Best Tractor / Arc Protractor / tonearm alignment / Yip Mint LP arc Protractor

	Wells, from Australia Audiomods on Acoustic Signature " You sent me a Best Tractor quite a few weeks ago now, I have only recently had the opportunity to use it. Here's my observations: - IMD (crosstalk) is greatly reduced, confirmed with dual trace audio oscilloscope & test record. - Channel balance is as good as can be expected, allowing for cartridge manufacturers tolerances (also confirmed with 'scope & test record - The above two points in combination result in better imaging, separation, coherence and fluidity that vinyl is noted for. A much more relaxing and natural presentation. -Inner groove distortion is greatly reduced, tested by ear on Anabasis from the Dead Can Dance LP Anastasis and Ain't it Funny? from Buckshot LeFonque. Both tracks feature very peaky female vocals that displayed prominent break-up in both channels prior to alignment with your protractor. I was very fortunate to discover that I had set the overhang perfectly prior to using the Best Tractor, and the cantilever was only off by microns, so I moved the cartridge 'with my mind' as you recommend and sure enough the Force was with me - it was dead straight to the printed lines with no parallax error on the first attempt. So the lessons learned are: - ZYX cartridges are very sensitive to setup, the audible difference between near enough and perfect is failure and success. - The difference that microns make is all the difference. - I have Jedi mind powers Thanks for making such a great product. I can unreservedly recommend it to any enthusiast."
	Douglas, from Canada Audiomods on Rega RP3 " I just recieved my Mint and checked my alignment on my Rega P3 - Audiomods arm. I had been using a printed protractor up until this point. When I checked with the Mint I was off a 1/2 mm. *Now, I scoffed and shook my head when I read people heard such a difference when their cart was out by this miniscule amount.* Well, I too, have heard this. The image is sharper, more details are presented, playback is quieter, and you just want to spin more records! "

	John, from United States Pro-ject Xperience with stock arm " I wanted to let you know that the Tractor alignment went great! I spent a few hours making sure I had everything right, but it was worth it. My new Sumiko Blackbird cartridge sings with a nicely balanced and focused soundstage and with incredible detail - I am listening for hours at a time. I had it aligned originally with the Sumiko Pro-ject tool but the stylus itself was a little too far back towards the pivot and not perfectly in alignment with your marking lines. Now it is within a hair’s width of being perfect. I would recommend the Tractor to any audiophile or audiophile wanna-be (which I still consider myself to be) – you are my new best friend. I have a second identical Project turntable on a different system with a Sumiko Bluepoint 2 cartridge that I will re-align as soon as I get some time for this. "
	Jerome from France Project 8.6 on Project Turntable " Hi, I receive my tractor and I've to tell you, it's a great piece ! I do all my adjustment effortless thanks to the manual. Thank you so much. Great job, great sound ! "
	Paul, from United Kingdon 9-series Pro-ject 9cc tonearm on Pro-ject Turntable " Received the Tractor yesterday, and had about 3 enjoyable hours using it successfully (!) Very impressed with the concept and results, soundstage/focus is greatly improved."
	Kevin, from United States Project 9c on Music Hall turntable " I received my package today so many thanks! What a great product, so we'll thought out, easy to use and fantastic results. My vinyl never sounded so good! Thanks again,"

	Don, from United States 9-Series Rega Tonearm on Rega Turntable Yip, I'm sending this email to confirm that I have received the tractor in perfect condition yesterday. I just read through the entire manual and set my cartridge to the arc and null points. My cartridge needed to be moved back (towards the tonearm pivot point ) approximately 1.5 mm. Listening to the "Stories Without Words" LP by Spyro Gyra and it sounds heavenly good. Thank you for your tractor and service. It is an EXCELLENT PRODUCT, and I will recommend it to anyone I come across who is in need of cartridge adjustment. Once again, thank you, Don.
