Help! New Turntable Hum

[Hugh Mughnus]

All,

Any ideas on what may be causing this hum?

 

Just started today. I've not changed any wiring/settings etc. 

 

This hum occurs only on whatever input the turntable is plugged into, I tried it on various.  I've checked the ground, wiring, etc. The hum also occurs regardless of the cart that's plugged in. Edit: I meant whether the needle is plugged in or not. Other devices = no hum. 

 

=/

 

I checked the cart wiring and there's no change to the hum when playing with the wiring + it all looks good. Tried moving the table away from all other power sources + tried plugging the table into various outlets in case it was that. 

 

Do I need a new cart maybe?

 

https://youtu.be/gh7Id5biaKs

[Amen Warrior]

Does it still hum if you remove the headshell & cart

[Hugh Mughnus]

That, I haven't tried yet. 

 

If I remove that and it still hums, it's probably the table preamp, yeah?

 

If it doesn't, then maybe the cart?

[Adieu]

It's possible that extra terrestrials are attempting to communicate with you via your turntable 

[Hugh Mughnus]

It's possible that extra terrestrials are attempting to communicate with you via your turntable 

solved

 

contacts local Calgarian post watmm dude "ET"*

[Soloman Tump]

Maybe it's just a Merzbow record you are playing?

[Amen Warrior]

That, I haven't tried yet.

 

If I remove that and it still hums, it's probably the table preamp, yeah?

 

If it doesn't, then maybe the cart?

Yea. Double check the wiring on the cart, make sure none are loose, check if it all looks clean (if not use some contact cleaner). I guess in built pre amp also means no separate ground wire? Any way to bypass the pre amp on that model?

 

Btw it's probably not this but carts can pick up EM inference, have you put anything near it that didn't used to be there, like your collection of healing crystals or magic noel edmunds anti-cancer machine?

[Rubin Farr]

Get a ground loop isolator

[Joyrex]

Maybe you inadvertantly bought an iPhone 7 turntable

[dr lopez]

Yeuuurrrrghhh

[t yst r]

Maybe your neighbour returned home from a visit to Pripyat?

[Hugh Mughnus]

lol... thx guys.

 

 

 

 

Thanks amenboss I think it's the cart. It's magnetically shielded (not sure how good that's supposed to work?) but the sound stops when cart is fully unhooked. Double/triple/quadruple checked all the wiring on it and it looks sound.

 

I guess I have to save up for a new cart now. 

[dr lopez]

have you tried the isopropyl alky on qtip on the cart contacts??

[dr lopez]

in related news: I'm going to resolder my RCA cables to my technics tonight. never soldered before. wish me luck watmm

[Hugh Mughnus]

Good luck with the soldering!

 

No tbh I'm new to maintaining a table, I just got it last year and haven't done much troubleshooting. Not sure if you're kidding on the ISO thing? I'd be worried about residue or leftover bits from the cotton getting on or stuck somewhere. 

 

I don't know that anything is dirty? Basically I played a record, there was no hum. When the record finished, the hum was there. I'm really hoping it's just the cart. 

 

 

 

Thx watmm for the help though.

[dr lopez]

not kidding about the alcohol. my brand new ortofon was humming and being shitty (on my used old technics) and I took a little cotton swab and cleaned both ends and it worked a dream

[Hugh Mughnus]

Ok I might give that a shot! 

 

Mine's an ortofon actually, 2m red (the blue crapped out a while ago, ugh). What parts exactly did you clean if you don't mind me asking? You remove the stylus head and clean the metal underneath?

[Amen Warrior]

in related news: I'm going to resolder my RCA cables to my technics tonight. never soldered before. wish me luck watmm

Good luck, while you do that you can wire the ground into the rca so you don't have to bother with a separate ground. Did that with both of mine, does wonders for the feng shui ;) btw if you've never soldered before you should maybe do a couple of practice runs on some junk board before you set loose on the technics :)

[Amen Warrior]

Ok I might give that a shot!

 

Mine's an ortofon actually, 2m red (the blue crapped out a while ago, ugh). What parts exactly did you clean if you don't mind me asking? You remove the stylus head and clean the metal underneath?

The pins on the cart and the headshell, you'll need to remove the wires so a bit fiddly. While you're at it do the contact points where the headshell fits onto the tonearm. Once I was losing a stereo channel and it was cos that bit needed a clean

[Hugh Mughnus]

Thank you!

 

I really appreciate the advice. 

[dr lopez]

 

in related news: I'm going to resolder my RCA cables to my technics tonight. never soldered before. wish me luck watmm

Good luck, while you do that you can wire the ground into the rca so you don't have to bother with a separate ground. Did that with both of mine, does wonders for the feng shui ;) btw if you've never soldered before you should maybe do a couple of practice runs on some junk board before you set loose on the technics :)

 

 

yep. seems to have done the trick - no previous solder experience no problem! Much better sound! 

[Hugh Mughnus]

Ok I've finally been home long enough to dig into this (been out of town a lot).

 

I've isolated everything down to this being a grounding issue or the pre-amp being pooched, ruled out the cart. It's weird that it's new (would upgrades to nearby transformers due to constructions affect this at all?) but looking online it sounds identical to a lot of grounding issues I'm finding, such as here:  

 

fooking annoying