I have the ATLP120USB. Whenever I record songs to Audacity (the software packaged with my turntable) the right channel was clearly not recording as high as the left channel. I was initially using the balance control on the software to fix it. But I found out something that made a night and day difference.
Straight out of the box, the headshell rests in the tonearm at a slight angle, enough to tilt the headshell, which in turn, made the stylus track at an angle, with the needle digging into the left channel. This made the left channel louder since it was not properly tracking the right channel. I had to end up shimming the left side of the cartridge until I could get the stylus tracking straight up and down in the channel. I found an old ebay gift card and cut a couple slivers off to fit under the headshell as seen in the attached picture.
I now have a way more balanced sound. Recording in Audacity, there is now barely any difference in the volume of the left and right channels. Listening closely in the headphones, the right channel sounds more prominent than before. That being said, make sure your stylus looks like it is tracking vertically in the groove. The manufacturer does not always build the system correctly. I did this without buying any expensive equipment. Just my trusty eyes and ears.
P.S. the left channel on the record are the grooves closest to the spindle. The right channel are the grooves closer to the outer edge of the record.
Straight out of the box, the headshell rests in the tonearm at a slight angle, enough to tilt the headshell, which in turn, made the stylus track at an angle, with the needle digging into the left channel. This made the left channel louder since it was not properly tracking the right channel. I had to end up shimming the left side of the cartridge until I could get the stylus tracking straight up and down in the channel. I found an old ebay gift card and cut a couple slivers off to fit under the headshell as seen in the attached picture.
I now have a way more balanced sound. Recording in Audacity, there is now barely any difference in the volume of the left and right channels. Listening closely in the headphones, the right channel sounds more prominent than before. That being said, make sure your stylus looks like it is tracking vertically in the groove. The manufacturer does not always build the system correctly. I did this without buying any expensive equipment. Just my trusty eyes and ears.
P.S. the left channel on the record are the grooves closest to the spindle. The right channel are the grooves closer to the outer edge of the record.
