Brand New Vinyl Static and Pops
Nothing major, but annoying.
Could it be because I was spinning old dirty vinyl which made the platter dirty/dusty?
I'm about to buy the humminguru. Does anything go well with it?
@jjbeason14 The Technics SL1200 comes with a rubber mat and its the weakest part of the turntable. I use an Oracle mat which is much better. It is formulated to be about the same hardness as vinyl so is pretty good about absorbing resonance in the LP caused by the cartridge tracking it. You can hear this resonance. If the volume is all the way down and the LP is playing, ideally you would not be able to hear it while standing right next to the turntable. If the mat isn’t doing its job, you’ll hear the stylus tracking the groove quite easily. Once you have that sorted, you’ll find the mids and highs smoother and more resolving while the bass has greater impact. |
Sorry @jjbeason14 I don't have anything that I can recommend. I do hope to try that CS Port static device in about 3 weeks. Yes expensive but I'm saving up and if it works as described (do a search on What's Best Forums) it maybe worth the $$$. For me since I listen to 80% vinyl it seems, if it works as others have claimed, well worth the investment. |
I’ve never had a problem with new vinyl right out of the jacket/sleeve. Its always been quiet. I don’t have problems with older LPs either, and I don’t clean them. I do use a carbon fiber dust brush every time I play an LP. Its grounded. I found out over 3 decades ago that phono preamps can generate ticks and pops that sound like they are on the LP surface. Some might be from static discharge being able to overload the phono input, but a lot of it also can arise from the electrical resonance that is always present if you are using a phono cartridge based on the magnetic principle. Any kind of magnetic cartridge has inductance and when that inductance is in parallel with the capacitance of the tonearm cable, an electrical resonance is present that can be 20 to 30 dB higher than the signal itself. With MM cartridges the inductance is so high this resonance is at the extreme upper end of the audio spectrum or just above it and might be about 20dB. Noise occurring in these frequencies is exacerbated by the resonance and can overload the phono section, creating a tick or pop, and possibly also contributing to brightness. With LOMC cartridges the resonance is at radio frequencies and can be as high as 5MHz. The peak is generally higher (as much as 30dB) and covering a narrower range of frequencies as opposed to the broader range seen with MM cartridges; this is caused by the aspect ratio of the coil in the cartridge. If it becomes energized, it is RFI injected directly into the input of the phono section. This can result in distortion manifesting as brightness, and can overload the input resulting in ticks and pops. ’Cartridge loading’ resistors are typically used to kill (detune) the resonance although users typically think the resistor is toning down the cartridge itself, but if you actually look at what is going on with instruments you can see that isn’t the case at all! Obviously the phono section I’m using at home is immune to RFI and can’t be overloaded by that 30dB peak, so I don’t get ticks and pops. I stopped using my record cleaning machine 25 years ago and don’t miss it- if an LP really needs cleaning I clean it by hand. But the need to do that is really rare and only if I have a used LP I just acquired that needs help. After that the dust brush and the stability of the phono section takes care of the rest. So even if the LP is 50 years old its common to have no ticks and pops unless there’s an obvious scratch. IME, phono sections that have problems with high frequency overload as I described above are pretty common and were endemic during the 1970s and 1980s (probably because their designers thought all you needed was enough gain and the right equalization...). This was/is such a common problem that I’m very convinced its a good part of why digital exists. |
Kennyc, Magnetism and static electric charge are two different things, even though static chargecan make two things that are charged with opposite polarity (positive on one and negative on the other) cling together. The point being that it is quite controversial whether LPs ever need to be demagnetized, whereas no one doubts they often become electrostatically charged up. A "demagnetizer" designed to work on LPs will do nothing, zero, nada for static electric charge. |
https://www.audioasylumtrader.com/ca/listing/Accessory/CS-Port/Static-Eliminator/IME1/225403 Seems like a great price still a bit out of my means 😕 but contemplating. |
Look, jj, even clean records can have static. Two separate issues. Cleaning is the biggest benefit. After that, deal with static. The best way known to mankind is, sadly (one does not like to support a company selling fake junk), the Furutech Destat III. All the same, do not save up for this until you can get your disks clean. There are cheaper ways of reducing static (Zerostat, brushes etc) but they don't work as well. |
Hey, I think it's definitely a static elec problem. How much is the CS Port and "DSAudio? Some recordings have static Some do not. I tried the Spin Clean and the Humminguru, both without luck. The discs look very clean, but there's no difference in terms of static. Thanks everyone for your help! 👍 I not referring to new viny, but older.
Any idea if these would work? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CDN7QJO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_8?smid=A3KY1G6IMKRKPX&psc=1 |
Seems it’s either a vinyl problem or a static electricity problem. Do your pops and clicks occur at the same song locations? If so, it’s likely not static which would be random.
