Anti-skate is an important setting on a turntable that helps to prevent the stylus from drifting towards the center of the record. If the anti-skate is not set correctly, it can cause the sound to be distorted and the stylus to wear out prematurely.
VPI turntables come with a built-in anti-skate system that is easy to set up. Here are the steps on how to set up anti-skate on a VPI turntable:
- Set the tracking force. The tracking force is the amount of force that the cartridge applies to the record. The tracking force should be set according to the specifications of the cartridge that you are using.
- Turn on the turntable. Make sure that the turntable is turned on and that the platter is spinning.
- Move the anti-skate weight to the 0 position. This is the starting position for the anti-skate.
- Place a record on the platter. Make sure that the record is clean and free of dust.
- Place the stylus on the record. The stylus should be placed in the center of the record.
- Adjust the anti-skate weight. Slowly turn the anti-skate weight clockwise until the stylus starts to drift towards the outside of the record.
- Back off the anti-skate weight slightly. The stylus should now be tracking the record accurately without drifting towards the center or the outside of the record.
- Check the anti-skate again. After playing the record for a few minutes, check the anti-skate again to make sure that it is still set correctly.
If you are not comfortable setting up the anti-skate yourself, you can take your turntable to a qualified technician for assistance.
Here are some additional tips for setting up anti-skate on a VPI turntable:
- Use a tracking force gauge to measure the tracking force. This will help to ensure that the tracking force is set correctly.
- Use a test record to check the anti-skate. There are many test records available that can be used to check the anti-skate.
- Be patient. It may take some time to get the anti-skate set correctly.
