I have a TD-125 MK1 with the SME 3009 s2 imp tonearm, the tonearm ground is not attached to the tonearm tube, instead it uses spring steel which the ground wire is attached. The spring steel is compressed into the tonearm tube and the force of the spring is the electrical connection to the tube. I had to remove the tonearm tube from the bearing assembly and using needle nose pliers, move the spring steel back and forth a couple of mm's to get a new electrical connection. I used a length of wire from the preamp ground point and touched it to the tonearm tube to diagnose. Very easy, very delicate work, just in case it's not the UFSP.
@myleftear
Hi, nice to know you had a listen. Regarding hum also see if the Raw PSU box is sitting too close to the main phono box or to the turntable.
Hi, nice to know you had a listen. Regarding hum also see if the Raw PSU box is sitting too close to the main phono box or to the turntable.
Also, I'm reminded of when I made my first FSP with the help of @6L6—we connected headphones to the outs shorted the ins and you can hear the "noise" as you move the PSU around the pre. Also, making sure the chassis was making contact everywhere and full cage was in effect made a huge difference...applicable to anodized chassis, scratching up screw points for good contact. I have over 3' of distance between PSUs and tables/pres and all toroids are heavily shielded.
Hi Patrick
Thanks, but "uhm"... Not sure what you mean by post-insulated. the tonearm has its ground-wire going straight into the UFSP's ground-lug, as opposed to the common use of one channel's mass/shield... and, what, you don't use UFSP? How dare you?
(And almost even greater pleasure than solving/getting solved my own UFSP-problems is reading Salas' advice for others, often much more specific problems, it is so tothepoint)
Thanks, but "uhm"... Not sure what you mean by post-insulated. the tonearm has its ground-wire going straight into the UFSP's ground-lug, as opposed to the common use of one channel's mass/shield... and, what, you don't use UFSP? How dare you?
(And almost even greater pleasure than solving/getting solved my own UFSP-problems is reading Salas' advice for others, often much more specific problems, it is so tothepoint)
The ground lug on the chassis can be attached to the chassis directly, or it can be insulated (like how the inputs and outputs are) which would shift the ground from the turntable, however it's attached there, to the potential of the PCB—if that's the correct lingo....
I use Ultra every day—working up to 4 arms on 2 tables. And to be fair to all phono preamps in existence and especially the ones I've tested including some really pricey gear that friends have brought over to test, you didn't hear from me that Ultra can't be beat....some people keep trying....we can't play favorites.
I use Ultra every day—working up to 4 arms on 2 tables. And to be fair to all phono preamps in existence and especially the ones I've tested including some really pricey gear that friends have brought over to test, you didn't hear from me that Ultra can't be beat....some people keep trying....we can't play favorites.
Thank you @Salas too! (I didn't timely see your post then edit-time was over...)
I have my gear aligned in two rows (3 with the turntable):
Deck is on top
some 30 cm below, UFSP and DCG3
some 30 cm below RAW and OldSoul
toroids (toroidy audio, not the supremes) are not shielded, all chassis have continuity by one scratched point per edge (="full cage?")
Shelves are metal.
I could place RAW and Old Soul another 30 cm lower, resp. place the UFSP next to the turntable... I guess I'll have to crawl behind the rack again...
re:"how dare you" I of course did not mean it.
Good to know there's options! (isolate ground-lug, re-attach tone-arm-ground like @elwood625 did, although the SME is still in original, ~50 years old condition...
I have my gear aligned in two rows (3 with the turntable):
Deck is on top
some 30 cm below, UFSP and DCG3
some 30 cm below RAW and OldSoul
toroids (toroidy audio, not the supremes) are not shielded, all chassis have continuity by one scratched point per edge (="full cage?")
Shelves are metal.
I could place RAW and Old Soul another 30 cm lower, resp. place the UFSP next to the turntable... I guess I'll have to crawl behind the rack again...
re:"how dare you" I of course did not mean it.
Good to know there's options! (isolate ground-lug, re-attach tone-arm-ground like @elwood625 did, although the SME is still in original, ~50 years old condition...
My Leftear, your AT cart is totally wrong for your arm. Low compliance carts (which the AT33 is) show be matched with heavy arms. In your case an arm with an Eff Mass of around 20 grams. Your arm from memory is around 12 grams., much to light. Look at the Korf compliance calculator for more info
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...usg=AOvVaw3TZBwCCUJnkZylN5_xdzus&opi=89978449
(Sorry for the thread jack)
Cheers
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...usg=AOvVaw3TZBwCCUJnkZylN5_xdzus&opi=89978449
(Sorry for the thread jack)
Cheers
@DNic , hi, thanks for this. I looked uo the calculator on Vinylengine.com and (wrongly?) thought it was a just-within-the-range match?
I got
9.5 gr effective tonearm-mass (have to check for the correct build)
+6.5 gr headshell
+6.8 gr cartridge
+1.0 gr mountig hardware
= 23.8 gr. total
AT-33 PTG has a 10 x 10-6cm/Dyne compliance, which results in a just so-so renonance frequency.
Wrong calculation?
(And, this is another OT-question, would it help to use a heavier headshell?)
I got
9.5 gr effective tonearm-mass (have to check for the correct build)
+6.5 gr headshell
+6.8 gr cartridge
+1.0 gr mountig hardware
= 23.8 gr. total
AT-33 PTG has a 10 x 10-6cm/Dyne compliance, which results in a just so-so renonance frequency.
Wrong calculation?
