Record scratches - am I doing something wrong?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by colby2415, Feb 13, 2018.

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  1. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Nobody says you *have* to enter a thread about a topic you don't wish to read.
     
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  2. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Fer Christ sake, just try to hold the record on the edges and the label. This is not brain surgery.
     
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  3. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    why would you post that?

    did i say anything derogatory or negative in any way?
     
  4. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Ya, you don't have to obsess over the records, just handle them carefully.
     
  5. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Oh jeez. Its well known here you don't like vinyl. And thats OK. So why the passive/aggressive post? The OP asks if he is handling his records OK - and you post about vinyl quality.
     
  6. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    Well You made things up, and then You answered Yourself. A straw man.
     
  7. ANALOGUE OR DEATH

    ANALOGUE OR DEATH Forum Resident

    Location:
    HULL ENGLAND
    Just came across this thread.Firstly,and sorry to start on such a downer with the op.But really if you have so much trouble handling records then maybe CD's/streaming is the way forward for you.Honestly,it's not this complicated or difficult.

    On a lighter note.Here are a few tips.

    If the record came with any sort of 'Hard' card inner.When you take the record out for the first time just lightly bow the inner sleeve so that when you remove it the playing surface does not rub against the inner.Then put the record in a nice new anti-static inner.Never use the hard card inner to store the record again.This applies to any record where the original inner can cause paper cuts/light marks.Replace with an anti-static.

    Cleaning the record via a sound regime with a good rcm will usually get rid of static on the record.

    Finally.Remember a vinyl record is a piece of plastic.Over a period of time the record will start to aquire minor marks and faint paper marks/hairlines.How many and to what degree depends on you and how careful you are.They are not CD's or downloads.If you want absolute deep dark black silences on playback forever,well sorry but you're in the wrong game.Just as an aside I feel sometimes that the generation that has come to vinyl replay from the CD/download area sometimes do not understand this.Either through too high expectations gained from the dark silences of CD's and downloads or just not ever having previous experiences with vinyl records,sometimes the realization that records are a bit more fragile can be a disappointment.Then we have the whole problem regarding what records are played on.Unfortunately there is no getting away from the fact that if you want good audio reproduction from records you just have to be prepared to spend decent money on the hardware.Fact.
     
  8. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    made things up? really? so no one ever complains about vinyl quality and problems with new vinyl here, right?
     
  9. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    he said that they were scratching easily, that is where my comment came from, and that is why i posted it.
     
  10. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    Go back and read what You wrote, as You seem not to remember. A straw man.
     
  11. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    He didn't read the post. OP is handling his records in an unorthodox manner and wants to know if he doing it right. Mr. rjp vinyl detractor, scanning for vinyl related threads, finds a little window to get in the usual 'dig' about vinyl. Pretty obvious.

    If one doesn't like lawn nuggets don't handle and sniff them. If one doesn't like vinyl then stay out of vinyl related threads. Unless nestling up to what makes you unhappy makes you happy.
     
  12. tin ears

    tin ears Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland UK
    Static build up will cause the sleeve to cling to the record. My way of dealing with this is to blow into the empty sleeve as if you're trying to steam up a window. This kills the static and helps with sliding the record in and out. Personally I like to leave the sleeve empty for a minute or two after doing this, before putting the record back in. Less static, less cling, less abrasion. It can also help to blow into the outer sleeve every so often to clean out any dust, and again to keep the static charge down.

    As for the way you're handling your vinyl, I have to agree with everyone else, you're doing it wrong overthinking and probably causing more damage. Centre labels and edges every time. Accidents happen and you will at some point drop a record, there's no getting away from that. I've damaged about five or so in the last 40 years myself, one of which happened when I went through a short phase of handling my vinyl like you do! Lesson learned.

    Coming from a family of undernourished Munchkins, I also have small hands. This doesn't stop me from being able to handle vinyl correctly, you just have to find a method that suits you. My way is to hold the inner sleeve in my right hand, with the vinyl inside, sleeve opening facing towards my palm. With my left hand I then tilt the other side of the sleeve up and slide the vinyl down and out onto the pad of my thumb, with my fingers waiting ready to place on the label. It's a method that works well for me, and if you follow the above advice for minimizing static then you should have no problem with the sleeve clinging to the vinyl.

    Again, experiment with different methods and see what works for you, and please try to stop worrying about inaudible micro-abrasions.
     
  13. empirelvr

    empirelvr "That's *just* the way it IS!" - Paul Anka

    Location:
    Virginia, USA
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  14. 911s55

    911s55 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wa state
    If you're having trouble taking it out, you're going to have a problem putting it in.
     
  15. colby2415

    colby2415 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Canada
    At first I thought this was no laughing matter, but when I read your second post I quoted above I spat water out (haha).

