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Arms without anti-skating (ATP-12T)

I use a Stanton 681a tracking at around 1.75 grams without issue. With the EEE-S I can understand why anti-skating is necessary on some arms. The AR XA never had it either for one.
 
I use a Stanton 681a tracking at around 1.75 grams without issue. With the EEE-S I can understand why anti-skating is necessary on some arms. The AR XA never had it either for one.

Because that crude looking arm has a near perfect neutral lateral balance. No torque = no skate.
 
The way to observe skating is putting the stylus down on a blank no-groove disc at various radii. A 'straight' arm like a scratch arm will move either inward, outward or stay put depending on where it is set but with highly variable tracking angle error. An offset arm with properly set overhang distance will always move inward due to skating force but with greatly reduced angular tracking error. This blank disc cannot be used to accurately set A-S BTW as it does not duplicate actual groove tracking cdx.
Because an pivoted arm will track and trace properly does not mean that this is theoretically optimal for equal tracking force on both groove walls as it is not, sufficient tracking force to allow accurate tracing under all practical cdx will compensate for the inevitable unequal wall-to-wall tracking force.
Straight-radial linear arms of course exhibit no skating effect or significant angular tracking error at any point on the disc.
 
Because that crude looking arm has a near perfect neutral lateral balance. No torque = no skate.
Hi, the skating is nothing to do with the static balance of the arm really, it is a product of the rotation of the record on the stylus. This paper has a clear (IMO) explanation of how the skating force is generated by a spinning record. It does, however, depend on the tonearm geometry.

For the record (pun intended :D ) the paper also gives clues on why adjusting the antiskating with an blank disc is a flawed method. The skating force depends linearly on a friction coefficient which is completely different in a groove or on a flat surface. Use a proper test record, or trust the scale on your tonearm.
 
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Hi, the skating is nothing to do with the static balance of the arm really, it is a product of the rotation of the record on the stylus. This paper has a clear (IMO) explanation of how the skating force is generated by a spinning record.

For the record (pun intended :D ) it also gives clues on why adjusting the antiskating with an blank disc is a flawed method. The skating force depends linearly on a friction coefficient which is completely different in a groove or on a flat surface. Use a proper test record, or trust the scale on your tonearm.

I agree that static balance has nothing to with skating force. But I don´t think the blank disc method is flawed at all. When I have tested different spin down time with blank disc, silent groove and mudulated groove, there is not really any difference. That means that the friction force is rather similar no matter what we play, and doesn´t depend much on tip area.
gusten
 
I agree that static balance has nothing to with skating force. But I don´t think the blank disc method is flawed at all. When I have tested different spin down time with blank disc, silent groove and mudulated groove, there is not really any difference. That means that the friction force is rather similar no matter what we play, and doesn´t depend much on tip area.
gusten

Doesn't it seem counter-intuitive that the contact patch area wouldn't be a frictional factor affecting degree of stylus drag and therefore degree of skating force?
 
Doesn't it seem counter-intuitive that the contact patch area wouldn't be a frictional factor affecting degree of stylus drag and therefore degree of skating force?

No opposite really, friction force is only dependant on normal force and friction coefficient. On the other hand, what do we really know about the area, nothing really.
gusten
 
Hi gusten, have a look at the figures in the paper above. Admittedly it doesn't show a disc without a groove, but the difference between a silent and modulated groove is pretty self-explanatory. Remember that we are talking about just grammes-force here, probably not enough to noticeably brake the platter, but quite enough to change the skating force to compensate.
 
Hi gusten, have a look at the figures in the paper above. Admittedly it doesn't show a disc without a groove, but the difference between a silent and modulated groove is pretty self-explanatory. Remember that we are talking about just grammes-force here, probably not enough to noticeably brake the platter, but quite enough to change the skating force to compensate.

I am very sure there is no difference in friction force, I have measured this extensively.
gusten

Edit: What I mean is of course that the force vector parallell to the groove is the same.
 
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No opposite really, friction force is only dependant on normal force and friction coefficient. On the other hand, what do we really know about the area, nothing really.
gusten
When you look at it the difference is taken into account in the two scales of the typical good AS dial, one for conical and one for elliptic. Of course it is just a rough estimate, it doesn't replace proper setting using a test record, but it has its use. Besides I had already noticed that stylii tend to need a higher AS setting as they grow old. That would be a plausible explanation.
 
I am very sure there is no difference in friction force, I have measured this extensively.
gusten

Edit: What I mean is of course that the force vector parallell to the groove is the same.
I'm sure, but did you check the precision of your measure? Are you sure you can measure the very few gf of difference (most probably even less than that nowadays) between a silent groove and loud modulation? I ask because physically it seems really unlikely that there is no difference at all.
 
When you look at it the difference is taken into account in the two scales of the typical good AS dial, one for conical and one for elliptic. Of course it is just a rough estimate, it doesn't replace proper setting using a test record, but it has its use. Besides I had already noticed that stylii tend to need a higher AS setting as they grow old. That would be a plausible explanation.

