Listening to records is a matter of setup. We mean this seriously – and it is the reason for this tutorial. Because a turntable is not a component that you unpack, connect, and use. It needs to be set up. Anyone who skips this step sacrifices sound and risks their records and the cartridge in the worst case.
The good news: It is not rocket science. With the right tools, a little peace and quiet, and this guide, you can set up your turntable properly in fifteen minutes. We will walk through the process we also follow in our shop – step by step, on a completely normal entry- to mid-range turntable.
If you are still deciding whether to buy or have general questions about drive, cartridge, and accessories, start here: Turntable Buying Guide: Which One Is Right for Me?
Contents
- Why Setup Is So Important
- What You Need
- Preparation: Unpacking and Assembly
- Step 1: The Turntable Must Be Level
- Step 2: Set the Null Point
- Step 3: Set the Tracking Force
- Step 4: Align the Cartridge Using the Template
- Step 5: Check the Tracking Force Again
- Step 6: Set the Anti-Skating
- During Operation: Keep the Record and Needle Clean
- For Advanced Users: VTA and Azimuth
- Common Mistakes
- When You Should Leave It to Us
- FAQ
Why Setup Is So Important
A cartridge reads a groove that is modulated in the micrometer range. Tiny deviations in tracking force, tracking angle, or level have a major impact – on the sound and on wear.
If the turntable is set up incorrectly, it does not just sound worse. Too much tracking force puts stress on the stylus holder, too little causes the needle to jump in the groove, an incorrectly aligned cartridge wears unevenly – and all of this will eventually take its toll on your records. A properly set up turntable, on the other hand, is simply a joy to use: It sounds better, and it protects what it plays.
So here is our honest advice upfront: Take the fifteen minutes. Not while doing something else, not when you are stressed – take your time. It will be worth it every single evening after that.
What You Need
You cannot do it without tools. Four things are the bare minimum to properly set up a turntable:
- A spirit level – to check if the turntable is level.
- An alignment template – to correctly align the cartridge.
- A tonearm scale – to measure the tracking force exactly. The single most important item we recommend to everyone.
- Cleaning accessories – a carbon fiber brush for the record and a needle cleaner for the diamond, for ongoing operation.
We have bundled exactly these items into a starter set that is more than enough to get started and is significantly cheaper than buying the items individually. For more ambitious systems, there are more refined sets with more precise scales and more elaborate templates. Setup Accessories
A practical tip that will help you right away with alignment: Have a thin pencil lead with a small piece of adhesive tape ready. You will see why in Step 4.
Prefer watching to reading? We have also filmed the whole process and go through every step live on the device. It is best to put the video next to you and work along with it:
Preparation: Unpacking and Assembly
When unpacking, you immediately notice: the platter and counterweight are separate, not mounted. This is for an important reason – both run on sensitive bearings, and if they were mounted during transport, these bearings could be knocked out of alignment by vibrations.
Keep this in mind for later too: If you ever transport the turntable – whether you are moving or bringing it to us to have a new cartridge aligned – always remove the platter and counterweight. This is not necessary for moving it around the same room, but for any actual transport. This is really important.
This is how you assemble it:
- Place the platter on. Make sure it sits cleanly on the spindle.
- Place the mat on. Depending on the manufacturer, rubber or felt – some turntables come without a mat at all, so leave it off.
- Lock the tonearm. Before you do anything to the tonearm: lock it so it does not swing away.
- Remove the needle guard. It has its own weight and must be removed before you set the tracking force.
- Screw on the counterweight. Screw it onto the back of the tonearm – initially only loosely.
If a cartridge is already mounted from the factory – as is the case with many entry-level and plug-and-play models – you can skip the mounting step and continue directly with the setup.
Step 1: The Turntable Must Be Level
Before you adjust the tonearm, the surface must be level. Place the spirit level on the platter and check at several points whether it is perfectly level.
If it is crooked, level it out – either using height-adjustable device feet, if your turntable has them, or by adjusting the surface itself. Only when the spirit level is perfectly centered can you continue.
This may sound like a minor detail, but it is the foundation for everything else: A crookedly set up turntable will throw off every subsequent adjustment.
Step 2: Set the Null Point
Now comes the most important step in the setup – the so-called null point. This brings the tonearm into perfect balance before you even set the tracking force.
