| Field | Music Reproduction |
| Went Obsolete | Late 1980s - early 1990s |
| Made Obsolete By | Compact Discs |
| Knowledge Assumed | Basic mechanical skills, hand dexterity |
| When useful | When Grandpa calls you to help fix his old stereo because he needs that Sinatra fix ASAP, or if you are curious enough to delve into vinyl. |
Although probably considered an obsolete skill by many people, truth is there are still thousands of vinyl enthusiasts around the world that know how to do this.
The tonearm on a turntable is composed of two basic parts: The headshell (where the reading stylus is fixed) and a counterweight on the opposite side. Balancing the tonearm means adjusting its vertical tracking force (VTF) -measured in grams- for optimum tracking across a record's grooves so as to avoid skating (too low weight) or excessive tracking weight, both of which can ruin a vinyl record on playback. Stylus cartridge manufacturers usually provide information about the recommended VTF to use with their styluses.
The tonearm's counterweight generally has VTF amounts marked up. You start setting the counterweight VTF to 0, as indicated, and rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise until achieving the recommended VTF amount. For maximum accuracy, the stylus tip can be placed over a small precision scale (like the ones used for jewelry) to verify the tracking weight is correct.
The cheapest turntables usually feature no counterweight or they may already have a fixed counterweight amount, so this may not apply.