The tuning of phonograph reproduction

by proper cartridge loading & channel balancing

along with modifying an inexpensive PCB and a bit of historical perspective
Robert E. (Robin) Miller III BSEE AES SMPTE BAS
Filmaker Technology www.filmaker.com

9/30/2014iv

Setting up a turntable, tone-arm, pickup, & preamplifier must be attended to by users in order to
realize good performance from their phonograph systems for enjoying and restoring 78, 45, and
33 rpm disc recordings. Two crucial issues are often ignored that diminish sound quality: 1)
proper capacitive loading of moving magnet/moving iron (MM/MI) cartridges for best resulting
frequency, phase, and transient response; and 2) proper balance for best stereo soundstage,
and for monaural reproduction to cancel not-recorded vertical distortions. Both are addressed,
and implemented in an inexpensive ($30 less case & power supply) audiophile phono stage.

Vinyl has made a comeback from the past and from

technological obsolescence. Along with shellac 78rpm discs, this
analog medium is a treasure of more than a century of musical
performances, forgotten or deceased artists, and broadcasting
history. Phonography is difficult compared to the ease of use of
the CD and streaming media, and little new hardware is being
manufactured. Vintage used equipment was built to last and be
maintained, but replacement styli are a quagmire of quality.
Before exploring the disc and its modulated groove, and the
pickup cartridge and its stylus and preamplifier, an appreciation of
the most difficult technology to design and most expensive to
build: the cartridges stylus a tiny cantilever with a diamond tip.
Micro-fabricated of aeronautical aluminum with a needle magnet
of rare earth Samarium Cobalt, the sound of disc reproduction is
arguably the sound of its stylus. Pulled backwards over a records
landscape like a cowboy caught in a stirrup and dragged by his
horse, following ruts rushing up from behind, bumping over
rocks, but only grazing hoof-print imperfections in vinyl too small
to feel. Intense pressure causes extreme temperature that deforms
temporarily the vinyl at the point of contact, akin to an ice skate
melting a thin film of water so the blade can glide. Advanced tip
"profiles" reduce this pressure, and its eventual wearing of groove
and stylus, by elongating the point of contact up each wall, even
as they narrow it in order to trace better the high frequencies cut
by the flat-across, chisel-shaped cutter of the disc recorder. Yet
the stylus assembly needs replacement only every 500~1,000hr!

Subjects of graphs on p2, Stanton #881 (L) & #681 with Stereohedron styli
trace the same groove a fraction of a second apart for direct comparison.
These "calibrated" (Steinfeld prefers "certified"1) models were chosen by
broadcasters and disc mastering engineers for quality control while cutting.

1. Capacitive & Resistive loading of moving magnet (MM)

and moving iron (MI) phonograph pickup cartridges
One determiner of phonograph quality likely has tainted the
reputations and reviews of cartridges for decades improper
electrical loading. This impedance completes a manufacturers
design of its cartridge. Although critical, they are external, user/
installer-supplied components beyond the manufacturers control.

All MM/MI cartridges rely on user/installer-supplied components to meet

their manufacturers designed characteristics. Loaded off -spec results in
replay often described as too dull or too bright. Coincidentally it might
be perceived to compensate for errors elsewhere in the system [Pickering].

The market for used vinyl is thriving. Direct-drive turntables are still made,
DJ heirs to Technics SP-broadcast models. L, an audiophile tone-arm for
high-compliance tracking at 1g; R, a 14in broadcast arm tracking at 2g.

Richard Steinfeld Handbook for Stanton and Pickering Phonograph

Cartridges and Styli, self-published (2010) rsteinbook@sonic.net a
compendium of more than 100 products based on employee interviews.

Oblivious to a loading mismatch, audiophiles might blame a

cartridge for being either dull (C-load too low) or bright (Cload too high), a non-flat response wrecking timbre (tone quality),
the holy grail of sound reproduction. Cartridge manufacturers
intended proper loading be the responsibility of the user/installer.
The chart tells the story of two of the more than 100 products
of musician Norman Pickering and engineer Walter Stanton for
home enthusiasts, disc mastering engineers for quality control,
and the rigors of broadcasting. 2 Playing a well-regarded test
record (CBS Laboratories STR- series), their data shows results
tuning their upper-end cartridges by varying the external load
capacitance. The 680/681 (certified version) requires 275pF
(pico-Farad) 10%; the lower impedance MM 880/881 also
275pF, but 20%. Unless compensating other system errors,
operating outside these tolerances will have a detrimental effect
on the performance of your cartridge and therefore on your sound.

preamps input C if it isnt in the manual or you dont open it to

see the component. Then add Cspec = Cwiring + Cpreamp to compare
with the manufactures specification. How does your arithmetic
compare to typical values for Stanton models: 275 = 125 + 150?
But what if the cables are not as good? Or are lower C/ft?
Or the cart spec is 620pF? Or a different C (or none!) is inside the
preamp? Or what if for playing different types of discs, you
switch between differing cartridges. Or different arms/turntables?
Solutions depend upon your need for switchability and your DIY
skills. On the web are Y-connectors with plug-in capacitances. If
you measure and tag your phono interconnects, select the closest
to total each carts spec. Substitute a new capacitor inside your
preamp. OR if you have $10, a bit of room inside, and can drill a
in hole, mount a switch and solder six caps, as illustrated below.

