[atct86]

I just purchased 2,000+ records on ebay for $65. There are some great ones and some bad ones. Alot of the records are very shiny, and have no scratches. But they have some dust which I removed; but there are still hisses and pops every once and a while.


Are there any aggressive and affordable methods?


Also i have a POS Yamaha Automatic turntable with a Shure Cartridge. Could that be the problem?

 

[westgate]



Quote:
Originally Posted by atct86 /forum/post/12903160


I just purchased 2,000+ records on ebay for $65. There are some great ones and some bad ones. Alot of the records are very shiny, and have no scratches. But they have some dust which I removed; but there are still hisses and pops every once and a while.


Are there any aggressive and affordable methods?


Also i have a POS Yamaha Automatic turntable with a Shure Cartridge. Could that be the problem?

maybe get one of the new t-tables w usb connection to computer and get and run some recording s/ware that removes clicks and scratches and see if it will run in real time. ive thought of trying it myself but havent got around to it yet.


otherwise what i do is fill kitchen sink w warm water and wash and dry lps; seems to help a lot. use one of those dust brushes before playing.


thats a lot of records! what genre(s), ie rock, jazz, classical, all mixed up, etc?

 

[Amber O'Doul]



Quote:
Are there any aggressive and affordable methods?

You've got the whole "Diswasher wand", DI water, anti-static mat ..etc


I am old enough that I was actualy an "audiophile" during vinyl's first heyday. I have quite a few vinyls that I lovingly transferred to CD as best I could. It seems like you can still never really get the sound truly pristine no matter what you do. It is immediately obvious when I lsten to them.


GOD, I'M GLAD CD WAS INVENTED !

I gladly sacrifice the "sweetness" of vynil for complete absence of hiss and static pops.


You can probably find detailed descriptions of how to completely wash LPs with DI water containing a small amount of soap and or alcohol. They all work to an extent, but none are perfect.

 

[atdamico]



Quote:
Originally Posted by atct86 /forum/post/12903160


I just purchased 2,000+ records on ebay for $65. There are some great ones and some bad ones. Alot of the records are very shiny, and have no scratches. But they have some dust which I removed; but there are still hisses and pops every once and a while.


Are there any aggressive and affordable methods?


Also i have a POS Yamaha Automatic turntable with a Shure Cartridge. Could that be the problem?

Affordable is a matter of perspective. But here is a link to a great machine. It is one of the more affordable ones out there and works great. No amount of cleaning can get the grime the gets into the grooves without some sort of vacume attachement. This machine has just that. I bit the bullet and bought one as, like you, I also bought a large lot off of Ebay. The difference in sound is night and day. Buy the cheapest, manual one. Its actually better than the automatic one and takes only a few minutes to clean an LP.

http://www.nittygrittyinc.com/

 

[twitch54]

come on over to www.audiocircle.com , check out the "vinyl circle" there is an entire thread dealing with this subject with more ideas than you can shake a stick at !


As for me, I've been into vinyl since 1961, and I absouletly love my VPI RCM.


It's just the base mosel (16.5) but does a wonderfull job. One of the "in" ways to deep clean ones LP's is with 'Steam' ! again this is covered over @ audiocircle as well.


BTW, DO NOT submerse your LP's into the kitchen sink with tap water, absolute no-no !!! The best water is Ultra purified (tripple osmossis), then Distilled water. NEVER TAP WATER !!!

 

[mattdp]

I've been into vinyl for than a year now, and have around 200 LPs (and a few 10" from the early 50s).


I used to use alcohol and a disc-washer style pad, that worked ok. It look clean when I was done, but I would play it, and everywhere it was played, dust and gunk would appear.


Then I discovered the soap and water method. You get a basin, put a dab of dish soap in, fill it with 4" of warm water. Put the LP in and move it around with the palms of your hand, so the entire surface gets wet. Now, take a take a record cleaning pad/brush, go clockwise on one side five times, then counter clockwise five times. Repeat for the other side.


Now pull the record out, and run it under tap water and turn it around to get all the soap off.


Get two towels or wash cloths and press against the label to get it dry, then dry off the surface and let it air dry somewhere.


I've washed all of my records this way, and have literally seen records that were white with mold become brand new in a matter of 30 seconds.


Depending on their condition, you can get a record fully "clean" and still have pops and clicks. I also have records that are clean, and have pretty much no clicks. It really all depends on the condition of the disc. Cleaning the record ensures that your only hearing the junk that's on the record, not added junk on top of it.


