Record with hiss throughout song. Anyway to get rid of it or is it the record?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by SixOClockBoos, Dec 2, 2019.

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  1. SixOClockBoos

    SixOClockBoos The Man On The Flaming Pie Thread Starter

    Got a 7" promo copy in the mail. Visually it looks very clean and so are the labels. Unfortunately, the A-side is decorated with hiss. Is there anyway to get rid of hiss by wet playing or any cleaning solutions? I hate to return it since I've been looking for a copy of this record for quite a while, but I also want what I paid for to be what I paid for and be happy with my purchase. Thanks!
     
  2. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    What's the record?
     
  3. SixOClockBoos

    SixOClockBoos The Man On The Flaming Pie Thread Starter

    The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) by the Walker Bros. WLP, no writing on labels. Looks almost brand new too.
     
  4. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Blank White Label is probably a test pressing, the one that failed perhaps. One has to be weary about buying them, as that's exactly what they are.
     
  5. violarules

    violarules Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    It was probably played one-too-many times with a worn-out cartridge and has severe groove damage. That would account for the hiss. I would ask for a refund if it was listed as being in any condition better than fair. Include an audio sample and an explanation of the problem.
     
  6. violarules

    violarules Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    He says it was a white label promo, which doesn't mean it was a test pressing. Most likely a radio station copy that was played with a worn-out DJ cart at some point, which chewed the thing up.
     
    The FRiNgE and c-eling like this.
  7. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Ahh could be. Odd though a station would be playing a blank label without knowing who the artist was. :winkgrin:
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  8. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    Purchase the CD version.
     
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  9. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    Sometimes record labels sent test pressings out as very early promo copies. Especially really advance copies. Even acetate reference copies in a few cases when a label wanted to get the record in the hands of key stations fast. Not unusual. Usually these would come with a letter or note from the label promotion director. Explaining what it was and how. Usually with a typed label or hand written.
     
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  10. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    A lot of Mercury and Philips styrene 45 RPM singles in the day were hissy even near mint. And many of them were also cut severely loud and had tracking issues on the best of tonearms and cartridges. Just to let you know.
     
  11. Apesbrain

    Apesbrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    You could record it into your laptop using a free application like Audacity and experiment with noise reduction. Of course, you'd have to play it going forward from your PC.
     
    MitchLT and McLover like this.
  12. violarules

    violarules Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    A white label promo does not mean a blank label. White label promos feature a mostly-normal typeset with song, artist, and publisher info, but instead of the record company's usual color scheme (for example, in the case of Columbia, a white or orange background color), the background color is plain white. It was an easy way to distinguish promo-only copies from standard stock.

    WLP does not mean a blank label!
     
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  13. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I realize this. OP stated no writing.
     
  14. violarules

    violarules Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    Ah, my interpretation of that was that there was no handwriting. That's what "no writing" means to me; not that there was no printed type at all on the label. Maybe he can clarify.
     
    The FRiNgE, R. Totale and c-eling like this.
  15. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I took it as completely blank. Who knows. :laugh:
     
  16. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    Either its worn or the vinyls bad. Need a soundsample to tell.
     
  17. slovell

    slovell Retired Mudshark

    Location:
    Chesnee, SC, USA
    Could be tape hiss from a cheap master copy.
     
  18. violarules

    violarules Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    The FRiNgE likes this.
  19. violarules

    violarules Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    If it's an official White Label Promo, this is unlikely.
     
  20. 389 Tripower

    389 Tripower Just a little south of Moline

    Location:
    Moline, IL USA
    I have a nice minty stock red label copy of this 45. There is NO hiss.
    Your promo copy is probably worn out.
    A little dated for a ‘66 song, but I always liked it!
     
  21. What's on the B side? Same song? Same noise? Different song, same noise?

    There appear to be 2 versions: one has the same song on both sides.
     
  22. SixOClockBoos

    SixOClockBoos The Man On The Flaming Pie Thread Starter

    Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I did try cleaning the record as the seller told me, but that did not fix anything. We're going to go through a hassle free return. Looks like I'll be keeping my eyes peeled out for this record once again.
     
    The FRiNgE likes this.
  23. mds

    mds Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    Tim Buckley on the Happy Sad album track 3 - Love From Room 109 at the Islander Motel (On Pacific Coast Highway). Great song. They discovered the hiss and worked it right in and it helps make the song.

    Oops, I am working out as reading and responding guess I missed the gist of this post, anyway this is a great song with hiss. I would not throw it away :D
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2019
  24. SixOClockBoos

    SixOClockBoos The Man On The Flaming Pie Thread Starter

    That's what I'm chalking it up to. A worn needle must've torn up the record grooves.

    Yes, I did mean by "no writing" as "no handwriting". Lot's of DJ's would write on the record labels to indicate the side to play, the time, the day the station received the record and more. Normally, I don't buy/keep stock copies that have writing on them, but I make an exception for WLP/DJ copies. Having a DJ copy without any handwriting on the label is a plus for me.

    Unfortunately it is worn out. I heard the song about two years ago for the first time (either in a while or in my life) and I absolutely loved it. Haven't found a suitable copy yet, but since it's a favorite of mine and I seek promo copies of my favorite songs, I thought I finally found the one.

    It's the B-side. Back in 1966 I'm not sure there were too many records produced that had the same song on both sides. If the record had the same song on both sides, I might've kept it.
     
    c-eling likes this.
  25. Exotiki

    Exotiki The Future Ain’t What It Use To Be

    Location:
    Canada
    I’d give it the best cleaning possible and then put it through a restoration process and then return it.
     
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