FAQ on Azimuth
Here are a list of FAQs on setting Azimuth which we have received from customers:
1) I need to tilt the cartridge by a lot in order to get crosstalk to equalize.
Never tilt the cartridge beyond 1 to 2 degrees. If you do this, you will damage the suspension of your cartridge.
On a properly built cartridge, the cartridge should not have to be tilted beyond 1 to 1.5 degrees to achieve optimal crosstalk numbers. In most cases, the optimal number falls within 0.5 to 1 degree. Suppose you must tilt the cartridge more than 1 to 1.5 degrees to achieve optimal crosstalk, in the absence of other incorrectly set parameters (such as antiskating or improper alignment), you are best to forgo tiling the cartridge by a lot, and simply set it to horizontal.
Many customers expect AnalogMagik to fix the cartridge's inherent crosstalk numbers. AnalogMagik is ONLY a distortion analyzer; it does not calibrate or magically make your numbers look good.
If your cartridge will only have crosstalk equalize when tilted by a lot, this is not AnalogMagik's fault, nor is it malfunctioning. This is the inherent imbalance of your cartridge.
2) Channel Balance
Before setting azimuth, please check the cartridge's channel balance. You can observe channel balance by the Green Bars at the top of the screen or use the Channel Balance function.
If the cartridge has one channel that is louder than the other by, say 4 dB, then obviously, 1 side will leak more signals to the other because it is louder. This effect will amplify through the crosstalk reading, and you will not be surprised to see a 10dB difference.
Phono Pre-amp balance compensation will equalize the volume between L and R speakers but will not improve the crosstalk reading.
If your cartridge has a channel imbalance, AnalogMagik cannot fix this for you. Contact your manufacturer. Most cartridge will have a slight channel imbalance, as long as it is under 1 dB it will likely not be audible.
Note that a channel imbalance will result in a less accurate azimuth setup as the crosstalk will have a 1db difference at a minimal.
3) Channel Imbalance will cause crosstalk to widen between channels.
If your cartridge has a channel imbalance of 1 dB, then when you measure crosstalk, the best number you see is a -3 dB difference.
If your cartridge has a channel imbalance of 2dB, it will be audible on your speakers, with one channel being louder than the other, and your crosstalk measurement will at least show a 3-4dB difference.
Phono-stage channel imbalance will also cause the same problem.
In these instances, you cannot use Crosstalk to set azimuth, and you are best off resorting to a perfectly horizontally flat azimuth.
AnalogMagik is like a thermometer; it measures temperature, but it cannot cure the fever.
Only the manufacturer can repair a channel imbalance.
4) Headshell Screw Tightness
We have discovered, through feedback from customers, that Azimuth is affected by the tightness of headshell screw imbalance. For reasons we do not understand, have a balanced L and R tightness will sometimes affect crosstalk numbers. Therefore, make sure the L and R headshell screw has the same torque level.
5) If you have a significant difference between the L and R channels, such as 10 dB or more, this does not change regardless of what you do:
Usually, when we see this, it is because of an external influence, such as one channel having a hum or noise higher than the other. There are also instances when the crosstalk between the L and R channels is imbalanced at the phono stage level. When you see this, change the RCA's L and R channels for both Input and Output. If the problem remains with the same channel, then the problem is the phono stage's crosstalk, not your cartridge.
There is nothing AnalogMagik can do to compensate for this.
6) My Crosstalk is > 2B, and AnalogMagik cannot get this to equalize; it is not working.
Analogmagik is only a distortion analyzer; it displays only what it reads. It does not perform calibration or setup, and it cannot change the quality of your equipment. The program is working.
The onus is on the manufacturer and the user to make numbers look good.
7) Landing Behavior
Azimuth can also be affected by "Landing Behavior," which we discussed in the Basic Alignment Tutorial. If your cartridge experiences uneven pressure exerted by a cantilever landing behavior that does not go straight up and down, chances are you will never achieve a satisfactory Azimuth Crosstalk reading.
8) Azimuth cannot be set independently of VTA and Antiskating.
Due to the offset angle of headshells, as soon as you change VTA, geometry dictates that it will cause the horizontal level to change, ie) Azimuth needs to be reset as soon as you change VTA. In fact, if you observe the Azimuth using a bubble level, observe the balance as you lower the lifter. The difference is not small.
Azimuth is also highly affected by Anti-skating and VTF (Vertical Tracking Force). If Antiskating is set incorrectly, resulting in uneven pressure on the groove walls, this will often (but not always) cause an imbalance in the Crosstalk numbers. Therefore, you should optimize Anti-skating as it will affect the Azimuth setting. Changing VTF and VTA may also affect Crosstalk, and you may have to go back and forth between different parameters and find an optimal point, which will result in a good set of numbers between all parameters.
