Surface noise in right channel?

Hi all,
I'm noticing that I get slightly more surface noise in the right channel than I do in the left. For instance, if there are a couple of crackles or pops on an LP, they're much more likely to be in the right channel than the left. I currently have a VPI Scout with Dynavector 10x5. But I also heard the same difference in surface noise when I was using a Sumiko Blue Point No.2 on the Scout, so I'm sure it's not the cartridge. Any suggestions? Is this an antiskating issue? Or a tracking force issue? Or is this normal?

thanks.

 

I should add: the setup sounds great and the surface noise is barely noticeable--it's just when it is noticeable, it is mostly in the right channel.

 

Could be groove wear only on that channel or side (if the vinyl is used). Things like properly set anti-skate were not the norm for many record buyers back when.

 

It's both new and used records. Could it be a result of a slightly off center record?

 

Out of center holes cause a thump, (wait), thump, (wait), thump... sound. The needle hits a limit in the eliptical groove pattern and is physically directed back the other way.

I had a linear tracking Mitsubishi. Linear tracking has a great deal of trouble coordinating the moving arm mount with the change of direction involved with out of center - the motor has to change direction. Horrible distraction.

 

There is also the possibility that there might be a problem with the wiring.

 

You just reminded me that I do have my speaker balance adjusted to make the right channel louder because my speakers are mismatched in volume. I wonder if that's causing the difference in the audibility of surface noise.

 

Antiskate is the most obvious culprit.

 

Would this mean that antiskate is too high or too low?

The left channel is the side of the groove closer to the spindle and the right channel is the side of the groove closer to the outside of the record right?

 

Johnny Winter - Second Winter (subject of a recent thread in Music Corner), 2 slab LP - 3 sides were pressed with a groove while the 4th side on most issues is blank (smooth).

Place side 4 up on the turntable and start rotation. Determine if there is any significant warping and stop if there is. Otherwise, move your tonearm over the middle of the platter then gently lower the needle to ride on the surface. If it sits in the same spot without migrating in or out on the surface, your antiskate is properly set. Adjust the antiskate if the arm drifts in or out, consulting your owner's manual for "how-to". Once it rides in place in the original middle position, test it closer to the edge, and closer to the label. Fine tune as needed.

This is a 1970s antiskate adjustment process. More sophisticated tools exist today. Also your needle may not be built to ride on it's tip. Be as gentle as you can be. If your stylus manufacturer has an 800 number you might call to see if this is forbidden. My old Shure rigs would handle this without problems.

I would wait until others here read this - to see if they want to scream Stop! Don't do this!

 

Heh, I always get it confused, honestly. Just fiddle with the antiskate until it sounds better.

Now. There are a few other possibilities. If the required antiskate adjustment is really off the wall, like 0g or 6g or whatever, you might want to consider realigning the cartridge, using eg Conrad Hoffman's protractor generator.

Another possibility is that you simply have a duff cart and the stylus is either unpolished or too work on the right channel. Surface polish matters a very great deal with surface noise, but that is typically not supposed to be a big deal with high-end carts.

 

I'll report back once I've listened to more records, but increasing the the antiskating has made a big difference. I guess the Dyna 10x5 just required more antiskate than my previous cartridge. Where I used to have 1 twist of the wire for antiskate, now i've got 2 twists.

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

This is not the correct way to adjust antiskate, as the stylus tip is not contacting a groove - it is attempting to etch a blank disc. I would suggest either:
1. set to manufacturer's setting
2. use a test record
3. use a loud, NEW mono record and adjust antiskate for equal mistracking on both channels

 

Dude, you'll never get antiskate perfectly right. The correct force varies by a LARGE fraction (20% or more) over the course of a side.

My rule of thumb is to adjust antiskate on a normal record so that the cantilever is seated at the same angle in the cart that it is when lifted from the record. This works best with high compliance carts of course.

 

I've just played a (used) record that had it completely coming out of my left speaker. My anti-skate spring recently broke, and I'd been following the advise of some guru who said it didn't do any good anyway, so I haven't replaced it. Sounds like I need to get a new spring and try again.

 

Anti-skate will pull the tonearm toward the outside of the record. Without it, the arm wants to pull to the inside. I forget which side of the groove is for which channel, but if the inside groove wall is the left channel, then you are probably onto your problem.

