Noisy Otari BQII pot

[rtrguy]

I've come to this forum often to browse and finally registered.

I recently purchased an Otari MX5050 BQII, with separate transport assembly and separate electronics assembly with CH1-3, and CH2-4 panels. All works very well except the CH2-4 output signal which is noisy with crackles, pops, static, etc. All other channels are clean. Is the problem likely to just be a bad pot or a more serious problem with old capacitors.
Thanks,

[ironbut]

Hi rtrguy (btw, we use our real names here on this forum. Please read Forum Rules.),

Noisy pots are a very common problem with any audio gear that's more than a few years old.
Try working the pot in question back and forth. If this changes the noise, it probably has dirty contacts.
Sometimes just working the pot over and over will "clean" the contact but it's best to use something like Caig Fader Lube on it.
Most pots will have a small opening on the back or side of the component. Just do a quick squirt (Don't soak it!) and work the pot until it stops making noise.

If it doesn't seem to be the pot you originally suspected, you can try and isolate the problem. Try all the pots and switches in the signal path (monitor switch, record switches, if you have 1/4 track and 1/2 track heads, the switch for those, etc).
Since you're the only one with access to the machine, you need to be as thorough and systematic as possible and find the actual source of the noise.
Without this preliminary work by you, it's all guesswork.
Once you do that, someone here should be able to help you resolve your problem.