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Help with static please, video inside

H

Hank Hill

New Member
Hi Everyone, new to the forum.

Just got into the TT adventure and I could use some help in diagnosing the constant crackling I’m getting.

Setup:
TT: New Fluance RT82
Receiver: Used Yamaha RX V-667
Preamp: Art DJ Pre II

I uploaded a video of a song transition so you can hear it without the music playing. Link under the pic. (Please enjoy my one other 10 second video of my car engine making a knocking sound if you’d like). It crackles like that for the duration of the song. Granted I’m currently playing old used records so I’d expect some but this seems excessive.

I did read that sometimes the stylus has a break in period, is that the issue or does this just seem like dirty records? All the articles I saw had people jumping at acrylic platters and anti stat guns right away, trying not to make $100+ purchases if it’s not necessary.

Thanks!

IMG_4183.jpegVideo of sound on YouTube
 
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Did your turntable come with a ground wire? If so, it should be connected to the ground post on the phono pre-amp (Art DJ Pre II).
 
heyraz said:
Did your turntable come with a ground wire? If so, it should be connected to the ground post on the phono pre-amp (Art DJ Pre II).
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The ground wire is connected, that’s not the issue. There was the humming before I connected the ground but it stopped completely. The crackling is only when I play a record.
 
What is the cartridge on the turntable? It sounds like surface noise from a very well worn record to me. What does it sound like on new records?
 
Tetrack said:
What is the cartridge on the turntable? It sounds like surface noise from a very well worn record to me. What does it sound like on new records?
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Ortofon OM 10 Cart

I don’t have any new ones yet but I did find this one record of a bunch of random national anthems I found interesting from the 7
80’s. Needless to say the record had hardly any wear on it. Still the same amount of crackling with that one. Tried 5-6 records all the same result.
 
Assuming the deck is set up with correct tracking force etc, the stylus may need some time to settle in.
 
Hello , the noise is repeating about two times per second (33.3 rpm ) , so not static but coming from the grooves .
Sounds like dirt in the grooves , solution clean record .
Regards F.
 
Sounds like a filthy dirty album to me. Now that it's been played dirty, the dirt will be ground in. A good Discwasher brushing would get rid of maybe half the noise, a record cleaner a bit more. An ultrasonic record cleaner would get rid of all of the dirt, and then you'd be left with only the scratches.

Record condition is everything. Clean-looking records can be awfully dirty. Do a search for record cleaning methods.

You may have a static problem as well. And probably a dirty stylus.

Welcome to Turntables, and welcome to AK. :music:
 
I never buy used records, only new or still sealed, even then some will still have artifacts. Visually grading records is impossible, I've had pristine looking records even after cleaning still unplayable, and others that looked like a total loss sound almost pristine once cleaned.

You don't need a record cleaning machine right away if on a tight budget, cleaning in the sink works just fine. If wanting to try cleaning them at home you'll need a few items from Home Depot.

A set of glass/mirror holders to keep the record labels dry, a poly paint brush with fine tipped bristles, and a spray bottle. Plus something to mix your cleaning solution in, a little Dawn in distilled water will work just fine.

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Use the spray bottle filled with distilled water after the last rinse in the sink to rinse off the tap water. Some will air dry, use a microfiber cloth, etc for the drying process.

This should help immensely until you're ready to invest in a record cleaning machine if you still feel it's necessary. Cleaning by hand works quite well and you may feel it sufficient as many here do also.

Welcome to the world of vinyl.

If you don't have them already here are a few items that will help you get the most out of your vinyl playing, about $10 each

Digital scale will make setting VTF so much easier
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Alignment protractor, this model is simple to use with instructions right on the front
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Anti-static brush to wipe off the dust before each play.
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Stylus cleaner, I've used this brand for decades with great results.
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Jeweller's loupe to inspect the stylus for cleanliness, damage, and aid in setup.
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I'm assuming this happens with all of your albums, and I find it hard to believe that all of anybody's albums could be that dirty.

One time, the ground wire on my turntable fell off and the static I heard sounded like the filthiest album in the world. It sounded like the album spent its life at the beach. No lie .. that's exactly what I thought. That album was headed for the trash until I realized the wire fell off.

Internally, that turntable's spindle is connected to ground so it can drain the static charge developed on the record's surface as it spins. Without the wire I heard static and pops... exactly what I heard in your video.

I'm wondering if your turntable's spindle isn't providing a path to ground to discharge static?