DIY C-load selector for $10 in parts inside preamp for tuning a cartridge,
adding green switch at right with six tiny (yellow) ceramic capacitors for
selection of three values. Ferrite beads filter radio freq. interference (RFI).

All MM/MI cartridges employ a C-load for a high frequency

(HF) resonance to extend the HF response. As shown, higher
values of C-load create a peak in the mid-high range, then falling
steeply at HF. Smaller C moves the peak toward ultrasonic VHF
frequencies at some cost to mid~HF. Absent the designed C-load,
the cartridge is not complete, and cannot perform. To say that
proper capacitive loading is important almost goes without saying,
yet we are discussing it precisely because it is so often ignored.
Overall perfect flatness of frequency response curves is the
elusive goal, but failing that, an important perceptual truth is that
bumps in frequency response are more deleterious to the ear than
equal dips. So leveling bumps at the expense of broad, shallow
dips results in the precise 275pF specification for these cartridges.
The total capacitive load, C-load, seen by the cartridge is
additive, consisting of the distributed capacitance along the arm
wiring, cabling to the preamp, and the lump of capacitance inside
the preamp at the input jack in parallel with a 47k resistance. A
typical preamp has a 150pF capacitor. Cabling typically is 125pF.
It is easier to increase (add) capacitance than to decrease it.
You could, with a pF-level capacitance meter or impedance
bridge, measure your cables, lable them, and even measure the
2

Adapted by the author from Ballou Handbook for Sound Engineers:

the New Audio Cyclopedia, published by Howard W. Sams (1987).
p2

For the likely difference in C-load tuning requirements of two

dissimilar pickups, a second turntable or arm, add a second switch
in conjunction with the C-selector. This requires four in holes:
two for switches and two for the second pair of phono connectors.
Shure M97 & M35x specify 200~300pF. Audio Technica
95E recommends 100~200pF. Nagaoka MP-11s reported range
is 100~620pF! Specifying a range instead of a precise design
value is a cop-out to curry favor with busy buyers. The C-selector
values can easily be substituted for the range needed. With a level
meter and a respected, unworn test frequency record, the loaded
carts frequency response could be measured. But a trained ear on
one online forum posted these impressions of an AT 95E that
required an unusually low Cwiring of 75pF:
Cwiring + Cpreamp = Ctotal Subjective quality of sound
75
47
122
"Impressive, but only initially"
75
22
97
"Cleaner, defined soundstage"
75
100
175
"Harsh [bordering on shrill]"
The choices of 22, 47, & 100pF refer to an unmodified preamp in
the Appendix that after modifications provides 21 C-load choices.
These subjective results conjure the Stanton 881 chart. For
the AT loaded with 122pF (cf. the Stanton 881 curve at 500pF)
brightness is only initially impressive, but air at very high
frequencies is noticeably attenuated. Approaching the highest
specified 200pF (cf. Stanton 1,000pF curve) the AT accentuates
the peak and lowers its frequency and sounds harsh. But the
lowest Cspec=100pF flattens the resonant peak (cf. Stanton curve at

Tuning phonograph reproduction by cartridge loading & channel balancing Robin Miller 2014

275pF) and may be the real AT 95E design value, although it is

difficult to achieve. Low impedance moving coil (MC) cartridges
are not affected by C-load3 none is needed. However for more
ubiquitous MM/MI cartridges, C-load tuning is important!
Varying Cwiring offers another run at the goal, but a lot of
poppycock surrounds audio merchandise, especially cables.
Audio wiring isn't mysterious, nor need it be expensive. Maybe
free, tangled in your box of spares! Even inexpensive audio
interconnects work within limits. Knowledge is power to ward
off being ripped off. The capacitance of a cable is proportional to
its length: Twice as long, twice the C. Cheapest, very thin audio
cables measuring 80 pico-Farads (pF) per foot of length are OK if
limited to 1 ft, with the preamp inside or adjacent to the
turntable plinth, but even at this short length their poor shielding
may be inadequate against radio frequency interference (RFI) at
low 5 millivolt phonograph levels. These cables are for low
impedance, line level connections, nominally ~300mv (10dBv).
Mid-priced coaxial cable might have 30pF/ft, the best 20
pF/ft. To increase Cwiring, pick a less expensive 40 pF/ft cable, or
make it longer. To reduce Cwiring, pick a more expensive 30 or 20
pF/ft coax, or make it shorter. It's not about splurging for exotic,
highly hyped, ultra-low pF/ft cable, but to optimize economically
the total C-load: 3ft of 40pF/ft cable, 4ft of 30pF/ft cable, or 6ft of
20pF/ft cable each adds 120pF toward the grand total Cspec.
2. Balancing two channels for monaural & stereo disc replay
The Golden Mean (aka Fibonacci ratio) the sweet spot of
perception. Its like in reproduction of sound in stereo is balance.
Unlike the Golden Mean's 61.8/38.2 split, audio balance is strictly
50/50. A small imbalance can destroy what audiophiles term the
soundstage (audio engineers speak of localization & spatiality).
Playing monaural vinyl or shellac on a stereo system, imbalance
means falling short of mono's inherent cleanliness from distortion.
In stereo using the conventional equilateral speaker-listener
triangle, it only takes a difference in level between channels of
15dB [Theile 2001] to pan an auditory event fully to one side or
the other, seeming to emanate from the loudspeaker on that side
alone. In the middle, it takes little difference to move the image
quickly off-center, skewing the soundstage non-linearly. This is
perceived to leave what is termed the "hole in the middle" of the
entire image, shoving farther out voices and instruments recorded
only slightly left or right. If a stereo recording is reproduced only
slightly off balance, say by only a couple dB of the 15, the entire
image will shift quickly toward that speaker, leaving an even
larger void through the center and toward the other side.
Assuming a well-made recording (a big assumption), every
component in the reproduction system can introduce imbalance
caused mainly by component variations and degrading further
over time in the present discussion electronic gain or transducer
sensitivity errors, some of which cancel, others adding to a worst
case. The "balance" control was invented to compensate for the
sum, adjusted by ear if not by a sound pressure level (SPL) meter.
Even with the rest of the system precisely balanced, playing stereo
vinyl with a pickup cartridge that just meets its specified 2dB max
imbalance will throw off its imaging if not corrected in the phono
preamplifier before the signals go on to the rest of the system.