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@oldaudiophile Thanks for the reply. Well I'm not far behind you. From 1962 I was using my father's mono rig, a Goldring turntable, big old pre-war valve amp and Goodmans speakers, starting with the Beatles of course. In 1965 I got my own stuff Garrard transcription, Rogers amps and two speakers I borrowed from my father, a Wharfdale and another Goodmans (OK they're not the same!). I'm on LPs too but I have most of the early Beatles and mid 60s Dylan 7 inchers. I don't play them now but it's something to look at 'She Loves You' and 'Like a Rolling Stone'. I bought quite a few rock 12 inch singles from the 80s. With more space for generous cutting, most sound better than LPs with loads more dynamic range. Played loud they're around the best sound you can get. And I agree with you about sound quality of old LPs. I have handled them carefully and no way do they need cleaning all the time. |
I certainly agree with cleaning all your records--new or used. But, "static" or noise in general can also be caused by less than optimal table set up. (table meaning=the whole shebang.) My experience is that there is a lot to be said for truly nailing the setup. It takes time, experience and the right tools--or the right person (with all of those things). Bottom line: don't underestimate how perfectly your stylus is getting into the groove. (And even then, clean your records!) |
You're right, clearthinker! I am showing my age. I've been spinning vinyl since 1959; mostly 45s in those days, on my parents' early 1950s Grundig console. You'll probably have to look that one up. In cany case, as my love of music grew, I got more sophisticated about my stereo equipment starting in 1972. Since then, my vinyl spinning has been virtually exclusively LPs. My collection, or library, if you will, consists, mostly, of well cared for LPs that I purchased new in the early 60s through to the mid to late 80s. A handful of them are considered collectors' items; some worth serious cash. The large majority sound as good today as they did when I purchased them. I have, recently, been buying new good quality LPs to add to the collection/library and some to replace a few all-time favorites. I trust that you are probably correct about super high-end TTs not having or coming with dustcovers. Although my home and sound room aren't particularly dusty, and I don't have much of a static electricity issue to worry about, even if I were fortunate or wealthy enough to have a super high-end TT (e.g. Continuum Caliburn; TechDas Air Force; etc.), I would still endeavor to protect it from environmental dust, especially when not in use. I'm sure you eventually discovered that a sheet of newspaper was probably not the best idea in this regard. Keep on spinning! |
Sorry, but you're showing your age. Most turntables these days don't have a dustcover, particularly at the high end. I exited my last table with a dust cover, a Linn, in the mid-80s. For a while I used to put a sheet of newspaper over the turntable when not in use but pretty soon I didn't bother. I have no problem with static or with dust. It occurs to me it is possible that cleaning fetishists create static on LPs with all the cleaning. I only clean a record if I hear noise - Nitty Gritty, not US. I then put it in a fresh Nagaoka inner so I know it's been cleaned. I almost never have to clean it again. I have c.3000 LPs and have only bought a few 100 Nagaoka sleeves, so I haven't had to clean many. Most of my collection is second-hand but I am VERY careful to buy only records that look pristine and little played. |
Had similar issue with Neil Young Harvest pressing bought brand new from Amoeba in Hollywood CA. Took it back but they wanted to only allow me another copy of the same. After negotiation I was able to get a credit instead and found a clean older used version. As already stated by many, I clean (Pro-Ject Record Cleaner) all new vinyl just in case, but some new may just be defective. You could see a pattern and color difference in the part of new vinyl I returned. I also, clean my stylus regularly as even with clean or new records some micro debris can build up. I used a Pro-Ject acrylic platter cover and have no issues with static. |
Cleeds, the laugh is on me. Staticmaster not Dynagroove. I can’t even imagine how I came up with that name. Anyway in my experience it works better than anything else I own to eliminate static charge. Mine is wider than the one in your image, and I was going on received information when I claimed it was discontinued. Could it be they took the polonium out of the product to permit sales? Anyway if you have one don’t eat it. Further reading suggests polonium is still used. |
@jjbeason14 This is just a start: Do you play your records with the TT dustcover open, off or down? Dust is the enemy! Some purists wouldn't dream of ever playing records with the dustcover on or down. I might be inclined to do the same if my sound system was in a laboratory clean room. Dust is everywhere, no matter how OCD you and/or the maid are! Make sure your TT platter, matt, etc. is/are clean (i.e. no dust). If you insist on playing records with the TT dustcover off or up then, at least, keep the dustcover down when the TT is not in use and/or covered in some way. Personally, I keep the dust cover down AND have a special dust resistant cloth type thing (e.g. one of those old cover type things used to put over office equipment like computers, printers, typewriters, etc.) I cover the entire TT with when not in use. I use a similar cover for my amp, when not in use, in order to keep dust out of the vents & louvers. Use some sort of LP cleaner BEFORE you play ANY record, EVEN NEW ONES. This need not be done every single time before play (or even before and after play, if you want to be that compulsive), unless you have something like a Degritter, which would make doing something like this feasible. Ultrasonic is really the way to go. Check out products at The Last Factory and at CleanerVinyl. I recommend Last Record Preservative, after a thorough record cleaning. Use a good anti-static record brush before AND after every play. Something like the AudioQuest Anti-static Record Brush would do the trick. Some folks don't believe in record brushes or anything going into the record grooves after a good record cleaning and use air puffing or blowing devices, instead. One way or another, try to remove as much of the dust, as possible, off records before playing them. Get rid of those cheap paper record sleeves that generally come with most records and store your records AND albums in good quality anti-static poly sleeves. Check out Music Direct. They have good ones. Check with your cartridge manufacturer and see what they recommend for a stylus cleaner and how often to use it. Some recommend use before and after every play. Personally, I think this is overkill and, in some cases, risky, as this pertains to possible cartridge damage. I've been using an Onzow before and after every play and a safe liquid cleaner every now & then. The Onzow has a built-in magnifying glass type thing that helps you examine the stylus in order to check for dust & crud accummilation. However, there are better loops or magnifying contraptions on the market that will help you get a much better look. Examining your cartridge and stylus, now & then, is a good idea. Finally, store your records properly (e.g. cool, dry place out of the sun; etc.). Apart from investing in a good, effective ultrasonic or vacuum type LP cleaning machine, these basic steps should be well within your stated budget. |
Hmmm, Dynagroove was an RCA "innovation," no?
