Is this the solution to LP static issues?? Seems to be!


Last night i was listening to a superb original RCA white dog pressing of Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte ( if you can source this, i highly recommend it!) 
I noticed that all of my prior LP's were exhibiting considerable static attraction to my felt mat on my LP12. Not this one!!! How come, since the LP was played at the same time as the others, in the same system, the same room temperature etc.?? I noticed on the cover of the album the following large sticker: Miracle Surface, This record contains the revolutionary new antistatic ingredient, 317X, which helps keep the record dust free, helps prevent surface noise, helps insure faithful sound reproduction on Living Stereo.  

Whatever this additive is that was put on this album back in 1959 sure works well!! Anyone know what 317X is?? Why are we NOT using this stuff today??
128x128daveyf
FWIW - Different ground locations can have different results. When I first grounded my platter spindle (VPI TNT/Classics platter), my first ground attempt was to the phono-preamp ground connection. This was not successful - record playback was still noisy. I then tried a ground post that is on the balanced power transformer (BPT) that supplies power to my system - this was not successful. I tried grounding it to a 120VAC outlet different than the one supplying the BPT - that was not successful. I now have the ground wire (1/4" tin plated copper braid) attached to the 120VAC outlet ground with a banana-plug (lug via the cover plate attachment screws is an option) that supplies power to the BTP. This follows the basic wisdom to ground back to the source to minimize circulating ground currents/voltages; and it may be more than just grounding to drain away static, there 'may' be other electrical noise in-play.  

Just some personal experience.
Hi antinn,
The relative humidity is dropping fast and I will start running my experiments again shortly. Static accumulation on records is a very complex issue. The environment, storage and how they are played all affect this. 
I was always led to believe that the stylus rubbing the groove was the primary motivator but then last Summer I played a record with and without the conductive sweep arm I always use and there was no static accumulation either way indicating that perhaps the cause of static lie elsewhere. I am about to perform the same experiment again at low humidity.
Having said all this, putting anything that leaves a residue on the records is a big mistake. It will only gum up your stylus. A clean record should never need to be cleaned. Always store records in static resistant plastic inner sleeves, never paper as paper will always increase static accumulation on vinyl.  
mijostyn
... putting anything that leaves a residue on the records is a big mistake. It will only gum up your stylus.
Absolutely agree! There is nothing like playing a pristine, clean LP. The goal is to have it free of any gunk.
A clean record should never need to be cleaned.
I’m not sure what that means. I suspect @mijostyn means that once cleaned, an LP will never need to be cleaned again. If so, he’s mistaken. Eventually, if the record is played occasionally, it will acquire dust from the environment and need to be cleaned again.

If taken care of correctly a clean record should never get dirty other than incidental dust that can be easily removed with a brush or sweep arm.
Keeping the record free of static is part of this equation. Static will pull dust deep into the groove where it is more difficult to remove with a brush. Pollution in the air from smoke and/or cooking fumes is another problem that is easily avoided. 
As I have mentioned before I always use a conductive sweep arm during play and always keep the dust cover closed during play. Since I do not buy used records I have no use for a record cleaning machine. 
As an aside the 5 Analog Productions albums I sprayed off with brake cleaning fluid are doing just fine.

mijostyn
If taken care of correctly a clean record should never get dirty other than incidental dust that can be easily removed with a brush or sweep arm.
It is easy to show that this is mistaken - all that’s needed is a bright lamp, a clean record, and a few hours for it to accumulate dust. Those sweep arm brushes actually grind the dust into the record because it is just a small contact patch that contacts the LP. That may be OK for removing static - although it’s not my solution - but it doesn’t result in a truly clean record. Perhaps it is "clean enough" for your purposes, though.
I always use a conductive sweep arm during play and always keep the dust cover closed during play.
The wisdom of using a dustcover during play is widely debated.
Since I do not buy used records I have no use for a record cleaning machine.
Many new LPs accumulate dust before they ever leave the pressing plant. I suggest you visit a pressing plant sometime - you’ll discover that LPs are not pressed in a "clean room."
As an aside the 5 Analog Productions albums I sprayed off with brake cleaning fluid are doing just fine.
Brake cleaner? On LPs? Apparently your new LPs are not as clean you sometimes profess!

It’s interesting that many audiophiles have never heard a truly clean, pristine record. Once you’ve heard one you’ll find it hard to go back.