Glossary
Anti-skate
A setting that counters the tonearm's pull toward the record center so the stylus sits evenly in the groove.
Anti-skate is a tonearm adjustment that counteracts a natural sideways pull toward the center of the record that happens as the stylus drags through the groove. Without correction, this pull would press the stylus harder against the inner wall of the groove than the outer one, throwing tracking out of balance.
Most turntables set anti-skate with a small dial or a hanging weight on a thread, roughly matched to the tracking force in use, though the exact relationship is not perfectly linear across different force settings. Correct anti-skate keeps pressure balanced across both groove walls, which affects channel balance, distortion levels, and how evenly stereo separation holds up during playback, particularly on records with wide dynamic swings.
When setting it up, start from the cartridge and tonearm manufacturer's suggested value rather than guessing, then fine-tune by ear or with a test record if one is available. Anti-skate set noticeably too high or too low tends to show up as one channel sounding quieter or more distorted than the other, or as skipping concentrated on one side of certain records. A common confusion is treating anti-skate as optional or purely cosmetic, when incorrect settings contribute directly to uneven stylus and groove wear over time.