Wolfman181
Well-Known Member
So, I have read and read and read. Including the Your Doing it Wrong thread....I went out and purchased the correct "stuff" and made a solution. I used to use Dawn or whatever and tapwater and regular alcohol and even some more aggressive cleaners. Some albums sounded worse, some better and it didn't seem to matter how I cleaned them. I fussed about the TT ground, I played with the connections on the cart and the RCA connectors. I also use an old Discwasher I bought back in 81, But I just dampen it a bit to collect dust....I have been picking up albums at a place called Mckays that takes in old books and etc. and has an extensive array of albums, Cd's and cassettes. I stayed with just washing them with the "solution" and spinning them with a painters pad...Hit or miss and you could not judge them by eye. Now, I bought a turntable weight and plopped it on, major difference in sound, including the static pops. Yes, I got a protractor and set up the alignment, even though no one can tell you which one works with an old Pioneer. Another improvement after getting a Jico 750 stylus for my XV-15 was increasing the tracking force....small improvements making it sound much better. This is where the monkey wrench gets thrown in. I have some albums that just crackle, one of them is The Scorpions Love at First Sting. I bought that album in the early 80's and it has been played maybe 5 times and spent many years in a box. I was going to take it to the used place and ditch it but tonight I put it on my pad and wiped it with a paper towel....and BBQ lighter fluid......yikes. Just wiped it around a few time and let it soak in.....Then I sprayed it with the "solution" and wiped it around with a clean paper towel, if there is such a thing. Rinsed it in tapwater and then sprayed it again with the "solution" and brushed it well with my paint pad....then rinsed in warm water from the tap....my tap water sucks...I dryed it well, let it spin for a few minutes on the TT and set the stylus on the beginning of Coming Home, which is very quite at the start. Nothing.....I reached over and turned the volume up......one little click.....then the song started.....This song was unbearable and the album so bad I would not even record it and use the click reducer in my Vinyl Studios program. It is the most dramatic change in any album I have cleaned.
On a side note, I passed on buying the Sota on ebay last night, I had the winning bid typed into esnipe and didnt pull the trigger. I will work with what I have for now, and ponder this cleaning thing like many others are.
So heres the thing about vinyl records from the point of view of a guy that's been using them off and on for like 40 years. There are alot of factors that go into making a vinyl record sound good. No need to go into it all here. It sounds like you have done you homework and that really good. Here are a few factors to consider. First, the quality of the vinyl itself plays a big role. Before I buy an certain album I do some homework on it first. Check the pressing number on the lable and check the runout vinyl writings or stamping. In this way you learn alot about where and when the pressing was done. 1st pressings are done closest to the master recording and will sound best plus they most likely will use virgin vinyl, most of the time. Also look for remasters from the original master. It will be stated as such. Do research on the plants that makes the pressing. Some plants use used or repurposed vinyl. This can lead to a record that sound horrible even when new. An example of this is the resent redo's of the band Tool's stuff. Brand new pressings but sound like crap. You get the idea here. For me half the fun of this hobby is the research on a band and the pressing. Then finding the best pressing I can at a price I can afford. Even buying in Europe to get the one I want. I do sometimes run across albums before I can review them. If the price is right like a few bucks or free then I go for it and hope for the best.
But sometimes you do think you have a good copy and you buy
it, get it home and find that it's a dud. This can happen because it's been abused over the years and the vinyl itself is just worn out. Mishandled. Played on very cheap tables or what ever. Once this happens no amount of cleaning is going to fix it. Dirt is not the issue. Its vinyl damage and there not much to but either cleanit as best you can, play it as is and maybe look for another copy or not. It's up to you. Collectors like to own multiple copies of one album. I do. They say that vinyl records are still the best sound reproduction available today. Maybe. I think that's a personal choice. I agree as I grew up with them but others may like CD's better and that's Cool too. Collect what you like and enjoy the hobby. Sorry for the rant guys.