Vinyl record surface/static noises

[PENG]

I tried using cleaning kit that comes with a pad and a bottle of solution. It typically helps a little but in most cases it cannot reduce the almost constant surface/static noises. I am pretty sure my records never used to make that much surface noise until they were put into storage for years and only opened up a few months ago.

The new ones are impressively silent but I really don't want to replace my whole collection. Even if it is possible I just can't afford to. I am hoping someone who knows of an effective way to reduce the surface noise/static level to a more acceptable will share his/her tricks.

 

[highfigh]

Commercial/radio station record cleaners like the Keith Monks models use denatured alcohol, laid on in a thin layer and vacuumed off. I haven't used the liquid that comes with DiscWasher or the Audio Technica record cleaner in decades because of the residue. I clean mine dry and they never see any liquid. If the albums were stored horizontally and flat, in tall stacks, it's possible the peaks were distorted by the weight. Mine are always stored vertically and never too tightly packed.

I would also re-check the cartridge's alignment and the tonearm setup.

Any chance your speakers are brighter than what you were listening to when you last played them?

 

[PENG]

I store them vertically. I don't think it is the speakers. The Veritas 2.3i are not that bright compare to my old AR7, RTi38 and Energy Pro 22 Ref in the past. Besides, the static pop types of sound are quite loud, and the new records seems totally noise free so my newly acquired and aligned cartridge should not be the cause either.

I haven't try vacuuming, may be I should.

 

[TLS Guy]

I tried using cleaning kit that comes with a pad and a bottle of solution. It typically helps a little but in most cases it cannot reduce the almost constant surface/static noises. I am pretty sure my records never used to make that much surface noise until they were put into storage for years and only opened up a few months ago.

The new ones are impressively silent but I really don't want to replace my whole collection. Even if it is possible I just can't afford to. I am hoping someone who knows of an effective way to reduce the surface noise/static level to a more acceptable will share his/her tricks.

Those types of liquid cleaning agents make things a lot worse.

You need to have your records professionally cleaned by a cleaner such as the Keith Monks or Loricraft.

After cleaning see if you can get a Cecil Watts Dust Bug on eBay. Use it dry with every playing.

 

[PENG]

If the albums were stored horizontally and flat, in tall stacks, it's possible the peaks were distorted by the weight. Mine are always stored vertically and never too tightly packed.

I stand corrected, in fact for a few months I did have them stored horizontally in one of my big Ottoman. That thing does not have enough head room for so I had to stack the records horizontally. It would have been no more than 6 to 8 inches high per stack. I should have known better but do you think that could have distorted the peaks?

The amazing thing though, is that if I can ignore the frequent pops the music itself, even the violin still sounds superb. That's why I am still hopeful.

 

[TLS Guy]

I stand corrected, in fact for a few months I did have them stored horizontally in one of my big Ottoman. That thing does not have enough head room for so I had to stack the records horizontally. It would have been no more than 6 to 8 inches high per stack. I should have known better but do you think that could have distorted the peaks?

The amazing thing though, is that if I can ignore the frequent pops the music itself, even the violin still sounds superb. That's why I am still hopeful.

A professional machine will likely restore them.

 

[PENG]

Those types of liquid cleaning agents make things a lot worse.

You need to have your records professionally cleaned by a cleaner such as the Keith Monks or Loricraft.

After cleaning see if you can get a Cecil Watts Dust Bug on eBay. Use it dry with every playing.

Thanks, I will try that for sure. I really do enjoy my classical music records, in fact even with the static pops, as some of them are as bad.

 

[WmAx]

There is a method to clean them perfectly, using a specific wood glue. You spread the glue in a thick layer, leave it to cure/harden, and it pops right off, taking any/all dirt/residue in the grooves with it, leaving the vinyl as pristine as the day it was pressed.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=99837

It takes a lot of time for the glue to cure; this is hardly something you want to do on a regular basis. However, to restore a record that otherwise would be hard to clean, this is a viable solution.

-Chris

 

[PENG]

Thanks for the link Chris, but that seems like a last resort kind thing to do. if nothing else work I may just try one.