Cartridge manufacturers did not intend this output sensitivity

variation to go uncorrected in the preamp, just as tape machine
makers provided separate channel gain controls for variations in
the playback tape-head. Meanwhile amplifier/receiver makers fall
back on their systems overall balance control to save the cost of a
few parts, or complaints from users of too many fiddly bits.
Playing vintage monaural vinyl is affected differently, but
critically. The mono record groove is usually modulated laterally,
horizontally only, positive-going away from the turntable spindle,
then towards it negative-going. Cylinders and some discs were
recorded vertically, hill-and-dale, but suffer higher distortion.
The vertical drive the groove forcing the stylus up but having
only gravity for its descent is mechanically single-ended, and
so susceptible is to added even-order harmonics. Laterally the
stylus is driven both left and right by the groove walls, and so is
push-pull, which is not subject to adding even-order distortion.
Because most natural sounds consist of either all harmonics OR
odd harmonics only, adding even harmonics disproportionately
fouls natural reproduction of the timbre of those sounds.4
Early stereo in a single groove used lateral motion for the
Left channel and vertical for the Right, which contained more
distortion and sounded inferior to the Left. (Early stereo radio
simulcast one channel on AM, the other on FM.) Stereo caught
on after L & R channels shared distortion equally, perceived as
balanced! With no difference for reference, remaining distortion
in disc reproduction was acceptable. For vinyl, each 45 wall of
the V-shaped groove is assigned a channel, each with modulation
equal parts lateral & vertical, as in the following left illustration.

At right [adapted courtesy Ortofon], the vectors of 45/45 stereo and stylus
horizontal/vertical motion are mathematically related. Lateral motion
results from adding the signals L+R. Vertically, any difference LR,
purposeful in stereo, is distortion in mono.5

While a stereo cartridge, having vertical compliance, is the

safest way to play mono records, it reproduces unwanted vertical
junk that isn't recorded content, but artifacts to be eliminated: The
spitting of sibilants and other HF above LP cutoff 6 due to 2nd
harmonic distortion from "pinch-effect" when a spherical stylus
cannot fit high frequency cornering, especially in inner grooves.
Or losing contact due to too little tracking force for a cantilevers
compliance, or too little or too much anti-skating force. These
tracing distortions trump those of angular tracking errors of the
tone arm and cartridge [Yamamoto], as does bumping over clods
of dirt that can produce 30dB+ pops, often triggering amplifier
ringing (oscillation). Note that these artifacts remain in stereo.
4

Stopped at both ends, stringed instruments generate all harmonics (even

& odd); also conical-bore saxophones. Open at one end and cylindrical,
clarinets & trumpets produce only odd. None has even harmonics alone.
5

In the Mid-Sides (M-S) form of stereo, M=L+R (lateral), S=LR (vert.).

Then L=M+S and R=MS. (Reduce each result to 70.7%, or 3dB.)
6

With MC carts, cable noise immunity is less critical, and capacitance is

a non-issue that can be ignored, but not lack of stylus interchangeability.
p3

1,970Hz cutoff with 1mil tracing radius [Goldmark, Columbia 1948],

now 2.8kHz with a 0.7mil spherical stereo stylus, 4.9kHz with a 0.4mil
elliptical, or 9.8kHz with a 0.2mil line contact [calculated by the author].

Tuning phonograph reproduction by cartridge loading & channel balancing Robin Miller 2014

L-Highly correlated stereo (mostly mono). R-highly uncorrelated stereo

(phasey and at high levels more likely to jump the groove). Also
illustrative of how a centered voice L can be instantaneously distorted by
pinch effect to look like R with added sibilance spit.

