Well, to be fair. I didn't mean to imply they don't think the skating effect doesn't exist. I think Harry Weisfeld doesn't think it's worth bothering doing anything about it and that the VPI arms sound better without it.
If it's important it's important. However, in the scheme of analog records, there are other things that make a bigger difference. At least in my experience. I was using a Grace G-707 arm until I accidentally broke the little nylon antiskate wire while changing a cartridge. Try finding a new one! The thing is, though, I honestly couldn't tell any difference in sound without the device. In a different arm, with a different cart, who knows?
I find the effects of tracking error more audible. In spite of the player's other drawbacks, to me the Garrard pantograph arm sounds so much cleaner and crisper than fixed pivot arms. I attribute that to the elimination of tracking error.
FWIW the (notorious) Garrard arm uses magnetic anti-skating. I've been advised that over time the magnets weaken. The deck is almost 50 years old. I set it, but have no idea if it is really working.
PS: 1) I've used the Shure TTR record to set anti-skate. With test tones one can often 'hear' channel mismatch that is supposed to indicate a skating effect. Depending on the cartridge/arm, making the adjustment might not really change the spread of the 'rasping' sound.
2) If I ever encounter mistracking I simply increase the tracking force. That always 'solves' the problem. I've found that typically the 'higher' of the manufacturer ranges is best. I set the M97xE at 1.5g and add another 0.5 for the brush. I set the XV15-1200e (681ee) for 1.5g, and another 1g for brush. AT 740ML works fine at it's rated 2g. Denon DL-160 and DL-110 about 1.8g. DL-103 2.5g.
Unless one is using a really old design (like the Denon DL103) I haven't found mistracking or high distortion a problem with my records. Even with the 103 it has not been an issue as long as the arm works with the cartridge (the Denon is a bit on the stiff side in compliance). Of course my records are old, and possibly the highs have been sheared off from repeated playings. That would not surprise me. My hearing shears off in the low highs at my age, so that is that.
With records, there are so many variables. You change one setting you are probably causing something else to change.
Plenty of LP's with wide lead-out grooves if they're flat enough and not dished either way. Your mileage may well vary and I'm not recommending it as a universal cure-all. It's VINYL, so all bets are off and one does what one feels is best. I only 'know' this shit because I spent decades setting the bloody things up, checking styli and replacing same or the entire cartridge at various levels from basic Garrards to madness prices (and still do when I can, despite being a digiphile really).