That sounds like StaticMaster. It’s still available. http://www.company7.com/staticmaster/products/staticmaster.html |
Has anyone got a Dynagroove brush? There’s a strip of polonium built in near the fibers that emits both positive and negative ions. You use it as a brush like the Audioquest brush. They were taken off the market because of the mildly radioactive polonium. I think it works for me just prior to needle drop but because static charge is so idiosyncratic I dare not swear by it. |
That’s vinyl! It’s part of it. A while ago I purchased an Audio deske system ultra sonic cleaner. I only expected it to really clean my records but it improved the sound and quieted the discs so much that it’s really noticeable. I’ve tried other methods, brushes, cleaners, grounding, but this is the only thing that really made a difference. |
My ritual for a new albums.is; Holding the album on a table standing up. Razor the shrink wrap pressing down on the cover now bowing the album so that the album cover bows outward.You should notice the record sleeve clinging to the album. While the sleeve still inside the cover. Using a Zerostat gun placing the nozzle into the sleeve between the record and the sleeve at one corner of the sleeve and SLOWLY pressing the trigger, move the gun toward the other corner of the sleeve. You should hear 2 clicks as you travel, timing the the pressing of the trigger to the end with a full press.This will release a POSITIVE stream of ions. Alternate to the other side of the album 2 or 3 times per side should do it. You'll know you're finished when the record sleeve has released from the album. Both the album cover and sleeve should be bowed outward away from the album. Now pull the sleeve out. Now bowing the sleeve {with gloves if you like} SLOWLY grip the album ROLLING the album out. DO NOT STRAIGHT PULL the album! This will only reload the album with a static charge. Then I clean the album with a cleaning machine. I also use Gruv glide. I have one particular album that has only 2 pops on a side and NONE on the other side. It has worked for me every time. |
It does seem crazy the expense that one will go to, for a Mechanical Means to Clean a LP. There is nothing to suggest prove the method is improved over a Manual Method using Purpose Produced Solutions. Where the Mechanical Method has its most significant support is purported by the users as a convenience. I wear the PAVCR Manual Cleaning Method with Solutions that can be produced in the UK. In the UK the Starter Kit along with a few other accessories beyond suggested recommendations can be acquired for approx' £150, which is a life times worth of Chemical to produce a Cleaning Solution. Distilled Water may need to be re-purchased over time. I would suggest the same Starter Kit can be acquired for a cheaper cost in the US. Either Way Thousands of LP's are able to treated when the Starter Kit is in place. I have US Tank Cleaning and do not use it, the PAVCR Manual Method has superseded the US Tank Method. The methodology I have put in place for the Manual Cleaning enables myself to clean 10 LP's in an hour, with the first few cleaned LP's being ready for re-sleeving prior to the hour being used. The impact of the Manual Cleaning Method using the Cleaning and Rinse Solutions as advised, has left me with the description worthy of being used to explain the impact of the cleaning processes. Is that the LP's are Purified. I certainly do not need any other method at hand, with the result being achieved. |
I US clean new records with a Degritter. However, playing the vinyl will cause static buildup. No different than rubbing a ballon to get static buildup. Some records do have an annoying amount of surface noise. Others very little. I use the Destat III to accomplish two tasks. First use the Destat to reduce static. Then use a carbon fiber brush to remove any dust particles. Static can cause the dust to want to adhere to the vinyl. Using in this way the dust and particles wipe right off. I’ve noted since using this method, there is almost no dust accumulating on the cartridge or stylus. If your record played without noise the first play and notice noise with additional playing, it must have to do with dust or static. I’ve noticed that moving and fixed coil cartridges seem to be less susceptible to popping from static. I believe that removing the static to allow the dust to be easily removed will benefit any vinyl playback regardless of setup YMMV |
Once the real (for some) issue of static has been successfully addressed, all we are left with here is another cleaning fetishists fest. @dmk_calgary Better get all that gunk at the bottom of your US cleaner analysed to check it's not vinyl. |
