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Walker Audio Prelude LP Cleaning Solution

I did not want to post this as a full review as this is my initial first impression using the newly released Walker Audio Prelude LP Cleaning Solutions.

Prelude is a 3-step process consisting of enzymes, premixed cleaning solution and an ultra pure water rinse (made via a 7 stage filtration process). I comes nicely packaged with the following: a 64 ounce container of ultra pure water, a 16 ounce squeeze bottle of premixed cleaning solution, a second bottle of water in a 16 ounce squeeze bottle, an empty 4 ounce squeeze bottle, and a jar of enzyme powder, along with a small scoop and a slightly larger scoop.

Lloyd’s research indicates that enzymes in a solution only have a life cycle of 8-10 hours before they die off. By keeping the enzymes in a powder form, and only mixing enough to be used during a cleaning session ensures they stay active.

If you plan on cleaning 5-6 or so LP sides at a time (which is what I have been doing), use the small scoop in the enzyme powder. Place the powder in the empty 4-ounce bottle. Add some of the water from the 16-ounce container up to the “A” mark on the 4-ounce bottle and shake to mix. Apply to the pads of a cleaning brush and lightly scrub the LP as it spins on your RCM. Let it sit for 15-30 seconds and vacuum off.

Using a second brush, apply the premixed cleaning solution to the pad and apply to the LP as above. Let sit for a few seconds and vacuum off. Do not let either solution dry on the LP.

Using a third brush, use the ultra pure water as a final rinse and vacuum off.

I have had lots of experience with different LP cleaning products, including Disc Doctor, Audio Intelligent, and L’Art du Son. The AI solutions are similar to Prelude in that they also use the enzyme solution as a pre-treat prior to cleaning. The AI enzyme come premixed, unlike the Prelude. The enzyme powder formula of Prelude ensures that the enzymes stay viable until they are needed. I really like the AI solutions when I used them, and missed them when Paul sold the business.

That said, The Walker Audio Prelude is the best of the AI, kicked up several notches. Lloyd Walker has hit another one out of the ballpark. After cleaning several LPs that I thought I knew backward and forward, I can report the following: surfaces are dead silent, with no residue what so ever from any of the three steps. There is no static build up, and even well played LPs have that shiny right out of the sleeve look to them.

Focus, detail and transparency are the first three words that come to mind when describing what I am hearing. The inner detail on familiar LPs lets me hear for the first time things that have been there but never fleshed out of the grooves the way it is after using Prelude. At least, that's what MY ears are telling me. The music just leaps out from the utter blackness of the grooves. And, your records are REALLY clean. What else could you expect from one of the true masters of the analog arts? Who better to bring such a great product to the market for LP lovers than the man who builds what I consider to be the finest LP playback product in the world?

Give Lloyd a call and talk to him yourself about Walker Audio Prelude. I have no financial connection to Walker Audio other than the fact that I am a very happy customer and use many of their products in my system.

Kudos to Lloyd, Felicia, and Fred for creating another great Walker Audio product.
slipknot1

Showing 4 responses by tafka_steve

tafka_steve
115 posts
 
Here are a couple of reasons that enzymes could become inactive in solution. Most of this depends on the concept that an enzyme is a large polypeptide chain with a tertiary structure that is relatively unstable compared to simple chemical catalysts. Changes in this structure can lead to its inactivation.:

1. Denaturation of the enzymes by agitation at air:water interfaces. Do you see soap-like bubbles when you shake the enzyme solution? Uh oh, that is enzyme that has lost its tertiary structure by denaturation caused by separation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions of the polypeptide chains at the air:water interface. Better be careful mixing this solution and use swirling, rather than shaking motions. Hint: roll it between your palms.

2. Degradation due to proteases. The world (inc. probably record surfaces) is full of proteases made by microbes and even your fingers and these can attack enzymes and inactivage them by cleaving the polypeptide chain into smaller pieces and amino acids.

3. Inactivation due to inhibition. Enzymes often require cofactors to work and depletion of these can inhibit further enzyme action. Alternatively, inhibitor molecules can bind to the enzyme and modify it to an inactive state.

Hope this helps clarify things. (I am a molecular biologist with a background in protein x-ray crystallography and the design of peptide detergents.)
tafka_steve
115 posts
 
Tvad, the sporicidin enzyme cleaner sounds similar to the Buggtussel enzyme system and it would probably work well with records contaminated with fungi, but it would not work on the mold release compounds. That would require something with lipase-like enzymes. The sporicidin enzymatic cleaner or Buggtussel would be a good first step on a heavily contaminated record, to follow with Lloyd's system.
tafka_steve
115 posts
 
Tvad, I do not know the exact composition of the mold release compounds, but suspect they are a mixture of long-chain hydrocarbon alkanes. These can be synthetic or natural, like crude oil is a natural product. But either can be degraded by bacteria (synthetic or natural? it doesn't matter because bacteria are incredible chemists!). I do not know the nature of Walker's enzyme solution; that is his intellectual property. However, if I were to try to do this (try to remove mold release compounds), I'd start experimenting with the oil-degrading enzymes extracted from thermophilic bacteria. These enzymes are probably more (thermally and kinetically) stable than those sourced from other bacteria, because they have to be functional in the hot springs where the bacteria live.

Again, I have no inside information on Walker's system and hope that I did not imply such, so I cannot vouch for the safety of it or the sporicidin enzyme solution, as I haven't tried either. I suggest caution in first use: IOW, try it on Herb Alpert's "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" before trying it on your 1s/1s RCA stereo pressing of Reiner's "Scheherezade".
tafka_steve
115 posts
 
FWIW, vinyl molecules are NOT substrates which can be metabolized by proteases, amylases, or lipases. However, I cannot vouch for the safety of the sporicidin enzyme mixture on vinyl if it contains ingredients (enzyme cofactors, buffers, etc.) not described here. Also, I cannot predict the ease of removal of any residues from the sporicidin enzyme solutions from the vinyl surface. What residues? Well besides the enzymes, the products of the enzyme/substrate reactions are small polysaccharides and sugars, peptides and amino acids, and fatty acids--those will have to be removed as well. Otherwise, you'll just end up growing bacteria on your records. Fortunately, they should be readily extractable with a detergent/water rinse.

Also, to avoid confusion, the "mold" described in the sporicidin enzyme solution lit. is fungus and is not to be confused with the "mold" in the mold-release compounds of vinyl records ("mold" = metal template).
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