	Ed, from Spain 9-Series Rega Tonearm on Rega Turntable " I´ve just set up my cartridge properly using your protractor. User manual is detailed, practical and funny. The words "patience" and "rest" are the key and the results worth every effort. I think the kit is a must should be provided with every new TT by the own companies. I´m very happy with your custumer service also. Thank you very much."
	Mike, from United States 9-Series Rega Tonearm on Rega Turntable " It took me about 1.5 hours to align the cartridge with the Best Tractor. The instructions were great, and the Tractor is easy to use and easy to see with a good magnifier which I have. FYI - I bought a Rega cart (Apheta) for my Rega Tab;e and Rega arm. It uses the 3-point Rega system (just 3 screws and you are finished, no alignment necessary). But a couple of guys on the Vinyl Engine forum recommended the Mint Tractor. It sounds much much better now after proper alignment."
	Ulrich, from Germany 9-series Rega Tonearm on Rega Turntable " This Upgrade is worth every Penny, wow. Who needs 3D ? No more sibilance, Sound is better in every aspect. Not a little better, much better ! A little bit tricky, but worth the effort. Everyone should do that before thinking about a new cart or so, one will be astonished what sleeps in the old cart."
	Douglas, from Canada 9-series Rega Tonearm on Rega Turntable " It took me 3 1/2 hours to set up my cart. I followed your instructions to the letter, and boy, and I am being rewarded for my efforts! My table now has no more inner distortion, and sibilance that was killing me. I now know for a fact that I have the correct geometry. The increased detail is just fantastic ! My mid range has suddenly come alive! I am now truly rediscovering my record collection. This is truly a fine instrument !"
	Anthony, from United States 9-series Rega Tonearm on Rega Turntable " I achieved excellent results using your tractor today. I have been setting up my own cartridges for many years and have used a variety of protractors, from the basic cardboard or printout to the Mobile Fidelity Geodisk, and your system beats them all for detail and accuracy. the parallax system is quite clever, the instructions were very thorough and clear, with great examples and photos, and the combination of 3x and 10x magnifiers were excellent for ensuring accuracy. Thanks for a great product."
	Stephen, from United States 9-series Rega Tonearm on Rega Turntable " I received the package and aligned my table yesterday. The process went smoothly, and I was able to eliminate some tracking distortion that's been plaguing me since I bought the table new. I'm very happy with the result. Thank you very much."
	Jeremy from Singapore Rega on Rega " I couldn't help myself and spent the evening adjusting my cartridge. I don't know if it's just me or if my ears are playing tricks on me but I must say... The difference is amazing! I didn't think it would have such a huge impact but the everything is clearer, sound stage is more open, there's more separation, the instruments are more crisp! I'm totally blown away! I'm sold! Thank you so much for the amazing work! ""
	Doug Rega on Michel Turntable " I must drop you a note to tell you how fantastic my vinyl setup plays, after set-up with the Best Tractor. I simply cannot believe the spectacular difference! The soundstage is so deep, the images so defined and the overall musicality so very wonderful. I was almost ready to try another cartridge, because I thought my Dynavector 10x5 was underperforming. It was....due to a poor set-up with a paper protractor. The "free" printable 'tractors from the internet are an absolute joke compared to your fine instrument. Now, I think I'll keep the Dyna forever! By the way, your instructions are excellent. I had my cart set up in less than 2 hours. Perfection! I would unconditionally recommend the Best Tractor to anyone who wants to get the sound they paid for. Thank you so very much! Warmest Regards, (Proud Owner of #8571)
	Bruce from United States Rega Tonearm " Just want you to know I am very happy with the reproduction that I am getting from LPs using your Mint LP/Best Tractor. Even though I don't have every parameter perfectly dialed in (my Rega RB-300 makes this tricky), I still am getting beautiful tonal balance and detail from the Rega and a Shelter 501 cartridge. I just need to make very fine adjustments to tweak left-right balance but I am still getting great results due in part, I'm sure, to your precise design. Thanks! ""

	Stephen, From United States VPI 10.5 on VPI Prime Just want to let you know how happy I am with your attention to detail and craftsmanship. The tractor is easy to use and did a fantastic job making setup much easier and much more accurate than the standard jig included with the Prime. Since I got it, I have set up two carts with it, and the results are amazing and have removed any guesswork from the process. I haven’t touched the current cartridge since setup and is is performing beautifully. My sincerest appreciation to you, sir.
