Cartridges and static

[Joss]

Are some cartridges more prone to static than others? I bought a Rega exact Cartridge from a member on this site, fitted it and it sounds great. Now I seem to be hearing more static clicks and pops compared to my old at-vm95ml, now I could also just be imagining there's more static. This is on both old and new records. It's something I've always had a bit of a problem with, not sure if it's the carpet I have or something else. It's a p3 turntable I'm using and I always swap the inner sleeve for a spin guard anti static sleeve and use a carbon brush before playing. The static seems to lessen the the further into a side it goes. I'm thinking of buying one of the zerostat guns, would this be worthwhile?

When there's no static it sounds amazing, the clicks and pops just out me off though.

 

[Paul Allen]

I bought a Rega exact Cartridge from a member on this site, fitted it and it sounds great. Now I seem to be hearing more static clicks and pops compared to my old at-vm95ml.

The Rega has a much higher output that the AT; this would be my guess as to why your hearing what you are. Does your phono pre-amp have adjustable cartridge loading? I've experienced this exact same issue and adjusting the loading was the difference between some records being virtually un-listenable to almost silent...

 

[Joss]

The Rega has a much higher output that the AT; this would be my guess as to why your hearing what you are. Does your phono pre-amp have adjustable cartridge loading? I've experienced this exact same issue and adjusting the loading was the difference between some records being virtually un-listenable to almost silent...

I use a Rega io amp which has the phono built in so not sure if it's adjustable or not.

 

[bigfish786]

I thought it was more down to stylus profiles, but I could be wrong.
one thing I do know that reduced static for myself was changing the platter mat from felt to acrylic.

 

[Strider]

Of the many cartridges I had over the years the Nagaoka MP11 (Boron) suffered the most with static, others (Ortofon, AT, Goldring) were not anywhere as affected like the Nag.

@bigfish786 I changed the felt mat to acrylic on my Rega too and that stopped the mat sticking to the record when I flipped sides!

 

[Nopiano]

I very much doubt that what you’re hearing is static. It’s more likely debris or damage in the grooves, and different styli will reveal these in varied ways. Assuming the alignment is spot on, some styli ride lower in the groove, hence you’ll hear ‘muck’ that was previously passed over.

In my experience, static that crackles when you hold an LP may give one ‘crack’ when the cartridge approaches it, but that’s it. If the record is highly charged with static then it may well attract dust, and paper particles from the sleeve, but it’s that debris which makes the noise.

Is it definitely tracking at the correct downforce?

 

[Joss]

I very much doubt that what you’re hearing is static. It’s more likely debris or damage in the grooves, and different styli will reveal these in varied ways. Assuming the alignment is spot on, some styli ride lower in the groove, hence you’ll hear ‘muck’ that was previously passed over.

In my experience, static that crackles when you hold an LP may give one ‘crack’ when the cartridge approaches it, but that’s it. If the record is highly charged with static then it may well attract dust, and paper particles from the sleeve, but it’s that debris which makes the noise.

Is it definitely tracking at the correct downforce?

Downforce is set to 1.75 exactly. I use a cork mat rather than the felt one Rega provided. All my records apart from maybe 3-4 have been bought brand new within the last year and at most played 5 times each. The majority have also been cleaned using a spincare cleaner at some point too.

 

[Southeastern]

I've found incorrect VTA can contribute to it considerably.

 

[Joss]

My local hifi shop does a Rega service for £60. I'm tempted to book it in. When it sounds good it's amazing but then when its bad I can't stand it. Could be money well spent.

I've only had my turntable a year but if I could turn back time knowing what I know now I'm not sure I would have bothered.

 

[bigfish786]

My local hifi shop does a Rega service for £60. I'm tempted to book it in. When it sounds good it's amazing but then when its bad I can't stand it. Could be money well spent.

I've only had my turntable a year but if I could turn back time knowing what I know now I'm not sure I would have bothered.

It is a bit of a labour of love.
done right it sounds great.
its A media for those who like the faff and expense

 

[Strider]

I very much doubt that what you’re hearing is static. It’s more likely debris or damage in the grooves, and different styli will reveal these in varied ways. Assuming the alignment is spot on, some styli ride lower in the groove, hence you’ll hear ‘muck’ that was previously passed over.

In my experience, static that crackles when you hold an LP may give one ‘crack’ when the cartridge approaches it, but that’s it. If the record is highly charged with static then it may well attract dust, and paper particles from the sleeve, but it’s that debris which makes the noise.

Is it definitely tracking at the correct downforce?

Mine defiantly was static, as I raised/lowered sometimes I'd get a pop or click, just as the stylus touched the record surface, the felt mat would never stay on the glass platter and always lifted off with the record, peeling the mat away from the record I'd get a nice static crackle that the cartridge would pick up as it sat in the arm rest..
The turntable was grounded to the grounding post on the amp but it didn't help, I took the Nagaoka and replaced it with a Goldring 1022 GX, still had the static from the mat/record adhesion but no more clicks/pops picked up by the cartridge, I think the Nagaoka MP11 Boron body was made of something called 'Pocon'? Maybe that was the reason?

 

[Warszawa]

Static is more of a snapping sound than the crackle and pop of worn/dirty vinyl. The easy way to be sure is to move the stylus back a couple of grooves and see if i happens in the same place.

