Record cleaning

[highfigh]

I'm not endorsing it however if I recall the forms I've seen over the years independently bypassed different things, by different names by brand (so don't assume the terminolgy is "universal across brands), for example:

- video circuits killed/bypassed. Only audio remains.
- front panel fluorescent display killed [I used to think that was bunk until one day I noticed on a product that it really did remove a slight, faint buzz noise, at least for that product (it was a DAT recorder I owned)]
- "Source direct" = no tone control circuits engaged (they do sometimes inject faint, usually innocuous noise). The selected source goes straight to the amplification stage.
- "CD Direct" = no input selector function for you!. It's bypassed. The CD input goes straight to the amp
- "Super duper PURE direct" no ADC for analog incoming sources hence no digital room correction processing for you! [And for most units no subwoofer signal generation from 2.0 analog sources.]

- "HT bypass" usually means no volume control action either. The incoming preamp analog L/R signal passes straight out to the preamp outs without passing through any electronics other than that A/B switch itself.

I have a Luxman CD player and it has a four step dimmer for the display, one being dark. I never bothered to listen for noise- I think it was to reduce brightness in a dark room, so it won't be annoying.

WRT HT Bypass- Parasound had a warning about that mode- if a source is connected, it's WOT (Wide Open Throttle).

 

[TLS Guy]

Again, your vision has become myopic ! I know full well how to handle my Lp's, all 1500 of them ! I've been doing so for a long time, perhaps not as long as you but for sure longer than most on this forum !

Let me ask you this, when you procure an LP, new or used, what's the first step you take before playing it ?

I have very few used discs, and only a limited purchase from one buyer. However, my custom was to carefully take the disc out of the jacket and inspect it visually for any defects in a strong light. Most of my LPs are European pressings, I tried to avoid American pressings if at all possible. If the disc looks fine, then I play it and the Dust Bug is used. Not complicated.

 

[m. zillch]

I have several units with "Pure Direct" modes that to some degree extinguish the front panel lights, said to improve "purity", but it is impossible to tell if extinguishing the light really matters sonically because other circuits are simultaneously being bypassed so the decrease in faint background hiss might simply be because of their bypass. What made this Sony DAT recorder unique (1990s) was its light deactivation didn't do anything else so the reduction in the noise pretty much had to truly be from the light and/or the light circuitry.

 

[m. zillch]

Another issue with these various forms of features is the manufacturer can never drop them. For example if you have "bi-wiring" on your speaker line one year if you drop it with your next line you run the risk of losing customers who come to believe "it's important" when it's time to trade up.

If a company like Yamaha or Sony for example invents a new type of front panel light one year that has zero noise they still have to provide light deactivation on their subsequent models for fear of missing sales to customers insisting it matters.

Yes, "room illumination" from the light can matter for other reasons. True. But at least on my Yamahas it is tied to the "Pure Direct" button.

 

[m. zillch]

Some very high end turntables have no dust cover so they probably need "in-play dust collection" the most.

 

[TLS Guy]

Some very high end turntables have no dust cover so they probably need "in-play dust collection" the most.

That is why I have always had doors on my turntable cabinets.

In addition the doors provide insulation from acoustic feedback.

Only the Thorens TD 125 Mk was sold a plinth. I bought that non working on eBay and restored in and installed the SME series III PU arm

When the other three turntables were new, they were not sold on plinths, and sold without PU arms. The owners were expected to be capable of mounting and installing the turntable with a PU arm and cartridge of his choice. My goodness how the population has become dumbed down and seem to be devoid of the most elementary technical and woodworking skills. I literally had far more skills at 7 years of age, then most enthusiasts do now. I actually find this very discouraging and not something to be proud of as a society, but to be deeply ashamed of.

 

[m. zillch]

My goodness how the population has become dumbed down and seem to be devoid of the most elementary technical and woodworking skills. I literally had far more skills at 7 years of age, then most enthusiasts do now. I actually find this very discouraging and not something to be proud of as a society, but to be deeply ashamed of.

