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scratchy sound at high frequencies

Hey guys,

I've been having the problem of hearing the high frequencies on my records make a scratching or static sound for quite sometime now. (I've actually posted about this a while ago, but i can't find it)

So over the past few months I attempted to fix the problem by doing two things:
1) Replace the wire I was using to record.
2) Upgrading my cartridges from the Stanton 500B to Shure M44G

Yet still, it makes the same static sounds.
Here's a sample of what I'm talking about : Sample

My current set up is:
2x Stanton T.80 Turntables
2x Shure M44G
1x Numark DM1002MKII Mixer

Does anyone know why this happens? Could it be my mixer or turntables that are causing the problem? Also I had some trouble installing my carts (because of cheap plyers) so the wires were a bit roughed up... so could it be the wires between the cart and the headshell?

I would appreciate any input.
Thanks.

It could be those wires, and it could be your soundcard, take a look at that first.

Barry

When i first got my M44Gs they where shocking for weeks. They broke in and are settled good now. It might be the vinyl.
Play your PC to your mixer and record it back again so you can figure out if its the cables or mixer.
Listen to it in the headphones and speakers to see if its the comp or the mixer-PC cable.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ 00 Tommy When i first got my M44Gs they where shocking for weeks. They broke in and are settled good now. It might be the vinyl. Play your PC to your mixer and record it back again so you can figure out if its the cables or mixer. Listen to it in the headphones and speakers to see if its the comp or the mixer-PC cable.

I've been using the M44Gs for quite a few weeks now... how long did it take till your carts broke in?
And its kind of weird, because it happens with only some of my vinyl, not all of them. But most often with tracks with vocals that have an "S" sound... although not all of them.

I emailed Stanton in regards to whether its a grounding issue, since the Stanton T.80 do not have grounding wires. But apparently their digital turntables do not require grounding.

Here's their response:

quote:

Hello, Sibilance is what I think you are experiencing and that is a tone created during the formation of consonants within the frequency range of 4-10K. Technically the shure m44G is more prone to sibilance than the Stanton. I would suggest trying the 680 HP or the 680 EL II. Thank you, Aaron Perry Aka; DJ Illnaughty

Could it really be a cart issue? You dont have this problem do you, DJ 00 Tommy?

Thanks again,

Haha! That respone is hilarous!
"No its because our porducts are better then theirs, buy us!!"
Thats a load of bull because Shure is one of the best when it comes to carts are styluses.

It does happen on some records and not others because not all vinyl is pressed exactly the same. What are all the tonarm settings?
I still give my carts some time to warm up before i start mixing.
I dont know if i changed something or if mine just broke in but they work fine now.

I know eh... they just want me to buy more stanton gear, lol

Btw, the tonearm has about 1.5g of trackin on it right now.

Also, I tried feeding some audio from my PC to my mixer, and listened to it from my headphones. It just blared as if it were too loud for the headphones.

I might try replacing the wires between the headshell and the carts to see if thats the problem, because they are quite roughed up. Can a roughed up Cart wire be the problem? or is that not likely?

A few have told me it maybe the mixer itself. It maybe cutting off the frequency shorter than the signal sent from the turntables. But then that'll mean i'll need to replace my mixer

When you connect the computer to the mixer you have to make sure its not set to phono. Make sure its set to line. Or plugged into the plug that says line.

when i set it to Line or plugged it into the Line plug the volume is so extremely low that I cant tell if there are static noises or not.

Dude, that's just how some records are pressed. Some are pressed better than others. I also am a hip-hop DJ, and I have quite a few vinyls from small remix services that aren't pressed very well, and they make that scratchy sound. Some of my nicer trance vinyls and retail hip-hop singles don't make that noise.

hmmm... it maybe just the way the vinyls are pressed. But there are more records with the static sound than not. And some of them are from big trance labels like Coldharbour, ASOT, Monster, and so on.

But I'll try and take a few records to a friends house to hear them out, and see if thats the problem.

Thanks.

The link does not work, but since you mentioned high frequencies, I suspect it could be your stylus. Maybe you should check for any accumulation of dust and brush it off gently. If that is the case, that should fix it.

quote:

Originally posted by dj_palm asot vinyls usualy good, monster not so good, coldharbour hmm aint that armada? should be good. is it dust on the vinyls? or the slip mat? in case u flip the vinyl

I use a vinyl brush like this one:


and I'm using the Stanton Slip Mats that came with the turntables... they seem to be okay.

I also used the small brushes that came with the M44G's to wipe some dust off the needle.