You should also get a carbon fiber brush and use it upon playback to get any dust off.


Turntables don't usually cause pops and clicks.


I'd recommend you get a new cartridge or stylus. Worn out styli can really rip up your records. As for USB turntables, don't get one. Their crap. Besides, you can digitize with the stuff you have now. Just move the table and whatever you use for a phono stage (receiver?) to the computer. Get a RCA-1/8" connector, and connect the tape rec outputs to the computer's line in jack. Now get a free program called Audacity (audacity.sf.net), and your is business.


Btw, if you want a new table, get an old Dual, Thorens, Technics or something good off of e-bay. Their somewhere in the $100 range.


Also, check out your local thrift stores. I used to have a POS denon DP-26F table, and upgraded to a Realistic [Radio Shack] LAB-300 for $3.99, thanks to Goodwill.


Btw, This is a clip of the aforementioned record that was caked white with mold, my aunt's copy of Chicago V. (most of the distortion you hear is a byproduct of their GE record changer)

 

[atdamico]



Quote:
Originally Posted by twitch54 /forum/post/12905386


...I absouletly love my VPI RCM.

Also a great unit. But much more expensive than the Nitty Gritty.

 

[Harrypt]



Quote:
Originally Posted by atdamico /forum/post/12904929


Affordable is a matter of perspective. But here is a link to a great machine. It is one of the more affordable ones out there and works great. No amount of cleaning can get the grime the gets into the grooves without some sort of vacume attachement. This machine has just that. I bit the bullet and bought one as, like you, I also bought a large lot off of Ebay. The difference in sound is night and day. Buy the cheapest, manual one. Its actually better than the automatic one and takes only a few minutes to clean an LP.

http://www.nittygrittyinc.com/

2nd this.


You should be able to snag the old manual one for ~$100 on fleabay. They work great and Nitty Gritty has great customer service if you have a problem, doesn't matter if it is old and you are not an original owner. There is no difference between the expensive and cheap ones other than the automatic features.


And for gawd sakes, don't use soap and water.

 

[westgate]



Quote:
Originally Posted by twitch54 /forum/post/12905386


come on over to www.audiocircle.com , check out the "vinyl circle" there is an entire thread dealing with this subject with more ideas than you can shake a stick at !


As for me, I've been into vinyl since 1961, and I absouletly love my VPI RCM.


It's just the base mosel (16.5) but does a wonderfull job. One of the "in" ways to deep clean ones LP's is with 'Steam' ! again this is covered over @ audiocircle as well.


BTW, DO NOT submerse your LP's into the kitchen sink with tap water, absolute no-no !!! The best water is Ultra purified (tripple osmossis), then Distilled water. NEVER TAP WATER !!!

ive been using lukewarm tap water

(w a few drops of dish soap

) for years w no issues.


why shouldnt we use tap water? i really dont know, yet.


course, im not an audiophile, either; meaning im probably not as fussy.


oh, forgive me; 'discerning'.

 

[westgate]

mattdp, ive been lugging around a still perfect copy of chicago V for 30+ yrs. i actually listened to it about 6 mos ago. not a scratch on it.


what a bunch of great musicians, chicago!


and i washed it w tap water and dishsoap.


and then played it on my thrift store botten akai direct drive t'table that i paid $12 for, 4 yrs ago.

 

[mattdp]

Oh yeah ...Chicago was an amazing group. Their first album was just stunning, and the rest of their 70s material was really good, but I absolutely hate Chicago of the 80s. I have Chicago Transit Authority (their first) V, VI, VII, IX and XI all on vinyl.


The artwork in V is quite amazing, too.


Speaking of which, I picked a near mint copy (later pressing) of CTA yesterday (I had an original pressing which was in pretty bad shape)

 

[zoney99]

I use Otsdawa Distilled Pure Water distilled and bottled via quadruple reverse osmosis. I've noticed that, compared with tap water, the bass is basser, the highs are higher and the soundstage is more soundy. Your results may vary. Please note that my ODPW costs $12.95 a quart and if you send me a certified money order in that amount, which includes S&H, I will send you a quart.

 

[Chu Gai]

The 'problem' with tap water is that the TDS (total dissolved solids) vary both as to type and amount. This means that as your vinyl dries, the solids remain behind. Dishwashing soap contains a variety of chemicals in addition to what's useful although I 'suspect' that if it's diluted this wouldn't pose a problem. If you're going to use tap water, then it's a good idea to follow it with a DI water rise (steam distilled for irons works well).


