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overwhelmed by record rituals

Hi all-

I'm new to vinyl and starting to build a collection. Because I am just buying new audiophile quality vinyl (so far) it never occurred to me I should be washing the vinyl before I play it. So far my process has been to use a bit of Last stylus cleaner on the stylus (maybe after every 3 or 4 plays) and to use an Audioquest brush on the record before dropping the needle. I am starting to get some pops and clicks, though, so wondering if I should be doing more. I read through record rituals and I am a bit overwhelmed and looking for a simple process. My first question is if I should invest in a record cleaning machine before I invest in more vinyl? Is VPI a decent (modestly priced) one? Second, this article in Stereophile on Last record preservation made me wonder if I should be doing that?
http://www.stereophile.com/content/last-record-preservation-treatment
So I guess that would mean my process might be VPI (or other record cleaner) for a new record (and periodically, I'm assuming, after that) followed by a one time treatment with Last record preservative. Using the carbon Audioquest brush and Last stylus cleaner as I have been all along?

Any guidance?

Thanks!

mc
mcanaday
54 responses Add your response
abucktwoeighty's avatar
abucktwoeighty
1,079 posts
 
Get a Nitty Gritty cleaner for a couple hundred bucks. It's manual, but one gets used to such matters. I use AIVS 3 step fluids with excellent results. Follow up with a Zerostat static removal gun. Silence.
griffithds
852 posts
 
Mcanaday,

Those ticks and pops are specks of dirt/dust that are in the air and landing on your record. Having a clean tip is good for the cartridge and also the record but it will do nothing for those ticks and pops. Buy yourself an ANTI-STATIC CARBON FIBRE RECORD BRUSH and use it before every play. I've seen good ones on Ebay for less than $15. If you are committed to stay with vynal, then by all means, get a record cleaning machine. They all clean the same. You will pay for add features. I have the VPI 16.5. I would consider it the best investment I have ever made related to vynal. Not the fact that it is a VPI but the fact that it is a Record Cleaning Machine. The more you pay for a machine, the easier the cleaning of the record becomes. But paying more will not, I repeat, not get your records cleaner.
If you do buy a machine, get back to us. Many of us have home made concoctions to use as cleaning fluids. No need to buy those expensive products provided by various manufacturers to clean those precious garage finds!
Regards,
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
The pops and clicks could be static, not vinyl, noise. The dusting of an LP (which is all carbon fiber brushes such as the Audioquest do) can create static, so I would get an anti-static gun. Last Stylus Cleaner (amongst others) is a great product, I've used it for years. But apply it before every side. The Last LP Preservative is great stuff too. A VPI HW-16 is a real good idea if you're into vinyl for the long haul. New records have an invisible layer of record stamper release goo on them, which a VPI cleaning will remove. The HW-16 will keep your new LP's in as-new condition as well. You know not to touch the grooves of LP's with your fingers, right? Hold them with the sides of the LP in the palm of each hand, not pinched between your fingers and thumbs. Finger oils get into the groove, and dust landing on an LP with stick to the oil, creating an abrasive mixture, which will lead to noisy LP's. And store your LP's as vertically as possible, without leaning at an angle, to keep them flat. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?!
zd542
5,339 posts
 
I would experiment with some of the cheaper solutions before buying anything expensive. Last is good. I have some stuff called Finyl that seems to work OK. Try a few different brands and see if they can do the job. If they don't work out, then look into getting a machine.
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