the actual force is zero after you balance the arm. You then apply VTF by turning the dial to reduce the negative effect of the spring (each division equalling 1g). Alternatively, by setting the dial at its maximum setting the spring is unwound and you can set the force using the weight and a stylus balance. Personally I've never found this particular tweak to be worthwhile, but don't let that stop you trying it!

Regards,
JaS

[gdmfsob]

Thanks for all the advice.

Have set it up now and it sound amazing

[hoi]

the meaningful way to optimise is to use a test record like the one from
HFNRR they have modulated tracks from +12dB to +18dB set the slide until you hear no distortion ...with a Denon DL 103 on a RB 600 arm it tracks up to the +16dB but +18dB distorts but who cares, this kind of heavily modulations you won't find them on most LPs!