One Way to Quiet the "Vectrex Buzz"

[boxpressed]

I was poking through the venerable Vectrex FAQ and read that John Dondzila said that one way to quiet the "Vectrex Buzz" is to put clear tape over the speaker grill.

 

I tried it, and it makes a noticeable difference. I have to decide if I can live with how ugly it is. I switched to blue painter's tape because I didn't want to damage the finish. I may pick up some black painter's tape to see if it looks okay.

[RedRaider]

LOL

 

Way too ghetto for my liking. I believe I will have the proper mod done.

[boxpressed]

LOL. How did I know you would respond that way...

[Rex Dart]

What about some sort of sheet foam, inside the case?

[boxpressed]

What about some sort of sheet foam, inside the case?

 

That's a good idea too.

[boxpressed]

I dug out and posted a short video I'd made of the inside of a Vectrex. It looks like the speaker may be tricky to access. Does anyone know if the yellow wire is the audio cable?

 

(The video ends with a shot of the pots that adjust the image, btw).

 

http://www.facebook....146889718769737

Edited May 15, 2012 by boxpressed

[desiv]

Why would you want to quiet the buzz?

That's part of a Vectrex!!!

 

:-)

 

desiv

[boxpressed]

Why would you want to quiet the buzz?

That's part of a Vectrex!!!

 

:-)

 

desiv

 

Point taken. I've got four of 'em, so maybe just one can be a little quieter.

[RedRaider]

Why would you want to quiet the buzz?

That's part of a Vectrex!!!

 

:-)

 

desiv

 

Because it is that way only due to a lazy design, not to mention that it is annoying as f@%k !!!

[otaku]

I agree it is sort of part of the buzz but in some situations it could be an issue so a proper mod or a temporary quick fix like this tape is nice/.

 

How does the mod work and what does it tend to cost for those of us not inclined to diy

[RangerG]

I know this thread is somewhat old, but where is the speaker grill referenced in the initial post? The buzz comes from the bottom, is it the slits on the bottom behind the controller. It seems to me there are speaker grills lots of places (on the back for example). You can't place tape all over the Vectrex? Has anyone actually used the tape method here, did it work? Where exactly did you tape?

[Dripfree]

Just read this cuz it got bumped.

I had read that the buzz comes from improper shielding on the speaker wires, perhaps someone can confirm this. With its close proximity to all the power components it will pick up those signals and output it with the audio. This stands to reason that the buzz could be fixed by adding shielding to those wires. I had considered opening mine up and either wrapping the wires with aluminum tape or perhaps replacing the wires with some nicely shielded cables. Perhaps chop up some monster cables or even coax. In the end I decided it wasn't worth the risk and effort. I do feel that the buzz does add a little charm and personality. But if the buzz realy does bother you that may be one way to stop it.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Dripfree

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I have done both the cable replacement using an old RF coax from a dead 5200 in addition the debuzz circuit kit you can buy from Console5. The buzz is still there even with all of this, but at a much lower volume than before. With the inclusion of the debuzz circuit for the audio input to output, I also have much louder audio overall if choose to really crank it.

 

It was one of the more difficult mods I've done on any of my consoles since the Veccy pretty much has to come completely apart to get to everything. Not a mod for anyone faint of heart.

[jdollatari]

thanks for the info crosbow i have not delved into modding consoles yet and so this is helpful i still think the noise is part of the experience! (my old account was otaku)

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Somewhere on my FB account I have some before and after videos. However, as I was just using a camcorder pointed close to the veccy at the time of recording, the audio capture isn't the best method. But is still pretty representative of how the mods sound afterward.

 

Here you go...the original before and after didn't sound much different because I didn't have everything connected properly. However, this video of everything done after replacing the internal audio cable with a shielded coax cable and the debuzz circuit installed is an excellent example of how it sounds afterward.

 

It still buzzes...and if you really want to see what a difference it all makes, feel free to turn up your volume until you hear the buzz and then wait for the audio on Wormhole to kick in...hehe..

 

Edited July 17, 2016 by -^Cro§Bow^-