Here is how:
- Remove the needle guard, carefully release the tonearm from the lock – guiding it lightly with your hand so it does not swing away.
- Now turn the counterweight back and forth finely until the tonearm floats horizontally in the air on its own – free, without tipping forward or backward.
- This is the null point: The tonearm is perfectly balanced, and the tracking force is zero at this moment.
Take a minute or two here. It takes a little feel until the arm really floats freely. Once it is set, lock the tonearm again.
Step 3: Set the Tracking Force
From this null point, you now set the tracking force – the pressure with which the needle rests in the groove.
First: What is the correct tracking force? This is determined by the cartridge, not the turntable. Every cartridge has a manufacturer-recommended tracking force – for a common entry-level system, for example, this is 1.8 grams, for others 1.75 or 2.0. You will find this value in the data sheet or manual of your cartridge. Take exactly this value.
There are two ways to set it:
Using the scale on the counterweight. Many turntables have a rotatable scale ring on the counterweight. From the null point, set this ring to zero without moving the weight itself. Then turn the counterweight forward until the scale shows the desired value – about 1.8. If your turntable does not have such a scale, skip this and go directly to the scale.
Check with the tonearm scale. The scale is a good guideline, but you should not rely on it blindly. Place the tonearm scale on the platter, turn it on, and lower the needle exactly onto the marked measuring point. Now read the actual value. If it matches the manufacturer's specification – perfect. If not, lift the tonearm again, lock it, correct the counterweight, and measure again until the value is correct.
By the way, you do not only need the tonearm scale now. The tracking force changes slightly over time – so check it occasionally.
Step 4: Align the Cartridge Using the Template
Now you ensure that the cartridge runs over the record at the correct angle. Because it should read the groove as closely as possible to how it was originally cut – and for that, it must be precisely aligned. That is what the template is for.
Here is how you proceed:
- Place the template with its hole on the spindle of the platter.
- Pull it close so that the needle tip rests exactly on the marked measuring point.
- Lower the tonearm gently so that the needle rests exactly on this point.
- Now look from above: The cartridge body should be parallel to the lines drawn on the template.
The pencil trick helps here: Many cartridges taper to a point at the front, making it difficult to see whether they are really parallel. Tape a thin pencil lead with a small piece of adhesive tape to the front of the cartridge. This extension immediately makes it visible whether the body is aligned exactly with the lines.
If the angle is not correct, loosen the mounting screws of the cartridge in the headshell with a small slotted screwdriver – but only a little, not all the way. Then twist the cartridge minimally until it runs parallel. Hold it lightly while doing so so that it does not slip completely: Once it is completely loose, you have to start over.
Important – there are two measuring points: The template has two points, one further in and one further out. You check and align at both, because this minimizes the tracking error angle across the entire record. So place the needle on both points one after the other and align the cartridge parallel at both. This is a bit of back and forth – lock the tonearm again and again between the steps so that nothing slips away and, in the worst case, the stylus holder breaks off.
Take the two minutes. In the end, it comes down to fractions of a millimeter, but exactly those make the difference for a clean, distortion-free sound.
Step 5: Check the Tracking Force Again
A step many people forget: While aligning the cartridge, you may have moved it slightly – and this may have changed the tracking force minimally.
So place the tonearm scale on again and measure. Small deviations in the range of measurement inaccuracy are normal. But if the tracking force has changed noticeably, correct it at the counterweight until you are exactly at the recommended value again.
Step 6: Set the Anti-Skating
The final step. During playback, a force is created that pulls the tonearm inward toward the center of the record – the so-called skating. Anti-skating counteracts this so that the needle reads both groove flanks evenly and does not wear unevenly.
How you set it depends on the turntable: Some have a rotary knob on the side, others work with a small thread weight. The exact method is in the manual of your device.
The value as a rule of thumb: Set the anti-skating to approximately the same value as the tracking force – at least to 80% of it up to the full value. So at 1.8 grams of tracking force, about 1.8. With the rotary knob, this can be set quite accurately, with the thread weight it is more of an approximation – that is perfectly fine.
After that, the turntable is fully set up: It is level, the tracking force is correct, the cartridge is aligned, the anti-skating is set. Now you can get started.
During Operation: Keep the Record and Needle Clean
A properly set up turntable also needs to be operated cleanly – dust in the groove is the enemy of sound and the needle.
