Removing surface noise from used records

I have fairly recently gotten a new record player (Dual 1209) and have about 80 records, mostly used. For the first couple weeks, I though there was something wrong with my record player because the amount of static/surface noise was so horrendous. I cleaned my needle and tried using new records and there was absolutely no static. There aren't any scratches on the vast majority of my used records, and I've spent enough money on them that I want to salvage them (Zep, Floyd, Dead, etc.) But gosh is this static loud, especially in the quiet parts. I have a discwasher I've been using but clearly it's not doing the job. I don't have $600 to drop on a Nitty Gritty Record cleaner. I was thinking about a Spin Clean or a Record Doctor (which is $200, more than I want to spend but I will if it's the only way). But I wanted to get all of your opinions. How do I get rid of some of this surface noise so I can enjoy my records? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Try cleaning an unimportant one in the sink first. Maybe rinse with distilled/demineralized water if you want to be thorough. If that doesn't make a noticeable difference, there may be groove damage from being played with poor equipment or wear (and no cleaning will remedy that).

 

Get one of the bath cleaners but do not use cloths to dry plus get a supply of purified water to do a second rinsing bath (to remove residue left by cleaning liquid supplied). Leave to dry in rack for a few minutes. Some noise may be due to groove damage which cleaning won't remove.

 

If these are older records, particularly from the 60s, 70s etc, then it is very common to have fairly continuous static at a low level, that would be noticeable during quiet parts. This is groove damage due to being played typically with much heavier styli downforce (VTF), or a badly set-up stylus. Sometimes the stylus you have on your own record player will affect this. For example, a shibata or line contact stylus reaches further into the grooves and may avoid some of this damage (not always though). A typical cheaper elliptical stylus such as on an Ortofon 2M red, may accentuate it, but in rare cases may be better!

If you have got used to CDs and the quiet they have, it isn't always easy to get back into records, particularly old ones.

Note that most wear related groove damage is NOT visible by shining lights on the record. It will not show up as scratches etc. And it is very unlikely to be dirt on the record if you have used a discwasher. Yes, there is some dirt that a vacuum type cleaner may help with, but the disco antistat and discwashers do very well at trapping the bulk of the dirt. It is really important you are using a good cleaning solution that doesn't leave behind a deposit. If you do rinse with distilled (NEVER tap water particularly if your water is hard), you must rinse it immediately after cleaning with the discwasher. If your cleaning fluid is leaving a deposit then this could also create a persistent crackle, but I suspect you are using the fluid that came with the unit so you should be fine.

Bottom line, I think you are just going to have to respect the age and nature of vinyl and tune out the crackle in your head!

If you want further analysis, it would be best for you to record if possible the sound you are getting so we can all take a listen.

I have a Pink Floyd Dark Side of the moon pressed in 73 with A3/B3 matrix where the full tonality of the recording is perfectly intact, no loss of treble, detail and no loud clicks. However, it has a low level persistent crackle that is audible in the quieter parts suggesting heavy stylus wear. After you stop listening for it, you can detune it. I also found that with my expensive MC cartridge the level of crackle was reduced compared to the 2M Red.

 

I've always found a good wet clean like a spin clean gets rid of my static. Any noise after that is probably the pressing. I store the records in antistatic sleeves after cleaning and don't have a problem and I live in a very dry climate.

 

My Spin Clean is the best investment I ever made for my vinyl collection. Highly recommended.

 

If the problem is dirt, a Spin-Clean will handle it. I used the manual Disc Doctor method for years with excellent results but then switched to a Spin-Clean to speed things up. Much easier and faster but I still get the same results. If a Spin-Clean doesn't fix the problem, then @jonstatt pretty much covered it. If you were having the same problems with new records, I'd think it was a setup or stylus issue but you said new LPs play fine.

