How to eliminate static when playing a record

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by alfajim, Oct 29, 2014.

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  1. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    I have an old one and a fresh one; the fresh one definitely has some ju-ju, but, like the Zerostat, it's too much. Remember polonium making the news a few years ago with the mysterious poisoning death of that Russian ex-pat in London?
     
  2. Quiet Earth

    Quiet Earth Forum Resident

    Thanks for the clarification! (And the correction.)
     
  3. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    A used Bounce clothes dryer cloth will eliminate ststic. Just lightly wipe your clean LP with it and the ststic vanishes. It is easy and totally safe, just be sure the clith had run through the dryer, never use one right out of the box.
     
    phish likes this.
  4. alfajim

    alfajim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    san rafael ca
    investigating a little more on this static thing. I have picked up some very nice records off e bay The Linda Ronstadt What's New W/Nelson Riddle, a Lena Horn Stormy Weather and a complete collection of Beethovens symphonies all 9 with Toscanini conducting the NBC it has no sleeves and neither does the Lena Horn so I was looking on the bay for anti static sleeves, recommendations please? also there is a vendor listing a anti static mat it is a felt carbon fiber composit, any good does anyone know?
    This ought to be good for a Discussion!
     
  5. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    Thanks. This + no socks helped a lot.
     
  6. BuddhaBob

    BuddhaBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Erie, PA, USA
    I am curious... if you would please try the same routine with the demag plugged in but not "on" and report back?
     
  7. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    Tomorrow night.
     
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  8. EasterEverywhere

    EasterEverywhere Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albuquerque
    Could someone tell me why good record cleaning machines,like a VPI or a Nitty Gritty are so expensive?
     
  9. BuddhaBob

    BuddhaBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Erie, PA, USA
    Because not that many are made. They have to tool up to make x number of them and it isn't that many. Research/development, materials, labor, packaging, promotion = several hundred $$ (if they want to stay in business, that is).
     
  10. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mars
    --------------------
    You must have an horseshoe magnet laying around somewhere. Give it a whirl.
     
  11. Ephi82

    Ephi82 Still have two ears working

    Location:
    S FL
    CD Player
     
  12. BuddhaBob

    BuddhaBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Erie, PA, USA
    Actually I don't have a horseshoe magnet, although I do have many small magnets, some very strong pulled from old hard disc drives.

    But a demagnetizer using AC current can randomize the magnetic domains in recording tape coatings because of the alternating current. A standard magnet isn't the same and won't demag nearly as well as a tape demag.

    The reason I have asked twice now is to see if it is the ground wire in the demag being near the static field on the LP that is scavenging electrons off of the LP and not any demagnetization happening.

    Could you try your usual procedure, Jim, with the demag plugged in but not "on" to see ?
     
  13. Burt

    Burt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kirkwood, MO
    A magnet should have no effect on static. A good ground should bring the static potential of metal, connected objects to ground but dielectric objects are what has the static charge, and what you hear is that charge being abruptly drained to ground. That's (one) reason static bracelet leads and static bench mats (that might be a good idea!) have a high resistance to ground, rather than a low one. The idea is to bleed the charge gradually.

    Humidity control, and the use of static dissipative agents (that's how fabric softeners work) are your best bet.
     
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  14. vanhooserd

    vanhooserd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    In the winter the air in our house is quite dry, but I use a Spin Clean & never have a static problem.
     
  15. BuddhaBob

    BuddhaBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Erie, PA, USA
    Exactly what I keep trying to determine here. I don't doubt the demag users about the usefulness of removing static with a demagnetizer. I respect Jim's observation when as he posted his technique. But I couldn't see how demagging a record could remove static through demagnetizing--there is nothing to demagnetize. Thinking about the physics of it, I figured that the AC power ground must somehow be eliminating the charge and, if so, a demag plugged-in but not ON should do the same. I am still curious to find out.

    It is almost impossible to "ground" an LP. You can't touch one edge to a ground and have the whole thing discharged--it isn't a conductor, which is one of the properties of a dielectric. Overall contact may only serve to create more charge, or just move it around. So most SIMPLE static control solutions, where the material is moving, involve tinsel or metal combs that ALMOST touch the surface...the charge is scavenged away, mostly but not entirely. So, maybe a device plugged into the ground only on an AC outlet could be useful. There may even be such a device in the audiophile world of "accessories", I don't know. The cord would be a bit of a hassle and could potentially scuff an LP, using it as a handheld de-static wand or whatever. You'd want something easy to use with minimal handling between usage and the record being played. A device that you could swing over the record as it is being played, at very close clearance, might be most ideal for less chance to damage anything and less handing (handling=more static).

    Let's see what the demag crowd reports back.
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2014
  16. vinylman

    vinylman Senior Member

    Location:
    Leeds, U.K.

    A cork mat made things a lot better for me, too.
     
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  17. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    No time to investigate this tonight as promised but I will do so soon and report back.
     
    BuddhaBob likes this.
  18. fluffskul

    fluffskul Would rather be at a concert

    Location:
    albany, ny
    +1 For Spinfree
    +1 For Cork mat.

    As far as grounding being an issue.. if you are ever using a turntable that isn't grounded correctly you will know it. Its not just a little static... I can't describe the sound, but you know it when you hear it. It sounds like an electrical disturbance.
     
  19. alfajim

    alfajim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    san rafael ca
    Back to my original question a little ways back which inner sleeve brand is the best for the buck as there are quite a few listed on e bay, I need some for the albums I just got with out sleeves, and to replace the damaged ones and also I queried about the good or bad of a platter mat listed made from felt + carbon fiber a composit the description states it electrostaticly discharges the static, anyone tried one, does it work.

    Jim
     
  20. bluesky

    bluesky Senior Member

    Location:
    south florida, usa
    carbon fiber record brush
     
  21. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    In mathematical terms...

    Spin Clean + cork mat + Zerostat = overkill = static free listening
     
  22. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    Listening to a freshly cleaned LP. First time hearing this LP [German pressing "Journey - Look Into The Future"]. I went over it with the bulk eraser plugged in but not triggered. It sounds very good, some noise is present but whether or not it's static I cannot tell. I will play this same LP again in a few days first going over it with the bulk eraser turned on and report the results.
     
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  23. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    Playing the same LP again, this time I went over it with the bulk eraser turned on. I don't hear any difference. I think the noise that is present is the record though, not static.
     
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  24. Paul Chang

    Paul Chang Forum Old Boy, Former Senior Member Has-Been

    Walking on carpet/rug can cause static. Wearing slippers makes it even worse. Grounding yourself just before handling records can help.

    I used to get zapped frequently by my VPI TNT-5 HR which has a multi-layer platter (top layer black rubber?). Several records got scratched when they were sent flying by my reflex when I got the "shock treatment". I had to resort to wearing a grounding wrist band until I discovered that the bearing housing can be grounded from under it.

    I still get light static at times but haven't got shocked since.
     
  25. DannyC

    DannyC Forum Resident

    I have a mint copy of Japans "Oil On canvas" which sounds like its static city.. The peculiar thing is even after cleaning - the static is not random - its the same everytime. Its as if the static got somehow recorded into the pressing.
     
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