For different styli we have different lifting effects, which are different for sphericals than for elliptical than for microlines. What I am talking about is a needle that can trace the modulations as good as it gets, then there is no difference when using that needle in different situations. The friction force will be the same.
gusten
 
I'm sure, but did you check the precision of your measure? Are you sure you can measure the very few gf of difference (most probably even less than that nowadays) between a silent groove and loud modulation? I ask because physically it seems really unlikely that there is no difference at all.

If there is a difference it certainly wouldn´t matter when we talk about skating forces.:D
gusten
 
Hi, the skating is nothing to do with the static balance of the arm really, it is a product of the rotation of the record on the stylus. This paper has a clear (IMO) explanation of how the skating force is generated by a spinning record. It does, however, depend on the tonearm geometry.

You must have missed this paragraph in the paper you refer to......

......"The skating force was found to be a torque producing clockwise rotation force in a horizontal plane about the vertical pivot of the arm"......

No mass imbalance in the horizontal = no torque in the horizontal.
You cannot have torque without mass.
Adding mass to off set that is exactly what a "hanging weight" antiskate device does. That system "cures" lateral imbalance.

adding a spring to produce an equal amount of torque in the opposite direction is what a spring type antiskate does.

If the arm has a natural lateral balance it will not skate. You can create an arm as such, or you can create a sytem to create natural lateral balance.

Friction is not an additive force, it is a subtractive force. The only things created by going from static friction to kinetic friction is heat, noise, and a void in energy (moment of motion) That energy void has to be filled.
 
But I don't buy it...I see the principles listed and Gusten posted some very good math supporting this and there have been certain schools of thought that say anto-skate is irrelevant..

well, how about tangible proof otherwise?

We know that too much (excessive) or no anti-skate can be heard audibly to make a difference.

test - Mono record , system set for stereo , anti-skate (on arms requiring) set to zero , listen between the speakers to the mono record.

Do the channels sound equal or is the left channel louder ? Does a voice seem stronger on the left ? It should because AS is set to zero and there is less contact with the right wall. The right channel might sound dull.

Now set the AS as high as it will go. This time you will get the reverse effect.

Set it correctly and there will be total balance.

So if anti-skate has no effect, the why the audible difference ?

And why are some arms designed with no anti-skate ..I am guessing due to high VTF requirement (higher mass arms ) AND they may in fact have some bearing resistance that makes them (purposely ) less free floating.

Its school of thought folks ...manufacturers did not add anti-skate to over 90% of tables because it cost less..THEY HAD TO...with the advent of lighter arm masses, different tables.

Do you see antiskate on old old tables (50's, early 60's) ..No ..because the arms were like steel rebar...heavy and made to track heavy..

So sorry to go against the grain (ha ha pun intended) but taking the minority school of thought that anto-skate is irrelelvant just doesnt make sense.

test it yourself. If you are happy there is no audible difference, then feel free to set yours to zero, throw away and suspended weights..etc.

:yes:

This is the method I used to determine the amount of antiskate needed. I find on my Kenwoods (KD550 and KD5070) I only need about 40% of VTF (based on the AS scale markings) and a mono record balances perfectly, and any groove distortion is minimized with proper setup. Visually, deflection of the cantilever while playing is also minimized.
 
Exactly...

This is the method I used to determine the amount of antiskate needed. I find on my Kenwoods (KD550 and KD5070) I only need about 40% of VTF (based on the AS scale markings) and a mono record balances perfectly, and any groove distortion is minimized with proper setup. Visually, deflection of the cantilever while playing is also minimized.

This is why I am so adament about why anti-skate should be used..there is truly an audible difference not to mention what lack of or too much does to a microline stylus.

It has been pointed out that broadcast arms and such and the AT arm mentioned dont use anti-skate...But generally they are massive (23gram for the AT) and are designed to track at 3 to 4 grams...

Glad it worked on your Kennies...Nice tables !!!
 
Hypothesis

its been mentioned that setting skating force is only an approximation because the closer one gets to the center spindle the greater the force required would need to be, TRUE?

In that case, the ultimate anti-skate would use a weight and string, with the string over a small bar protruding from the arm pivot. At its closest point (outer track), the bar would be shorter because its closer to the the string and weight.

As the arm moves inward, the bar pivot extends creating a larger force (sort of like when you move a counterweight back on an arm). The further the arm moves, the more weight is incremented because as with all levers, the longer the lever, the greater the force using the same mass.

Yes? I would love to draw a picture of this..its simple.
 
:confused: Of course it would. Read the paper.

Just to be clear, what I have measured is only with a Shibata stylus. There is no difference in platter spin down time between all different records I have used, blank, grooveless, testtones and different music. No more difference that there normally is depending on friction coefficient, which can vary from record to record.

gusten
 
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