TESLA Turntable Cartridge Azimuth / VTA Gauge

The TESLA Premium line is an excellent collection of products for the care of vinyl records and styli that will satisfy every vinyl enthusiast.

An acrylic gauge from TESLA for easy adjustment of VTA and azimuth.

How to set the vertical tracking angle (VTA)

Essentially this is the height adjustment of the tonearm so that, with the stylus resting on the record, the arm and headshell are parallel to the record. More precisely, VTA is the angle between the stylus and a line perpendicular to the record. Not all turntables allow this adjustment. The correct value depends on how the cutting stylus was set when the master of your record was made: in the 1960s it was usually 15°, and since the 1970s and 1980s it has been standardised at 20°, with cartridges made accordingly – so it really is enough to set the tonearm parallel to the record. Be careful when changing platter mats, which may differ in thickness and so change the vertical angle.

• VTA – Vertical Tracking Angle of the cartridge
• Azimuth – the perpendicularity of the cantilever relative to the record when viewing the cartridge from the front