The Article
SIMPLE PROTRACTOR CARTRIDGE TOOL
5th August 2025
Many thanks to Garry, a reader of my website, for pointing me towards this useful turntable accessory
What we have here is an alignment protractor for your turntable’s cartridge from UK outfit, Northwest Analogue.
Created using a 3D printer, you place the Simple Protractor on your turntable’s platter, align the raised portion of the Protractor with the pivot point of tonearm, then place the stylus on the point B grid. You may need to adjust the cartridge so the tip sits directly on the intersection and the sides of the cartridge and/or cantilever also line up with other white lines.
Price is £65 plus post which means £5 for the UK or £10 for outside of the UK.
Contact: 01524236215
That sounds intriguing. Are you going to review it? Apparently it improves the sound too. But even though it may suit most arms it’s not a given so one has to be doubly sure of that before forking out the cash. Also it looks very similar to the Polaris gauge (Martin Bastin) which is what I’ve always used. It’s not based on that at all I’ve just found out.
No plans right now Dermot but yes, I have that Polaris protector and also saw the similarity.
I have found that using your eye isn’t very accurate. If you have a tonearm where the tonearm pivot can be used there are gauges that couple to the pivot, rather than relying on your eyesite.
These gauges are a lot more accurate but they do come with a price premium, but do give superb results.
While on the subject of alignment, Why don’t tonearm manufactures adopt the SME sliding tonearm base, it makes alignment so much easier than pushing and twisting the cartridge.
Valid enough comment on the SME principle of the sliding tonearm method. It should make it so much easier to adjust the alignment. As regards your other point it does make sense too. Having said that once you have a straight line pointing at the centre of the pivot shaft (if you can see it!) then it should be easy enough. Now the pertinent question here in relation to the Simple Protractor is this: How radical is this new alignment and, more importantly, has it ever been used elsewhere before? Another worry is will it suit your own setup re adjusting the position of the cartridge etc etc So many questions.
Hi Dermot
The alignment technique used is calleled Linear Offset. It has been around for a while. There’s a version of it included in the HiFi News test record.
I also have the Martin Bastin version too.
There are adapter sold now which will convert a fixed base tonearm to a sliding base version; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116428423019?_skw=adapter+for+sliding+base+tonearms&itmmeta=01K27MSS7XHNS4DWVDCHKPQGWA&hash=item1b1bacbf6b:g:lUYAAOSwNjZl~S3N&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAABAFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1c%2F2phIbfQEiHRGYQN%2FV%2B2dMYa8%2FyWDBUxINB1pcvT6m51PPdQtoLENpbi7d69cRu%2B4PKOFEJjGPgyMyKqAYnEF1YZRWXMsdMd7EOxtNrrf1%2BRXLRBRLJk4%2FsMOETxID0R88%2BWj039Jjeyr7h%2BWu7HpMCtg0NXfJCD5gB0LHiVh4jt%2FsFFyy1BFgFu%2BMu8KI3TddANuR7Ou9vRY5yhKjwX9ZWB3U4FTg9UB4XIoiB2USCWEdOWJ1pKLwldkbYzo3sqTPleAhRDiCx1xqUguCcSzxYwy9vY9C7UrjSWT%2FRd5KNJHYrpO2V9jjHEEVcH47oc%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5qU5_SRZg
Hi Mike,
Thanks for all the information! That sliding adaptor sounds great but I wouldn’t have the courage
to even think of getting it. I have that HFN record too. Must dig it out.
Hi Dermot
You will have to treat yourself to an SME tonearm!
Mike
In my dreams! Anyway I’m more than happy with the absolutely true engineering
simplicity of my Tom Fletcher’s Nottingham Analogue designs. Going on nearly 30 years
now and they will still be spinning until hell freezes over 😉
H Dermot
A good pedigree I’m sure.
Mike
Hi Mike,
Yes indeed. Tom and Glenn (Croft) used to get together to demo stuff from their own products in their early development stages. Thankfully I supported both of them while they were still alive having both NA turntables and Glenn’s valve amplifiers in my system. Both absolute gentlemen but with very steadfast views on their own hi fi principles. Sadly Tom was taken with the dreaded cancer disease and Glenn was killed in a motor bike accident just a few years ago. Such is life.
Hi Dermot
I had heard about Glen Croft, I used to own one of his phono stages sometime ago, unfortunately it was too noisy but did offer a good deal of clarity.
I think he was base here in the West Midlands at one point.
Regards
Mike.
Hi Mike,
That’s a surprise as he had a good reputation with his phono stage expertise. Though he
favoured mm’s over mc’s. A fellow Croftie actually has a mc stage built into a separate
box on his own system built by Glenn. A rare artifact no doubt.
Apologies to Paul for hi-jacking his thread. Getting back to Dominic’s Simple Protractor
I have to add that I’m still in the dark about its suitability on my own arm/tt setup.
The information on his site is scant and not particularly helpful.
I think I’ll respectfully leave it at that.
Hi Dermot
Probably best to use that come with the tonearm
Hi Mike,
You’re right too as long there’s no temptation to go down yet another rabbit hole elsewhere!
H Dermot
Very true. I use an SMEV on my 401, The V comes with its own protractor. However, I prefer to use the the Clearaudio protractor which couples to the tonearm’s pivot, which as I said earlier it is very accurate, rather the siting with your eye.
It is one of the earlier Clearaudio protractors where you can try different settings, the latest ones just have the one setting.
Pro-ject do a similar one as well.
Having an SME tonearm, offset is fixed so you adjust the overhang, unlike slotted headshells which employ twisting and a push/pull technique to achieve the same result. I used Alphason arms for a while which employed the latter technique, which I never really took to!
Regards
Mike
Nice one on the arm/tt combination. Long may you enjoy!