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SUPER Staticy Record???

So, I got a shipment from overseas of some new vinyl.  The first LP I pulled out of its sleeve literally had to be PULLED out of the sleeve there was so much static.  I spin washed/vacuumed it and then hit it with a carbon brush when I put it on the TT.  When I put the needle down it sounded like it was pressed through a layer of gauze.  I was pissed.  Shitty pressing from a small "audiophile" label - I surmised.  Its a double LP and I didn't bother to try out the second record.  I got three other albums from this label so I'm now expecting the worst and not a happy camper.

So today I pulled out the second record - which was also pretty staticy - spun washed it, carbon brushed it and it sounded fine... really good actually.  

Then I pulled the first LP out of the sleeve today to double check my ears (it slid out smoothly this time).  I put it on the TT; hit it with the brush; dropped the needle; and... viola - it sounds fine (more than fine, it sounds great).

Query: a vinyl be SO staticy that brushing, washing, vacuuming and brushing again doesn't get rid of the static?  Why did it sound so bad before I put it back in its sleeve last night and sound fine today?  When I say "so bad", I mean it sounded like every groove was full of grainy distortion to the point where it was virtually unlistenable. 
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xsumadoggie
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,255 posts
 
sumadoggie, the only thing that makes sense to me is it probably did not get dry all the way and there was still water in the groove. Today dried out it sounds fine.
sumadoggie's avatar
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sumadoggie OP
62 posts
 
Possible, but I gave it the same treatment I give all my records. I have to say it's a very quiet mastering job...  on my Hegel I play it at an 80 whereas I'm normally playing my vinyl 65-70.
lewm
12,604 posts
 
Because "brushing, washing, vacuuming, and brushing again" does not per se get rid of static charge.  Those processes can just as well charge up an LP as discharge it, especially that last step.... "brushing".  Cleaning and static charge dissipation are two entirely different things.  Do you have a wool carpet in your listening room? Do you wear leather soled shoes?  Do you perform any rituals to discharge the LP surface prior to dropping the needle, such as using a Zerostat or any of many other options?  Those things affect static charge on the LP.
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,511 posts
 
Sounds like a job for Furutech DeStat
antinn
381 posts
 
@lewm,

Completely 'wetting' the record will remove the static charge from the side that is fully 'wetted'.  This paper shows that a 20% IPA solution which has a surface tension of about 30 dynes/cm will remove the static charge from Teflon which has a lower critical surface tension (~19 dynes/cm) than PVC (~38 dynes/cm).   https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Static-charge-removal-with-IPA-solution-Ohmi-Sudoh/be62b540b4a.  Once the record surface or any surface for that matter  is 'wetted', it becomes 'dissipative' and  static charge is dissipated/eliminated.   Cleanrooms commonly use DIW-IPA sprays for anti-static/static removal. 

A 'conductive' carbon brush depending on how it is used and whether the human is grounded  can either do nothing, remove static charge or charge the record.   

Why would a record be staticky after initial cleaning could be associated with how it was 1st dried.  Plausible theory - Cloths used to dry the first record will be drier than when used for the 2nd record and when 1st used may not remove as much moisture as when used for the 2nd record when the cloth is slightly damp and drying by capillary action may be in-play.  The initially drier cloth may actually create static.  So the 1st record in its sleeve that may be slightly damp sets ups a high humidity environment in the sleeve perfect for dissipating any residual static.  
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