32 Cartridge-making Dictionary Audio-Technica’s guide to cartridge-making terminology 33rpm Bonded diamond Channel Balance Connecting (the phono cartridge) very often denotes 12” LP Vinyl records Bonded diamond refers to a The channel balance of a cartridge is the (1949-Today), that should be played at stylus where the diamond tip is ability of the transducer to reproduce left a speed of 33 1/3 rpm, rpm stands for glued on a metal shank that is and right channels in the same manner. Rotation Per Minute. itself glued into the hole of the Channel balance should be part of the cantilever. This construction may cartridge specifications, it expresses the 45rpm increase the mass of the overall tip and possible output difference in dB from one 45rpm very often denotes 7” Vinyl records, affect transient reproduction compared channel to another. A cartridge with ideal (1949-Today) that should be played at a with nude styli that are preferred and used channel balance will playback any mono speed of 45rpm, rpm stands for Rotation on higher-priced models. signal with equal level in both channels. Per Minute. The channel balance will be 0dB. The ratio of the signals between the two channels To install a Phono cartridge, connect the 78rpm Boron (boron cantilever) is specified in dB. Channel imbalance four wires of the cartridge headshell to the 78rpm very often denotes 10” Shellac SP Boron is a chemical element from the can result in several factors independent correct terminals on the back of the Gramophone records (1925-1950) that metalloid family, extracted from Borax and from the cartridge itself: mechanical cartridge. should be played at a speed of 78rpm, rpm Kernite. Its atomic number is 5. Boron is factors include incorrect azimuth settings, The four wires are colour-coded and stands for Rotation Per Minute. used for high-end cantilevers due to its misalignment of the tonearm and/or of the generally labeled as follows : lightweight and high-rigidity properties. cartridge on the headshell, and/or improper Left Channel: White Anti-skating It reaches a score of 9.5 on the Mohs anti-skating adjustment. Left Channel Ground: Blue When the record is in play, the friction hardness scale (for reference Diamond Other Channel imbalance issues, Right Channel: Red between the stylus in the groove of the scores 10 and Aluminium 3). independent from the cartridge or the Right Channel Ground: Green record and the length of the arm (the turntable, could include mismatched distance between the tip and the arm cables, electronic elements such as stereo Conical bearing) creates a force that pushes the Cantilever (stylus cantilever) preamplifiers, speaker system, speaker (form factor of the diamond cartridge toward the center of the disk. positioning and/or room acoustics. stylus) Anti-skating creates a force that pulls Also called spherical, because of the arm towards the outer edge of the Channel Separation the shape of the tip of the cone. disc to compensate it. Because records The channel separation of a cartridge is Conical shaped stylus are simple don’t have a constant amplitude, a static the ability of the transducer to deliver only to produce, therefore it becomes the most compensation will never totally cure the signal on the left channel of the cartridge, popular when economy is a factor. problem. It is a matter of balance. Badly set and nothing on the right channel when anti-skating will produce channel balance there is only signal on the left channel Counterweight Cantilever and distortion issues. When the anti- groove,and vice versa. Channel separation (Tonearm Counterweight) skating is set too high, the left channel will Styli are principally made of three is frequency dependent. Audio-Technica Arm rest distort during loud passages, while on the components: Stylus Tip, Stylus Cantilever, indicate in the specifications the Channel other side if it’s too low, the right channel and Stylus Suspension. separation, specified at 1kHz. For high- Quad lead will distort. Also the amount of anti-skating The cantilever is a tiny suspended “arm” end cartridges, Audio-Technica provides wires depends on the shape of the tip. Conical (solid or pipe) that holds the Diamond Tip channel separation curves, showing the Headshell Anti-skating stylus tends to require more anti-skating on one end and transfers the vibrations to separation in dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Tonearm device (due to the amount of friction generated the other end where the Magnets (in case A high channel separation provides a better base by their shape) than more complex shapes of MM cartridges) or the Coils (in case of stereo image. (Line contact or Micro linear). MC cartridges) are housed. Arm rest Different materials are used to make a Compliance Tracking force fine adjustment Tonearm Azimuth (see also Tilt) cantilever: Aluminium, Saphyr, Beryllium, Compliance is the inverse of stiffness. weight counter weight For magnetic tape