Does the Step 4 final rinse for Walker Prelude help?


help? Simply, yes, amazingly so.

I have now played six records which were previously cleaned using Prelude. Afer listening I cleaned each with the new Step 4 and then listened again. I expected some benefit, especially as I had already done two Step 3 rinses. What I got, however, was a major reduction in the noise level often revealing noises I had been only somewhat aware of. Listening to Harry Belafonte's Returns to Carnegie Hall. The subway becomes quite obvious and even traffic outside. This, of course, does not improve the performance but the improved ambience and awareness of the movement of the performers greatly improves the realism. Further, the bass is greatly improved.

The Joni Mitchell Blue album moved from a roughly recorded performance into one with great realism about her then youthful voice. One focuses much more on her lyrics. Finally the Duke's Big 4 45 rpm release soared in dynamics. The bass and the piano leaped ahead in realism and the sense of being there.

I have done this with three other albums, but the pattern is obvious. I now have to rinse many, many albums today.

If you like Prelude, Step Four is absolutely necessary. The label says not to take internally, so it clearly contains chemicals not meant to drink.
tbg

Showing 2 responses by stiltskin

Using the laboratory grade water from the Prelude kit as you know pools onto the Lp.
It almost seams it rides or floats on top of the Lp until you work it around the surface with the brush.

Thinking about it, this Step 4 must pick up where the lab water leaves off, or just simply saturates the Lp more effectively.

My question, how does the Step 4 spread over an Lp, is it more uniform then the lab water?

Tbg,we have similar tastes in music,all that you mentioned. Harry Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall, great music by all and yes the sub way and that one truck going through the gears.
It's much more evident now with my new turntable.
Do you have the 45 rpm box set of Belafonte Live at Carnegie Hall?
Been enjoying that one since I was a very young child,thanks to me dear old Mom for introducing me to a wide verity of truly great music of her ara.

Anyway ,I certainly plan on buying some Step 4.

Rushton did mention the product in another thread, it just didn't click at the time that it was a new product.

Looking forward to it.
TBg and Rushton, this past weekend I used the Walker Step 4 ..... I still can't get over what I heard this weekend.

For others reading this, anyone that is serious about analogue regardless of play back price range, need to start using an active enzyme based soak method of cleaning your vinyl.

The results go far beyond other products on the market including cleaning with steam which seams to be a new found method of today,it's not.
As a matter of fact the end result are not even in the same league, not even close....

Over the past 25 plus years I have used many different brands of solutions including cleaning with steam.

I've been using Walker Prelude for about a year, this cleaning method alone is a revelation.
The Step 4 rinse completes this product.

For the price including a record cleaning machine ,you would be hard pressed finding anything for your system that would match these sonic results.