Ksl822,
Static-like bursts typically indicate one of three things:
1. MISTRACKING
This sounds exactly as you described, and its ALWAYS in synch with dynamic peaks in the music. Mistracking occurs most often on loud, pure, higher frequency passages like hard blown horns, operatic soprano, really big, well-recorded piano hits, etc.
Mistracking permanently damages vinyl, making the record noisy forever. If thats whats happening, stop playing valuable LPs until youve solved the problem.
2. VINYL DAMAGE
Damage from prior mistracking sounds exactly like mistracking itself, except that mistracking damage can occur without the mistracking being audible at the time. Play LPs with a damaged stylus or on a very low quality rig and the vinyl will be damaged, though you may not hear it until you play the LP in a more resolving setup. My LPs from high school were all damaged in this way. My system wasnt good enough to reproduce mistracking sounds, but it was plenty good enough to do the damage!
3. PRESSING VOIDS
This vinyl flaw can occur if the vinyl plug was not at proper temperature when placed in the mold. The too-cool vinyl fails to flow into all the groove modulations and solidifies in a shape not intended.
Pressing voids arent particularly synched with the music. If you hear static-like bursts at random moments, pressing voids are the #1 suspect. This is true whether the vinyl is new or old. I have it on records pressed in the 1950s and records pressed a few months ago.
THE SLOW PLAY TEST
You can check for pressing voids and damaged vinyl by playing a noisy passage while spinning your platter by hand, verrrrrry slowwwwly. At 5-10 rpm no stylus will mistrack, so youll hear exactly whats in the groove (at unnaturally low frequencies of course). The music will come out of the speakers as a low growl, with no sharp transients at all. If you hear transients or any noises notably sharper than the background growl, the vinyl is either damaged or very dirty.
IN PRACTICE
If you try that test and hear no damage, the likely cause of your noises is mistracking. The suspension in a new cartridge is usually stiff, so it cant track as well as it will eventually. You can speed suspension relaxation by setting VTF to the maximum recommended for the cartridge. (The worst thing you can do is make VTF too light that virtually guarantees mistracking and ruined records.)
If the mistracking is stubborn or the new cartridge just sounds screechy and unbearable, try the burn-in tracks on the Cardas LP. An hour there will work a cartridge a hard as several hours of real music.