	Edward, From United States 9-series VPI JMW9 " I spent about half the day using the MintLP Best Tractor to align my Dynavector 20x2L on the VPI Scout 2. The instructions, diagrams, and photos were helpful. When I first tried to use the Best Tractor, the angle of the stylus/cantilever when resting on the Best Tractor was a little off. I attributed this to having moved the counterweight on the VPI to the middle of the range for the cartridge. In doing so, I probably changed the prior azimuth setting. So, I set azimuth in accordance with the VPI manual to get that within the ballpark before going back to the Best Tractor. This helped with getting the proper angle on the stylus/cantilever when resting on the Best Tractor. Then it took a long time to check, re-check, and re-check again (!) everything. The arc, thick double lines, and reflection to get parallax correct really help. The Best Tractor is very precise in this regard. As for listening, I noticed an improvement with more precise imaging and firmer sounding bass. The sound image seemed more defined. Overall, I am very happy with the product. Thanks again,"
	Todd, from United States VPI 10.5i SE on VPI Classic " .. the difference from the VPI jig to the Mint is profound, at least in terms of where I'm at with my system (meaning: profound to me is what most would say "wait, is there a difference?"). Off the top, the entire side of an LP sounds fantastic. No longer do I hope for better on the first track. IGD hasn't necessarily been an issue but I am finding that "hot" pressings still have all the dynamics I strive for but do sound cleaner, less "distorted" at a micro level. The soundstage has greatly improved - I get an even better sense and feel for the "3D" potential of vinyl after adjusting things. Tonally I've really never taken issue with the VPI setup but I do feel like the midrange is now presented more completely - vocals especially are more lifelike. Surface noise also seems to be reduced, even the random "pop or tick," as it were, isn't as distracting as before. The album I have on now, Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales is a little notorious for being a poor pressing but even given that, the music is more engaging after the changes. Changes are pretty much all aspects of the geometry. From memory - and I should have taken a picture before I embarked on this adventure - I had to pull the cartridge forward in the headshell by around 1/16" and I found the cantilever was pointing "off and up to the right" fairly heavily but that was easily corrected. Azimuth adjustments were also fairly obvious with the Mint setup, I ended up needing to adjust that counterclockwise a bit which has made a significant impact in soundstage stability. That is, if I move my head or walk around the room the sound doesn't "wander" like it used to. Overall, it only took about 90 minutes to complete the setup. That seems fast, but everything is spot on. The advice in the manual to gauge how much adjustment was necessary, as well as the tip about adjusting each side of the cartridge independently served me well. So, in summary, I'm especially happy with my purchase. I was concerned that my direction to use perhaps a non-standard tonearm-to-pivot length was incorrect but I am quite convinced it wasn't for my specific setup. Details of setup, in case it matters: DIY ScanSpeak Discovery 3-way standmount monitors (Troels Gravesen design, Janzten Audio crossover parts, all handmade) VPI Classic 2 turntable, Dynavector 20X2L cartridge, CineMAG 1234 SUT from Parks Audio Aric Audio Unlimited tube preamp with MM phono stage Nuprime ST-10 amplifier DIY speaker and interconnect cabling, direct run of 20A service to my room. A wonderful product you have made, Yip. Many thanks! "
	Clint, From United States VPI JMW10.5iSE " The quality is very good and I used it this evening to align my cartridge and I am very please with the results. I had been using the "alignment jig" provided with the VPI Classic and while it helps get the overhang close, the lines are too big to see your alignment. The mirrored surface and fine lines on the Mint LP protractor help greatly. I also had incorrect overhang, which the Protractor corrected for me. Some of my records that had a little inner-groove distortion sound much better and the clarity of the records are far better beginning to end. Great product, and thanks again,"
	Jay, from United States VPI JMW9 tonearm " Hi Yip, Well I am using my backup cartridge until my Dyna gets back from an upgrade, the backup sounds great never heard this good before."
