3arl Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I just replaced the felt slipmat on my Pro Ject Debut III with cork mat because I was tired of the fibers getting on my records. The cork mat is thicker than the felt one and I didn't know if there were any adjustments I need to make to the cartridge alignment or is it just negligible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 You'll definitely want to make sure that your VTA (vertical tracking angle) is correct. As to how much the mat change has altered it, who knows, but you should be able to find information / instructions on how to adjust your VTA on the web or in the manual that came with the Debut. When you look at your tonearm / headshell with the new mat installed, is it perfectly level with the platter? If so, you're cool. edit: I just did a quick google search and there's no real VTA adjustment on the tonearm for the Debut ... other than to place a shim under the cartridge or change the thickness of your mat. However, if your new cork mat is too thick and your headshell / tonearm is "tail down," you're going to have issues remedying the situation. With some tonearms you can place spacers under the screws on the base, but according to others on message boards, you can't do that with the Debut. Anyway, you should definitely check the VTA with the new mat and report back to us. If it's off, maybe someone can come up with a solution. There's a chance that you may have to switch back to a thinner mat. Not necessarily the felt one, but something else that's a similar thickness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 There is no VTA adjustment on a DebutIII. That doesn't mean that VTA is not important, but with a DebutIII you are at the mercy of your platter and cartidge. Some cartridges are more sensitive to VTA than others. How much thicker is the cork mat, and what cartridge are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3arl Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 I measured the thickness and the cork mat is just under 1/8" thick and the felt mat is just under 1/16". So basically it's just a 1/16" thicker. I placed the needle on a record and from what I can tell the cartridge was level. I still have the stock OM 5E cartridge on it right now. I feel like a 1/16" is negligible since records can vary in thickness by a similar amount, but I could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 If it sounds ok and the arm looks level (or very, very close to it) then you should be ok. a 3x5 card is a great way to see how level your arm is. Carelully queue the needle onto a non spinning record and gently place the card next to the arm. You are right, there is some wiggle room due to differences in vinyl thickness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3arl Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Everything looks and sounds fine and the cork is a dream compared to the felt. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
000000 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 what are the benefits of a cork mat over a felt one? i've known they existed but didn't really understand why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3arl Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 I like it because it has way less static and it doesn't leave fibers on my records. Felt also collects dust really easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Cork will collect dust as easily... You just can't see it as easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexschelldorf Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Upgrade your cartridge. I took my stock Om 5e to a Shure 97xe and I'm blown away by the difference it made. I got mine for $75 on Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 He should upgrade a $60 cartridge to a $75 cartridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 The Shure is a great cartridge, but it also requires the larger counterweight on the DebitIII. I seem to remember the OM5e being a lot cheaper a year ago. Around $35. But as anyone who's used one knows, It's cost is enormous in the the damage it can do to your listening experience and records. The Shure is just that price on Amazon. There was a while there that the cartridge went for very cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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