cleaning gritty surface noise on LPs


Back in the '70s I used a Disc Preener to clean my records.  At times I, or perhaps a roommate, might have gotten the Disc Preener too moist, and the result has been a low-level, gritty surface noise on some of those old records that are otherwise in good shape.

I've tried cleaning them with various record cleaning solutions (mostly alcohol-based) with my Nitty Gritty RCM, and nothing has lessened this particular noise, even though they have worked fine with other LPs.

Has anyone encountered this problem and solved it?

128x128drmuso

Showing 1 response by dogberry

I'd be a bit suspicious about all those LAST products too.

@mijostyn I must disagree with you in your blanket condemnation of ultrasonic cleaning. If used wisely, it certainly improves on a vacuum RCM, and by wisely I mean addressing the issue you raise about air-drying. For example, I remove as gross contamination as possible with a Loricraft point-source vacuum machine, mostly to avoid contamination of the solution in the Degritter which follows it. Then I do a distilled water rinse on the Loricraft and dry the record on that same machine. I have experimented with changing the order of the machines and with all sorts of solutions, and I think I have it right now. It doesn't make very much difference whether I use a detergent based solution or an enzymatic one: either gets removed by the final rinse and so residue contamination is not an issue. And the final vacuum drying reduces static from air-drying, so that is dealt with (I admit I still use a Furutech Destat III and a blower brush before each play to be sure.) A record treated like this will usually be silent and can be played a dozen times before needing a repeat clean.

I do agree in one respect though, if the Degritter breaks down (as they seem to eventually do) I shall likely continue with the Loricraft alone. It seems to do all the heavy lifting as about 80% of records will be silent when cleaned on it without the Degritter, as I discovered by using it for twelve years before I added the Degritter. That has made a record with surface noise quite the rarity now, the exceptions are usually older records that have had a hard life with previous owners or with me before I learned that cleaning was so important.