Problems with Static

[markhsmit]

I am recording vinyl from an ion turn table through a usb connection to an iMac. I will suddenly get a burst of static that does not go away. The only way to remove the static is to quit the program and restart it. The turntable power cord has only two prongs, the iMac has three. I have protected the turntable underneath with a static mat. I have also grounded the turntable to my house. It appears that the static may come from the record, but why do I have to quit the program to resolve it?

Thanks

[Sonic Purity]

I am recording vinyl from an ion turn table through a usb connection to an iMac. I will suddenly get a burst of static that does not go away. The only way to remove the static is to quit the program and restart it. The turntable power cord has only two prongs, the iMac has three. I have protected the turntable underneath with a static mat. I have also grounded the turntable to my house. It appears that the static may come from the record, but why do I have to quit the program to resolve it?

First, disconnect the turntable-to-house ground. You have a ground via the USB cable outer shell to the iMac, and from the iMac to the house wiring via the 3-prong iMac power cable. The additional ground creates a ground loop, which will likely exacerbate this problem.

I think the static is something else. Can you record from other audio sources OK? Have you (temporarily) tried software other than Amadeus? One theory is a hardware defect with the Ion turntable, yet there can be a number of other causes.

If you are willing to record a few seconds of the static (say, 5-8 seconds approximately), save in native format (AmadPro for Amadeus Pro, or AIFF for Amadeus II), Zip or Stuff the file, and email it to amadeusforum@siber-sonic.com, i am willing to give it a listen and think about things further.

(Note: i am one of your fellow Amadeus users, attempting to be helpful. I am not an official representative of HairerSoft… as far as i know, only Martin Hairer is in that position.)

[jball1954]

I have a Pro-Ject USB turntable and have had a similar problem. First, with Audacity, now Spin Doctor is doing the same thing. Spin Doctor worked for awhile. Now I get static from almost the start. Amadeus is working ok right now, though.

[jtarheel]

I use the Griffin PowerWave. The PowerWave has a connector for the RCA plugs from the turntable which also has a grounding screw for the ground wire from the turntable. That seems to help me with static.

[markhsmit]

Thanks for your reply. It works. You are right it wasn't static, it was some kind of ground interference. I am using the Mac solely as my ground, and any record static is easily removed. You have saved me so much grief, keep up the good work!