First post - Another cartridge recommendation question

[klegier]

First, how did you use the overhang checker? I can't seem to get it to work because it wiggles and it doesn't seem to rise high enough to get the arm over the latch? So I used a protractor but I want to make sure the overhang is right first.

Second, do you use your lateral balance weight? After some Googling last night, I decided to remove it, and then rebalance the arm and reset the VTF to 2 grams (recommended for the Vessel) and it seemed like my distortion issues magically disappeared. However it was getting late and I didn't do much listening to really verify it. So I could be wrong.

Fair questions. It is true about the built in overhang checker...I have to fiddle with it to get it to stay up at the halfway point...even then I feel it is not very accurate. So I know what you mean that the cart is actually too low to get the built in to work as designed. For this reason, I use the built in for rough setting, then use about 3 different plastic, cardboard and paper protractors to check it. I have found the built in to be very useful for roughly setting the overhang.

I have never really messed with the lateral balance weight. I thought that was used in conjunction with the anti-skate setting. Regardless, mine is set as it describes in the manual (we are talking about the Pioneer PL-12D right?). Seems to work well for me.

I listened to ALOT of records this weekend. I really enjoy my current setup. Even went and bought some "new" old records. UFO, Rush, Alan Parsons and Marty Balin (love his voice). I say all that because I haven't felt I was missing anything with the alignment I have. I will eventually get one of those test discs, so I can verify some stuff, but right now everything sounds great. Could my cartridge be off by 1/2 millimeter? Sure. Could I play with my tracking force some and possibly improve things? Maybe. But those gains I believe would be very small, and given no way to verify the results (with a test disc, not just my ears), I have delayed trying to mess with it.

What preamp are you using? I contemplated the Vessel before I sprung for the MP-150. I have no regrets about my choice.

[audiopile]

Sold (and setup) probably a couple hundred PL-12D back in the day. We always used the built in stylus checker. FWIW - 90% of these went out the door with a Shure M91E mounted in the headshell. At least some of the later Pioneer tables had overhang distances considerably shorter than the 52mm distance the Technics plastic guide gives you - I would not assume the Technics plastic gauge is going to work with the 12D-II ?

[BrianovichIV]

First, how did you use the overhang checker? I can't seem to get it to work because it wiggles and it doesn't seem to rise high enough to get the arm over the latch? So I used a protractor but I want to make sure the overhang is right first.

Second, do you use your lateral balance weight? After some Googling last night, I decided to remove it, and then rebalance the arm and reset the VTF to 2 grams (recommended for the Vessel) and it seemed like my distortion issues magically disappeared. However it was getting late and I didn't do much listening to really verify it. So I could be wrong.

Fair questions. It is true about the built in overhang checker...I have to fiddle with it to get it to stay up at the halfway point...even then I feel it is not very accurate. So I know what you mean that the cart is actually too low to get the built in to work as designed. For this reason, I use the built in for rough setting, then use about 3 different plastic, cardboard and paper protractors to check it. I have found the built in to be very useful for roughly setting the overhang.

I have never really messed with the lateral balance weight. I thought that was used in conjunction with the anti-skate setting. Regardless, mine is set as it describes in the manual (we are talking about the Pioneer PL-12D right?). Seems to work well for me.

I listened to ALOT of records this weekend. I really enjoy my current setup. Even went and bought some "new" old records. UFO, Rush, Alan Parsons and Marty Balin (love his voice). I say all that because I haven't felt I was missing anything with the alignment I have. I will eventually get one of those test discs, so I can verify some stuff, but right now everything sounds great. Could my cartridge be off by 1/2 millimeter? Sure. Could I play with my tracking force some and possibly improve things? Maybe. But those gains I believe would be very small, and given no way to verify the results (with a test disc, not just my ears), I have delayed trying to mess with it.

What preamp are you using? I contemplated the Vessel before I sprung for the MP-150. I have no regrets about my choice.

I've also got a few protractors that I've been checking against, but I've been sticking with the Baerwold I printed off this site. It seems like it's good enough. I'm just going to skip the overhang checker. I used a 3d printer overhang checker instead, but my design was a little off so I have to adjust it and print another.

And yes, PL-12d. From what I've read, it seems as though it's not 100% necessary if your turntable is well-leveled, which mine is (I made some shims from acrylic and rubber). Some users complained of extra resonance, so I'm wondering if that had something to do with it. I'll test it more tonight.

Finally, I'm using a DJ Art Pre II. The new cartridge allows me to turn the gain down on the preamp and then use a higher gain on my headphone amp without the sound getting too harsh, so I like that. But I'm still experimenting.