Find Out Why You Need A Stylus Force Gauge In Order To Protect Your Records




In the world of those who use vinyl record, nowadays being limited to audiophiles and DJs, the correct dialing in of the ideal tracking force is critical to ensuring optimal record playback and the only way to do this is with a stylus force gauge.

Correctly configuring your turntable cartridge is crucial because if you miss on the heavy side then the sound will be sluggish and thick and if you miss on the light side then the sound will be anemic and light and the cartridge will be more likely to mistrack. And you need an external device for this because the stylus pressure dials on most tonearms are known for being extremely inaccurate.

The case of a digital stylus force gauge is one very rare situation where using electronics in order to fine-tune analog devices makes sense because in this particular case the old analog stylus gauge cannot compete with the precision of the electronic stylus gauge.

Properly calibrating the stylus is important as an improperly calibrated one will cause all manner of tracking problems from mistracking which leads to poor sound reproduction to excessive wear of both the tip and of the record which while in the case of the tip that can always be replaced in some cases the record can’t.

When it comes down to a digital stylus gauge you can’t go wrong with an AcousTech gauge, these fifty gram wonder machines will accurately read the tracking force within .001 grams and thanks to its four digit LCD screen it can display that many decimals as well. The platform material is made out of stainless steel and the entire thing works on a Lithium based battery which will last a long time especially thanks to the hundred and twenty second Auto Off function that the gauge comes equipped with.

On the other hand if you are dedicated to the analog vibe of the entire experience and you want to keep it old school then you can go for an Ortofon analog stylus gauge. This is a very simple to use measuring tool which will help you set the tracking pressure of your stylus correctly. One word of warning about this type of force gauge is that its markings are in milliNewtons, a milliNewton roughly equaling .1 of a gram so fifteen milliNewtons will be almost equal to 1.5 grams. You use this gauge by setting it on top of the platter and placing the tip of the stylus on the beam. If you were to position it on the fifteen mark and the short side of the beam remains below the sides of the pivot piece then your cartridge is exerting less than the desired 1.5 grams of downforce while if the long arm goes down and the short arm is higher than the pivot piece then the downforce is more than 1.5 grams. Once you know this you can adjust the counterweight position till you balance the beam horizontally.

The easiest way of deciding which type of stylus force gauge is right for you is to go on the Internet and read reviews which will definitely give you some inside and first-hand knowledge about each model and make.

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