 

[uzzy]

A lot of the time people think the pops and clicks are static but in many cases it is just dirt on the record or a faulty pressing. A stylus that makes greater contact with the groove (Shibita and Extended fine line styli etc, will unfortunately end up with more pops and clicks if there is any contamination of the groove

 

[Joss]

Static is more of a snapping sound than the crackle and pop of worn/dirty vinyl. The easy way to be sure is to move the stylus back a couple of grooves and see if i happens in the same place.

What do you think my options are? These are new, hardly played records in anti static sleeves. I know the 3 point Rega fixing is meant to be fool proof but could it still be out of alignment, would this cause the noises? Maybe I need to clean all my vinyl again, how often should it be done? I'm listening to the Arctic monkeys at the royal Albert hall and it sounds great but listening to pink Floyd the wall earlier was that bad I turned it off.

 

[Nopiano]

Downforce is set to 1.75 exactly. I use a cork mat rather than the felt one Rega provided. All my records apart from maybe 3-4 have been bought brand new within the last year and at most played 5 times each. The majority have also been cleaned using a spincare cleaner at some point too.

Then I agree they shouldn’t be noisy, but I maintain that static is not normally a cause of ongoing clicks and pops, more a single discharge.

I appreciate you showing the scales in action, but it doesn’t look as though the stylus is in the centre of the weighing zone. It may make no difference, but as we are finessing here, they stylus tip should sit in the ‘crosshairs’. I agree that the Rega mounting should be foolproof, however. Is the cork mat much thicker than the felt, as that will change the tracking angle (VTA)?

A damp environment helps mitigate static. Large houseplants, wet washing left to dry, a sponge in a dish left to evaporate near your turntable, a spray with water into the nearby room - these and similar can help. Maybe you can find a not too distant dealer with a pro Record Cleaning Machine, then you can try a problem disc on their system before and after? Or take the LP to your Rega dealer and see if it clicks in same spots.

 

[Nopiano]

Mine defiantly was static, as I raised/lowered sometimes I'd get a pop or click, just as the stylus touched the record surface, the felt mat would never stay on the glass platter and always lifted off with the record, peeling the mat away from the record I'd get a nice static crackle that the cartridge would pick up as it sat in the arm rest..
The turntable was grounded to the grounding post on the amp but it didn't help, I took the Nagaoka and replaced it with a Goldring 1022 GX, still had the static from the mat/record adhesion but no more clicks/pops picked up by the cartridge, I think the Nagaoka MP11 Boron body was made of something called 'Pocon'? Maybe that was the reason?

That’s indeed sounds like static, but surely it didn’t continue throughout the side? Or did it? What you describe isn’t the same as the OP.

 

[Paul Allen]

My local hifi shop does a Rega service for £60. I'm tempted to book it in. When it sounds good it's amazing but then when its bad I can't stand it. Could be money well spent.

I've only had my turntable a year but if I could turn back time knowing what I know now I'm not sure I would have bothered.

Don't waste your money; the amp is fine. The static thing is a red herring.
All you've changed is the cartridge; to one with much higher output. The phono stage in your amp has to be a 'one size fits all' solution and will be fine with most MM carts but it just so happens that the one you want to use is too hot.
If you switch back to your old cart you will find everything sounds nice again.
The solution is to either buy a standalone phono stage with adjustable loading or switch back to a lower output cart. If you liked the sound of the AT cart then I'd recommend finding one with very similar specs as you know it'll play nice with your amp.

 

[Joss]

Don't waste your money; the amp is fine. The static thing is a red herring.
All you've changed is the cartridge; to one with much higher output. The phono stage in your amp has to be a 'one size fits all' solution and will be fine with most MM carts but it just so happens that the one you want to use is too hot.
If you switch back to your old cart you will find everything sounds nice again.
The solution is to either buy a standalone phono stage with adjustable loading or switch back to a lower output cart. If you liked the sound of the AT cart then I'd recommend finding one with very similar specs as you know it'll play nice with your amp.

Is Rega equipment not all compatible? You would think the amp could cope with the cartridge. I'm not sure what to do, it's frustrating and can't keep throwing good money after bad.

 

[Nopiano]

Is Rega equipment not all compatible? You would think the amp could cope with the cartridge. I'm not sure what to do, it's frustrating and can't keep throwing good money after bad.

I think Paul has misunderstood. You meant the turntable to be serviced for £60, not your Rega amp which is obviously quite capable of handling a Rega cartridge, didn’t you? The TT doesn’t need servicing, which only means new oil and checking settings. That’s nothing to do with your symptoms. Just take along a couple of your ‘problem’ LPs and play them on the shop system.

We can’t rule out something not quite right with your used cartridve.

 

[Joss]

I think Paul has misunderstood. You meant the turntable to be serviced for £60, not your Rega amp which is obviously quite capable of handling a Rega cartridge, didn’t you? The TT doesn’t need servicing, which only means new oil and checking settings. That’s nothing to do with your symptoms. Just take along a couple of your ‘problem’ LPs and play them on the shop system.

We can’t rule out something not quite right with your used cartridve.

I've every faith in the cartridge, it was bought from an established member on this site who used it in his P6 for only a short amount of hours.

Is there a chance that the rega cartridge sits deeper in the grooves than the at-micro line and the noise could maybe be dust or with the new vinyl contaminants from the factory? Seems strange that the closer to middle of the record the less it happens.