Acoustical Systems Smartractor
Acoustical Systems Smartractor alignment protractor: As close to a "universal" phono-alignment protractor as one is likely to find. The Acoustical Systems Smartractor, which resembles a draftsman's beam compass, can be used with any conventional tonearm with an unambiguous pivot center. It offers the user a choice of four traditional alignment schemes—i.e., ones distilled from the work of Erik Löfgren, who more or less invented the two-point alignment schemes used by the vast majority of manufacturers and hobbyists—and one brand-new one developed by Acoustical Systems' Dietrich Brakemeier, called UNI-DIN.
AD praised the "ergonomically friendly" Smartractor as "exceptionally well made" and "a breeze to use" and expressed a preference for its Löfgren A DIN alignment scheme. However, he intends to experiment further with UNI-DIN. Now two versions, regular and XL (Vol.37 No.2. Vol.41 No.11 WWW)
The SMARTractor brings the same unparalleled precise tangential alignment for which the UNI-Protractor earned it’s laurels – PLUS the 0.05mm precise mounting distance measurement of the UNI-P2S.
The features the critically acclaimed UNI DIN tangential curve, the latest calculation, and the first to consider the unique requirements and circumstances of a stereo stylus tracking a non-linear stereo groove with increasing differences between the two groove walls.
The vast number of tonearms introduced in the past 40 years displays many different concepts and a considerable diversity in geometries. Furthermore, it makes a significant difference in the record we want to track with the best possible results is a modern pressing with a very long run-out/lead-out ('unmodulated groove' or 'dead wax') or whether the record's groove was cut close to the paper inner label. The latter is often found with countless records made in the early stereo years from 1958 to 1974.
The device considers the diversity of geometries found in pivot tonearms and the different situations in records past and present. It offers the best possible tangential curve for every pivot tonearm request and record collection. Using it ensures that the serious audiophile gets the most perfect, precise alignment possible. Even more critical, this ultra-precise result is achieved swiftly, easily, and free of any possible error.
No in-depth knowledge nor any special manual skills are required. Setting up your analog front-end with unparalleled precision - and with the BEST SONIC results obtainable - is only a matter of a few minutes when using the SMARTractor.
Acoustical Systems Smartractor is made in Germany. See this video.