Hey, does worn stylus commonly cause table noise to be picked up.
I found that all of a sudden I was hearing this humming noise. Upon inspection I found that it only made noise when the stylus was in contact with the record. It is not audible with the turntable running if the tonearm is up. I am using a Stanton 681 cartridge on a Technics SL-D2 I have found this setup very good until recently. Is is just time for a new stylus??
Not from that description. The stylus is a chunk of mineral deposit, it has no electrical properties of its own, it merely responds to the modulation of the record groove. The cartridge is responding to the motor noise. If you can find out where the noise is induced into the cartridge, you can solve the problem. Most often a small buzz like this has been acceptable to turntable manufacturers and you might have to live with the noise.
Jan is correct. A worn stylus will sound dull and is likely to cause mis tracking during peaks, but it won't casue a hum. A hum is more likely some kind of earthing or shielding issue. Have you checked your earth cable is still connected to the amp/pre amp?