Cork mat or acrylic platter, what say ye?

brianlux said:

tempo_n_groove said:

dudeman said:

Do you mean the popping and clicking you would hear from static or dust on a record? 

Less static and noise, yes.

I'm noticing that with my new cork slipmat as well.  And less dust clinging to the vinyl.

With the acrylic dust is not a problem.

This is good advice. I'm sure most people do it already but running a brush wetted with Discwasher solution (or something similar) over each side before playing really knocks down the snap, crackle and pop.

I've always looked at the cork slip mat as preventative maintenance. It keeps the static from building back up after you've cleaned and de-static-ified.

Id really recommend doing a good wet clean on your records. A brush is good for the stuff you can see, but doesn't really help long term sound quality. 

earthquakes making waves said:

Can I get some recommendations 2 things for me:

1 - A good washing solution and brush to use. I already use a felt "brush" and that helps a lot but I can tell it's not getting as deep in the grooves as I would like.

2 - A descent way to do a deep clean on some pretty dirty records that have been sitting on my Dad's shelves for about 30-50 years. He's got some great 1st editions I'd really love to listen to, but not damage while trying to clean. I've seen mixed reviews on those plastic record washers on Amazon, but I figured some friends on here might give some goon advice.

Thanks much! Feel free to PM me, I can fix most things instrument and audio/electronics wise and would be happy to help this great community!

I use the "yellow" Spin Clean system. works great. just make sure the brushes are in good shape.

I also have an extra one for the rinse cycle and then a have a vacuum attachment to dry the record.

pretty good little DIY system that costs half what you would pay for the all-in-one types

lolobugg said:

earthquakes making waves said:

Can I get some recommendations 2 things for me:

1 - A good washing solution and brush to use. I already use a felt "brush" and that helps a lot but I can tell it's not getting as deep in the grooves as I would like.

2 - A descent way to do a deep clean on some pretty dirty records that have been sitting on my Dad's shelves for about 30-50 years. He's got some great 1st editions I'd really love to listen to, but not damage while trying to clean. I've seen mixed reviews on those plastic record washers on Amazon, but I figured some friends on here might give some goon advice.

Thanks much! Feel free to PM me, I can fix most things instrument and audio/electronics wise and would be happy to help this great community!

I use the "yellow" Spin Clean system. works great. just make sure the brushes are in good shape.

I also have an extra one for the rinse cycle and then a have a vacuum attachment to dry the record.

pretty good little DIY system that costs half what you would pay for the all-in-one types

The Spin Clean system works great!  Hadn't thought about an extra for rinse cycle.  Good idea!

I bought extra drying cloths but they get damp fast so I set up a dish drying rack I found that doesn't touch the grooves and set it up with the records facing edge-wise toward a slow speed fan for complete drying.  I hand wash the clothes and avoid drying them with dryer sheets (they leave a was residue on the cloth- not good for records!) 

Good idea about keeping the brushes cleaned and in good shape.  Word of caution- if you decide to get an extra brush set, don't bother with the after-marked brushes.  They're only good for 200 gram LP's-- everything else just slides through to easily and don't clean well.

I bought a cheap kit from the local record store. Vinyl Styl I think. It has a bottle of cleaning fluid and a brush. Seems to work well. 

There are people who use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. You just set the stylus down on the pad and pick it up again. Simple as that. I've heard that they work but haven't tried it myself. 

DewieCox said:

Onzow Zerodust

+1

I made a mat today using a Wilson Jones static dissipative table mat. We'll see how well that works. 

brianlux said:

dudeman said:

I bought a cheap kit from the local record store. Vinyl Styl I think. It has a bottle of cleaning fluid and a brush. Seems to work well. 

There are people who use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. You just set the stylus down on the pad and pick it up again. Simple as that. I've heard that they work but haven't tried it myself. 

I have an LP #9 Stylus Cleaner from Record Research Lab.  I've never been able to fully decipher the confusing instruction sheet though.  For all I know, I've been using it improperly all this time.  I just put some of the fluid on the brush and pull the brush one way, back to fron, a few times.  They say something about decanting some of the fluid to clean contaminants off the bottle brush. 

Very confusing.

You are doing it correctly, Brian.  And you don't even have to use the fluid every time.  Just pulling the dry stylus brush before every session will help greatly, then use the fluid once a week or every few days, depending on how often you play.

I have never heard of decanting the fluid.  That sounds overboard to me.  Like something wealthy, self-proclaimed audiophile types with too much money in their bank accounts and time on their hands would say to convince themselves they are doing it better than us peons.

This is the kit I use.  Exact same as the LP9 kit, just branded by Sleeve City and 2/3 of the price.  There's a short video in the description which should end any confusion.
http://www.sleevecityusa.com/diskeeper-sc5-stylus-cleaner-p/sc-5.htm

As suggested by dudeman, the Magic Eraser trick works, too.  Just cut like a 1/4" sliver off the end of one.  Don't wet it.  Set it down on your platter, then drop & lift your stylus onto it a couple times.