Tracking weight

[Dansk]

Is there any sort of science to setting the right tracking weight, or is this another one of those turntable arts that can only be done through huge amounts of psychic consultation? I've been running my Shure Omni cart at 1 gram, and with most records that works fine. But I heard a rumour that a higher tracking weight can help get rid of sibilance, so I'm testing it out right now at 1.5 grams on my Simply Vinyl copy of Jeff Buckley's Grace. At 1 gram it has horrific sibilance on the louder passages, and so far there IS a difference. It's improved with the heavier weight, it's pulling out more detail and tracking a lot better in the high frequencies, but the sibilance is still coming back as I get closer to the last track on the side. What's everyone else's experience with this? How do you find the right weight?

 

[dmax99]

Is there any sort of science to setting the right tracking weight, or is this another one of those turntable arts that can only be done through huge amounts of psychic consultation? I've been running my Shure Omni cart at 1 gram, and with most records that works fine. But I heard a rumour that a higher tracking weight can help get rid of sibilance, so I'm testing it out right now at 1.5 grams on my Simply Vinyl copy of Jeff Buckley's Grace. At 1 gram it has horrific sibilance on the louder passages, and so far there IS a difference. It's improved with the heavier weight, it's pulling out more detail and tracking a lot better in the high frequencies, but the sibilance is still coming back as I get closer to the last track on the side. What's everyone else's experience with this? How do you find the right weight?

Dimes, Nickels , & Quarters. :thmbsp:

 

[hakaplan]

Is there any sort of science to setting the right tracking weight, or is this another one of those turntable arts that can only be done through huge amounts of psychic consultation? I've been running my Shure Omni cart at 1 gram, and with most records that works fine. But I heard a rumour that a higher tracking weight can help get rid of sibilance, so I'm testing it out right now at 1.5 grams on my Simply Vinyl copy of Jeff Buckley's Grace. At 1 gram it has horrific sibilance on the louder passages, and so far there IS a difference. It's improved with the heavier weight, it's pulling out more detail and tracking a lot better in the high frequencies, but the sibilance is still coming back as I get closer to the last track on the side. What's everyone else's experience with this? How do you find the right weight?

First, I'm no expert, but from reading in the forums I've learned some things which I'll pass on to you. I'm assuming that your cartridge is properly aligned and you're changing the anti-skate to match the tracking force? Even though Shure lists the tracking force as .75 to 1.5, I have never been able to get one like yours to track properly under 1.25, and using too low a force can cause mistracking and damage to vinyl. Distortion in inner grooves is common and cannot always be remedied, but try a little heavier, maybe up to 1.75 and see what happens. Your tracking force adjustment may also be off such that you're not tracking as heavy as you think. A lot of it is experimentation, and all kinds of variables play into it.

 

[majick47]

Tracking Force

Invest in a Shure Stylus Tracking Force guage to see if your turntable tracking force is accurate, it's around $20.

 

[Dansk]

Thanks for the replies guys. As far as I know, my cartridge is properly set up. I aligned it very carefully when I got the turntable and balanced it before setting the weight and anti-skate. I'm going to keep playing around with it to see what sort of differences I can get in the sound. I do like it better at 1.5 grams, everything seems clearer...

 

[melofelo]

i find that near the middle to higher end of a cartridge's tracking range is probably best for tracking...and minimising vinyl groove wear..
a good alignment protractor and an accurate downforce gauge like the shure mentioned above are invaluable for getting the best sound and preserving your records...

 

[Vinylhammer]

Not a whole lot of paranormal involved in setting the minimum weight for the vertical tracking force. If you hear sibilance, you probably have your tracking force set to low and are mistracking or have a worn stylus. Hopefully, you did not have too many albums that played like this because you can damage the vinyl. Now that you have increased your tracking force, if you hear static that follows along with the music you probably have damaged the grooves.

Most tonearm weights are not very accurate. Get a digital scale or tracking force guage.