Origin Live Rega Modification Kits - Manual (Page 14)

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Viewed from the side, the stylus must sit correctly in the groove, at the same angle as the original cutter; this is
Vertical Tracking/Stylus Rake Angle. (VTA, however, varies from record to record. Therefore, this alignment
must be set by ear, even more than is the case with the other adjustments.) Also check that the distance from the
centre of the arm pillar (the upright post) to the spindle (usually fixed by the arm mounting board) is correct as
this will affect the ability to achieve the tangency adjustments. This "L dimension varies with every pivoted arm
— check your manual or with the manufacturer ( in the case of Rega arms this measurement is 222mm).
H I - F I C A R T R I D G E A L I G N I N G T O O L S
Tools required are an alignment gauge, a tracking force gauge, a FLAT record, a screwdriver or Allen keys of the right
size (usually 2mm), a good light may also be helpful. Small needle-nose pliers and a magnifying glass all help. It also
helps to have the hi-fi news test record. Treat the arm with care as some parts are fragile. To this end ensure that
tightening of any bolts is carried out gently and without causing undue strain. Do not adjust bearing tightness - this is
carefully set at factory - it may seem that there is slight “play” in the bearings - this is deliberate and must be left alone
or degradation will result - it is not actually play in the bearings but carefully designed clearance tolerances of other
components. Check hi-fi cartridge clip connections and mounting
Tonearm wiring uses a standard color code for channel and polarity ID: White = L Hot, Blue = L Ground, Red = R
Hot, and Green = R Ground. If the cartridge pins aren't color-coded the same way, they will have letter identifications
next to them. Make sure that the arm’s wires, wire clips, and solder joints are in very good condition. At minimum,
clean the contact between cartridge pins and wire clips by removing and replacing each clip. Holding the clips with
needle-nose pliers can make this easier, but be careful that you don’t strain the wires where they join the clip. Check
the clips for a proper fit on the cartridge pins, and adjust them if necessary. "Proper" means snug but not tight. To
check clip size, hold the cartridge tail-up close to the head wires, grasp a clip firmly right behind its tubular part with
the tweezers, line it up with the cartridge pin, and press. If it does not slide on with moderate force, the clip needs
opening-up. If it slides on easily but flops around when attached, it needs tightening. Sizing is the operation most likely
to detach a clip. The trick is to avoid bending the wire at its attachment point or putting too much tension on it. To
avoid either, always hold the clip with its wire slightly slack-looped behind it while adjusting. For opening a clip, hold it
firmly with the tweezers or needle-noses, right behind its tubular section, and press the tip of the jeweler's screwdriver
into the open end of its longitudinal slot until you see this widen very slightly. (Here's where you'll probably need the
headband magnifier or reading glasses.) You're dealing with thousandths of an inch here, so a barely visible spreading
may be all that's needed. Try it for fit, and repeat until it does. For tightening a clip, press a toothpick inside it as far as
it will go, then use the needle-nose pliers to gently squeeze together the sides of the clip near its free end, while
watching the slot for any change. (Attempting to squeeze a clip without the toothpick inside it will flatten its sides.)
Try it for size, and resqueeze if necessary until the fit is correct. When it is, close up the middle section of the tube to
match the end
Cartridge mounting screws (usually 2.5mm allen bolts) should be tight. Steel allen bolts are the best for mounting hi-fi
cartridges - aluminum or brass are OK but difficult to tighten.
F I T T I N G T H E H I - F I C A R T R I D G E
M O U N T I N G
Mount the hi-fi cartridge in the headshell if this is not done already. This is best done with the hi-fi cartridge stylus
guard in place but it may be necessary to remove it during at least one phase of the installation. If you do, replace it as
soon as possible. Be especially careful when the stylus guard is off, as many MC cartridges have a strong magnetic field
at the base of the cantilever. If this attracts the tip of a steel-bladed screwdriver, it can destroy the stylus - there is no
hope of resisting it. The best precaution is to keep the screwdriver well away from the cantilever, use a nonferrous
screwdriver, or keep the stylus guard on when you're using the screwdriver near it. The headshell screws should be
finger-tightened just enough that the cartridge cannot fall off but is still loose enough that the cartridge is easily moved
around. Work whenever possible with the stylus’s safety cap in place. Set tracking force at nominal, then do the
tangency alignment procedures, then the azimuth. Do not deviate from this sequence as each step affects the
subsequent one — change the order and the setup will be wrong.
T R A C K I N G F O R C E
This adjustment is carried out on the counterbalance weight of the tonearm or spring dial if one is in place. At this
point, use your tracking force gauge and setting tracking force according to your cartridge instructions — final
adjustment will be done later by ear. If you do not have a tracking force gauge, but the arm does have a calibrated
counterweight, defeat the arm’s anti-skate mechanism or set it to zero. Set the counterweight so the arm is level and
balanced. Be very careful of the unprotected stylus — you cannot do this with its safety cap in place. Once the arm is