Didn't help much... still have some problems... I'm starting to think it might be faulty gear all together. I'm gonna try and run some tests on some friends gear to see where they problem lies. Meanwhile, I'm gonna replace the cartridge to headshell wires.

For now, I advise anyone buying turntables to STAY AWAY from Stanton Turntables and Numark Mixers.

quote:

Originally posted by m2j For now, I advise anyone buying turntables to STAY AWAY from Stanton Turntables and Numark Mixers.

Well duh.. Technics turntables are the way to go

quote:

Originally posted by djkoolaide Well duh.. Technics turntables are the way to go

really!?!?!

why didnt anyone tell me!!

quote:

Originally posted by m2j And its kind of weird, because it happens with only some of my vinyl, not all of them. But most often with tracks with vocals that have an "S" sound... although not all of them.

I have the same problems on one of my TTs, but I think it's because the needle is slightly damaged(I dropped it twice the first day I bought it.

Ok, I borrowed a friends mixer and tried it out. The static noise is still a problem. I think it might definitely be a problem with the turntables themselves.

I'm going to test out my cartridges on another turntable just to make sure. And I'm going to email stanton to let them know their new turntables have this problem, and get them to fix it.

quote:

Originally posted by PoisonJam19 I have the same problems on one of my TTs, but I think it's because the needle is slightly damaged(I dropped it twice the first day I bought it.

I doubt dropping the needle is the cause of the problem...

what type of turntables are you using? If its the new Stanton turntables, that might be the problem.

If not, your problem might be Grounding. At the back of most turntables there is a Grounding Wire which basically looks like a wire with a "U" shape at the end. You're supposed to attach that to the metal knob at the back of you mixer.

Note: Stanton turntables don't have this. According to them, "they don't need it"... but I think no grounding wire is the cause of the problem.

Hope this helped.

If its a problem with the ground you would be getting a constant hum from your turntables.
You need to test as many variables as possible.
Try your carts on other turntables and test other carts on your turntables.
Very simple way to norrow down the problem.

quote:

Originally posted by m2j I doubt dropping the needle is the cause of the problem... what type of turntables are you using? If its the new Stanton turntables, that might be the problem. If not, your problem might be Grounding. At the back of most turntables there is a Grounding Wire which basically looks like a wire with a "U" shape at the end. You're supposed to attach that to the metal knob at the back of you mixer. Note: Stanton turntables don't have this. According to them, "they don't need it"... but I think no grounding wire is the cause of the problem. Hope this helped.

I'm using T.80s just like you, so no grounding issues either.

quote:

Originally posted by PoisonJam19 I'm using T.80s just like you, so no grounding issues either.

interesting... could it be the turntables themselves?

I'm gonna try what DJ 00 Tommy suggested to make sure. But since you have the same problem, it decreases my doubts that the turntables may just be defective.

quote:

Originally posted by m2j interesting... could it be the turntables themselves? I'm gonna try what DJ 00 Tommy suggested to make sure. But since you have the same problem, it decreases my doubts that the turntables may just be defective.

I have a feeling that the cartridge that's included with the T.80 just isn't that great quality wise to begin with. Stanton probably included a crappy one on purpose so that you'd go out and buy one of their more expensive ones.

I don't know if you mean that they are just crappy but he mentioned that he is using shure m44gs.
Whenever you get problems like thise swap things and test different variables.
I had a skipping problem with my carts and i wasnt sure if it was the carts or the tonearm so the simple solution was use some other carts and styluses to test the problem out. It turned out i was getting the exact same problem with other carts and styluses so then i figured what i needed to do was loosen the tonearm screw.
Simple problem solving knowledge people.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ 00 Tommy I don't know if you mean that they are just crappy but he mentioned that he is using shure m44gs. Whenever you get problems like thise swap things and test different variables.

yup, definitely a good idea to test different things.

But I've technically tested two carts so far (Stanton 500B that came with the TT, and my current M44Gs) and both have the same problem.

I'm going to try my M44G's on another turntable to make sure... and if they sounds fine, then it's clear that its the turntables themselves.

I hope its not the turntables tho

Hey M2j,
Did this ever get solved? It sounds verysimilar to the problem I am having, but I suspect dirty connection between cart and tonearm.

quote:

Originally posted by skot_e Hey M2j, Did this ever get solved? It sounds verysimilar to the problem I am having, but I suspect dirty connection between cart and tonearm.

no, not yet.

I'm going to take it back to the store that i bought them from to see if they can fix it. if not I think I'll have to send them back to stanton.

what type of turntables do you have? do you have the T80's as well? because I've cleaned, and tried every possible connection and the problem presists... thats why i'm thinking it may just be the TTs themselves.

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