    In all seriousness you are right though, it's not worth stressing the little things like this. Yeah, my record handling method might be weird, but I figure NO MATTER how careful you are, stuff is bound to happen and that is just beyond your control. The only way to prevent scratches on a record is to not even open it in the first place.....but even then it probably is already scratched from the factory.

    mine is the "bring your own vacuum" deal. But good point on the wand lips and brushes, I have not cleaned those for a while, and might be the source of some of these marks..

    You madman! Is that an original pressing? the horror!

    I agree with this as well. You will always find imperfections in stuff (although sometimes you may have to look pretty hard). I should just enjoy them. I'm not exactly keeping a historical vinyl archive or something where this would be an issue.

    This might be a good idea that I haven't thought of. That would definitely avoid me having to clean stuff repeatedly due to mishaps of touching the grooves. thanks.


    or throw them across the room... but I bet something that you threw across the room would probably play fine (assuming it doesn't shatter into a million pieces).


    Thanks for your input. I am using better inners than the crappy included paper ones like I mentioned. This alone is probably diminishing scratches by a significant amount. I am fairly into the vinyl game at this point and understand that its an imperfect media, and that is part of the experience and the sound. I think this is mostly me just thinking I am not taking good care of my records.

    That's what she said....
     
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  16. colby2415

    colby2415 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Canada
    At the end of the day, you can't entirely avoid them contacting each other. As long as nothing is causing my vinyl to degrade in quality then it's probably best to just ignore it. You'll always find scratches, especially if you REALLY look for them.
     
  17. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    To really scratch a record it would have to come in contact with something that will cause a scratch. A fingernail, the corner of an object, etc... But if a record is only taken carefully out of the jacket,
    and carefully placed on the turntable, and played, there should be no opportunity for something to scratch it. Not sure where the scratches you are talking about come from.
    Scuffs are different from scratches, and can happen when sliding the record into or out of a paper sleeve. I replace any paper sleeves with a poly sleeve to prevent this from happening.
     
    nosliw likes this.
  18. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    here is what i wrote:
    why does everyone who listen to, and praises, vinyl continue to constantly complain about its quality and the problems they are having with it?

    and you know it is totally true.

    so lay off.

    enough...you are now on IGNORE!
     
  19. That's how I do it, it works great, I hace NEVER hace touched a record's Surface by accident and I am dissabled, I has am accident 6 years ago that literally destroyed my both shoulders and this afects how my hands work and how dar they can get or what they can do (I can only wash my hair with my right band, for example) but this way I can do it easily, with no pain and as the original poster sale, it works.
    If your hands are not properly clean, I personal y use no rinde hand sanitizer before handling records, you may hace to chance your inner sleeves from time to time.
     
  20. rischa

    rischa Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Horeb, WI
    This thread is stressing me out.
     
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  21. colby2415

    colby2415 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Canada
    Come to think about it. What actually is the difference? Or is this one of those things that is hard to describe like "warm sound" for example. If a scratch is an object removing some of the plastic from the record, then these are definitely scuffs in that case. But again, I really don't know what the difference is.

    I can just imagine everyone shining LED flashlights onto their once though to be NM LP's only to discover scuffs/scratches all over them.....
     
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  22. Agitater

    Agitater Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    If someone’s hands are too small or if someone just can’t get properly coordinated to balance an LP with a couple of fingers on the label a thumb on the edge, stop trying. Instead, spend $12 on a box of generic soft cotton gloves and keep a pair next to the turntable. Put on one or a pair of cotton gloves and then handle an LP safely any way you like. that’s why cotton gloves are made - to safely and firmly handle scratchables and smudgables like LPs and so on. Buy a few pair and use them before you end up scratching or dropping another LP.

    Sliding an LP in and out of a decent quality plastic inner sleever should not cause any obvious scratches. The plastic composition of good quality inner sleeves is softer than the composition of the LP plastic. That said, dragging an LP out of a sleeve that is resting on a surface (e.g., a turntable, a desktop, a tabletop, a chair seat, a pillow, etc.) tends to slightly grind whatever surface dust happens to be on the LP surface or the inner surface of the sleeve across the grooves.

    For someone who feels their hands are too small to safely handle LPs in and out of sleeves or who isn’t confident about the handling for whatever reason, soft cotton gloves solve all problems.

    Try these ones:

    https://www.amazon.com/Gloves-Zealo...1518656224&sr=8-6&keywords=Soft+cotton+gloves

    . . . or these ones:

    https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Glove...1518656224&sr=8-7&keywords=Soft+cotton+gloves

    Every audiophile should have a box of these. Cheap - $10-$12 for a box of 24, which will last for a year or two even if you’re handling hundreds of LPs. When you run out, wash them in cold water (to avoid shrinkage), air dry them, then re-use them.
     
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  23. c-eling

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

    Or a circa 50's Miragrip :D
    [​IMG]
     
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  24. rischa

    rischa Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Horeb, WI
    Looks like tha canvas stretching tool I used when I was an art student.
     
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  25. c-eling

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

    Probably based on the same principle. Saw it at a antique shop for a couple bucks a few years ago. Damnedest thing even works :laugh:
     
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