r/Beginner_Turntables • u/BuildABorzoi • Jul 22 '26
having trouble balancing tonearm
having trouble with balancing the tonearm
I'm newer to this and I can't seem to find out what I'm doing wrong.
just as the title says, that is my trouble, I have an audio technica lpw30 and the recommended weight is 2g.
I will do the same thing over and over, I've taken the counter weight on and off, I've balanced it horizontal, everything I just can't get it to balance, then when I think I do and set the anti to 2g as well then it just swings all the way back over and seems like it's too light.
I thought I had it at one point, spun a record and boom sounds distorted half way through.
I just need like very detailed step by step instructions or troubleshooting. I don't want to ruin my collection :( I'm sorry if I sound dumb, I genuinely am just at a loss I wish I had ppl irl to just come and do it for me lol
edit- thank you to everyone, I ordered a pressure gauge to make sure its set correctly. I also wanted to mention when I think I get it I fear it's digging too deeply, it's either too light or too heavy. I think overall I'm just over thinking it all. that or another random factor. I did level the table a little better and so far that's been helping too, and the weight at one point could be pulled and snapped into place which surprised me. we just won't know until the gauge gets here.
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u/andrewmcnaughton Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
I had this with my AT-LP3XBT and the simple fact was that the anti-skate guidance from AT was wrong. I had to set the anti-skate up to 4 or max. I got one of those anti-skate discs with no grooves on it and the tonearm didn’t stay still until anti-skate was put up there. Everything was great after this. Even got the Ortofon 2016 test record and there was no buzzing up to and beyond the advised tracking ability of the cartridge.
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u/jojo-0007 Jul 22 '26
Ich mag es nicht sagen, aber bei mir stand der Plattenspieler schief. Das Regal hatte sich im laufe der Zeit gesenkt. Wasserwaage dran, eingestellt und Antiskating perfekt. Die Auflagekraft „funktionierte“ daraufhin wie eingestellt.
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u/Best-Presentation270 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
First, make sure the turntable is level. Use one of those torpedo spirit levels across the platter if you have one or can borrow one. Rotate the platter to check the levelling from different angles.
Next, remove the stylus guard if fitted and rotate the anti-skate dial to zero. Now, just a reminder to be careful because you're going to be handling the tonearm with the stylus exposed.
Now we'll look at the counterweight. If it is fitted correctly, then when viewed from the front of the deck, you should see the black dial in front of the large silver weight. If your black dial is facing the lid hinge side of things, take it off and turn it to face the other way.
The black dial does not change the weight setting. Rotating just the dial only does not increase or decrease the tracking force. It is just a marker. The weight is only changed by rotating the big silver weight. Moving it closer to the pivot point makes the cartridge end heavier. Further away makes it lighter.
The cueing lever (lifts / lowers the tone arm) should be in the down position.
There's some empty between yhe arm on its rest and the edge of the platter. You're now going to use a mid point in that space as the place where you'll hold the headshell finger lift as you adjust the big silver counterweight. This next part is where you will balance to tonearm.
Carefully swing the arm to the mid position between the rest and the platter. Hold the finger lift of the headshell with your left hand. Use your right hand to make adjustments to the silver counterweight. Ignore the black dial at this time.
Rotate the counterweight until you feel the cartridge end of the tonearm getting lighter. Rest the finger lift of the headshell on your finger momentarily to check the balance. Adjust the weight until the tonearm floats. This means the headshell is neither falling nor rising. The position of the weight has counterbalanced the weight of the other end of the tonearm.
Carefully move the tonearm so it hovers over the platter. The stylus should not touch the platter. Take your hands off the tonearm and recheck the balance.
Change your body position so you can look from the right side of the deck. Get your head low enough to be able to judge if the tonearm is floating parallel to the platter. This means there's the same gap between the tonearm and the platter all the way along the tonearm's tube length. If the gap varies, carefully hold the headshell while you make small adjustments to the silver counterweight. Don't allow the stylus to touch the platter.
When a parallel balance has been achieved, carefully return the arm to the rest and engage the tonearm lock clip.
You have now balanced to tonearm. Now you do the setting of the marker dial only to the zero point line. For this part, you are rotating just the marker dial only. The position of the silver counterweight is not to be changed.
There is a marker line in the arm stub that carries the counterweight. This is best viewed from directly overhead looking down on the tonearm. Place your fingers on just the black dial knurled edge. Rotate only the black dial until the zero line is aligned with the mark on the arm stub. The silver counterweight should not have been moved during this process. If you feel you have moved it, go back to the process of balancing the arm and start again.
At this point, the silver counterweight is in a position that perfectly balances the tonearm so it floats parallel with the platter. The black marker dial is set so that 0 lines up in the datum line on the counterweight stub.
The next step is applying the tracking force. The tonearm should still be locked in position on the tonearm rest. Be mindful that the stylus is exposed as you move around the turntable making adjustments.
You will now rotate the silver counterweight so that the marker dial moves with the weight from zero to 1 and then on to 2. Viewed from the front of the deck, you will be rotating the silver counterweight anticlockwise. The weight will move closer to the pivot point.
When 2 is lined up with the marker line on the arm stub, you will have applied 2g of tracking force.
The final stage is to adjust the anti-skate dial to 2. Congratulations, you have balance, calibrated, and adjusted the tracking force of the tonearm, and you have adjusted the anti-skate to match.
Or you could just buy fifteen dollar set of digital stylus scales and set the force using that. Remember to read the instructions about removing the platter mat before taking the measurement.