9) Incorrect Zenith Angle on Cartridges or incorrect coil angle at the end of the cantilever.
Zenith angle refers to the angle at which the diamond is glued onto the cantilever. Sometimes, it is not perfectly straight, it happens quite frequently. Or the coil at the end of the cartridge may not be mounted perpendicular to the stylus.
If there is an inherent imbalance with the cartridge or zenith angle errors, the program CANNOT fix that for you. See No. 2 above. It is a cartridge problem. But there are things we can do to compensate.
When you are setting up Azimuth, sometimes you will notice no matter what you do, the crosstalk numbers between L and R will not come together. Usually (but not always), we will also see:
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Crosstalk between L vs R reading remains far apart (say 5-6 dB difference)
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VTA (IMD% above 10%)
This behavior highly indicates an incorrect zenith angle on the stylus diamond tip, and measuring phase angle will NOT solve this problem. You can use a 200-400x Microscope to examine the zenith angle on the stylus (whether the diamond is mounted straight on the cantilever or is it off-axis). Still, the problem is that a visual observation on a microscope is difficult to transpose the degree angle to actual adjustment.
An incorrect zenith angle will result in a wrong alignment geometry even though the cantilever may be aligned correctly to the gridlines of your template. The way to fix this is to change the alignment geometry (you can try going from Baerwald to Uni), which will rotate the cartridge slightly clockwise if you look at it from the top. By trial and error and patience, you will notice that the Crosstalk number will narrow. This is only true if "Channel Balance" is not the cause of the problem.
In airplane terminology, changing the "Roll" would be changing the azimuth. Changing the Pitch would be changing the VTA, and changing the Yaw would be changing the Alignment angle.
To compensate for zenith angle errors, you change the Yaw angle. The difference between Baerwald, Lofgren, or Uni, is a change in the Yaw angle of the cartridge.
For example, I once mounted a cartridge with a crosstalk number of -20 vs -30 dB, 3dB difference between the channel and IMD% of 12%. After adjusting for the zenith angle error by changing the alignment angle, the cross-talk came much closer together, -25 vs -25.7 (0.7 dB between channels), channel imbalance is now less than 0.5 dB, and IMD% lowered to 5%.
With more patience and fine adjustment, the numbers will likely narrow to within 0.5 dB on crosstalk. VTA IMD% will probably come down to 2-3%.
Also, an optimal setup optimizes readings across ALL parameters; it is a balancing act. Do not be preoccupied with 1 bad reading. Sometimes it is caused by equipment/cartridge limitations, not your setup abilities or AnalogMagik.
Again, an accurate analog setup is a balancing act between ALL and not just one parameter. The goal is to obtain optimal numbers in as many parameters as possible, so do not sacrifice one parameter at the expense of all others. This is why an All-In-One tool is so important because no parameter can be optimized on a stand-alone basis.
10) What numbers to look for?
For the Azimuth Crosstalk measurement, you are trying to equalize the numbers between L and R channels. The goal is not to try to achieve an absolute value of the specific target. If your cartridge specification says 36 dB Channel Separation, it does not necessarily mean you will see -36dB on L and -36.5 dB on L. Many cartridges register numbers below 30dB. This is your cartridge's limitation and a deviation from the specification. There is no need to contact the manufacturer.
This test aims to get the number between L and R channels by less than 1 dB, or as close together as possible.
If your numbers are wider than 1 dB, please read the FAQs above.
11) Azimuth using other tools.
AnalogMagik is the only tool that allows you to measure both L and R channels in a single test track. This will result in a higher level of accuracy because measuring the L channel at a different location on the LP vs. the R channel will affect your results due to tracking errors.
Our programming also incorporates algorithms to account for the imperfections of the LP format, including slightly off-centered spindle holes, slight warpness, and the effect of Wow & Flutter. Do not be surprised if you see slightly different results because almost all distortion analyzers do not consider these factors.
We also do not advocate using Azimuth as the sole reference and stand-alone parameter as the ultimate determinant for setup accuracy. A proper, accurate setup takes into account VTA, VTF, Anti-skating, and zenith alignment rather than overemphasizing on Azimuth. You must go back and forth between all test parameters rather than treating them independently.
You will find that Azimuth's optimal setting will be different when you have optimized Anti-skating, VTA, and VTF, so do not be surprised when you see slightly different results.