Noisy K8 cuts, what the deal?

This is where record cutters raise questions about cutting, and trade wisdom and experiment results. We love Scully, Neumann, Presto, & Rek-O-Kut lathes and Wilcox-Gay Recordios (among others). We are excited by the various modern pro and semi-pro systems, too, in production and development. We use strange, extinct disc-based dictation machines. And other stuff, too.

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Self-lather
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Location: Atlanta, Ga
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Post: # 13330Unread post Self-lather
Sun Mar 13, 2011 3:25 pm

emorritt wrote:
Self-lather wrote:
The only thing I notice is there is a low hum that I can hear in the silence. Its only audible when there is silence. I'm grounding the k8, but I think the amp may be introducing this. All the more reason to move to using a different amp.


-Thomas
If your amp is humming, you need to replace the filter stack. But, it could also be motor noise you're hearing. The Presto K series were rim-drive turntables and the thick tire did help squelch most of the drive noise, but the motor is still attached to the turntable deck and some of the noise of just the motor running is transmitted up through the turntable shaft. Also, I've seen some K series recorders with a thin sort of oil cloth looking mat. If you don't have a good rubber mat (or an old dried out one) you might try making one from this material:

http://www.rubbercal.com/Soft_neoprene.html

I've used them for turntable mat materials for different machines and the quality is great.
Cool, I think I will etch some silence by unplugging the head and see if I still hear the hum. Hopefully that will let me know the source of the hum.

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TThomson
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Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 4:41 pm

Re: Noisy K8 cuts, what the deal?

Post: # 45506Unread post TThomson
Mon Jan 09, 2017 1:17 am

Did you ever find what was causing the hum? I'm having the same problem.

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prestok10
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2006 11:39 pm
Location: West Michigan

Re: Noisy K8 cuts, what the deal?

Post: # 46553Unread post prestok10
Fri Mar 31, 2017 9:18 pm

I've started using Turtle Wax Spray & Wipe on my NOS blanks plus a heat lamp to soften the laquer a bit. I'm getting pretty quiet cuts making 78s.

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