"Deeply ashamed of"? Yikes.

 

[highfigh]

My goodness how the population has become dumbed down and seem to be devoid of the most elementary technical and woodworking skills. I literally had far more skills at 7 years of age, then most enthusiasts do now. I actually find this very discouraging and not something to be proud of as a society, but to be deeply ashamed of.

I think the lack of even the most minor skills is pretty appalling- it's as if a few generations never developed any sense of curiosity in how things work but two telling signs for the US, IMOP, was when resistance to the attempts by industries to implement the Metric System caused a delay and when schools stopped shop classes. Not all schools stopped, but on a large scale, these were gone. WRT using the Metric SYstem, it was as if someone had told them "We're going to be a Communist country, starting next week". People stopped learning ANY skills that could have made them a bit independent, never learned the concepts and when This Old House, Hometime and other DIY shows became popular, bad techniques were more common than they should have been.

Too many people are helpless. A neighborhood app called NextDoor has a constant stream of people asking others to do extremely simple tasks/repairs for them which often require knowing how to use a screwdriver. They can be told how to tighten the packing nut on a water valve and they still want someone else to do it. Often, they ask for someone to do something that's not easy, then include the fact that they have the parts & will pay $20-$50 or add "It should only take a had hour/short time. If they know how long it should take, they must know something about how to do it. Then, there are the auto repair posts- "Can someone check my oil?", "Can someone change a bulb?"......

When I was a kid, parents were fairly over-protective. Not to the extent they are now, but young kids at the time had bikes with training wheels and anyone who had those knows that a bike can't lean far without tipping. I said I wanted them removed and was told that wouldn't happen until I stopped falling, even after I told them THEY were the cause of me falling. One day, I went to the tool box my my dad kept under his workbench, grabbed a couple of wrenches, removed them & properly tightened the nuts on the axle, put the wrenches away and placed the training wheels on his workbench. I was 6 years old. I don't remember any negative reaction to the training wheels on his bench but it wasn't long until he included me in workshop activities.

 

[highfigh]

"Deeply ashamed of"? Yikes.

If you think about it, the US went from a country filled with people who had an "I can do anything" attitude to "Can you do this for me?" in only a couple of decades. A lot of people don't even know which end of a screwdriver they should pound on. Sure, forums have members who can do various tasks but on average, the ones who were on some trajectory toward white collar jobs never learned to do anything for themselves. The ones who said "I don't get it" in Math classes could also frequently be heard uttering "Why do I have to learn this? I'll never use it once I graduate". That told me they had given up or had a good plan to never need to use their minds.

I don't expect people to do major repairs but the simple stuff just takes a bit of imagination in a lot of cases. Go to a big box or hardware store and eavesdrop- it can be, uh, interesting.

 

[TLS Guy]

I think the lack of even the most minor skills is pretty appalling- it's as if a few generations never developed any sense of curiosity in how things work but two telling signs for the US, IMOP, was when resistance to the attempts by industries to implement the Metric System caused a delay and when schools stopped shop classes. Not all schools stopped, but on a large scale, these were gone. WRT using the Metric SYstem, it was as if someone had told them "We're going to be a Communist country, starting next week". People stopped learning ANY skills that could have made them a bit independent, never learned the concepts and when This Old House, Hometime and other DIY shows became popular, bad techniques were more common than they should have been.

Too many people are helpless. A neighborhood app called NextDoor has a constant stream of people asking others to do extremely simple tasks/repairs for them which often require knowing how to use a screwdriver. They can be told how to tighten the packing nut on a water valve and they still want someone else to do it. Often, they ask for someone to do something that's not easy, then include the fact that they have the parts & will pay $20-$50 or add "It should only take a had hour/short time. If they know how long it should take, they must know something about how to do it. Then, there are the auto repair posts- "Can someone check my oil?", "Can someone change a bulb?"......

