New2Analog - Table Setup Help?

Okay, I spent the weekend listening to my new, but small, record collection. None of the records seemed to be staticly charged this weekend, and listening was much better. I still found a fair amount of snaps and pops, but nothing like I experienced after I opened a record, pulled it out, and put it on the table for the first time.

I did begin to use the Disc Dr I purchased nearly all the time, and ensured that the records were completely dry before dropping the needle.

What amazed me the most, is the contrast in my records from a noise standpoint. I purchased the following records since I bought the table:

- used, but in good condition, disc dr only
- used, but cleaned in a 3-step system on a VPI 17f record cleaning machine by previous owner (VERY Through in his Collection!)
- New, but very old 1968 & 1973 vintage
- New, and very recent

The used in good condition I bought from a used record store, and the had a fair amount of noise, but for the $$ not bad. Due to the noise, I would not "repeat" listen as often as others.

The used, incredibly cared and cleaned were by far the quietist records of my collection. I am amazed at the silence of a Art Pepper 1990 LP (Incredible JAZZ). The Alan Parson is quite nice too, and Garbage is AWESOME on my table, with ZERO noise. I think try and buy more from this collector!

The new sealed, but old records were by far the biggest dissapointment. LOTS of noise, that did settle down now that there is no more static, but still, they are filled with far more noise than I would like. They are all classical records, and the noise just stands out...pop- - snap - -

The new - new (Pink Floyd DSOM 30th) sounds incredible, the Robert Plant-Alison Krause is great, but with some noise, and Cold Play is a bit dissapointing (a good amount of snap - pop etc..).

So, why would I have these issues with new vinyl specifically? If I can not trust new vinyl, how can I trust the used market, unless I only have one source - my guy that sold me the Alan Parsons, Garbage, and Art Pepper!

I guess the common point is the need for good cleaning? Do I really need to spend $1200-1500 on a record cleaner, and another $50 on all the solvents to get them in that pop free shape?

Regarding some critical listening - I did love the sounds I heard this weekend, but I did bounce between CD and Vinyl where I could (Cold Play, Dire Straits, Alan Parsons, Fleetwood Mac Rumors), and found a consistant signature of my table. There is more weight to the midrange and lower end of the upper octaves, where with CD, the upper octaves are more forward. I do hear the purity of the instruments in vinyl, but I am missing some of the upper air. That I recognize as the difference between a $300 turntable/PhonoPre combination, and a better table/phonoPre (and cartridge of course).

All that said - I am STILL on the fence about Analog! I must get rid of the noise, or I am back to tweaking digital, instead of analog.

Suggestions?

Jeff in Detroit
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Jeff,

The cheapest decent vacuum record cleaning machines (RCMs) are the Okki Nokki and the Moth RCMs. There's a whole load of threads about which cleaning solution to use. Me, I use 80% (by volume) distilled water, 20% alcohol (70% isopropyl alcohol) with a few drops of photo wetting agent (from a photography store).

Ok, others use enzyme based products or the Martina Schoener L'Art du Son cleaner. To be honest, whatever you use is going to be fine on a vacuum RCM. You've got to be able to clean the record (ie loosen up the debris in the grooves) and then suck it away.

Charlie

Close to state of the art cleaning can be had for under $200 with a KAB EV-1 (if you already have a vacuum in the house), a couple of carbon fibre brushes, some RRL Super Deep and high purity water that you can source for next to nothing at a medical supply/laboratory outlet in Detroit.

The upgraded cartridge/stylus from LP Gear is (as you've found out) a real step forward. I would suggest (as others have above) that going to a dedicated phono stage should offer (even with this table) a huge improvement. If you can, try and take something like a Cambridge 640P/Project Phonobox II home to try out. The Tonar phonostage is supposed to be identical to the Project and can usually be aquired for quite a bit less money.

I think you'll find surface noise to be less obtrusive with a better phono stage as well.