Setting anti-skate with a blank vinyl test record

[tcpip]

I got a test record from Amazon US which is smooth black and has no grooves. It is used for setting the anti-skate for turntables. It worked very well. I just put up a video of it on my site.

https://www.dnought.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/02/anti-skate-smooth-vinyl.mp4

Basically since the disc is smooth and grooveless, you play the disc and place the stylus on the disc in the middle somewhere, and then adjust your anti-skate till the tonearm stays near the centre of the playing area. If you have too much anti-skate force, the tonearm swings to one edge, and if too little, it swings to the other edge.

I found that this kind of calibration record is needed for many modern tonearms which do not have any clear calibrated adjustment dial, and also in case we want to actually verify whether recommended ASF settings are working correctly for us.

The blank record is available on Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Blank-Vinyl-Records-BLACK-VINYL/dp/B00HZ5T1NA/ No, I have no idea whether anyone in India sells a similar thing.

 

[G401fan]

Can't see how that can even work.

A blank record when spinning cannot grip the stylus. Skate is a vector force created by a combination of the record turning, and the stylus holding on to the groove. No groove, no skate, no anti-skate.

 

[tcpip]

There is one source of force which is not applied by the groove. It is visilble because you see the tonearm skating across the (smooth) vinyl when all anti-skating is removed. If the groove-applied force was the only source of force on the stylus, this wouldn't happen.

 

[tcpip]

This is what I got from Google Gemini about setting anti-skating force.


We all know that we can't trust AI answers blindly, but it seems that Gemini has picked up enough Internet chatter that the blank vinyl is the "gold standard" for setting anti-skating force.

 

[reignofchaos]

You can just use an unwanted CD or even better a Laser Disc for this - works much better.

In my case, I don't need anti skate anyways as now I have 12" arms.

 

[reubensm]

I also use an old laser disc for anti-skate calibration. However, I’ve had a few interesting experiences with this approach. Whenever the topic comes up in WhatsApp groups or on international forums, people often insist that this is not the correct way to do it. I wonder what is the right way as this has worked well for me

 

[Hiten]

G401fan is correct. The skating force exists due to groove modulations among other things. But groove modulation and headshell offset angle are major cause.
There was new yamaha turntable which had straight headshell (in axis with pivot). Also 12 inch tonearm only reduces skating force but never eliminates it.
The blank surface (laser disc) works because the stylus still has some friction* and headshell offset angle.
However this is dynamic and variable problem if one thinks it is.

* One can compensate blank laser disc shortcomings by slightly increasing antiskate force than necessary. There was some discussion about this in the forum.
P.S. : Dual company had small meter which can be attached to headshell to null the skating force.

 

[Kapeel]

You can also check the distortion and level of the left and right channels of the cartridge with software like REW or ARATA while playing constant amplitude test tones from Analogue Productions test LP. This method is generally seen as a more precise way to set anti-skating than using a blank disk

 

[Sean de Silva]

https://www.sound-smith.com/faq/how-do-i-adjust-anti-skating-my-cartridge