drives, azimuth refers boron... The lighter and stiffer being the Every cartridge works as a suspension, a to the angle between the tape head and best. high compliance cartridge will be suited for magnetic tape. For phono cartridges, a low mass tonearm and a low compliance Dual Moving Magnet cartridge Azimuth is the angle between the surface Cartridge (Phono Magnetic Cartridge) (stiffer) cartridge will be suited for a high Audio-Technica’s patented Vertical of the record and the vertical axis of the The phono cartridge is the transducer used mass tonearm. Dual Magnet phono cartridge, unlike cartridge. for the playback of gramophone records. There is not a perfect compliance number, conventional cartridges, use the 90° Note the difference between cartridge The phono cartridge converts the the cartridge compliance together with the V-Shape of the cutter head. The standard removable head shells: some models mechanical energy (vibrations) from a effective mass of the tonearm/cartridge cutter head (used to record the vinyl such as the “Technihard series” (page stylus riding in a record groove into an combination determine the tonearm’s master) uses two transducer coils, 30) feature an “azimuth” adjustment. This electrical signal that will be amplified then fundamental resonance. mounted perpendicular to each other at feature is particularly useful when it is not processed, recorded, or played through a For optimal results the frequency should be 45° from horizontal, to cut the channel: provided by the tone arm itself. sound system. maintained between 9-13Hz. one in each wall of the 90° record groove. 33 Cartridge-making Dictionary Audio-Technica’s guide to cartridge-making terminology This way, the cartridge achieves accurate Line contact that it allows a contact surface of around As magnet vibrates in response to the tracking, excellent channel separation, high (form factor of specific stylus 115 μm2. The shape is “similar” to other stylus following the record groove, it definition of the stereo image and extreme diamonds) Audio-Technica uses diamond tips such as SAS, Dynavector or induces a tiny current in the coils. clarity over the entire audio spectrum. Line Contact shape stylus on Namiki. several high-end cartridge styli. The MicroLine™ diamond is different from Mu-metal (shielding) Elliptical The tip of the diamond is such Line Contact diamonds, also featured on Mu-metal is a range of nickel-iron alloys (form factor of the diamond that it allows a contact surface between 50 high-end styli. Line Contact tips are also that are notable for their high magnetic stylus) and 75 μm2. The shape is “similar” to other known as “Shibata”, providing a contact permeability. The high permeability makes An Elliptical stylus is produced diamond tips known as Shibata. surface between 50 and 75 μm2. mu-metal useful for shielding against static starting from a Conical Stylus, or magnetic fields. then two cuts are made in order Load MM input Mu-metal is frequently used to protect low to make the vertical contact When connected to a phono preamp, the MM stands for Moving Magnet: an MM input signal transformers such as the ones found longer and the front to back contact cartridge forms a RLC (Resistor, Inductor, denotes the input stage of a preamplifier is on microphone preamplifier input stages narrower. Capacitor) circuit which acts as a resonant able to handle the signal of a Moving magnet or on the Cartridge step-up transformers The elliptical tip follows the groove filter emphasizing certain frequencies phono cartridge and the MM input also has used with MC cartridges. modulation with more precision than a while reducing others. In order the achieve an input impedance suitable for the output Several models of Audio-Technica conical tip, improving frequency response, to most linear frequency response, impedance of MM cartridges. cartridges use Mu-metal shielding between phase response, and lowering distortion, manufacturers specify several load values the left and right sections of the cartridge specifically in the inner turns of the record. (load capacitance, load impedance and so Monaural in order to improve channel separation. on). By following these specifications for Monophonic sound reproduction (often Frequency Response the choice of the phono stage, one can called mono) is single-channel audio Neodymium Frequency response is the quantitative achieve the best sonic results. program material or single channel audio Neodymium is used as a component in measure of the output spectrum of the reproduction. Monaural recording on vinyl the alloys used to make high-strength, cartridge in response to the stimulus of the LP Record has been replaced by stereo sound during powerful permanent magnets (neodymium record grove modulation. LP stands for Long Play or 33 rpm the mid 60’s. 78rpm records and Vinyl magnets). These magnets are widely used It is a measure of the magnitude for the microgroove vinyl record format.