Help with turntable buzz...tonearm or cartridge problem?
Help with turntable buzz...tonearm or cartridge problem? Posted on: 15.03.2013 by Earleen Bastable Hi guys, hoping someone can resolve this problem for me!I have two second hand Gemini TT02 turntables, I want to use Traktor scratch with them but even when I try to use normal vinyl I just hear the typical problem 'buzz' sound. So i know there's a bad connection somewhere but hoping someone can help me workout where! Here's some more info - The mixer is new so its not that, the ground cables on the turntable and the mixer and attached securely. The buzz still happens when the turntables are off. When playing the vinyl at first I couldnt hear any music, like the decks weren't amplifying the sound due to a bad connection, but when I licked the back of the concorde cartridges (I know this is bad but it was just to test!) and attached them again, the sound came back perfect on the right deck, and ok on the left but still with a faint buzz. Also when i tap the tonearm, a sound comes out of the speakers like when someone taps a microphone which i thought was interesting, any suggestions as to what the problem is, or whether its the tonearm connectors, or the cartidges themselves? I really want to get this fixed but don't have money to be buying everything to try it out! Thanks! | |
| Earleen Bastable 19.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by djlotus
I couldn't go to get new cables today but will tomorrow. But noticed something interesting on the right deck and its RCA inputs. (the one which the sound just comes out of one speaker) So the music is playing out of one speaker, when i unplug the white end of the RCA cable from the mixer the music cuts out, but when i unplug the red end i can still hear the music, when i put the red end in the white input on the mixer the music cuts out, but when i put the white end in the red input on the mixer I can hear it again. (I guess this relates to only hearing one channel) However,when i have the white and red where they should be on the mixer and then on the turntable when i unplug the red end the music still plays out of the one speaker, but when i unplug the white end the music stops. When i plug the white end in the red input of the turntable the music cuts out, but when the red end is in the white input of the turntable the sound comes back... I got the exact same results with a different RCA cable, does this narrow down the problem at all? Seems to me like this would mean the input of the red (I believe the right) channel on the turntable is broken? Or could it still be a problem with the tonearm/cartridge? Thanks |
| Earleen Bastable 18.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by willisnz
The speakers are these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-I-T.../dp/B00069BTP0 I'm using RCA cables like these from the decks tothe mixer - http://www.gear4music.com/Books-DVD-...nd-Wire-3m/L10 and an RCA to Aux cable for mixer to the speakers but i still hear the buzz when i disconnect the speakers. There is this cable from the speaker subwoofer where all the cables go which is for the volume knob you can see in the amazon pictures, i believe this also gives power as when i detach it the buzz goes but so does the sound from the speakers. Speaker cables.jpg More info - The left deck which I can't hear out of the speakers doesn't work with either concorde cartridge or needle. The right deck which just comes out of one speaker only works with one cartridge/needle. Not sure if this confuses the situation even more!? |
| Earleen Bastable 18.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by djlotus
So far ive tried - plugging the mixer/speakers into a differect plug socket in the room. Listening through headphones with the speakers unplugged from the mixer and plug socket. Taking off the cartridge from the tone arms. Switching around the cables Cleaning the concorde cartridge ends and tone arm connecting points with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol. None of the above have made any difference..there is still the buzz. It also gets louder when I take out one of the red/white RCA cables and touch the end of it, or if i touch the tone arm/cartridge it sounds like when someone taps a microphone. Do tonearms have their own ground cable as I guess it could be to do with that?? So after trying all of the above im starting to believe it's something actually inside the turntables..it happens in both turntables not just one. But one of the decks sometimes doesn't amplify the sound (I can't hear it out of the speakers) After i cleaned it it worked for a bit, but now the left one doesn't sound and the right one seems to just be giving out one side. I hope all this info narrows it down, please tell me what else I could try and if you believe its ground inside the turntables how grounds are easy to fix? Thanks! |
| Earleen Bastable 18.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by willisnz
The mixer is new and ive tried two so i dont believe it's that. If it's a ground issue within the turntable i imagine im pretty out of luck?? Thanks! |
| Ira Alsadi 15.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by NLiNcS
Also could be caused by a bad ground in the mixer. |
| Earleen Bastable 15.03.2013 | Hi guys, hoping someone can resolve this problem for me! I have two second hand Gemini TT02 turntables, I want to use Traktor scratch with them but even when I try to use normal vinyl I just hear the typical problem 'buzz' sound. So i know there's a bad connection somewhere but hoping someone can help me workout where! Here's some more info - The mixer is new so its not that, the ground cables on the turntable and the mixer and attached securely. The buzz still happens when the turntables are off. When playing the vinyl at first I couldnt hear any music, like the decks weren't amplifying the sound due to a bad connection, but when I licked the back of the concorde cartridges (I know this is bad but it was just to test!) and attached them again, the sound came back perfect on the right deck, and ok on the left but still with a faint buzz. Also when i tap the tonearm, a sound comes out of the speakers like when someone taps a microphone which i thought was interesting, any suggestions as to what the problem is, or whether its the tonearm connectors, or the cartidges themselves? I really want to get this fixed but don't have money to be buying everything to try it out! Thanks! |
| Earleen Bastable 19.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by djlotus