If it were me... I'd wet my finger and touch the spindle as a record plays to see if I can absorb the static charge. See if that changes anything . Then I'd check for spindle to ground continuity with a DMM.

I'd also check the cartridge wiring at the headshell to make sure the signal and ground wires aren't reversed.
 
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heyraz said:
You should treat yourself to a new album and get back to us.
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Have some coming next week, records ain’t cheap god damn!

Quick update: Played Dark Side of The Moon last night with a ton of crackling like in the video. Cleaned it with some soap / water and microfiber cloth this morning and noticed a tremendous difference. Still not perfect, but this vinyl was from a pawn shop after all.

Think it was just so bad I was worried something major was wrong; still pretty ignorant when it comes to all things TT related. Seems like a thorough and proper cleaning should solve my problems though.

I’ll probably invest in one of those Spin Cleans since I already have about 40 used records and can see myself continuing to buy more used in the future.
 
I use a hardware store paint pad for my first cleaning of a used record.
they are square, with a brush surface removable pad. I think it was $5.
I make a homemade cleaning solution of 2/3 distilled water, 1/3 isopropyl alcohol, and a drop of dishwashing liquid.
put it in a spray bottle, run the damp brush around the spinning record a few times.
good luck, and happy listening.
 
Hank Hill said:
Have some coming next week, records ain’t cheap god damn!

Quick update: Played Dark Side of The Moon last night with a ton of crackling like in the video. Cleaned it with some soap / water and microfiber cloth this morning and noticed a tremendous difference. Still not perfect, but this vinyl was from a pawn shop after all.

Think it was just so bad I was worried something major was wrong; still pretty ignorant when it comes to all things TT related. Seems like a thorough and proper cleaning should solve my problems though.

I’ll probably invest in one of those Spin Cleans since I already have about 40 used records and can see myself continuing to buy more used in the future.
Click to expand...

I'm sure your stylus is quite dirty, one dirty album can gunk one up pretty good, just how many dirty records have you played without cleaning the stylus?

This is with regular cleaning with the above stylus cleaner, one dirty record and you might not even see the diamond.
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I should have added that playing dirty records will not only gunk up the stylus but also prematurely wear it out. Your table is new along with the stylus, I suggest not playing more records until getting your cleaning regimen sorted, this includes cleaning the stylus
 
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Hi @Hank Hill and welcome to the world of WTF!!! Records are enigmatic at best and it sometimes takes quite a while to figure out what is going on, especially when you're dealing with a bunch of pawn shop finds that could have come from the same abused, neglectful, and generally uncaring previous home! You've come to the right place, however, and as you can see the "welcoming committee" is out in full force to provide encouragement and support!

Relax, before too long you will be gliding in style with a big ol' smile on your face wondering what took you so long to take the vinyl plunge. Most of us here on this forum would rather listen to records and as much of an analog chain as possible, than anything else and there is a good reason for that which you have not yet fully discovered.....in fact, you might even be a bit disappointed with your results so far. This is not a permanent condition and like señor @heyraz has suggested, play a new record when you get them and report back. My guess is you will not have all that noise any longer, which does, as others have said, sound like 2 things: dirt in the grooves, and a lot of scratches in the record surface.....both should be a non-issue with a new record so kindly report back what you hear.

As for a ground loop noise, I did not hear that personally but I did hear a bit of noise, probably more what we might refer to as "rumble" and that comes from the platter bearing, the motor, the stylus riding in an unmodulated groove and any other moving part that is not well-isolated from the stylus. It wasn't really bad though, and given the price-point of your system I'd almost say expectable. This, with a new or properly cleaned and unscratched record, will not likely cause you much if any grief and tend to fade into the background, especially once the modulated part of the groove reaches the stylus (the part that has sound cut into it, versus the blank passages between tracks, in the lead-in groove, and the lead-out groove where you will typically hear the signature of the unmodulated groove as well as any other noise your system may impart). Others with different hearing might indeed have heard something associated with grounding but I did not, and since you mentioned having paid attention to proper grounding of the table I'd focus on the other stuff for the time being.

So, boy are you about to have some fun, eh?!?!?

PS - Several other good suggestions have been made that I would second, to include devising a good record cleaning system and as Sarge pointed out, keep your stylus clean because if it's dirty you will not find happiness in playing records.....plus do damage to them along the way.
 
My opinion = dirty record surface. :thumbsup:

My opinion = Something is loose under the valve cover. Or loose heat shield plate.
It doesn't sound like loose valve adjustment. Or other much worse things. :idea:
 
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