When I started running out of the Record Doctor fluid I had been using with my RD machine, I started reading up on the different options, and decided to try L'Art du Son's concentrate. User reviews on the forums are almost universally enthusiastic, and I like the fact that it contains no alcohol, so it's safe to use on 78s and acetate discs. Now, some of you may balk at the price - $45 for a small bottle - but consider this: One bottle can be mixed with a gallon of water, and that's enough to clean something like 800 LPs. The L'Art du Son concentrate is very light-sensitive and prone to degradation, so there are specific ways to handle and store it. I decided to make it in batches, as needed. I found a near-empty, ancient bottle of Triple Sec on top of the fridge, so I thoroughly washed it out. This is the perfect vessel for storage because it's made from smoked glass, which filters out damaging light. The recommended formula for cleaning records is 2% L'Art du Son to 98% distilled or purified water, so I added 15ml of concentrate (it comes with a handy measuring cup) to the 750ml bottle and filled the rest with purified water. I then transferred some of the mixture from the bottle to a small plastic squeeze bottle, also with a smoked tint, for actual record-cleaning use. The Triple Sec bottle and L'Art du Son concentrate were then stored in the closet, away from light, until more will be needed. I decided to start by cleaning a few recent thrift store records which probably hadn't been played since the '60s and were very dirty. To remove the surface layer of debris, I used an old Discwasher brush lightly misted with some distilled water from a plastic spray bottle. I just wetted the brush enough to pick up the dust without leaving any moisture on the record. I use a Sleeve City cleaning work mat for doing my scrubbing on. It's made of a soft, spongey plastic material and can be washed. To begin, I added no more than 5 or 6 drops of record cleaner in a straight line from the edge of the disc towards the label. Don't over-do it! Using a Mobile Fidelity brush, which has thousands of tiny fine velvet-like bristles, I gently scrub the disc in the direction of the grooves, back and forth, back and forth... Don't use too much fluid. There should only be a very thin film-like layer of fluid on the record when you're doing this. It's also important to shake up the formula before use, every time.
The disc then gets vacuumed two or three rotations on the Record Doctor. I then repeat the process a second time. I've noticed that on the second pass, the MOFI brush glides much more smoothly, and the fluid is distributed more evenly across the surface of the disc. I am extremely impressed by the results I've gotten from L'Art du Son so far. Compared to the Record Doctor fluid I'd been using, the backgrounds on once-filthy discs are extremely quiet. Clicks and pops have been largely removed/reduced and background hash has also been dramatically silenced. One of the thrift store LPs I cleaned was a rare and desirable electronic pop music LP from 1966 by Perrey-Kingsley, in fairly poor condition, with lots of scratches and visible wear beneath a layer of filth. I was shocked when I dropped the needle on the lead-in groove and heard only the slightest amount of crackle, which was almost entirely suppressed once the music kicked in. It really was remarkable how well this LP played after cleaning with the L'Art du Son mixture. Other LPs that I have subsequently cleaned have yielded similarly impressive results. I absolutely highly recommend L'Art du Son.
I know that a lot of you advocate for a final rinse with distilled/purified water, but I haven't felt a need for that.
Not to be a party pooper in here but I just thought Id add in my experience on the matter. I got myself a used Okki Nokki and Lart Du Son for cleaning. For me it only made my records worse. Now I know thats rare but what I experienced was more pops and a more prominant noise floor. Ive made comparison clips of before and after and its clearly worse sound wise. Im not sure if I should attribute this to the cleaner, the fluid or something else. Maybe my Okki Nokki is not working properly and thats the issue, which in that case I suggest you make sure your method of getting it off works well. Some pops could be because of the cold climate Im in right now, producing a lot of static, but the noise floor is still very worrying. Anyone with similar experiences please chime in for suggestions. Im taking my Okki Nokki to a dealer in a while to see if they can fix it, that is if its even broken. But as a whole Im very frustrated over the situation.
I use LDS almost exclusively with my Okki and am a huge fan. I don’t rinse. Love the stuff. Only use other things when the records are really bad and need an enzymatic cleaner.
I agree. I have been using L'Art du Son for some years now. I like that I just have to clean and vacuum with good results, like VG vinyl becoming NM vinyl. I use Aquafina as the base water. I am running low on L'Art du Son and I will certainly be purchasing more.
I use the formula with a slightly different approach. I use about 20mL per 1000 mL distilled water. I should be able to clean 400 records with it but I doubt its half that. I use a generous amount to fully saturate the record surface wiping through the grooves for about 10 rotations in both directions. I then vacuum off the liquid. Rinse with distilled water and let dry. For me, its better to clean a bit more thorough the first time than having to clean a record twice. If there is some noise its usually a pressing flaw I suspect, because there doesnt seem to be anything that can help at that point.
IMHO I don't think that L'Art du Son is the problem in this case. I also have an Okki Nokki, I use L'Art du Son and have done so for many years with excellent results. I don't rinse as I've never seen the need for doing that.
Only ever used LSD on the vac, no issues and only positive results. I've also never rinsed. Great product for cleaning .
Thank you for this thorough review. I’ve been wanting to try this product since it was introduced and I’ve been underwhelmed by Disc Doctor 1 Step of late.
This happens because you haven't fully removed the cleaner. An extra rinse might clear this up for you.
I've never used any rinsing cycle and have always had perfect results with L'Art du Son. There might be other reasons like insufficient suction or worn velour strips on the suction wand.
I think you should rinse -- otherwise you may be leaving residue. I don't use the cleaner in question but if it has a wetting agent, some of it is probably staying on the records. Records that have been cleaned insufficiently are easy to spot, if you clean them again, it is often obvious due to the way the cleaner flows or beads. Also, sometimes they attract more dirt after cleaning especially if a new inner sleeve is not used. Stuff sticks to the residue that is left on the disc due to lack of rinsing.
On rinsing--the label itself includes this text: "Best with vacuum record cleaners...If used without a record cleaner apply pure distilled water afterwards and use a microfibre cloth."
The thing is, ive tried doing rinsing as well, but it didnt seem to do much of anything. I specifically bought "Tentanol 2000" or whatever its called, a wetting agent as well as static removing, but even that did nothing.
In my own experience, pops after cleaning was before I limited my vacuum spins (ON system) and before I starting hitting the clean record with an anti-static gun before placing in a new inner sleeve. That was NOT with the LDS cleaner either.
I suppose it would be OK... but a gallon jug of distilled or purified water costs $1.29 and works fine, so I don't really see a compelling need to experiment.
Exactly. It seems like common sense to me. Why leave dirty residue to dry back into the grooves, even if minimal due to vacuuming. A once over rinse only takes an extra few minutes.