Illustrated above is how 2nd harmonics are mechanically

generated on playback (they are not in the recorded groove). The
flat chisel-shaped recording tool cuts walls (in red) that are
parallel radially. However, while a 0.7mil (18m) spherical
replay tip with circular cross-section fits and drops down where it
can, at waveform peaks, it is pinched upward, squeezed highest at
the modulations midpoints, where the stylus moves fastest. The
0.3mil (8m) elliptical tip fits better everywhere, rising far less.
Rising & falling happens twice for each recorded cycle of
high level sounds produces 2nd harmonic distortion artifacts an
octave above the recorded tones. Adding even-order harmonics
disproportionately within the natural spectrum of instruments
containing all harmonics, even & odd, alters their timbre, making
them sound discolored. Worse, adding 2nd harmonic to many
instruments that normally exhibit only odd-order harmonics in
their spectrum changes their timbre to sound quite unnatural.

To illustrate the range of stylus dynamics, 10 vectorscope images are

rotated 90 to correspond to stylus motion, viewed from the front. L, signal
only on the Left channel and groove wall. R, signal only on the Right wall.

L, lateral-only (mono) motion. R, vertical (mono out-of-phase). Referring

to the illustrations on p3, the groove moving rightward results from positivegoing signals in-phase for both channels. But upward/downward motion is
180 out-of-phase intentional in stereo, but distortion in mono.

p4

L, well balanced, nicely spatial stereo recording of a grand piano. R, same

piano softer, accompanying a solo violin standing at right. This ferocious
groove and stylus activity is purely mechanical unlike the nonchalantly
inconvenienced electrons and digital bits. Steinfeld ponders why vinyl
sounds better than it has any right to!

L, after preamp balance trimming using a reliable test record, this kick
drum, likely intended to be panned center, shows an imbalance of 1.2dB,
discernibly left of center. R, a mono record played with a stereo cartridge
contains unintended vertical distortion that should be nulled using preamp
balance trim to approach the Lateral-only (mono) screenshot. 2nd harmonic
pinch effect is out-of-phase in stereo, disembodying transients & HF spit.7

Furthermore from the vector figure on p3, the cartridges

output signals for a rising motion are positive-going on the Left
channel but negative-going on the Right, and v.v. Hence the 2nd
harmonic distortion produced is 180 out of phase! Adding pinch
effect distortion suddenly to loud peaks causes the phony partials
(only) of the voice or instrument to appear instantaneous beyond
the speakers, flashing randomly around the listening room. These
errant spitting sounds of vocal sibilants, buzzing brass, and dirt
pops & percussive transient ricochets are ghostly, disembodied
from the image of the voices and instruments in the soundstage!
7

Wild forces act on the stylus within the split second of these captures.
Stanton/Pickering cantilevers are suspended inside mounting tubes by a
donut-shaped rubber elastomer acting as a compliant fulcrum, stabilized
fore-and-aft and from twisting by a wire soldered at the back of the tube.

Tuning phonograph reproduction by cartridge loading & channel balancing Robin Miller 2014

The simplest way to cancel these unwanted signals vertical

components is to parallel (short-circuit) the L and R outputs of the
cartridge. However, the sensitivities between channels of the
cartridge might be different by as much as 2dB in most
manufacturers specifications. In this case, the reduction of
vertical non-content is only -11.7dB.8 As a change in level of
10dB, softer or louder, is perceived as halving or doubling of
volume, the reduced distortion is still half the volume it was.
Now add that the cartridge might be slightly rotated in the
headshell or arm, or the disc cut with a slight error in balance, as
mono records after 1958 increasingly were cut on stereo lathes. A
total imbalance of 2dB and merely paralleled without balance
correction reduces vertical artifacts only 9.5dB or 67%. In this
example for pinch distortion reaching 10%+, simply paralleling
the cart outputs for monaural reduces it to 3.3% or more 2nd
harmonic distortion not exactly high fidelity. (NB again, in the
example, that distortion in stereo remains up to 10%+!)
So it's best to monauralize the L & R signals after a stage of
pre-amplification, where the gain of either L or R is variable to
trim any balance errors. Then combined to mono after signals are
balanced, vertical artifacts are nulled. Even in the real world held
to at most dB difference before combining, the reduction of
distortion and vertical noise would be 93.6%, attenuated 24dB,
resulting in the worst case of 0.67% 2nd harmonic that fits the
definition of hi-fi no more spitting sibilants, in mono anyway.
This 500% improvement over simply paralleling cartridge outputs
is achieved by a gain adjustment in one channel or the other by a
potentiometer, or switching up to 2dB in 1dB increments.

electro-mechanical transducers, such as phonograph reproducers,

that require the most attention and financial resources. The
electronic modifications in the Appendix by your humble audio
engineer and skinflint will be comparable to nearly any even
though you made it! No matter what others would have you
believe, the results from your cartridge and disc collection as a
result of this paper will be hard to beat. For a change, audiophiles
can be satisfied and maybe even brag about how little they spent!
And how a few hours of DIY paid off in years of enjoyment.
3. A bit of historical perspective re grooved disc recording
Instantaneous acetates, (lacquer) electrical transcriptions
(ET), were the only method broadcasters had to record programs
and commercials until magnetic tape, from 1947. Cut using a
lathe, below, at 33rpm but with 2.5mil (64m) chisel, maximum
recording time was 15min per side on a 16in disc. For a 30min or
longer program, two turntables were needed to segue between
discs (even ones starting inside for no abrupt change in quality).

