Walker Audio Prelude LP Cleaning Solution


I did not want to post this as a full review as this is my initial first impression using the newly released Walker Audio Prelude LP Cleaning Solutions.

Prelude is a 3-step process consisting of enzymes, premixed cleaning solution and an ultra pure water rinse (made via a 7 stage filtration process). I comes nicely packaged with the following: a 64 ounce container of ultra pure water, a 16 ounce squeeze bottle of premixed cleaning solution, a second bottle of water in a 16 ounce squeeze bottle, an empty 4 ounce squeeze bottle, and a jar of enzyme powder, along with a small scoop and a slightly larger scoop.

Lloyd’s research indicates that enzymes in a solution only have a life cycle of 8-10 hours before they die off. By keeping the enzymes in a powder form, and only mixing enough to be used during a cleaning session ensures they stay active.

If you plan on cleaning 5-6 or so LP sides at a time (which is what I have been doing), use the small scoop in the enzyme powder. Place the powder in the empty 4-ounce bottle. Add some of the water from the 16-ounce container up to the “A” mark on the 4-ounce bottle and shake to mix. Apply to the pads of a cleaning brush and lightly scrub the LP as it spins on your RCM. Let it sit for 15-30 seconds and vacuum off.

Using a second brush, apply the premixed cleaning solution to the pad and apply to the LP as above. Let sit for a few seconds and vacuum off. Do not let either solution dry on the LP.

Using a third brush, use the ultra pure water as a final rinse and vacuum off.

I have had lots of experience with different LP cleaning products, including Disc Doctor, Audio Intelligent, and L’Art du Son. The AI solutions are similar to Prelude in that they also use the enzyme solution as a pre-treat prior to cleaning. The AI enzyme come premixed, unlike the Prelude. The enzyme powder formula of Prelude ensures that the enzymes stay viable until they are needed. I really like the AI solutions when I used them, and missed them when Paul sold the business.

That said, The Walker Audio Prelude is the best of the AI, kicked up several notches. Lloyd Walker has hit another one out of the ballpark. After cleaning several LPs that I thought I knew backward and forward, I can report the following: surfaces are dead silent, with no residue what so ever from any of the three steps. There is no static build up, and even well played LPs have that shiny right out of the sleeve look to them.

Focus, detail and transparency are the first three words that come to mind when describing what I am hearing. The inner detail on familiar LPs lets me hear for the first time things that have been there but never fleshed out of the grooves the way it is after using Prelude. At least, that's what MY ears are telling me. The music just leaps out from the utter blackness of the grooves. And, your records are REALLY clean. What else could you expect from one of the true masters of the analog arts? Who better to bring such a great product to the market for LP lovers than the man who builds what I consider to be the finest LP playback product in the world?

Give Lloyd a call and talk to him yourself about Walker Audio Prelude. I have no financial connection to Walker Audio other than the fact that I am a very happy customer and use many of their products in my system.

Kudos to Lloyd, Felicia, and Fred for creating another great Walker Audio product.
slipknot1
>>I have never found Buggtussel to do anything, probably because I have not had fungus on my records<<

If you read the product description:

Buggtussel Gold-zyme. Not a record cleaner at all, but a powerful enzyme that neutralizes and removes mold (sometimes spelled mould in scientific circles), spores, fungus, and bacteria that grow in the grooves of a record.

Why would you expect it to do anything??????
Err, the salesman said so?? And the bottle say "For disks that sound like gold" and "...developed for safe and effective cleaning of analog recorded surfaces." Foolish me!
Norm,
That's a real honest response and goes to show how careful we all must be selecting products.

There is a lot money spent(and wasted in fact) in search of the holy grail in this hobby.

I spent almost 25 years in the chemical industry and won't waste space here with that but the average consumer would be flabbergasted to know what goes on behind the scenes in the research and marketing departments.

Thank you.
FWIW, vinyl molecules are NOT substrates which can be metabolized by proteases, amylases, or lipases. However, I cannot vouch for the safety of the sporicidin enzyme mixture on vinyl if it contains ingredients (enzyme cofactors, buffers, etc.) not described here. Also, I cannot predict the ease of removal of any residues from the sporicidin enzyme solutions from the vinyl surface. What residues? Well besides the enzymes, the products of the enzyme/substrate reactions are small polysaccharides and sugars, peptides and amino acids, and fatty acids--those will have to be removed as well. Otherwise, you'll just end up growing bacteria on your records. Fortunately, they should be readily extractable with a detergent/water rinse.

Also, to avoid confusion, the "mold" described in the sporicidin enzyme solution lit. is fungus and is not to be confused with the "mold" in the mold-release compounds of vinyl records ("mold" = metal template).
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