Re: [ARSCLIST] Audio equipment cable shielding

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Kurt:

My 2 cents. Better to put the preamp near to the turntable as is feasable. Then there should be very 
little hum originating from there if the cartridge is hooked up and working properly. Remember of 
course to connect the turntable's ground wire to the preamp. Some serious vinyl-heads shorten their 
turntable cables but I've never found that necessary. However, as you probably know, never a good 
idea to lengthen them for a variety of reasons.

In my studio, the preamp is right next to the turntable, on an old oak school desk (which sits on a 
carpeted cement slab/floor). Then there's about 15' of unbalanced cables to the mixer which feeds 
the DAW. Very low noise floor results, far below dead-grooves in the vinyl.

One place you might find is a source of the hum is a computer sound card. My experience has been 
that computers' "shield" is not necessarily green-wire ground. Unbalanced computer soundcards have a 
certain noise level that's higher than external converters and balanced internal cards, but it 
shouldn't be an audible/annoying hum.

Have you tried disconnecting each stage of the chain to see where the hum is started and/or centers?

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kurt Nauck" <nauck@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Audio equipment cable shielding


> At 01:21 PM 4/18/2006, you wrote:
>
> > Kurt Nauck:
> >
> > > We are doing some re-arranging of our studio here at
> > > the shop.  We're encountering hum from the audio
> > > cables being in proximity of power cables and possibly
> > > from florescent lighting (!)
> >
> > Are the audio cables balanced?
>
> No, unfortunately. If I use an rca to xlr cable converter, can I carry a balanced signal from my 
> turntable to my preamp, or do I need a special device?
>
> Kurt & Diane Nauck
>
> c/o Nauck's Vintage Records
> 22004 Sherrod Ln.
> Spring, TX  77389
>
> Website: www.78rpm.com
> E-Mail: nauck@xxxxxxxxx
>
> Phone: (281) 288-7826
> Fax: (425) 930-6862