The government uses a solution of 2 mL of Tergitol 15-S-7 surfactant added to 4 liters of distilled water (1 gallon is close enough) for cleaning records and other material in their archives. Since there's no preservative, for example disodium EDTA (it's in a lot of food products, cosmetics, etc.), it's kept refrigerated. Now, you'll probably say, just where the hell can I get Tergitol 15-S-7? Well you can search for it and buy it in small quantities, or you can call Dow Chemical up, pretend you're a business, and ask to whom do you speak to in order to obtain an evaluation sample. They'll send you off somewhere, you'll answer some questions, and in a couple of weeks you'll get more than you bargained for.

 

[twitch54]



Quote:
Originally Posted by westgate /forum/post/12914113


ive been using lukewarm tap water

(w a few drops of dish soap

) for years w no issues.


why shouldnt we use tap water? i really dont know, yet.

Basically it boils down to the fact that there are too many variables with tap water........hardness, Ph, acidity, mineral content, lime, etc, etc.

None of which belongs near ones LP's ! Reverse Osmossis is considered the best way to purify water but if one dosen't feel the need to be that anal, I don't, you can use distilled water purchased anywhere for as little as 49 cents a gallon.


I never said your method didn't get them clean, rather I responded to the original poster who is obviously 'starting out' on his vinyl journey and it's always better to start on the right foot !

 

[atdamico]



Quote:
Originally Posted by twitch54 /forum/post/12918689


...it's always better to start on the right foot !

Totally agree. Keep in mind that even if your tap water does not contain a lot of minerals, and is PH balanced, you are still left with the issue that you are simply moving the dirt around on the LP. Even with a good rinse process, water based dirt still flows back into the grooves and some remains. This is why a vacum process is, IMO, mandatory for actually removing the dirt that gets embedded in the grooves. Both the VPI as well as Nitty Gritty systems employ a powerful vacum process with the cleaning.


Lift the top of the back of one of your water closets and take a look inside. See any residue? See any stains? Unless you have a house water conditioner I would hazzard a guess that you do. This is what you want to clean your vinyl with?

 

[Chu Gai]

Gee, I saw the Tidy Bowl man when I looked

Years ago Tom, I used to have access to a deep tank immersion ultrasonic as well as a variable power ultrasonic disruptor. The latter was particularly powerful and was capable of homogenizing tissue. We used to play with both, concocting forumulas that included suspending agents as well as playing with different surfactants that were better 'wetters'. Afterwards we'd treat the vinyl with a product that Stanton used to make that was some sort of an antistatic agent. What we found that was interesting was that the ultrasonic treatments were spectacularly effective at removing dirt and junk in the grooves that mechanical (not vacuum..never tried that then) cleaning left behind. Kind of like for the real paranoid person.

 

[mattdp]

Hmm ...I've always wanted to try and clean records with an ultrasonic cleaner.


Back to the tap water issue. The minerals are dissolved in water, right? I throughly dry all my records with soft towels immediately after cleaning. So, I don't really think much would get on the record. I have records that sound flawless, and look perfect fine after cleaning, so I don't see any problem here.

 

[westgate]



Quote:
Originally Posted by zoney99 /forum/post/12918336


I use Otsdawa Distilled Pure Water distilled and bottled via quadruple reverse osmosis. I've noticed that, compared with tap water, the bass is basser, the highs are higher and the soundstage is more soundy. Your results may vary. Please note that my ODPW costs $12.95 a quart and if you send me a certified money order in that amount, which includes S&H, I will send you a quart.

SOLD!


Thanks to the guys who explained why not to use tap water, etc! 'preciate your time and expertise.


edit-id like to try a cleaning machine someday also.

 

[twitch54]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mattdp /forum/post/12922470


I have records that sound flawless, and look perfect fine after cleaning, so I don't see any problem here.

You are by FAR in the minority here, if your tap water is that good then maybe you should start bottling it and marketing it as the "Magic Record Cleaner" ! There are just too many variables throughout the country with respect to tap water, thus the consistency of distilled water makes the most sense.


Do a poll with those of us who have sizeable collections and have been around vinyl for forty plus years, you find that your method has very few followers !

 

[zoney99]

no twich54, I'm going to market the Magic Record Cleaner marque. But in the meantime, I'll borrow the distilled water that my wife uses in the steam iron and not have to worry about the mineral content of the Otsdawa water!