Help with turntable buzz...tonearm or cartridge problem?
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  1. #1
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    Default Help with turntable buzz...tonearm or cartridge problem?

    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!

  2. #2
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    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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  3. #3
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    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

  4. #4
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    Make sure the interference of other electrical things plugged in close by to your TT are not been picked up creating the buzzing noise.

  5. #5
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    Are you using active or passive speakers?
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by NLiNcS View Post
    Make sure the interference of other electrical things plugged in close by to your TT are not been picked up creating the buzzing noise.
    This! This issue happens a lot due to harmonics from CPU's and fans being amplified through the mixer. If you have an amp or computer/laptop running at the same time, you need to make sure it/they are plugged in to a different circuit than your mixer and speakers.

    Also could be caused by a bad ground in the mixer.


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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by willisnz View Post
    Are you using active or passive speakers?
    The speakers are active. Would that cause a problem? Theyre not great but I thought they should work OK. The buzz happens on normal vinyl too, no laptop nearby and other plugs turned off so i dont think it's that.
    The mixer is new and ive tried two so i dont think it's that. If it's a ground issue within the turntable i imagine im pretty out of luck?? Thanks!

  8. #8
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    Default Help with turntable buzz...tonearm or cartridge problem?

    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.


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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by djlotus View Post
    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.
    Ok thanks, i hope so coz i feel like im running out of options!
    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 think 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 think its ground inside the turntables how grounds are easy to fix?

    Thanks!

  10. #10
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    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?
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