 

[highfigh]

Those types of liquid cleaning agents make things a lot worse.

You need to have your records professionally cleaned by a cleaner such as the Keith Monks or Loricraft.

After cleaning see if you can get a Cecil Watts Dust Bug on eBay. Use it dry with every playing.

WOW! I haven't seen the Dust Bug mentioned in decades. It still works better than most, though.

 

[TLS Guy]

WOW! I haven't seen the Dust Bug mentioned in decades. It still works better than most, though.

Three dust bugs lined up.

One in use.

I'm giving my age away, but I was an early adopter of the Dust Bug.

 

[john72953]

^^^ LOL! Man I remember that! Had one mounted on a Pioneer PL-15 back in the early 70's.

John

 

[highfigh]

Three dust bugs lined up.

One in use.

I'm giving my age away, but I was an early adopter of the Dust Bug.

My brother had a cheap stereo in about 1970 and used one. It probably cost $4 and most of the record stores sold them, here.

 

[PENG]

I used to have a Stanton 881S and a 681EE that came with a brush, may be that's why I had less trouble then! Anyway, I have only tried using the central vac so far and it does make a noticeable difference but not enough.

Thank you everyone again for the inputs. I now have enough things to try for the next month of two.

 

[PENG]

Three dust bugs lined up.

I was distracted by the reel to reel and almost missed the dust bug. Just curious, what make is that reel to reel?

 

[PENG]

^^^ LOL! Man I remember that! Had one mounted on a Pioneer PL-15 back in the early 70's.

John

Are you going to keep your promise?

 

[john72953]

Are you going to keep your promise?

You lost me? LOL

John

 

[PENG]

You lost me? LOL

John

I thought you would tell me how you clean your vinyl records if I start a thread. Well, may be I have you mixed up with someone else. It was in one of the thread on the loudspeaker side.

 

[john72953]

I thought you would tell me how you clean your vinyl records if I start a thread. Well, may be I have you mixed up with someone else. It was in one of the thread on the loudspeaker side.

I remember now.....yes, I did say that. I think it would be a great idea for you to start a thread on various ways people use to clean their records. You'd be amazed at some of the things people do. Some of it funny and out of this world, but not necessarily ineffective.

John

 

[TLS Guy]

I was distracted by the reel to reel and almost missed the dust bug. Just curious, what make is that reel to reel?

The tape recorders are interesting.

The one on the left is a Studer Revox A77 MkII. It is a high speed version (15 & 7.5 ips) and two track. I bought it as a wreck on eBay and restored it.

The machine on the right of the TEAC Z2000 mastering cassette deck is a Studer Revox A77 MK IV. The perspex dust cover is on. It is a four track standard speed (7.5 & 3.75 ips) machine. I bought it for $60 on eBay. It is in very nice shape, but had serious electrical problems and was a challenge. But it has made a nice machine. It has an external Dolby B decoder above it. That is a rare Advent decoder designed by Harry Kloss. That is another restoration of an eBay purchase.

The recorder to the left of the MK IV with the brushed aluminum deck, is a bespoke Brenell MK VI deck, that I custom ordered in 1974. It records half track, but has four heads, and can play back two and four track tapes. It is three speed (15, 7.5 and 3.75 ips). It has dbx 2 decode/encode available.
This is one of very few MK IV machines with the parabolic head path. There is only two others I know of. There were a lot made for the BBC, but I understand they were trashed quite a few years ago.

The recorder below that is a Studer Revox MK 1. I bought this for practically nothing as a total wreck. I replaced heads, and everything that moved, as well as restored the electronics. It came out of a radio station down south, where it had had a very long hard life. It is a high speed two track and has Dolby A code/encode available.

This is a Studer Revox A 700 half track three speed, that I bought at the same time as the Brenell, in 1974. It has dbx 1 code/encode available.

I used the Brenell MK IV and the Revox A 700 and the dbx 1 encoder, to make commercial recordings and used them for countless outside broadcasts for public radio.

You can download a CD recorded on the above equipment here.

It is complete with cue file.