An elemetary question about needle-drops

When I do needle-drops, there's a background hum from the turntable. Is it, infact, the turntable, or is it my cheap preamp?

I suspect the preamp.

 

It could be that the turntable is not grounded properly.

 

Try keeping everything the same but unhook the TT ground lead from the preamp and fasten it to one of the screws on your PC's chassis (undo the bolt a couple turns, wrap wire, retighten).

 

This question should be in the hardware section.

 

Yes.

Say, is it a direct-drive or belt-drive table?

There could be many sources for the hum, including the TT itself, the audio cables too close to electrical cables, the amp, the poesr supply, television or computer monitors, very sensitive cartridge, cartridge wiring, headshell, tone arm, all of the above...

 

Cable TV is notorious for causing hum also. Mine induces hum as soon as I hook my integrated amp up to the sound card. I simply unplug it before doing needle-drops.

 

There's a couple of software plug-ins that completely take out 60-cycle hum. I've seen them work wonders.

And yes my TV is very close to my turntable and creates a LOT of hum.

 

Better to eliminate the hum before it gets recorded.