Do NOT simply Y the preamp outputs, causing instability

from each channel effectively short-circuiting the other! Instead,
the Appendix shows a $30 yet "audiophile-grade phonograph
preamplifier and DIY modifications including balance trim, mono
switch, and capacitance & resistance loads for MM/MI cartridges.
The 16in ET format for broadcasting was borrowed from
Vitaphone motion picture sound, with a turntable attached to a
projector synchronized by gearing. In the Golden Age of Radio
1930~62, stations were required to announce whether a program
was "transcribed" (recorded) so as not to mislead the public, or
fearing theyd storm the station expecting to meet celebrities!
(Today, what isn't recorded?) Stores selling Victrolas (see p8)
offered recording services for church choirs and student recitals to
make albums of several 12in 78rpm discs with 4 minutes a side.

An RCA broadcast turntable with the 12in tone-arm at back aligned for 16in
transcriptions, shown, the arm at right aligned for low tracking error playing
7~12in discs. A drawer of cartridges and interchangeable styli (p6) play all
33, 45, or 78.26rpm, vinyl or shellac disc recordings, stereo or monaural.

Despite advances in sound reproduction, fueled by digital

audio technology (see post script), the analog vinyl world has
revived, and evolved to where the electronics some downright
cheap are no longer the weak link. More than ever, it is the
8

An exception is the Decca-London cartridge with lateral & vertical coils

(M-S, see footnote #5), so paralleling channels cancels vertical precisely.
p5

From left: 15min radio program on 16in ET; 10in 78.26rpm holds 3 min
per side; a 45rpm single invented 1949 for juke boxes; from 1948 the
vinyl 25+min/side 12in album. The ET is inside start. The Path 78rpm
hill-and-dale (vertical) U-shaped groove requires a true spherical tip.

Tuning phonograph reproduction by cartridge loading & channel balancing Robin Miller 2014

Hundreds of different recording characteristics evolved by

trial & error from 1926 while new electrical recordings were still
being played on acoustic wind-ups (p8). To thwart competitors,
record labels were secretive about their formulae until consumer
enthusiasts & broadcasters won standardization in 1954 by RIAA
(Recording Industries Assn of America ) using simple RC filters,
adopting RCAs New Orthophonic characteristic [Moyer 1953].

responding to demand by average collectors, who like the larger

album format for visuals and liner notes. And while seniors wax
nostalgic for warm [and uncompressed!] vinyl sound, in Barnes
& Nobles vinyl kiosks they are buying for teenaged grandsons.
It is likely that demand for record playing equipment will follow.
Big vinyl collectors have records in the thousands, as did
radio stations, ranging in genre & format from Path hill-and-dale
(vertical) 78s requiring true spherical styli; shellac 78.26rpm SP
(standard-play) acoustically recorded before 1926 and electrically
thereafter; late 1950s vinyl 78s; SP & microgroove ETs 10~16in;
7in 45rpm singles from 1949; and from 1948, 33rpm mono LPs,
both 10in and 12in. From 1958, stereo mostly at 33rpm with
some audiophile releases at 45rpm. In the digital age, studies find
the longest-lived medium for data is the shellac disc, made of lac
beetles and slate dust, that lasts 200+yr just dont drop it!

Needed for grooves from any era to sound great? L, interchangeable styli
organized by disc and cartridge/arm. R, "archiving" preamp with variable &
preset LF turnover, HF rolloff, VLF rumble shelf for any groove from Edison
cylinders to all Berliner discs, lateral or vertical mono (78s, NAB, Columbia
LP (mono), RIAA +0/-dB, C-load selection, precise mono combining with
stereo pickups, and variable LF vertical cancellation in stereo by author.
Mono and from 1958 stereo masters are cut with inverse RIAA curve at
top. Consumers play using its mirror image, below, frequency & phase
response coming out flat. Disc pre-emphasis renders replay vulnerable
to issues with mechanical and electrical phase and transients if HF are not
equally deemphasized, including correct C-load as in 1. Not recognized,
for replay-only, are the ineffective IEC 20Hz filter for infrasonics [Howard],
and the Neumann curve some believe in error is required at 50kHz.

While championing standardization and higher quality for

both its consumer and broadcast businesses, RCA debuted with
much fanfare, then silently dropped Dynagroove to counteract
pinch distortion of run-of-the-mill spherical needles. Speculating
they pre-distorted the audio by mixing-in inverted 2nd harmonics,
it ruined the sound for sophisticated audiofans using elliptic styli.
Nearly all stereo discs are mastered monauralizing low
frequencies below ~150Hz. While this practice reduces groove
hopping and vertical turntable rumble, it also truncates binaural
perception of interaural time difference (ITD) cues down to 90Hz
[Bose; 45Hz the author] that effect spatiality in real hearing.

Subject for another paper, recovering the fidelity baked into disc recordings
requires alignment of pivoted tone arms to minimize other distortion caused
by tracking errors. L, assorted templates for arm pivot-to-(platter) spindle,
pivot-to-stylus tip, and "offset" angle of the cartridge to orient the cantilever
tangent to the groove, as was the disc cutter. R, tangential-tracking player.

