How to Set Tracking Force and Anti-Skate on a Used Turntable

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Why a used deck needs this before the first record

Tracking force is how hard the stylus presses into the groove. Too little and it can skip or buzz. Too much and it adds wear to the record and the stylus. Anti-skate is a small sideways correction that offsets the tendency of the arm to be pulled toward the center of the record. Both are set by hand on most hi-fi decks, and both are easy to get wrong.

On a deck you just bought, the previous owner may have changed the counterweight, swapped the cartridge, lost the dial calibration or never set anything at all. A seller who says the deck "plays great" has not told you the force it was playing at. Setting it yourself takes about fifteen minutes and is the cheapest insurance you can buy for your records.

What you need before you start

• The cartridge model. It is usually printed on the cartridge body. If it is not readable, treat it as unidentified and see the section on settings that will not work.
• The maker's recommended tracking force range for that cartridge, from the spec sheet or the turntable manual. Use the maker's range, not a figure copied from a different cartridge.
• A flat, level surface and the deck's feet set so the plinth is not tilted. A tilted deck changes how the arm balances.
• A stylus force gauge if you want to confirm the dial. It is optional, but dials on older decks can be off.
• Good light and steady hands. The stylus is tiny and fragile.

The setup routine, step by step

Step 1: identify the cartridge and find its range

Read the model off the cartridge, then find the maker's spec sheet for exactly that model. A replacement stylus can look identical to the original while belonging to a different cartridge, and the recommended force follows the cartridge. Our stylus guide explains how to read the model and avoid mismatched replacements.

Spec sheets usually give a range rather than a single number. Many makers name a figure inside the range as the one to aim for, so read how yours words it. If the cartridge is unknown, do not guess. Photograph it, look up the turntable's original cartridge in the manual, and ask the seller what is fitted. Our first-hour checks cover what to look at when the deck first arrives.

Step 2: level the deck and balance the arm

With the deck level, remove the stylus guard only when the arm is clipped or resting securely and you are ready to balance. The usual routine on a manual arm has these stages, but the exact controls vary, so follow your manual:

1. Set the anti-skate to zero or off.
2. Turn the counterweight until the arm floats level on its own, with the tip neither dropping nor lifting. Support the arm with a finger while you adjust so it cannot slam down.
3. Set the tracking force dial or ring to zero without moving the counterweight. On many decks the calibrated ring can be turned independently of the weight, but some designs differ.

This gives you a known starting point. If the arm will not balance at all, the counterweight may be the wrong weight for the cartridge, or part of the arm may be missing or damaged. Stop there and read the last section.

Step 3: dial in the tracking force

Turn the counterweight forward so the dial reads the maker's recommended force. This is the step that applies the downward force, and the dial moves with the weight. Make small moves and recheck. If you own a gauge, lower the stylus onto it as its instructions say and compare. If the gauge and the dial disagree, go by the gauge once you have confirmed it reads correctly, and note the offset for next time.

Do not set the force high "to be safe" or low to "be gentle". A force outside the recommended range can cause mistracking or accelerate wear, and a heavy setting is not a substitute for a clean record and a clean stylus.

Step 4: set anti-skate

Anti-skate is usually a dial or a small weight on a thread, and some arms have none. Many cartridge and turntable makers say to set it to the same number as the tracking force, but others publish a different recommendation, so check the manual for your arm and cartridge. If there is no guidance, start at the tracking force and adjust only if you hear a problem.

Anti-skate is often described as a trade-off because the sideways pull changes across the record. That is why the setting is a starting point, not a measured perfect value. A symptom check helps: if one channel sounds more strained than the other on loud passages, or the stylus tends to drift when lowered onto a record with the motor off, revisit the setting after confirming the arm is level and the stylus is clean.

Step 5: check by ear and by eye

Play a clean record you know well, with a sustained loud passage. Listen for skipping, buzzing, distortion on one side or a sound that seems to be running on top of the groove. Look at the stylus from the front and side with a light to make sure it sits straight and the arm travels freely.

• Skipping on loud passages: recheck force and anti-skate, then a dirty stylus or record.
• Distortion near the end of a side: the stylus may be worn, which settings will not fix. See the stylus guide for wear signs.
• Hum: not a force problem. Check the ground wire and the hookup in our preamp guide.

When the settings will not work

Some used decks cannot be set properly as found. Typical causes are a missing counterweight, a counterweight that is too light or too heavy for the cartridge, a cartridge with no readable model, an arm with a fixed force and no adjustment, or a stylus that is clearly bent or worn. A deck with a fixed-force arm is meant to run with its original cartridge, so changing the cartridge on it needs the manual's guidance.

Replacement counterweights and cartridges are sold secondhand, but a counterweight is specific to the arm and the cartridge weight, so match it to the model and ask the seller for the weight if listed. If a deck you are still considering needs these parts, that is also a negotiation point, as in our used turntable buying guide.

The short routine to keep

Write the cartridge model and your settings on a piece of tape under the plinth or in your phone. Recheck after you change the stylus, move the deck or notice new noise. If you adjust one thing at a time and listen after each change, you will always know which change helped.

Sources and verification

This guide uses a general setup routine. We did not find a maker's procedure page we could open, so we have not quoted any specific force, anti-skate figure or dial behavior. Confirm every number in the cartridge spec sheet and the turntable manual.

1. RecordPlayers.co: Turntable stylus guide (identifying the cartridge and following the maker's tracking force)
2. RecordPlayers.co: Do you need a phono preamp? (ground wire and hum)
3. Your turntable manual and the cartridge maker's spec sheet. The authority on force, anti-skate and counterweight use for your model.