Build complete setups
Combine a tonearm, cartridge and mounting hardware, then calculate the expected resonance frequency of the complete mechanical system.
Resonance Lab
Resonance Lab is a free tonearm and cartridge compatibility app for iPhone and iPad.
Direct Sound Records app
Match your tonearm and cartridge with confidence.
Resonance Lab calculates the predicted resonance frequency of an analogue playback system using tonearm effective mass, cartridge weight, mounting hardware and cartridge compliance.
A clearer starting point
Turn specifications into practical guidance.
Create and save complete turntable setups, compare different tonearm and cartridge combinations, and explore a growing catalogue of analogue components.
Resonance Lab translates technical specifications into clear guidance, helping vinyl enthusiasts, collectors and audio professionals make better-informed decisions before purchasing, mounting or changing a cartridge.
What you can do
Research, compare and refine your setup.
Compare alternatives
Explore how a different cartridge, tonearm, headshell or hardware mass may alter the predicted result before you buy or remount anything.
Save and revisit
Keep several analogue systems, favourite combinations and experimental configurations together for future reference.
How it works
Four steps from component data to a usable result.
Resonance Lab keeps the calculation visible and understandable while reducing the friction of looking up and comparing specifications.
Select the tonearm
Choose a model from the catalogue or enter its effective mass manually.
Add the cartridge
Select the cartridge weight and dynamic-compliance information.
Complete the system
Include mounting hardware or other relevant moving mass.
Interpret the result
Review the predicted resonance region and compare alternative combinations.
Why resonance matters
The tonearm and cartridge behave as one mechanical system.
The cartridge suspension acts like a spring, while the effective mass of the tonearm, cartridge and mounting hardware provides the moving mass. Together, they create a natural resonance.
If that resonance is poorly positioned, record warps, structural vibration or recorded low-frequency information may interfere with tracking and playback. A region of approximately 8–12 Hz is commonly treated as a useful target, while still requiring judgement in the context of the complete system.
Who it is for
Useful before a purchase, installation or system change.
Vinyl enthusiasts
Check whether a proposed cartridge is likely to suit the effective mass of an existing tonearm.
Collectors and experimenters
Organise several cartridges, tonearms and turntables without losing track of promising combinations.
Dealers and audio professionals
Use a consistent starting point when discussing component compatibility with customers and colleagues.
Resonance Lab explained
Frequently asked questions
Understand tonearm and cartridge compatibility, calculate resonance frequency and make better-informed choices before changing your analogue setup.
What is Resonance Lab?
Resonance Lab is an app for evaluating tonearm and phono-cartridge compatibility. It calculates the expected resonance frequency of a proposed combination and translates the result into clear, practical guidance.
You can create complete turntable setups, compare alternative components, save favourite combinations and explore a growing catalogue of cartridges and tonearms.
Why does tonearm and cartridge resonance matter?
A tonearm and cartridge behave together as a mechanical system. The cartridge suspension acts like a spring, while the effective mass of the tonearm and cartridge provides the moving mass.
If their resonance frequency is poorly positioned, record warps, vibration or audible low-frequency information may interfere with tracking and playback. Resonance Lab helps identify potentially unsuitable combinations before you install them.
What is a good tonearm and cartridge resonance frequency?
A resonance frequency in the region of approximately 8–12 Hz is commonly considered a useful target.
This places the resonance above many turntable and record-warp disturbances while keeping it below most recorded musical information. The result should still be treated as guidance rather than an absolute guarantee of performance.
How does Resonance Lab calculate resonance frequency?
Resonance Lab combines the tonearm’s effective mass with the cartridge weight, mounting hardware mass and cartridge compliance. These values are used to estimate the natural resonance frequency of the complete tonearm and cartridge system.
The accuracy of the estimate depends on the accuracy and comparability of the specifications supplied by the manufacturers.
What information do I need to calculate resonance?
You normally need the tonearm’s effective mass, the cartridge weight, the approximate mass of the mounting screws and the cartridge’s dynamic compliance.
Resonance Lab includes a component catalogue so that many of these specifications can be selected directly. You can also create a custom entry when your component is not yet included.
What is cartridge compliance?
Compliance describes how easily the cartridge suspension moves. A higher-compliance cartridge has a softer suspension, while a lower-compliance cartridge has a stiffer suspension.
Higher-compliance cartridges are generally associated with lower-mass tonearms, while lower-compliance cartridges are often more suitable for medium- or higher-mass arms. Final compatibility depends on the complete combination rather than one specification.
What if cartridge compliance is specified at 100 Hz?
Some manufacturers specify dynamic compliance at 100 Hz rather than at the lower frequency normally used for tonearm-resonance calculations. These values should not automatically be treated as equivalent.
Resonance Lab can provide an informed estimate where conversion is necessary, but the result remains approximate because cartridge suspensions do not all behave identically.
Can I compare cartridges before buying one?
Yes. Select your tonearm and explore how different cartridge weights and compliance values affect the predicted resonance frequency.
You can also begin with a cartridge and compare compatible tonearms. This is useful when researching an upgrade, rebuilding a turntable or checking a combination suggested by a dealer or manufacturer.
Can I save more than one turntable setup?
Yes. Resonance Lab allows you to create and revisit different setups, save favourite component combinations and experiment without changing your existing system.
This is useful for collectors, dealers and listeners who own several cartridges, headshells, tonearms or turntables.
Is the calculated result the same as a physical measurement?
No. The calculation is a technically informed prediction based on published or entered specifications. Manufacturing tolerances, suspension age, damping, mounting hardware and measurement methods may affect the behaviour of the real system.
Resonance Lab provides a strong starting point for component matching, but it does not replace careful installation, listening or measurement with an appropriate test record.
Build a better-matched system
Explore combinations before changing your analogue setup.
Use Resonance Lab to turn tonearm and cartridge specifications into a clearer, more practical starting point.