The so-called Neumann Curve is ill-advised. Proponents

believe in implementing a 6dB/octave rise at 50kHz to counteract
attenuation used to protect the cutter head. However, the cutting
amplifier used a 2-pole, -12dB/octave filter not only to flatten but
to turn downward any ultrasonic drive, and early on at 35kHz
instead of 50kHz! An octave lower at 25kHz, the effect of a 2pole filter is a fraction of a dB. So even if any VHF audio made it
through disc-making and cartridge replay, it along with any bogus
correction would be inaudible except for increased pops from
radio frequency interference even when a disc is not playing!
Although less than 3% of the CD and download market, new
vinyl sales rose 6-fold 2007 to 2014, recently growing as much
as downloads have fallen [The Economist]. Used vinyl shops are
p6

Schematic of a $30 preamp with authors modifications for C-load, balance

trim and improved frequency, phase & transient response in the Appendix.
Beyond the scope of this paper are the merits of various preamp topologies
[Holman, Lipschitz+] or preservation & restoration techniques [Copeland+].

Tuning phonograph reproduction by cartridge loading & channel balancing Robin Miller 2014

Appendix: How to modify an inexpensive phono preamp: C- & R-loading, balance trimming, monaural mode
Here are easy modifications for audiophiling an inexpensive Electronics-Salon A-310 phono stage. This JFET preamplifier has
accurate RIAA compensation on a populated and tested printed circuit board (PCB) available for $10 including shipping (Hong Kong)
at http://stores.ebay.com/Electronics-Salon . The purpose for these modifications is to improve reproduction for both monaural and
stereo 33 or 45 vinyl disc recordings, or 78rpm issues with re-EQ, using a stereo moving magnet or moving iron pickup cartridge.
Improvements are: a) add balance correction for system channel sensitivity & gain errors of up to 2dB to reduce vertical artifacts
for mono, and improve soundstage for stereo; b) add VLF stability, reduce noise & distortion; c) add to the selection of capacitive load
values for cartridge tuning; d) & e) improve frequency response to within <dB 30~20kHz. Modify the A-310 PCB as follows
a) Referring to the images below, substitute the following 1% film resistors for the four (4) indicated in the illustration: 1L=825
, 2L=910, 1R=825, 2R=732**. See b) before soldering leads of these resistors in holes encircled and marked C G.)
b) Within each of two ellipses marked CGx insert one lead of a 22F non-polarized, low ESR electrolytic, plus 220nF poly
capacitors**. (Polys improve lytics audio quality.) Bend one lead of each capacitor outward and lay atop the circuit board
facing right. Hook together two free leads plus two free right leads of the pair of resistors substituted in a). Physically
stabilize the pyramid of four components, then solder the join of four in a flying junction (see close-up below).
c) Remove two resistors closest to the IC termed C15 & C16 and substitute two 220pF ceramic discs (NPO or COG type, 5 or
10% tolerance). For C-loading combinations in the table greater than 389pF (470~859pF in gray boxes), optionally remove
the 150k resistors at C13 & C14 and substitute 470pF, or save this step for a future modification. The 470pF option also
implies that the only R-load combinations available (values in parallel with 2.2M) will be those in gray boxes in the table.
d) On the underside of the PCB, tack-solder a jumper wire each to short 2200 resistors (red red red gold) R22 & R24.
e) Again on the underside of the PCB, tack-solder a jumper wire each to short 4.7F electrolytic capacitors C5 & C6.

Top: mods & externals; cart load table. Bot: bare PCB & component designations; finished flying junction detail; RailSplitter detail.

**Resistors (6): Mouser#271-732-RC, 271-825-RC (2), 271-910-RC, 271-1.65K-RC (2). Fe beads (2): 623-2643021801. Switch: 506-MTA106D.
Capacitors (6): 647-UES1E220MEM (2); 505-MKP20.22/100/5 (2); 594-K221J15C0GH5TH5 (2). Active part: RailSplitter 595-TLE2426CLPR.
Hdwr: phono jacks (4); hookup & jumper (4) wire. Tools: pliers, soldering iron, solder-wick braid, pin vice & #70 bit, optl R-C, ACVM meters.
Above components in UK e.g. http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/voltage-references/0284220/ In New Zealand visit http://nz.rs-online.com/web/
p7

Tuning phonograph reproduction by cartridge loading & channel balancing Robin Miller 2014

A310 PCB top as modified with 12 component substitutions, eliminating

four (that remain onboard) including 1 of 2 audio carrying capacitors.

A310 PCB bottom, as modified, showing four jumpers: two by solder

bridges and two by wire. Use of a precision RailSplitter eliminates DC
offset in the output (less than 0.3mV) without need for a output blocking
capacitor and requires only an external power adaptor of 12~35V DC.

