Audio Tracks drop during play

[Exor]

So I have a Turbografx-CD and a PCEngine with Super CD-Rom.  Both have issues reading audio tracks while playing games.  Castlevania the music will play for a variable amount of time, then skip and not play.  The game continues to play.  I figured it was due to it being on burned media.  The media doesn't seem to be the case.  I have Y's as a retail disc and it has the same symptoms.  It seems like it skips easy without anyone touching the console.  The games continue to load perfectly, just that the audio tracks stop playing randomly, silent. Reload the stage, music is back for x amount of time, then skips and stops playing.  I just scratch my head as to why both systems do this. 

Any ideas?

[Keith Courage]

Usually these symptoms can be corrected with lens potentiometer adjustment. It is tough call where to start though on both systems. It will take trial and error on your part if you want to give it a shot. For the turbografx standard black CD drive try to adjust any of the 3 black potentiometers on the inside. I've never had to adjust the two white ones. A small turn on any of them can make a big difference so only do one at a time and remember where you started. Simply adjust one a bit and then play the CD as an audio disc using the buttons on the top of the drive. See if things improve. Here is a pic of the adjustment dials. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/boostedk20a/Laser%20guide/pic_06.jpg


Also, sometimes a simple lens cleaning can help. I like to use some rubbing alcohol on the end of a Q-tip. Then use the dry end of the q-tip to wipe it dry. Rub very lightly.

[Bernie]

Or, if they are anything like me, with big clumsy fingers, they could ship it to you or another one of the techs here to have it fixed.   

[Exor]

I have restored these systems from the ground up.  Both were on ebay really cheap because neither "worked" I just bought a broken Turbografx for about $10 and harvesting the cart slot so I can build a conversion diving board by etching a pcb and using the cart slot. 

Now, tonight, after I finished 2 NES to PCE controller conversions, I played Castlevania as a test of the controllers and the music worked perfectly this time.  It seems music tracks are hit or miss.