Phono Cartridge Tracking Force Converter
Grams ↔ millinewtons, precise SI conversion, with lookup by cartridge brand
Look up a cartridge by brand
Manufacturers commonly round their published millinewton figures using a simplified ×10 per gram shortcut (e.g., 1.8 g listed as "18 mN") instead of the physically exact 9.80665 mN/g. This tool always calculates the precise SI value first and shows the rounded industry figure beside it for reference: use whichever your equipment's documentation is quoting. Manufacturer published gram ranges and recommended settings are the correct source for actual cartridge setup; always confirm against your cartridge's own manual before adjusting tracking force.
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This tracking force converter turns a grams reading into millinewtons and back, using the exact SI conversion rather than a rounded shortcut.
It also lets you look up the manufacturer recommended setting for eleven common phono cartridges without digging through a manual.
Anyone setting up a new cartridge, cross checking a gauge reading, or matching a spec sheet number to their tonearm dial will get direct use out of it.
What This Tracking Force Converter Does and the Problem It Solves
Vinyl setup guides mix units constantly. Some tonearm counterweights and spec sheets list vertical tracking force (VTF) in grams, others print it in millinewtons and the two numbers rarely line up the way people expect.
This converter handles the grams to mN conversion using the defined SI value of standard gravity, 9.80665, the BIPM's official constant, so one gram of force always equals 9.80665 millinewtons on the nose.
Most cartridge manufacturers don't actually use that precise figure on their own spec sheets, though.
Ortofon, Denon, Audio Technica, Shure, Nagaoka, Grado, Sumiko and Goldring all round using a simplified times ten shortcut instead, so 1.8 grams becomes "18 mN" on the box even though the true SI value is 17.65 mN.
This tool calculates the precise value first and labels it as the authoritative number, then shows the manufacturer rounded figure right beside it so you can match whichever number your own documentation quotes.
A converted value landing outside the roughly 0.3 to 5.0 gram range that covers nearly every phono cartridge gets flagged too since that usually means a decimal point or a unit got mixed up somewhere.
How to Use the Tracking Force Converter, Step by Step
Start by picking a direction. Two tabs sit at the top, Grams to mN and mN to Grams; select whichever matches the number you're starting with.
Type your known value into the input field. If you're converting a reading straight off a digital or spring type stylus force gauge, that reading is exactly what goes into the box; no new measurement needed.
The result updates as you type, showing the precise SI figure first and the manufacturer rounded reference value underneath it.
The brand and model lookup works separately, below the converter. Choose a brand, then a specific model.
A few cartridges, like the Shure M97xE, have more than one setup depending on how the stylus is used; a third dropdown then appears so you can pick the matching variant, such as running with the stabilizer brush up or down.
Once a model is selected, a small gauge graphic shows where its recommended tracking force and full range sit on a 0 to 3 gram scale and a "Load recommended value" button drops that figure straight into the converter above.
How to Read Your Results
The main result value is the precise conversion, calculated straight from 9.80665. Right below it, a smaller line shows the manufacturer rounded equivalent using the times ten shortcut, labeled clearly so you know it's a reference figure rather than the exact physics.
For cartridge lookups, the manufacturer range shows the full gram window the maker considers acceptable, with the millinewton equivalent underneath.
The recommended setting is a single point inside that range, shown in grams and precise millinewtons, plus the manufacturer-rounded mN figure a spec sheet would likely print.
The gauge marker shows where that recommendation sits relative to the range, and a source line names where the figures were pulled from.
Who This Tracking Force Converter Is Built For
This fits anyone setting up a new cartridge and trying to translate a gram figure from the manual into what a millinewton scale gauge shows them.
It also helps buyers comparing spec sheets across brands like Ortofon and Audio Technica, where one publishes in grams and another leans on millinewtons.
Owners of the eleven cartridges in the lookup table, including the Ortofon 2M series, Denon DL-103, Nagaoka MP-110, Grado Prestige Black3, and Shure M97xE, get a direct answer without hunting down the original documentation.
Real World Use Cases and Practical Tips
Say you just picked up an Ortofon 2M Blue and your gauge reports 17.7 mN. Switch to the mN to Grams tab, enter that number and the converter shows the precise gram equivalent, letting you compare it against the 2M Blue's published 1.6 to 2.0 gram range from the brand lookup below.
A Shure M97xE owner running the stabilizer brush down needs roughly 0.5 grams more downforce than the brush up setup calls for.
Selecting that variant pulls up the correct range and recommended figure for that specific configuration instead of the more commonly cited brush up numbers which would leave the stylus underweighted.
The manufacturer ranges in the lookup table come from official spec pages and major retailers, cited under each result but tolerances can shift slightly between regions or print runs.
Treat the conversion math as exact and the cartridge database as a strong reference point, then confirm against your own cartridge's manual before making a final adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many millinewtons is 1 gram of tracking force?
Using the exact SI value of standard gravity, 1 gram of tracking force equals 9.80665 millinewtons. Many manufacturers round this to a flat 10 mN per gram, which is why a cartridge listed as "18 mN" is really closer to 17.65 mN in true physical terms.
Why do some stylus force gauges read in millinewtons instead of grams?
Millinewtons are a true unit of force, while grams technically measure mass so some gauge and cartridge manufacturers use mN for accuracy.
Most consumer gauges and tonearm counterweights still default to grams, which is why conversion between the two comes up so often.
What is a good tracking force for a phono cartridge?
It depends on the model but most moving magnet and moving coil cartridges fall between 0.3 and 5.0 grams, with modern designs typically landing between 1.5 and 2.5 grams.
A cartridge's own recommended figure, like the ones in the lookup table here, should always take priority over a general range.
What happens if tracking force is set too light or too heavy?
Too light and the stylus can skip or mistrack through loud passages, sometimes damaging the groove.
Too heavy and it accelerates wear on both the stylus tip and the vinyl, along with duller, more compressed playback.
Getting tracking force right comes down to matching the number on your gauge to the number your cartridge manufacturer actually intended and this converter handles both sides of that translation in one place.
Whether you're reconciling a millinewton reading against a gram based manual or pulling up the recommended setting for one of the eleven cartridges in the lookup table, the precise SI math and the manufacturer-rounded reference sit side by side.