Wiring to/from the PCB Once modifications a~e) are made on the PCB itself, additional mods are made to its signal connectors.
Make these four wires/leads as short as possible, but just long enough to reach the opposite channels terminals. (Add four ground
wires to the jacks, or mount them in a metal box connected to one of the PCBs GND terminals.) For RF immunity, thread a wire
through a ferrite bead and loop around and through again, then connect from each input jack to its PCB IN. Each L & R OUT is
wired through a 1,650 resistor to its output connector, plus a single pole switch between them for a mono laterally modulated
groove. (For a hill-and-dale recording, temporarily reverse the R+ and R- clips at the cartridge.) Use the stylus appropriate for
standard groove 78rpm & transcriptions or microgroove LPs & 45s. Connect inputs using the separate tone-arm ground wire, and
remove the carts ground strap unless it is insulated from the arm. PCB documentation at http://www.audiowind.com/pdf/A-310.pdf
no longer pertains select the cart loading using the table on p7. Finally, trim the phono systems balance per the steps below
How to balance your phonograph system using an A-310 phono stage as modified: C- and R-load switches A~G may be engaged
in any combination - set per manufacturers specifications for your stereo cartridge (same for L & R), taking into account the tonearm-to-preamp wiring capacitance as in 1. Gain switches H and I may only be used individually, not both ON together. Adjust the
balance of your phonograph reproduction (stereo cartridge sensitivity difference and preamp gain error) with these steps:
1) Begin by setting both channels H/I gain switches to 1 ON, 2 OFF. While playing a mono record with the mono mode switch in
stereo, observe the output levels*** and determine the difference, likely not more than 2dB. If the channels are different by
less than dB, skip to step #5. (***Use meters of a recorder; or reverse wires of one cart channel, place switch in mono, and listen for the lowest level.)
2) If the systems L-channel is higher than R by more than dB, skip to step #3. However if lower, reverse each pair of inputs &
outputs at the preamp PCB so that its labeled L side is in the systems R-channel, and the boards R side is in system L.
Continue with steps #3 & #4, but now address channels and H & I switches of the channel written as {L} instead on the
opposite side of the board labeled R, and those written {R} on the side labeled L.
3) Now for the systems {L}-channel level being higher than the {R}-channel by more than dB, flip the PCBs {L}-channel H
switch OFF, I switch ON, and again observe the level difference. If less than dB, skip to step #5.
4) If the systems {L}-channel is still higher than {R} by more than dB, flip PCB {R}-channel H switch OFF, I switch ON,
and observe the level difference. They should now be within less than dB skip to step #5. If not within dB, either the disc,
cartridge, or your level metering is defective, and you can proceed no further until one or more are corrected. (Evaluate
metering by swapping channels and note any disparity in readings, or use one meter.)
5) Your system is balanced within less than dB, or >24dB (>94%) reduction of vertical artifacts. Switch to mono for cleaner
sound of monaural recordings, or leave the switch in stereo for a finely balanced soundstage.
(Em)powering: Audiophiles have alternatives for phono stages, usually much more costly than $30 for this PCB and modifications,
plus power supply and case, if any. If not pretty enough (or expensive enough) to call attention to, mount the bare PCB under the
turntable plinth near the tonearm post, the arm wires secured directly to the boards IN terminals. (Compensate for the shorter cable
capacitance, lower by ~100pF, with a higher C-load selection.) The preamp can be powered with two 9V batteries, wired through a 2pole switch, giving about 100hr of use per set of fresh batteries. Better is a regulated bipolar power supply to the OPA2134s max
18Vdc resulting in double the headroom, eliminating over-modulated 45s or pops from latching up the IC, requiring a power cycle.
Best as shown on p7 is Analog Devices TLE2426 precision RailSplitter and almost any 12~35 volt DC wall wart in your spares
box. The PCB has power filtering including RF, so the power supply may be mounted several feet away. Thus empowered, enjoy.
p8

Tuning phonograph reproduction by cartridge loading & channel balancing Robin Miller 2014

Modified preamplifier performance & conclusion

PS: The phonograph v. magnetic tape v. digital

The modified single-stage amplifier with RIAA equalization

offers simplicity and low cost. Its roots were first optimized by
Lipshitz in 1979, and with improving opamps, evolved like the
A-310, or the Very Simple Phono Stage (VSPS)i. In some, UHF
boost results from non-inverting op-amps minimum unity gain.

Even before you lay eyes on any performers, you instantly know in
any space that the music is live. Recreating perfect auditory reality
demands zero distortion, and immersion in the full 3D sphere of hearing,
not just one or two channels in front, or five or seven in a flat 2D circle.
A century plus of audio reproduction still falls far short of that goal.

In contrast to the original unmodified A-310 (brown) with its MM gain of

30dB, the improved, flatter frequency response of the modified preamp
with 39dB gain (green) agrees well with its design simulations below.

Authors circuit design simulations show ideal frequency response of the

A310 as modified in the Appendix (blue) compared to its input, the inverse
RIAA response (red) output fed to it by an ideal cartridge & recorded disc.