I couldn't go to get new cables today but will tomorrow. But noticed something interesting on the right deck and its RCA inputs. (the one which the sound just comes out of one speaker) So the music is playing out of one speaker, when i unplug the white end of the RCA cable from the mixer the music cuts out, but when i unplug the red end i can still hear the music, when i put the red end in the white input on the mixer the music cuts out, but when i put the white end in the red input on the mixer I can hear it again. (I guess this relates to only hearing one channel) However,when i have the white and red where they should be on the mixer and then on the turntable when i unplug the red end the music still plays out of the one speaker, but when i unplug the white end the music stops. When i plug the white end in the red input of the turntable the music cuts out, but when the red end is in the white input of the turntable the sound comes back... I got the exact same results with a different RCA cable, does this narrow down the problem at all? Seems to me like this would mean the input of the red (I believe the right) channel on the turntable is broken? Or could it still be a problem with the tonearm/cartridge? Thanks |
| Ira Alsadi 19.03.2013 | If new cables with a proper deck-to-mixer ground doesn't work, I would start to suspect internal wiring. Also make sure you try plugging your monitors into a separate circuit. If you have to run extension cords to try it out, then do it. I suspect these issues were present when the original owner had them. Have you contacted him/her? |
| Earleen Bastable 18.03.2013 | Yes the RCAs are independent, I could only find RCAs with no ground cable so i bought one a while ago but that made no difference (I guess the obvious answer to that is because it was lacking the ground) but i still thought it was worth a try. So tomorrow il try and buy some with ground cables from a DJ store. If the problem is still the same what else would you recommend after all that I have tried already? I dont believe im experienced to open up the decks and check out inside but I believe either the RCA connections/ground end of the turntable has a problem or the tonearm wiring has a problem. Thanks |
| Ira Alsadi 18.03.2013 | I am not familiar with the decks you are using. Are the RCAs independent of the decks themselves? Can you replace them? I would try that first. Also, plugging in to a different outlet will not help unless the outlet is on a different circuit. |
| Earleen Bastable 18.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by willisnz
The speakers are these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-I-T.../dp/B00069BTP0 I'm using RCA cables like these from the decks tothe mixer - http://www.gear4music.com/Books-DVD-...nd-Wire-3m/L10 and an RCA to Aux cable for mixer to the speakers but i still hear the buzz when i disconnect the speakers. There is this cable from the speaker subwoofer where all the cables go which is for the volume knob you can see in the amazon pictures, i believe this also gives power as when i detach it the buzz goes but so does the sound from the speakers. Speaker cables.jpg More info - The left deck which I can't hear out of the speakers doesn't work with either concorde cartridge or needle. The right deck which just comes out of one speaker only works with one cartridge/needle. Not sure if this confuses the situation even more!? |
| Marjorie Fallucca 18.03.2013 | If the power cables are running parallel to the speaker cables this can cause a buzz. You can try moving them away from each other. What sort of speaker cable are you using RCA/TRS/XLR? |
| Earleen Bastable 18.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by djlotus
So far ive tried - plugging the mixer/speakers into a differect plug socket in the room. Listening through headphones with the speakers unplugged from the mixer and plug socket. Taking off the cartridge from the tone arms. Switching around the cables Cleaning the concorde cartridge ends and tone arm connecting points with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol. None of the above have made any difference..there is still the buzz. It also gets louder when I take out one of the red/white RCA cables and touch the end of it, or if i touch the tone arm/cartridge it sounds like when someone taps a microphone. Do tonearms have their own ground cable as I guess it could be to do with that?? So after trying all of the above im starting to believe it's something actually inside the turntables..it happens in both turntables not just one. But one of the decks sometimes doesn't amplify the sound (I can't hear it out of the speakers) After i cleaned it it worked for a bit, but now the left one doesn't sound and the right one seems to just be giving out one side. I hope all this info narrows it down, please tell me what else I could try and if you believe its ground inside the turntables how grounds are easy to fix? Thanks! |
| Ira Alsadi 19.03.2013 | You are absolutely NOT out of luck if its a ground issue within the turntable. Grounds are easy to fix. You have to first narrow it down to find out if it is a grounding issue in one of the decks though. |
| Earleen Bastable 18.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by willisnz
The mixer is new and ive tried two so i dont believe it's that. If it's a ground issue within the turntable i imagine im pretty out of luck?? Thanks! |
| Ira Alsadi 15.03.2013 |
Originally Posted by NLiNcS
Also could be caused by a bad ground in the mixer. |
| Marjorie Fallucca 14.03.2013 | Are you using active or passive speakers? |
| Maryellen Buffett 14.03.2013 | Make sure the interference of other electrical things plugged in close by to your TT are not been picked up creating the buzzing noise. |
| Earleen Bastable 14.03.2013 | Hi, Thanks for the suggestion but ive already tried that with not a lot of luck. Ive heard that with rubbing alcohol and Q tips is a stronger version of that? But i guess my question is also..does this happen to old turntables tone arm connectors and theres not much I can so and they will end up useless to me or is it likely I can resolve this? Someone is offering me two other tables for 120 euros but I dont want to just throw these away and have wasted 100 already! Thanks |
| Yong Aptekar 15.03.2013 | Take a pencil eraser and put it inside your tonearm where the connections are and give it a twist. It will clean some of the corrosion that might be on the connectors |
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