(And, this is another OT-question, would it help to use a heavier headshell?)
Not too long ago a friend who collects and overhauls cassette decks was perplexed on why his Revox B215 was humming. He had opened it, examined its boards and connections, lifted various mains grounds in the system, changed preamps and cables. Hum insisted. I went there and saw it on his equipment rack positioned one shelf down from an enormous tube amp. I said to him this is a very well made deck but as all decks it uses a magnetic head that tells you there is a magnetic field around. He then moved it on another shelf and enjoyed the silence. Simple.
Our family system has a Mac Mini as it's source for online content.... that thing makes NOISE! It's WELL away from everything else.
That said—I've gotten in the habit of putting all trannies in steel shields. Glad you sorted it! What's more interesting is building tube guitar amps and witnessing the amp being quieter (turn up the tone knob!) plugged into various outlets in one house/place... and in different locations it's a ghost...can make your head spin trying to "solve" it on the bench (start by turning off all LEDs that might be near).
That said—I've gotten in the habit of putting all trannies in steel shields. Glad you sorted it! What's more interesting is building tube guitar amps and witnessing the amp being quieter (turn up the tone knob!) plugged into various outlets in one house/place... and in different locations it's a ghost...can make your head spin trying to "solve" it on the bench (start by turning off all LEDs that might be near).
Seems that's where all this Filter-Stuff find its reasoning?
I run a mini too, for both online and high-res-stuff. Not sure if it's making noise too (there is some small amount permanent mid-pitched hum around, but it had to be run from the S/PDIF as USB really was ruining everything audio!
Maybe some good mains filtering should become my next project?
The revox-experience reminds me of somebody chasing down a muted channel...
Salas, what is your opinion on the AT33 on a 3009? Is DNic right, more or less?
I run a mini too, for both online and high-res-stuff. Not sure if it's making noise too (there is some small amount permanent mid-pitched hum around, but it had to be run from the S/PDIF as USB really was ruining everything audio!
Maybe some good mains filtering should become my next project?
The revox-experience reminds me of somebody chasing down a muted channel...
Salas, what is your opinion on the AT33 on a 3009? Is DNic right, more or less?
Feed your UFSP output to a computer audio input. Run a free spectrum analyzer app. Play any record on your turntable. You will notice a hill always there below 20Hz no matter what the higher audible frequencies program. Top of the hill is your arm cartridge resonance frequency. See if in acceptable range.
AT compliance is tated at 100Hz. You need it at 10-20Hz. It is going to be quite a bit higher at 20Hz compared to 100Hz. You might try searching the forum for info on that.@DNic , hi, thanks for this. I looked uo the calculator on Vinylengine.com and (wrongly?) thought it was a just-within-the-range match?
I got
9.5 gr effective tonearm-mass (have to check for the correct build)
+6.5 gr headshell
+6.8 gr cartridge
+1.0 gr mountig hardware
= 23.8 gr. total
AT-33 PTG has a 10 x 10-6cm/Dyne compliance, which results in a just so-so renonance frequency.
Wrong calculation?
(And, this is another OT-question, would it help to use a heavier headshell?)
The Dynamic compliance is probably closer to 17-18, but the only way to accurately determine it is by testing with a test record. On the other, hand music is very different than a test record. See if adding weight moves the calculation into the good range and then listen to it. Keep whatever sounds best to your ears.
Thank you, DNic
I Looked up further info in the meantime, about that 10hz/100hz frequency thing as @RickRay pointed out, looks like a at33 is around 15-20 at 10hz…
will follow Salas advice and connect it to a spectrum analyzer, and play around a little 🤗, maybe more acrobats to come 😁
I Looked up further info in the meantime, about that 10hz/100hz frequency thing as @RickRay pointed out, looks like a at33 is around 15-20 at 10hz…
will follow Salas advice and connect it to a spectrum analyzer, and play around a little 🤗, maybe more acrobats to come 😁
Hi, You can measure the resonant frequency quite easily as long as you have a test LP with silent track or long run out track, I use Nelson Sym No4.
buy a Behringer UCA222 (cheap as chips). Set your computer resolution to as high bit rate as it will go. Play the track into your computer & record on Audacity again set to highest bit rate.
There was a discussion on the A/K site a while ago
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/nagaoka-mp-500-300-thread.905656/
Cheers
buy a Behringer UCA222 (cheap as chips). Set your computer resolution to as high bit rate as it will go. Play the track into your computer & record on Audacity again set to highest bit rate.
There was a discussion on the A/K site a while ago
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/nagaoka-mp-500-300-thread.905656/
Cheers
This is fascinating stuff!
I got my TT into the computer audio-in(*), and looked at it through REW after first trying out a simple analyzer...
Here's what I saw (first one is REW as you experts will recognize, of course I am not sure at all wether any of this is usable?
File one would suggest a resonance frequency of ~12 Hz or ~8.5Hz, (in Live-mode both hills came up, alternating...
File two has the "peak" at 11 HZ?
Not sure what to conclude: If these measures are correct, I'd think the 11 -12 Hz, occurring in both analyzers, has the higher probability of being the correct one. OTOH, this Polk-Calculation-Service suggests a peak around 6-7 Hz...
*) through a furutech ADL st-40
Attachments
In REW use 256k spectrum points and Dolph-Chebyshev 150 window for more analysis that low in Hz. Menu is the gear icon on top right corner. Maybe resonance is around 12Hz. Don't use the Furutech because we don't know its infrasonic response. Use the UFSP directly or through the line preamp's main or headphone output.