	Edward, from United States 9-series VPI JMW 9 on a VPI Turntable " My overall thoughts: Excellent. Absolutely excellent. Not the easiest or most pleasant of processes, but in the end it gets the job done right. And what a musical result. Wow! I suggest that in your directions that you have your customers tape the Best Tractor (leaving a bit of tape loose to attach to the platter later) before starting the process of finding the correct overhang. Not attaching the tape to the platter, but attaching it to the Best Tractor. Then when it's time for the BT to be attached to the platter, minimal contact with the BT is required. I saw that right away and did it and I was happy to have anticipated unnecessary annoyances after having gotten the overhang right. I'd also suggest that they use the blue painter's tape. It's very strong and tight but is easily removed with no residue. Your various advices in the instructions are remarkably insightful, and I thank you for them. "
	Jon , from United States VPI JMW9 Signature with Scoutmaster " I wanted to let you know I received the Mint Tractor. What an upgrade to my system. The sound is so much more natural."
	Joe, from United States 9-series VPI JMW10.5i " Yes, so far so good. My cartridge was way out of alignment even though I thought it was good using the VPI protractor. I have it aligned up pretty good now, though I need to take more time for perfect alignment. The sound has improved. So, thank you very much for a great product."
	Jeff, from United States 9-series VPI JMW10.5iSE " I finally had time yesterday to use the protractor and properly set up my new Lyra Delos on my VPI Classic. I thought I had it close and felt it sounded great all this time. Well I studied and read the directions a couple times and still used them each step of the way. I must say the directions and tips are great and made the process much easier. I used the Lupe and a USB microscope which made seeing the stylus on the small line very easy and precise. It took me several hours with many breaks to get it perfect but I did manage to get it there and I have to say that the time and effort was well worth it. I am truly blow away on the sound and detail I am getting from my set up. I am not able to hear any IGD and the cart tracks perfectly now. Thank you for such a great product and the time taken for the wonderful directions and tips as i feel they are worth more than the protractor."
	Cliff, from United States VPI JMW10.5iSE " The protractor arrived and I set up my Benz Micro Wood SL last night. I noticed my overhang was off by a fair bit! I used the VPI Paper Protractor and it is obviously inaccurate. Anyway, things sound GREAT now! It took about 1.25 hours for setup. Thanks for the great 'tractor! "
	Mark, from United States VPI JMW 3D 12-inch " I was able to pick up the package at the post office on Mar 26,2016. Delivery to home was attempted Mar 25, but no one available to sign for it then. Effective length by the VPI jig was about 2mm long. After alignment with the Tractor there was significant improvement in the quality of the midrange tone. I had been trying to improve this area by adjusting the cartridge loading and VTA without much luck. Very happy with the sound of the system now."
	John, from United States VPI JMW 3D 12-inch " Just re-mounted my Clearaudio DaVinci cartridge on my Transrotor/Graham table/arm and can't begin to tell you how much more satisfied I am after trying all of the other protractors. The musicians are now so palpable, I sometimes feel I have to move out of the way for them!"