The bugaboo of grooved media is level-dependent 2nd harmonic

distortion due to pinch effect. With magnetic tape, non-linear hysteresis
causes odd-order artifacts. Bias minimizes it, but instantaneous peaks
have 3%. Commonly the mastering source of discs, tape adds odd order
distortion to discs even. Friction causes scrape flutter on tape, skating
in vinyl. Loud passages echo by print-through on tape, or by horns
raised aside grooves by heated cutters. Digital suffers none of this
Many agree with the author that digital audio has advantages in most
ways, evident in well-recorded, demanding acoustic jazz, choral, folk, or
classical. But in many new/re-released highly-produced pop, processing
tools are so much easier in digital compared to analog that they are more
overused in order to be most compelling (sell) on lo-fi gear. Possible are
AutoTune and a host of other effects, but dynamic compression tops
the abuses, squashing levels toward ceilings, sucking life out of exciting
musical dynamics, and impairing intelligibility of speech consonants.
Loudness Wars of radio/TV spilled to digital that with 96+dB doesnt
need it. Headroom intended for dynamics (12dB for tape/vinyl, 16dB
for CDs, and 20dB for cinemas natural sound) is taken up needlessly
cranking average levels, leaving (measured) 3dB for dynamics! Why,
when users could simply turn up the volume, if their devices supported
lifelike dynamics? Or implement the dynamic compression in phones
and car receivers to compete with noise? Those with better equipment
or quieter environs would enjoy the better sound and buy more music.
Data reduction (aka the other compression) tosses redundant
audio (up to 90%!), perceivable by many, but for most ear-bud listeners
not so overdone so as not to cram down digital pipelines more services.
At low levels similar to background music, the artifacts are drowned out
by environmental noise. But at cinema or audio enthusiast volumes, a
much lower threshold of distortion becomes audible whenever it exceeds
the much lower noise. Unnatural; irritable for some; for most, fatiguing.
Technically as obsolete as the audiocassette, analog AM, FM and
TV/FM have yielded to the digital stream. But HD radio transmits no
content above 8kHz; HF sounds are synthesized (faked) in receivers!
In effect like analog FM multipath distortion, network or WiFi dropouts
are fixed by digital buffering. But satellite radio fails in rain, and in
tunnels without repeaters. Man-made noise is increasing, so RF-based
communication is chasing its tail. Lifelike sound for consumers is still a
dream. But content is king, and so it can satisfy despite the technology.

The phase response of the inverse RIAA filter used in disc mastering is
baked into the LP groove (red). One objective of this paper is to realize
practically a flat response both for accurate timbre and for phase error to
turn out correct (<10 50~30kHz) at the modified preamps output (blue).

This papers minimal component changes result in improved

audio performance, with measured frequency response, at useful
gains for balancing of 38, 39, or 40dB, within less than dB of
RIAA between 40~20kHz. Modifications offer more selection of
cartridge capacitive load that completes this response. With
improved response including the cart, phase response and thus
transients improve. Adjustable balance optimizes monophonic
clarity by lowering distortion, and optimizes stereo soundstage.
p9

Lia & Ada buy LPs at Barnes & Noble for their grandsons 16 & 13 whove
become fans of vinyl. Beatles, Clapton and other classic rock albums are
~$30 including mp3 CD. Jazz standards for themselves. A century+ of
music, artists, and broadcast history is preserved in grooved media.

Tuning phonograph reproduction by cartridge loading & channel balancing Robin Miller 2014

The author

Robin Miller is a pianist & orchestrator, Peabody-winning filmmaker, and

audio engineer with more than 50 years in music recording & mixing films,
television specials, and historic restorations. With Filmaker Technology
he is a Patent-holder (full-sphere 3D audio reproduction) who designs,
integrates, and publishes re Ambiophonics and other audio innovations.

Having every technological gadget known, the authors grandsons were

mesmerized by a century-old wind-up Victrola IX playing an acoustically
recorded shellac 78. What audio media will they enjoy as senior citizens?

In future revisions, this space will link discussion of any problems and
successes of DIYers who attempt this papers modifications. Lets start
by adding a PCB source, and giving credit where it is due that came to
light several months after this paper was first published 9/30/2014
i

VSPS (Very Simple Phono Stage) is coined by Richard Murdey of

RJM Audio - http://phonoclone.com/diy.html . Among his PCBs & kits,
ordered by emailing <rjm003.geo at yahoo.com> for a PayPal invoice, is
his VSPS at http://phonoclone.com/diy-pho5.html . The essence of this
paper proper cart loading and signal balancing is fully applicable to
Murdeys VSPS, available as of this writing as a bare PCB for $15 and
kit with parts for $40 a bargain. His design appears borrowed by
Electronics-Salon for the A-310. Using Murdeys kit, measured results
using precision, channel-matched components, will likely be better than
reworking a populated and tested A-310 that uses cheaper parts. And it
avoids unsoldering and substituting components. With his PCB alone, a
Bill of Materials can be imported into a Mouser order, incorporating any
component changes from p7. Cartridge loading & balancing selections
must be implemented externally, as in the VSPS these are not included.
Also the Allen Wright modification (altering standard RIAA response
with a 6dB/octave 50kHz Neumann zero) is omitted, as advised by the
author on p6 (if a unity-gain-stable IC is used), by simply inserting a
jumper instead of R3 in both channels. Murdey also prefers a polypro
cap in the output rather than a larger one in series with gain resistors that
in the authors opinion is worth it in better VLF performance.
p10

Tuning phonograph reproduction by cartridge loading & channel balancing Robin Miller 2014