When I was a kid, parents were fairly over-protective. Not to the extent they are now, but young kids at the time had bikes with training wheels and anyone who had those knows that a bike can't lean far without tipping. I said I wanted them removed and was told that wouldn't happen until I stopped falling, even after I told them THEY were the cause of me falling. One day, I went to the tool box my my dad kept under his workbench, grabbed a couple of wrenches, removed them & properly tightened the nuts on the axle, put the wrenches away and placed the training wheels on his workbench. I was 6 years old. I don't remember any negative reaction to the training wheels on his bench but it wasn't long until he included me in workshop activities.

You are right about next door, the posts of totally clueless homeowners never cease to astound! You can add in car owners as well for that matter.

 

[highfigh]

You are right about next door, the posts of totally clueless homeowners never cease to astound! You can add in car owners as well for that matter.

Well, cars are a different issue. I have heard "They make this stuff too difficult for people to fix their own cars!" for decades, but the ones who yell loudest don't understand the reasons for the older fuel injection systems, never mind closed loop modern systems that use technology and systems they could never fathom. Old cars were easy but ask around and see if you can find someone who can correctly adjust breaker points and explain why they need to be set in the way they do. You'll either find older people or possibly, young gearheads. I'm a member of a couple of boat forums and I see people using the 'parts cannon' when they try to make repairs- diagnostics IS NOT a part of what they do.

 

[TLS Guy]

Well, cars are a different issue. I have heard "They make this stuff too difficult for people to fix their own cars!" for decades, but the ones who yell loudest don't understand the reasons for the older fuel injection systems, never mind closed loop modern systems that use technology and systems they could never fathom. Old cars were easy but ask around and see if you can find someone who can correctly adjust breaker points and explain why they need to be set in the way they do. You'll either find older people or possibly, young gearheads. I'm a member of a couple of boat forums and I see people using the 'parts cannon' when they try to make repairs- diagnostics IS NOT a part of what they do.

There are a lot of repairs that don't require high tech, like changing an alternator for instance.

 

[highfigh]

There are a lot of repairs that don't require high tech, like changing an alternator for instance.

OK, look around online and you'll see plenty of "I replaced my alternator and now, nothing works" because they didn't disconnect the battery.

 

[Mikado463]

I have very few used discs, and only a limited purchase from one buyer. However, my custom was to carefully take the disc out of the jacket and inspect it visually for any defects in a strong light. Most of my LPs are European pressings, I tried to avoid American pressings if at all possible. If the disc looks fine, then I play it and the Dust Bug is used. Not complicated.

Well Doc, you for sure are in the minority here, so continue to enjoy your 'bug' while the rest of us, when needed are competent in 'cleaning' Lp's !

For those here that are interested in the topic of this thread rather than car batteries and alternators, these two sites have long running discussions on the topic.........

Okay. . Time to spill your cleaning secrets!

Okay. . Time to spill your cleaning secrets!

www.audiocircle.com

Record Cleaning: Developing the Best Possible Methods

2nd edition AQUEOUS CLEANING of VINYL RECORDS by Neil Antin Grab a pot of coffee if your going to read it in one shot. https://thevinylpress.com/app/uploads/2021/03/PAC-Vinyl-Records_2021-03-01_pdf.pdf Oh my...

audiokarma.org

 

[Squishman]

I haven't turned my back on cleaning records. But the Cecil Watts Dust Bug is one fabulous tool. I used to clean my records when they came into my collection whether new or used with the Vinyl Vac system. Now I only set that up when I bring home a used record that needs it. It's pretty rare though. My Discwasher with distilled water suffices in most cases. Not most records, most cases where a record needs to be cleaned. And once they are cleaned, they never need it again as the Dust Bug is sufficient in keeping them clean. I will use a carbon fiber brush if a record is dusty or staticky.