Speakers Corner

I haven't yet compared to any originals I own. As for now, I have the two Weather Report discs, the Mahalia Jackson at Newport, and the few releases of Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins. I don't plan on cleaning them unless I hear a reason to do so from playing the actual records. I don't believe the correspondent was lying when he said that no mold release compound is used. Some of the very best sounding records I've heard. 

Do I believe in dust and dirt? What is this? The Interfaith Council on Faith in Reality? I simply reported that Speakers Corner stated that Pallas doesn't use mold release compound, so the necessity of cleaning is obviated for those who would otherwise clean the records after purchasing. The reason that I asked the question to begin with was the because the record sounded so pristine already that I didn't want to do anything further to muck up what I was already experiencing. The company confirmed that. I don't believe Pallas would have any incentive to mislead on this question because it would affect future sales if the records did indeed become affected later. 

I have otherwise been cleaning all of my records. I think the mold release agent is often audible as a kind of haze hanging over the recording. I notice a strong difference after doing so, but I also notice on occasion that the cleaning introduces other sonic artifacts, so I'm not always comfortable with doing so.

Thanks whart. That's a highly informative post. I don't believe I read anything about Clarity vinyl, but that's also quite interesting and I'm surprised that manufacturers haven't followed up on it. I have to wonder though if a mold release agent is already present in the PVC pellets prior to being pressed would this necessarily affect the release of the record from the mold if it lies buried inside the record during the pressing process? Is it possible to clean this agent from the record if it is present during the entire process? Do thermal stabilizers also affect the sonics of the final product? Are those also removed during normal record cleaning?

In any case, I am going to investigate more of what the label offers in my areas of interest.

"I can point you to some of the papers- some are only available through the AES by paid download or subscription to their library."

Thanks again Whart. I think that would be too much information for me to need. I'll take the general overview on the issue without too much technicality. I have far too many other topics that I need or want to know with a great deal of technicality.

OK. Here's the email I received from the representative of the company:

"thank you very much for your inquiry.

Our records are being pressed since more than 20 years at Pallas in Diepholz (Germany), no exception. Although our productions feature both longer pressing and cooling times plus a manual inspection of every single LP, the manufacturing process does not differ from other LPs made at Pallas - and they do not use any kind of release compound. Therefore there is no need to wash a LP made by Pallas.

I have heard from customers having removed static charge of the LP by washing it. Admittedly Pallas pressings are prone to that since they use a very clean vinyl without any additives, but if the turntable is properly earthed, this is not an issue.

To cut a long story short: there is no benefit in washing a factory sealed release from us.

Thank you very much for your interest in our productions and best regards,

Kai Seemann"

"Very clean vinyl without any additives"

"They do not use any kind of release compound"

Good to know. I wasn't worried about static since static is always an issue when playing vinyl, but it was interesting to get this bit of information from SC. Your experience with these records mirrors mine as well.