HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Tried to play a couple of albums during the evening, all not well. First up sounded as if the stylus was covered in fluff, lots of crackles on vocals etc so checked and cleaned the cart as best I could but no better. Put a different album on with similar result so gave up and listed to the new Jenny Lewis CD (very good btw).
I felt some static when I removed the first vinyl and just assumed it came off the LP. As I went to take off the second one, the static came not from the vinyl but from definitely from the aluminium platter. Far more than you normally get from time to time when handling LP's. Can't ever recall a similar experience and just wondered if that was the cause of the problem and what to check next?

The earthing is always my first check

If earthing to platter is ok then it can't build up static - aluminium is very good electrical conductor so any static charge will "leak away".

What type of mat are you using? have you changed it recently?

May not be static - if stylus is picking up lots of dust/fluff, then it may be at end of its life. If you suspect stylus don't try and use it, records will get damaged.

Same mat for several years so cant be that. Stylus was clean so sounds like an earthing issue. Not sure where to start but will investigate. Thanks for the feedback.

This is what I do-
Get a length of thin gauge cable and connect one end to the phono stage ground then the other in turn to various places on the deck till it improves- I have the tonearm earth, as is standard, then I have an additional earth wire from the bearing housing to the phono stage earth, from phono stage I run a wire to the main earth for the system via a modified mains plug.
This is generally for hum - not what you describe which I would then investigate the general wiring- a full system strip and install sometimes helps.

Really rate the Zerostat, cured my turntable static problems. Also as a bonus it cured the bloody electric shocks I kept getting around the room.

Nylon carpets?

Thanks for the advice, Zerostat ordered lets hope it does the trick.

The trick is to squeeze the trigger slowly, if it clicks start again.