	Augustine, from United States Moerch DP6 with VPIHW19 His hardwork: " I finished the setup yesterday. Here are my observations: Before this I used Dr. Feickert protractor. The overhang was perfectly set up with the Dr. Feickert when checked with MintLP. I was very glad to see that. However, the alignment was way off. I expected this because the Dr. Feickert protractor, has no parallax view to reference the line of sight needed for correct alignment. The MintLP excels in this regard. The use of the 10x loupe takes some getting used to. It is essential for getting the stylus on the line. Lighting is essential and I found that a reflected light, as opposed to a direct light worked best for me. Probably the hardest and most frustrating part was the inner alignment. Your clear instructions and techniques (relax, etc...) guided me through it. In summary, this is an extremely well thought out product. It is the culmination of what must have been hours and hours of trial and error and revisions. I highly recommend this product and feel it is essential for proper alignment. I finished the set up at 1:00AM. It took me about 8 hours total throughout the day. My wife would have killed me if I had cranked up the stereo. " His Impression: ''' As promised here are my impressions after alignment correction was done. Recall that the overhang was already set correctly. The overall effect has been very noticeable and well worth the time it took to do it correctly. The detail has improved as has the soundstage. Listening to complex classical music is much easier now because I no longer have to strain to follow musical lines. Opera voices and diction are similarly enhanced allowing me to follow printed translations with ease. Instrumental timbre is more realistic. This is especially noticeable in the lower range winds such as the bassoon and the English horn. The string are more realistic. Finally, and in some cases this is not a good thing, you can definitely hear the recording engineer when they fiddle around with sliders. I could always hear this before, but it really jumps out at you now. Probably the most entertaining of the group is Rudy Van Gelder when he was a young recording engineer for VOX Records in the late '50's and early '60's. This was before he went on to Jazz. He loved to highlight musical lines, bringing them to the front, massing the strings in the back, etc... Totally unlike anything you would hear in person, but very entertaining (and educational) to listen to. I love it. FWIW, my cartridge is a Dynavector xx2. Thank you once again for a great product. Future setups will take less time now that I know what I am doing.
	Anthony, from United States Moerch DP6 on TW Acustics Raven " The results are very good, I noticed my analog playback sounds clearer with more detail and separation. I was as much as 2mm off in the inner groove. The difference was quite noticeable. "
	Michael, from New Zealand Moerch DP6 12-inch on EAT Fortes " Just finished fiddling and setting my arm up and the results are excellent, accurate set up really pays dividends with more detail, clarity, openness, I could keep adding to the list if you want but I think you get the idea. Thanks again for a great product and excellent service. "
	Marcial, from United States Moerch DP6 12-inch on Teres " Finally, able to give you a report. My system was down for a while. Anyway, the best tractor was great. After using it, things came into better focus. Sound was clearer and the bass tighter. Also recently acquired a vintage tonearm that I'll probably get another tractor for it."

v	Giulio, from Italy Da Vinci on Kuzma XL I think your Protractors are indispensable tools for a serious Hifi listener. I have also a lot of tractors from other brands (Clearaudio, Mobile Fidelity, Triplanar Gauge, Schroeder Gauge etc,) but now I use only yours, the only wich give a perfect alignment of the tip and cantilever, not the body. I think your Protractors are indispensable tools for a serious Hifi listener. I have also a lot of tractors from other brands (Clearaudio, Mobile Fidelity, Triplanar Gauge, Schroeder Gauge etc,) but now I use only yours, the only which give a perfect alignment of the tip and cantilever, not the body.
	Paul, from United States Kuzma 4 Point 14-inch tonearm on Technics SP10 " I spent more time over past week getting the alignment better. It now sounds wonderful! The soundstage and depth of the image is outstanding. The best I have ever heard in my system. Thanks, ""
	Michael, from United States Fidelity Research FR64 " My Best Tractor arrived safely, and I did a 1st alignment last night -- what a great instrument! Very, very precise. I'll soon be ordering another one for my Clearaudio / Graham / Koetsu setup (which is my main table). As clever as the Graham jig is, I see that its precision cannot compare to your device. Thanks again, Yip!"
