Cleaning and maintenance stuff for LP's [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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sofsoldier
02-08-2004, 06:02 PM
I have decided to revive my old LP collection with a turntable purchase. I am looking at the "under $1000" mark for my turntable (minus the cartridge). The records I do have are in decent shape, but one or two could use a good cleaning. I just do not have the volume of LP's to justify the cost of those need vacuum cleaners so I want to get a good hand cleaning kit.

Its easy to get caught up in snake oil in audio, and my lack of experience in analog leaves me somewhat open. I am a believer in "if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is" so that helps with caveat emptor. I need some recomendations for some accessories and cleaning equipment such as: (some of these I am not sure I really need or if they are really required)

LP mat?
Cleaner?
Brush?
Stylus cleaner?
Anti-static gun?
Cartridge alignment tool?

Any other small things needed?

Thanks,

DMK
02-09-2004, 05:06 PM
I have decided to revive my old LP collection with a turntable purchase. I am looking at the "under $1000" mark for my turntable (minus the cartridge). The records I do have are in decent shape, but one or two could use a good cleaning. I just do not have the volume of LP's to justify the cost of those need vacuum cleaners so I want to get a good hand cleaning kit.

Its easy to get caught up in snake oil in audio, and my lack of experience in analog leaves me somewhat open. I am a believer in "if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is" so that helps with caveat emptor. I need some recomendations for some accessories and cleaning equipment such as: (some of these I am not sure I really need or if they are really required)

LP mat?
Cleaner?
Brush?
Stylus cleaner?
Anti-static gun?
Cartridge alignment tool?

Any other small things needed?

Thanks,

First, I should state that nothing will do as good a cleaning job as a vacuum. That said, you can check out the Disc Doctor's miracle record cleaner stuff. It's supposed to be good but I found it too messy. Overly dirty records get my LAST Power Cleaner workout which lifts the really deep dirt but does a crappy job of removing it. Allsop's Orbitrac is the second step and it does a good job of removing the gunk and drying the record. Then, I vacuum. Last, I use Gruv-Glide anti static spray instead of the gun thingy. If you like the Disc Doctor stuff, you can bypass the LAST and Orbitrac but I'd still use the Gruv-Glide everytime you find your LP strongly attracting dust and other nasties from the air. You'll be able to feel the static electricity when it's time to use the anti-stat :)

Yes, this is all a PITA. But it works and it's a big reason why I so strongly prefer vinyl. LAST stylus cleaner is also a good idea. Some people use it before each LP side but I've found that to be more anal even than I am! A good dry brush is also nice and will help. BTW, I don't use the above cleaning regimen with every play. I find I can play an LP several times before it's time to clean it again IF I use the dry brush religiously. As I was saying, it's a pain but that's the price of superior sound. We're all hoping SACD takes off so we can have our cake and eat it, too.

LP mat? Comes with the player if you need one but you might try one some day. Also, get a clamp for your 'table - your warped records will thank you. Lastly, make sure your preamp or integrated has a phono stage or you'll need to buy an outboard one. Match your cartridge to the gain of your phono stage. You'll need about 60 db's of gain for a low output MC cartridge or even more depending on how low output. If you're just starting out, you might try a higher output MC (moving coil) or MM (moving magnet). Most vinylphiles prefer an MC but there are some fine sounding MM's as well.

Hope this helps. Vinyl maintenance is a subject unto itself! :)

jack70
02-12-2004, 07:37 AM
I still play my LPs, of which I have thousands. I have a wet/wash cleaner, although I don't recomend that. It takes a lot of time and effort, (same with LAST) and if you DO really need to wash an LP, you can do it with a soft sponge under the tap with warm (not hot!) water and soap or detergent just as well (if you're carefull).

Bottom line -- you're at the mercy of the quality of the disc. If it's in brand new (unplayed) shape, it MAY STILL sound poor if it's a late pressing (stamping from the master), or if the plastic/vinyl is bad or noisy, or a number of other reasons. You can't make a silk purse from a sows ear. 95% of discs I've seen from others are FULL OF CRAP in the grooves. The pressure of the contact area of a stylus/groove is a dozen+ tons per square inch, making even slight defects (dust, sludge or pits) sound bad. Most of mine have been played but once and taped, only a few are played a lot.

I think the zerostat guns are excellent, as are the fiber brushes or old-style "Parostatic Disc Preener". They remove most "simple" crap in the grooves very well without any negative effects. Shure has a brush on some of their cartridges too.

It's important to make sure the cartridge is aligned correctly, and since there are 3 planes to worry about, it's not always easy. My old transcriptors arm in fact, has 7 or 8 inter-related planes to it, making it a bit like a rubiks' cube to set up if you're not careful.