The crackling you hear during playback is the result of surface contamination and groove damage due to improper handling or improper stylus maintenance or tonearm setup. The inevitable electrical charges that accumulate on the records surface do not affect the sound in any way.
Dealing with Static on LP palyback
Anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with static build up on LPs as I play them? Just playing one side is something enough to cause an arc when I pick up the album. Most of the time I hear tiny, consistent crackles that sound just like static.
All the things I tried that claim to reduce static does not. I must have four record mats and a camel hair tone arm brush, all of which claim to reduce static but have no effect that I can see.
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- 96 posts total
Back in the day even with a zerostat what really worked was a damp cotton tea towel draped over the record before playing. Try an anti static strap used in computing to change chips.? Worth a try. Otherwise nylon slippers on a nylon carpet in a dry environment should be enough to get the static up to a few Kv. :) |
@audphile1 has a good point. I had an issue of static type noise (ticks & some pops) on excellent records. When I upgraded my turntable - including new cartridge with stylus, the noise went completely silent. I was shocked, since it was not the reason I upgraded, and I did not expect that fantastic result. I would take a few of the records that cause the problem you mention and try them on a friends turntable to see how they behave. In retrospec, my cartridge was very old, so, I believe my stylus was worn out, however, it could have also been tracking force and/or alignment of the tonearm. |
- 96 posts total