Setting VTA on Rega Planar

Howdy all,

I have a Rega Planar 2 which as you'd know has no VTA adjustment. I've heard of owners placing thin card stock between the platter and sub-platter to help in isolating the two and possibly reducing bearing noise.

Going one step further, I was wondering if there would be any negatives in using thin card/paper shims in this manner to set VTA - each one would be about one thou in thickness. Thus, these could be used to lift the platter up and down accordingly.

Comments would be very welcome!

Cheers

Stuey

 

Roy Gandy would tell you it is a waste of time as there is no real change when altering the VTA.

 

But he'll also happily sell you some shims if you insist

http://www.rega.co.uk/html/spacer.htm

-- Ian

 

If you do shim the arm not the platter IMO assuming a 250 or 300 on the p2. Vta should be plainly heard it has been on every tt that I've owned..arm pivot low should sound bass heavy, arm pivot high bass light.

 

Unfortunately it's only the R200 on the Planar...this is my return to vinyl. Are you suggesting that it's more obvious/required with the RB range of arms?

LiloLee, is that YOUR opinion, too?

I should have stated that the idea was for me to work out the amount by which the arm needed to be shimmed, then when found, shim the arm appropriately.

Cheers people.

Stuey

 

My opinion is that some cartridges are more susceptable to VTA than others.
Roy Gandy's opinion is that there are more important things to worry about than VTA.
But whatever you do, do it properly.

 

Lee could you enlighten on Rg's position? I have a rega and am a little interested in why he does it that way...or is there anywhere on the web that talks about it...thanks, Ian

 

interesting links

http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/vta_e.html

http://www.n.mackie.btinternet.co.uk/documents/regaonvta.html

regards.

 

That Roy Gandy quote "VTA adjustment is actually a neurosis NOT a technical adjustment." always tickles

 

Hmm. I guess I'll just forget about THAT little experiment, then! Thanks for the links and info...

Stuey

 

Well Stuey, thing is not everyone agrees with Mr Gandy (it has been suggested that, he would say that wouldn't he, because his arms don't have adjustable VTA). Best thing to do is get hold of some shims (should cost less than a tenner and try it out. My personal experience with a Rega arm (RB250) is that VTA differences were only audible when miles over or under the horizontal.

TBH, if the arm looks pretty much horizontal with the cart you are using, when the needle is in the groove, then I wouldn't worry. Others on this board will no doubt strongly disagree ... but there you go.

 

I never understood why he doesn't just admit its to save money. Why not? The 250 and 300 are great vfm, he has to save a bit somewhere to sell at those prices, why not be honest?

 

I think he is being honest. He's been under a lot of pressure for years to include VTA adjustment. He genuinely believes it's a waste of time.

-- Ian

 

Well I can understand thinking that on decks like the Rega that actually take the rega arm straight up but what about the other decks where the height doesn't match? I guess thats what the spacers are for, but they won't necessarily match everytime

 

Re-read his article. He doesn't think it matters. Even on other decks.

-- Ian

 

its either

nearly right or nearly wrong,
anex for god sake if i snuck in your house and adjusted your vta by a mill or 2 you would not be able to tell even with hyper elliptical or van den hul profiles.
once you are nearly on it does'nt matter as the records vary so much and the cantilever is sprung so it is reduced even more.
golden eared owl. roy gandy has it more on than roy gregorys rubbish claims of half a mill at the arm end makes it either correct or completely unlistanable.
audiofool mannerisms setting in. get real.
even the variation in the room temp. of a couple of degrees will make more difference than that !

 

Ummm. What?
I didn't say anything about 2mm I was talking about decks that the arm doesn't work with directly such as my 401s. I fiddled with spacers on the rega, no combination of the set I had would get me anywhere close to where the arm needed to be so I had to find another way of doing it.

 

if thats the case

may i recommend a dr martin bastin sme to rega adjustable vta arm base , then all you have to do is get it roughly level and enjoy the music.
sorted.
next please.

 

I used a VPI one. A block of wood would have done too.