Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Crosby, Stills and Nash Available Now
This commentary from way back when (2005!) describes how to go about adjusting your VTA for 180 or 200 gram vinyl, using the track Helplessly Hoping from the first album.
Helplessly Hoping is a wonderful song with plenty of energy in the midrange and upper midrange which is difficult to get reproduce. Just today (4/25/05) I was playing around with VTA, having recently installed a new Dynavector DV-20x [a cartridge replaced by the 17d3 soon afterwards and again by the 17dx] on my table, and this song showed me EXACTLY how to get the VTA right.
VTA is all about balance. The reason this song is so good for adjusting VTA is that the guitar at the opening is a little smooth and the harmony vocals that come in after the intro can be a little bright.
Finding the balance between these two elements is key to getting the VTA adjusted properly.
When the arm is too far down in the back, the guitar at the opening will lose its transparency and become dull and thick. Too high in the back and the vocals sound thin and shrill, especially when the boys all really push their harmony. The slightest change in VTA will noticeably affect that balance and allow you to tune it in just right.
To be successful, however, there are also other conditions that need to be met. The system has to be sounding right, which in my world means good electricity, so make sure you do this in the evening or on a weekend when the electricity is better.