Are you getting ANY sound from the right channel? Even with the anti-skate buggered, you should still get some sound from the other channel. If not, then I'd look elsewhere in the chain. This is easy to do. Starting at the amp, start swapping your interconnect cables from one channel to the other. The point where the sound doesn't move to the right channel is your culprit.

 

By "it" I meant what sounded to be groove damage noise. The music came out of both channels, it was just marred by the surface noise in the left.

 

Can someone please confirm which side of the groove - when looking at the front of the cartridge - is the right channel? That would be very helpful here.

Thanks!

 

FWIW, here is what I do with my VPI TNT-HR. This is not the most recommended method by experts,but it work for me. The problem it probably with your tonearm since you said it was the same problem with two different cartridges. My best guess is it is either azimuth (is the stylus perpendicular to the record surface) or anti-skating. I use the Hi-Fi New and Record Review test record and the meters on either my digital recorder or my cassette deck (I still have one that works).

I use the mono tracks to set the azimuth, I adjust the arm azimuth adjustment until the signal from each channel is equal. Then I use the anti-skating tracks to adjust the anti-skate adjusting it so that it passes at least 3 of the 4 levels of anti-skating tracks.

 

I also notice that surface noise often appears worse in the right channel, on 3 turntable/cartridges and many records. My own experiments with antiskate don't correlate well with this being the whole story.........I keep hearing this left/right groove wall business, but surely each groove wall comprises a composite of left and right channels? R+L is modulated in the same way as mono grooves i.e in/out toward the centre of the disc. R-L difference is modulated as hill and dale i.e up and down. The cartridge mechanics and phase of the windings seperate the vectors into pure L and R. So each groove wall can contain signal for both left and right channels.

On this basis there would have be more surface noise dirt/crud/wear on one groove wall causing the stylus to move at 45deg ish to vertical for it to appear on just one channel........I think ! My theory is that the top of one side of the groove wall might have some swarf that can bend or sit in the groove on one side in some records and cause the stylus to move like this. No evidence though, so shoot me down........

So I don't understand how antiskate can be responible for surface noise imbalance. I can see antiskate sometimes affects channel "balance" because there can be a mechanical bias or offset in the cantilever and this upsets some cartridges...........or it might affect tracking at an extreme..........

Anyways, interested to be put straight on this ! And ready to learn how to get rid of the right channel noise.

 

What I mean is that R+L (sum) is modulated in a mono compatible way i.e the groove makes the stylus moves in the same plane as the record i.e in/out toward the centre; R-L (difference) is modulated so the groove makes the stylus move up/down i.e vertical, 90 deg to the plane of the record. Stereo is seperated by the cartridge from these sum and difference movements i.r R= 1/2((R+L)+(R-L)), L=1/2((R+L)-(R-L))

 

Yes, there actually aren't left channel or right channel groove walls. Lateral modulation is L+R (information common to both channels), and the vertical modulation is L-R (the "difference" channel). But for whatever reason or reasons, at least in my experience, pressing problems (crackle, "whooshing" noise, etc.) usually seem to be exaggerated in the right channel. Anti-skating has never been the solution for me. A good cleaning, multiple plays, and making sure the azimuth is set have seemed to help the most.

 

Yes, I also note that such noises are often exaggerated in the right channel. Over the years I concluded there might be some fundamental manufacturing/pressing reason and was curious as to what it might be. I note it on some mono pressings as well. Whatever 'it' is would have to make the stylus move sort of c 45 deg to the vertical to be mostly in one channel, i.e sort of perpendicular to the groove wall. The sytlus would have to move vertically and laterally. Curious

 

This is very interesting, and in my experience it is true that surface noise is mostly heard from the right channel, I believe this is related to the manufacturing process, pressing or maybe during the plating process... Adjusting anti skate has very limited effect on this, it can make the "noises" sound a little fainter if anti skate is increased a lot, but they're still there just like before.

I would also like to learn why this happens... I suspect this is related to the plating stage, or maybe caused by long delays between plating and pressing that cause these "groove issues" to occur even before the LP's are pressed.

 

Contradicting the notion of centrifugal force ?