	Domenico, from United States Graham Phantom on Air Force One " I received the Mint LP tractor today and immediately put it into use. I had setup my Graham Phantom Supreme twice before: the first time using the jigs provided with the arm (which proved to be quite inaccurate) and the second time using a Feickert Universal Protractor. After using the Mint LP, there is no doubt in my mind that it is much easier to get the geometry exactly right with a custom arc protractor, the only limit to absolute accuracy being the user's patience. I really liked the way the Mint LP deals with the parallax effect. BTW, using the Feickert protractor first to set pivot-spindle distance and approximate overhang and then the Mint LP to fine-tune overhang and set the offset angle likely provides the most efficient and accurate procedure. My only suggestion for a small possible improvement would be to print on the Mint LP the pivot-spindle distance that the protractor is customized for. I know from a previous email that in the case of the 10" Graham Phantom Supreme I have, you assume a pivot-spindle distance of 231mm, rather than the 230.3mm specified in the tonearm manual. Since the correct pivot-spindle distance has to be set in order to use the Mint LP, it would be useful to have a reminder on the protractor. I will be recommending the Mint LP to my friends. Best,"
	Bas, from Netherland VPI JMW12.6 on Garrard 301 1 simple advise: buy it! Less distortion, detail, exact channel seperation! Excellent. Its really precise. My Kiseki Lapis Lazuli really shines! I ajusted it in 20 minutes (way to quick, but its dark here. want to do more exact ajustments in the weekend). For now excellent! Music in my room. LIVE! Cheers Bas
	Stephen from United Kingdom Technics SL-1210/Jelco SA 750D " Tractor arrived yesterday. Spent an hour or so setting up my Astatic MF-100 and Nagaoka MP-11 Boron on the Technics SL-1210/Jelco SA 750D. Absolutely stunning difference! Have been listening to my records all morning and I can't believe how much the sound has improved. This has to be a must have piece of kit. Thanks "
	Mor from Japan Glanz on VPI Scout " I received the Tractor on Saturday, and I spent the weekend setting up both my Miyajima Madake and Miyajima Zero mono cartridges. The result is amazing! I've never heard them sound so good. Thanks for a great job!
	David, from United States Basis 2800 Turntable with Basis Vector " I wasn't off by much but could I ever hear the difference. Everything sounds much more balanced and focused. Why I waited so long to invest in a tractor is beyond me. thanks"
	Paul, from United States Clearaudio Innovation with 12-inch Universal Arm " I just used my Mint LP protractor to setup a Benz Micro Ruby ZH cartridge on my Clearaudio Innovation wood with the 12” Universal arm. Your instructions are very clear, and the recommended 3x and 10x magnifiers worked well. I’ve never had that cartridge track as well as it does now. Thank you! "
	Joseph, from Canada Kronos Pro with Black Beauty " I know you sent the package back in September, but I've only had an opportunity to use your tractor in setting up my turntable just recently. It took a little patience and a steady hand, but I followed your detailed instructions to the letter. The whole process took about me about an hour. And now for my observations. All I can say is WOW ! Your tractor made an incredible difference in the overall quality of the sound. The highs are much more crystal clear and sharp. The lows are very tight and profound. The mids are all of the sudden very much apparent. And the soundstage is outstanding. Now even my old records play beautifully. Thank you very very much for creating this customized tractor for me, and God only knows how difficult it must have been for you because of the peculiarity of the Black Beauty tonearm. Nevertheless you have succeeded in improving my previously great sound by another 25%. That is an incredible accomplishment. Thank you again. Joe"
	Rene, from Canada Origin Live Tonearm on Avid Turntable " Just a quick note to let you know I received your package this morning. Very happy with the product, quite effective and simple to set up a cartridge."
	James, from United States Linn LP 12 with Linn Ekos " The Tractor arrived last week. A beautiful and useful piece of equipment that I will use for years."
	Ray, from United States Music Hall with Stock Arm " Thanks again Yip. Got it done. The Goldring cartridge is very low profile ... you almost can't get low enough to focus on the stylus, but with practice I was able to set it correctly. Once I got the stylus to sit on the arc the alignment was pretty much good already. I checked it a couple of times. The first album I played was Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue. Sounded great! ""
	Clive, from United States Musical Life Vocalista on Musical Life " It worked really well. I was able to get a finer adjustment compared to the Densen sound protractor. I now hear a blacker background from my LPs with more details, WOW. Really exciting. "
	David, from United Kingdom Artemis tonearm on Roksan Turntable " I took delivery today, so much for UK Customs and Parcelforce! Have used the Tractor to good effect but will try again when I have sourced a 10x magnifier as 3x isn't enough and my 20x was impossible to use. Pleased with early results, bigger soundstage, more detail at lower and higher frequencies together with clearer vocals. Probably the best sonic return for the money I have encountered in my long journey through the HiFi world. Impressive.