The carbon fiber brush you take out before every playback. Its fine bristles remove the dirt from the groove, and it also works antistatically – important because records build up an electrostatic charge during playback and attract dust. Place the record on, let the platter spin, hold the brush lightly for a few revolutions, then gently pull it outward. This is also part of the process after washing a record – but only with a clean brush.
The needle cleaner you use when dust bunnies collect on the diamond. Be gentle and lock the tonearm so that nothing breaks off.
For Advanced Users: VTA and Azimuth
The steps above are enough to have a lot of fun with an entry- to mid-range turntable. But there are two more adjustments that squeeze out the very last from higher-end turntables and cartridges. They are deliberately only briefly explained here – they require more experience, finer tools, and a turntable that even allows them.
VTA – the tonearm height. VTA stands for the vertical tracking angle. Simply put, it is about setting the tonearm in height so that it runs horizontally over the record and the needle dips into the groove at the correct angle. If a cartridge with a different mounting height is installed, this angle changes – then the tonearm height needs to be readjusted. This is only possible on turntables with tonearm height adjustment, which usually only appear from the better mid-range.
Azimuth – the tilt of the cartridge. The azimuth describes whether the cartridge stands exactly perpendicular in the groove, instead of being slightly tilted to the left or right. If it is correct, both channels read evenly. This too can only be finely adjusted on tonearms equipped accordingly.
Both adjustments also require higher-quality tools – a more precise tonearm scale and finer templates.
Common Mistakes
Setting up without tools. Tracking force "by feel" or without a scale is guesswork – and comes at the expense of sound and the needle. The four tools are the bare minimum, not a luxury.
Not leveling the turntable. The first step, which is skipped most often – and throws off all subsequent adjustments.
Aligning at only one point. The cartridge must run parallel at both measuring points of the template, not just at one.
Loosening the screws completely. Then the cartridge slips completely, and you have to start over. Always only loosen slightly and hold it.
Handling the cartridge too roughly. The stylus holder is sensitive. If it breaks off, you need a new needle insert for an MM system – for an MC system, often a completely new system. Therefore: take your time, lock it, without rushing.
Not checking the tracking force again after aligning. It may have shifted slightly during alignment.
Leaving the needle guard on when setting the tracking force. It adds weight and distorts the measurement.
When You Should Leave It to Us
This guide will safely bring you to the goal with an entry- to mid-range turntable. But there are situations in which it makes sense to leave it to us:
If you simply do not trust yourself with the initial setup and do not want to take any risks with a sensitive cartridge. If you have mounted a high-quality system where VTA and azimuth come into play. Or if you are unsure whether your turntable is running correctly – then bring it by (remove the platter and counterweight!), we will take a look.
Unfortunately, this is difficult to judge from afar, but in the shop it is quickly done. And if you buy from us, we will set up the turntable completely at your request before you take it with you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct tracking force?
The one specified by the manufacturer of your cartridge – not a blanket value. It is in the data sheet or manual of the cartridge, values between about 1.5 and 2.0 grams are typical. Always measure it afterwards with the tonearm scale.
Do I really need a tonearm scale?
Yes. The scale on the counterweight is a guideline, but it is not exact on every turntable. The scale is the only way to know the actual tracking force – and the single most important item in the setup.
How often do I need to readjust?
The tracking force changes slightly over time – measuring once a year is usually enough. After a needle or system change, you set it up completely from scratch.
What is anti-skating and why do I need it?
During playback, a force pulls the tonearm inward. Anti-skating counteracts this so that the needle reads both groove flanks evenly and does not wear unevenly. As a rule of thumb, you set it to about 80% to 100% of the tracking force.
Can I simply transport my turntable during a move?
No. Always remove the platter and counterweight – both run on sensitive bearings that can be knocked out of alignment by vibrations. This is not necessary for moving it around the same room, but for any actual transport.
What happens if I set it up incorrectly?
Too much tracking force puts stress on the needle and record, too little causes the needle to jump, a wrong angle leads to uneven wear and distortion. None of this is an immediate total loss, but in the long run, everything takes its toll on the sound, needle, and records.
Is a more expensive tool set worth it?
The basic set is perfectly sufficient for getting started. More precise scales and more elaborate templates are worth it if you are working with a high-quality cartridge that has only a narrow range for tracking force, or if you want to adjust VTA and azimuth.
Author: Fidelity
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