Video

How does other Turntable that doesn't have anti-scading adjustment works?

Absolutley love this. The exact questions I would ask Harold if I could.

Tech - nicks is wild

we have this machine and testing azimuth and antiskate does not change

Greetings from the cornfields of Indiana, this is chef Mike puffin number 01290. Just got this device and I can't wait to play with it!!!

The skate force is always pulling the stylus to one side. So it is always off center. The "anti-skate pulls the arm one way and the record pulls the stylus the other way. So the system is flawed by design. I realized this this other day and bought a linear tracking setup. It has no skate force and sounds amazing.

After all the tests, the summery states range, real close, and ball park. Which is very helpful as I was over thinking this part of my set-up. Thank you for your time in putting this video together.

Thank you, very much.

So your goal was to get the highest db output but not necessarily "perfectly'ish" balanced on both channels? Thanks for the video, very informative!

so 2.57

THANK YOU SO MUCH! this is the most useful video especially the schroeder method .

Parks Audio don't sell this anymore. They replaced this product with Waxwing.

Is it possible to make a video showing how it actually improves the sound quality and the playback of the record? Does it remove any cracks or pops from the record?

The skating force acting on grooveless surface is not same as in grooves. Because on blank surface only stylus tip which is not the intended contact point is touching the record. It should be like that if antiskating is set according to test tone (equal distortion on both channels) then on the blank track the stylus should move inwards at moderate speed (roughly the speed of runout groove). It's discussed on forums that if the stylus sits still on blank track there is already too much antiskate applied.

Fantastic interview!! Thanks for posting this amazing piece of history

If you are using Win7 it’s a little different but may also work on Win10 - Connect your Puffing via the cable - when you extract the file - right click on the extracted file - press from the drop menu “send to” and click the destination puffin device and it’s over in a few seconds 😊

Any official eu sellers?

Man I wish I could get my hands on a Puffin.

Setting the antiskate adjustment to the same adjustment as the tonearn weight is absolutely correct. This theory, that a tone arm should be motionless on a groove-less spinning disc is absolutely incorrect according to a phonograph technician I spoke with at length. Actually doing as this theory advocates can cause irreparable damage to the record and stylus. Actually, Anti-Skate is supposed to add a very small (slight) amount of outward force (toward the edge of record) DEFINITELY NOT CAUSING THE TONEARM TO BE MOTIONLESS. With the proper amount of Anti-Skate applied, the TONEARM will still move toward the center of the groove-less disc but at a slightly slower rate of speed compared to the slightly faster inward speed of TONEARM movement if no Anti-Skate was applied.

Can you make a tad bit more updated version? I just purchased your top of the line model with the optical out.

Why do you set the gain on the amp to a particular level other than full volume? How do you use the amp to test the Puffin? What tests can I perform on my Puffin to confirm my Turntable and Puffin are working as well as possible?

PARKS AUDIO, the closer the vinyl grooves makes the less/lower Azimuth Separation? Azimuth means the separation and isolation between the right channel to the left channel. The Azimuth is measuring the isolation between the L and R channels?

How did you come up with the name 'Puffin'?

It appears that the LaserDisk method was probably even more accurate than measuring the signal (which is technically measuring difference between channels in dB).

I find having a full side blank record is essential to really see what's happening with your anti skating. Too many of these test records do the test at some specific point across the side, but I have seen plenty of anti skating devices that will pull outward from the inside groove, and inward from the outer groove. Or will have much more sideways pull for the first half of the side, which then drops off to almost nothing towards the end. It also shows how useless the method where you twist the lead out wire for the arm to provide some sideways pull is. I have found the best source for one sided records is to find a record store that has a lot of DJ dance music pressings. You can often find test pressings that were distributed to DJs with music on one side only. Look for a blank white label on one side.

Will a different turntable Matt help? Some modern plug in and go decks have a built in anti skate which might mean taking off the tone arm?

Thank you for all your hard work making tube amps. I listen to my ST-70 clone daily as it is my garage stereo which keeps the tunes going as I work on my various cars. I also have an ST-35 and eiclone mono blocks for my 2 house systems. They were great fun to build and I am still enjoying them. Well done.

The Azimuth separation values depends on the choice of Lo Cut frequency on the Puffin. With Lo Cut at 5Hz the separation values are worse than at 20Hz , due to low frequency rumble and groove noise. Setting the Lo Cut to 20Hz instead of 5 Hz improves separation with 8 db in my case.

This might be a stupid question as I'm very new to this field, but does the Puffin preamp help boost the signal even if I leave all of the settings on default (as in don't change any of the values on the preamp)?

Nerd vid.