	John, from United States 9-series Technics SL1200 with stock arm " I received the Tractor this weekend, and I used it to align an AT440mla cartridge on a Technics SL1900 already. It worked great! The Tractor was easy to use. Since I had actually gotten pretty close with my original alignment, it only took me an hour or so to tweak it with the Tractor. There is a definite improvement in the sound. The bass is tighter and cymbals sound better. I am very pleased, and I will recommend your products to my friends with no hesitation. Thank you!"
	Alejandro, from Chile 9-series Technics SL1200 with stock arm " Hi, just to let you know I set up my first cartridge with the protractor (Denon dl301mk2 on a Technics 1210 original arm) and I cannot believe how much better it's sounding. More coherent, relaxed and less surface noise. I'm a very happy customer and I would recommend the product to anyone. In a couple of days I'll have to try with other cartridges in my stock."
	Adam, from United States 9-series Technics SL1200 with stock arm " Just wanted you to know that I received the tractor and it works beautifully. Your service, communication, and prompt shipment are all excellent. Thank you very much. Yes, the sound is better, mainly a dramatic decrease of inner groove distortion. Quite lovely. If I meet anyone looking to get the best out of their cartridge, I'll refer them to you and the Mint tractor. "
	Lucas, from United States 9-series Technics SL1200 with stock arm " I received your package on Wednesday and successfully aligned my cartridge over the weekend. Thank you for sending it out so quickly. Instructions were clear and useful: I managed to align the Ortofon 2M Black in about an hour and spent additional time tweaking azimuth, VTA, and tracking force. In the end, I managed to achieve very high channel separation (34dB !!, per the Analogue Test LP) and low channel imbalance (0.7dB). The 10x loupe, by the way, was absolutely critical to achieving perfect alignment. There's no way I could have done it using only the lighted magnifier you provided. A very well spent extra $13. FYI: before your package arrived, I successfully aligned my cartridge using a carefully printed Baerwald protractor from VinylEngine for the SL1200. The Technics headshell has sufficiently long slots to accommodate the Ortofon in this geometry. I don't recall a particular sonic advantage from aligning my setup this way, but it's nice to know it will support it (at least for this particular cartridge). ""

	Douglas From United States SME M2-12R " I received the Mint Tractor days ago and have already put it to use. Amazingly, I had the overhang set perfectly using the SME M2-12R alignment gauge. However the cantilever was not in alignment and was off by quite a bit. Putting it into alignment has definitely improved the sound. The Mint Tractor has been a worthwhile investment. ""
	Brian, from United States TW Acustics 10.5 on TW Acustics Raven " Just a quick note to let you know how much I enjoy using the Mint Protractor. It is very easy to use, the instructions are good, and more importantly it gives me confidence I have the proper set up. Your communication and delivery speed were great and appreciated. Thank you for a wonderful product!"
	David, From UK Yamaha GT with Yamaha YA 39 " hello yip, its 1am on a sunday morning,after spending a relaxing saturday afternoon aligning my cartridge with your tractor, i've now discovered what my cartridge really has to offer, the space between the instruments has opened up the notes have much more presence and the background much more quiet, i'm going to have a hard job not going through my entire record collection, i'm afraid i'm going to have to blame you for many sleepless nites ahead, well who wants to sleep when music sounds this good. i haven't even done any fine tuning yet,so more joys to come i hope, please accept my thanks for your wonderful tool no serious vinyl fan should be without one, now to win the lottery and buy myself a walker audio prescenium. best wishes David "