 

I was about to post about just this and saw your post. My mom's cousin fixes Duals for a living, he runs fixmydual. I got my record player from him and have been talking to him about this sort of stuff. I sent him an email yesterday saying essentially what I said here. He told me to come in today and he'd give me something that might help. He had a new Spin Clean lying around that he got at an estate sale and gave it to me for free with a bunch of extra cleaner. He said if I could figure out how to use it I could have it. I'm washing the towels that come with it now and then I'm going to give it a shot. What a coincidence you said that too. I'm crossing my fingers that it works!

 

Nature of the beast
There are some lp's that just won't "clean up"
And as much as I hate to say this --- those that sound like crap after a good cleaning go into my "special" milk crate for there they sit until I decide what to do with them
Anybody ever see Freinheit 451?

 

I would agree, if it doesn't wash off, they are probably just worn records

you did get a new stylus for your used turntable? and it is setup properly etc?

 

Yes, I have a Shure M95ED that he installed. I am washing the towels that came with the Spin Clean now, once that's done I'll start washing

 

very happy with my spin clean. definitely has made the vast amount of my records sound much better. also, If it is very bad I have used the wood glue trick many times.

 

the towels will sometimes still leave some fibers on the record so make sure to look it over. you will most likely find these attached to your stylus when you go to flip the lp. I found that after the second time of washing the rags they don't seem to let go of too many fibers anymore

 

Tightbond II wood glue and a Microline stylus equipped cartridge like the AT440 are your friend.

 

When purchasing future used records, be careful to look at the label around the spindle hole, if you see impression lines from the record being spindled, that tells you roughly how many times the other side of the record has been played.

If I find a record that is completely filthy but has few if any spindle lines then I'll buy it. You can remove dirt, but you cannot remove play wear.

 

I agree. Works like a charm. Swapping to a microline this evening after work. We will see how my test record sounds.

 

I hope that you have a Geo disc or a protractor to help you align that cartridge. For my money, a stylus force gauge, even a cheap one, is much more trustworthy than the markings on the weight on your tonearm.

 

Yep. Got it covered. Already installed.

 

And I can agree there. I got it dead on too. The sound difference vs my at120e is astounding.

 

I believe the manual recommends that when you wash the towels they should be washed by themselves, with no bleach or detergent. Just in case yours didn't come with it!

 

Very wise advice!

 

Clean records with LAST#2 Record Preservative gives me the "sounds of silence" in the grooves IMO>


sean

 

I don't want to take this thread off track, but I have tried Last and didn't find it reduced noise. I am fully in belief it stops it getting worse....but I remain unconvinced on it's ability to "heal". It doesn't advertise as such...it is marketed as a preventative.

 

Will not "heal" just lowers the noise associated with groove/stylus friction. As someone said on here, kinda the same as a car that has fresh wax on it...goes through the air with less resistance kinda comment>?

sean

 

A quick word of advice: I have read that you should avoid using any fabric softeners when washing the microfiber towels. (residual oily substance will be spread onto record) Also, fluffskul recommends not to use detergents or bleach in post #20 above. I minimize the use of microfiber towels as I believe they can introduce some fine fiber residue on the clean record. I also believe that during prolonged air drying of a wet record, air-born dust can be attracted to and stick to the wet spots. I only lightly "whisk off" the big drops of water or excessively wet areas with the towels and minimize contact with the record. The "damp" grooves of the record will air dry fairly quickly if they are not "dripping wet".

I wash my microfiber towels in a large stainless steel bowl with a small amount of Dawn Dish Washing liquid and distilled water. I then double or triple rinse the towels thoroughly with distilled water to make sure all the detergent is removed. After the towels are dry I place them immediately in a clean sealed plastic bag to minimize exposure to airborne dust.

I live in the Virgin Islands and residents here usually leave the windows open to take advantage of the cool Trade Winds. We unfortunately have a bit of Saharan dust (that is carried by the Trades from the Sahara Desert) in the air, so I am more concerned about air-borne dust than many of you may need to be. It is definitely a factor for me here. I am looking into building a sealed record drying device that has a filtered air intake and connects to a shop vac. Again, dust is a bigger concern for me here than in many places---especially where you keep windows closed and have filtration on your air conditioning or heating systems.