Hi! Thank you for this excellent, informative video. My question/situation is almost identical to another commenter's, but I wanted to ask nevertheless in case your views have changed since you last addressed it: I have a Technics 1200-MK5 with a AT-VM540ML cartridge. I've been told by some other people with similar setups (who have used audio-based test records as a reference) that for a VTF of 2 grams, they adjust the anti-skate to about 2.5. Unfortunately, the hearing in my right ear--while generally good--is not as robust as my in left (or at least emphasizes certain frequencies over others). So when I do listening tests with a 2/2.5 adjustment, comparing vinyl playback to digital copies of the same songs, the left/right channels sound fairly similar to my (imperfect) ears. But it's obviously an inexact measurement. However, I'm concerned because when I drop the stylus into the outer groove, it always jumps inward a little--not enough to skip into the first track, but enough that it seems odd to me. Similarly, when I do the famous Soundsmith test, I don't see the stylus move slowly to the center label unless I dial up the anti-skate to between 3-3.5. That seems rather high to me. And while that sounds "good," I'm concerned it's too much anti-skate and not an accurate reflection of the music (checking it with my ears, it seems like it does get louder than it probably should in the right channel when I dial up the anti-skate to fit the Soundsmith methodology). [General disclosure here that my turntable is about as level as I can get it with the old, wooden floors in my house.] So my basic question is: should I just settle for the 2.5 anti-skate setting? Is it normal for an ML stylus to skid a bit more in the inner/outer grooves? I'll note that it only does this when I lower the stylus onto the unpressed surface and doesn't skip at all during playback. Thanks!

I make.lots of 78 and cylinder record transfers and CZcams videos. The Puffin has been a game changer for my transfer work. It saves me lots of time and improved the quality of my transfers.

Where is the before & after 'Magic' is applied?

I ordered one! Arriving this week from Amazon US. I am fascinated by the possibilities, not just the brilliant existing ones but future updates. Would it be possible in future to expand the features to cover cassette deck playback? Maybe a feature for reduction of wow & flutter? I really like the ethos of Wozniak you mentioned. No to over-processing. Yes to simple fixes that maintain or even enhances the spirit of these lovely analogue recordings! You are onto a winner with the Puffin, and I wish you every success. Greetings from the UK!

How accurate is this instrument ? Have you compared with oscillocospe and voltmeter?

I have the Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB turntable with the VM95ML cartridge, and the only method that works for me is the "laser disc method." Unfortunately, I don't have the fancy meter device shown in the video to get more exact. This turntable model is notorious for having a bad anti-skate adjustment, but at least it can be done. I bought a blank record from Amazon to perform the adjustment. The recommended counter-weight for my cartridge is 2 g, but the anti-skate setting that keeps the tonearm in the center is 1! If I set it to 2 (which is what the manual says to do), the tonearm just flings backwards towards the edge of the blank record. If I have a real record on the platter, the tonearm snaps up and over when I lift it at the runout. So, I keep at a 1 until I have a better way to make this adjustment (or get a better turntable).

Great Video !! Please keep makingmore such informative videos. I recently did a KEF Q150 Bookshelf speakers review on my channel. link for your suggestions & to learn from you, czcams.com/video/IasdvlDNzJw/video.html

Great Video !! Pleasekeep making more such informative videos. I recently did a KEF Q150 Bookshelf speakers review on my channel. link for your suggestions and to learn from you, czcams.com/video/IasdvlDNzJw/video.html

What a nice video comparisons which displaces opinions with test results on several formats. People support anti-skate opinions with various theories often criticizing smooth surface method among others, I was ready to swallow it all too. I have set the anti-skate system each side of the factory recommendations of the Sure tone arm manufacturer slightly, then carefully listened for changes and came to the conclusion I could hear none. Thank you for clearing the audiopile coiled heap from the room. I employed the laymans methods and they all correspond well for verification, thus comparing well to the physical calibration scales on my tonearm. It seems in the case of anti-skate that close and reasonable are 'good enough for government work'. Your video saved me some coin so now I will not throw money at test records or electronic tone/test equipment. That money will buy more records. Well done!

This is brilliant in conjunction with the Tacet test record I bought, btw on my turntable and cart (ATVM540ml) it measured up to 33 on the right using the Tacet but I settled for around 29db on L&R and it sounds fantastic. Also the tonearm resonance test is great goes up in increments of 1db from 5 to 15hz.

I thought you'd be a Korean

Do you plan to make a higher grade more expensive Puffin phono?

Would it be possible to add wow and flutter detection to the Puffin as its related to rpm consistency?

So is this like having a Fozgometer built in? Very cool.

Thank you, i like your video. At home, I noticed enormously different values ​​depending on my stylus I test 3 white lp and depending on the thickness and the material of the lp .the values ​​are all different. For example, for a audio Technica VM95C conical stylus I will have a value of 2 antiskating for a weight of 2 but for my audio technica VM540 ML microline I will have a value of 3 antiskating for a weight of 2. Is this possible? From my many readings, I have always heard that it is better to put less than too much when you hesitate. n 2015, I had an audio technica lp120 whose antiskating did not work at all. I used a microline 3 years on it every day. When I realized the antiskating wasn't working I didn't notice a problem with the stylus, it was still straight. This reassures me in case I put the value too low

I think you've gone too far in the wrong direction

I had already done the upgrade before the video came out. But, this was a good overview for anyone nervous about attempting it. You mentioned that if you had the beta that the saved settings would be left in tact. Is this true from 1.30 on now? If so, I love that feature for future updates. It wasn't hard to restore my settings, but a bit time consuiming

Old version didn't work at all. Used provided cable, extracted, easy. Nothing happened after dragging it in. No green light. Still on version 1.02. Tried multiple variations of unplugging power and usb.

Very cool feature. To be clear though, minimal crosstalk or balanced separation does not necessarily mean the stylus Azimuth is optimal. Since the stylus can be at a different angle than the generator.

I have the same AT arm on my garrard 301. Very nice setup!