Results from Beta Testers of New Formulas

Re: Distilled Water Rinse

It's hard for me to say whether improvements will result from a distilled water rinse as a third step. That's because my self-designed RCM (photo available under "systems") uses a powerful 1 hp. vacuum motor, and I am confident in its suction power. (Prior to deciding to build my own RCM, I e-mailed VPI 3 times asking for the rating of their vacuum motor. VPI never responded ... which helped me to decide to build my own).

Certainly, I would recommend removing as much of the cleaner fluid -- now laced with the grunge it dissolved or lifted off -- as possible. If you are less than confident in the suction power of your RCM, then perhaps it would be best to either (1) use a distilled water rinse as a third step, or (2) if the record is still damp at all, use lint-free cotton toweling or a lint-free woven cotton pad to sop up any residual cleaner fluid.

BTW ... does it drive anyone else buggy when, by the time you get your cleaned LP over to your turntable and get ready to cue up, dust has landed on your LP? For a time I used canned compressed air (sold in office supplies for cleaning keyboards, etc) to blow the dust off the LP. But the stuff would frequently spit some kind of liquid on the LP with the compressed air. I have found an alternate solution. Here's the URL address to a page at American Science & Surplus' website:

http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm?subsection=5&category=58

At the top of this page is a PC cleaning kit for $4.95. The REAL attraction of this item is that it includes a little battery operated vacuum/blower ... which is perfect for that last second dusting-off the LP before you cue up. It's not powerful, but it is sufficient. If the link doesn't work, it's their item No. 34158.

More samples were shipped out on Wednesday and Thursday, so more feedback should be available soon.

Best regards to everyone,
Paul Frumkin

Use of enzymatic cleaners is the latest greatest thing for getting grass stains off your kid's jeans, but I would not think that the kind of dirt that gets on LPs is an appropriate application, but it would be worth a try. Why not use Shout, Oxyclean, or others available at low cost?

Drying the LP seems to be another fine art! This amuses me because in those old days (which I keep mentioning) audiophiles washed their records before playing, and played them wet. Of course our phono pickup VTF ran around 5 grams, and HF response to 20 KHz was wishful thinking, but the water did seem to lubricate the stylus and minimize surface noise. When playing a few very old LPs(50+ years)that have been through the wars and which I once played with a 5 gram pickup, I still do this with my Shure V15MR pickup with VTF at 1.5 grams. It still works.

Go for it, Eldartford! Let us know how the Oxyclean works out. I guess if we see you pop up on one of those tv commercials we could take that as a sign that it worked for you! :)

Or you could just crack open that wallet of yours, brush back the cobwebs, dodge the escaping moths and plunk down $10 for a small bottle of vinyl enzyme cleaner that has been around for several years now.

Just kidding here!

Yikes! I hope Eldartford's comments are tongue-in-cheek.

Paul...The Oxyclean is just an idea, but Vodka has been used for years. It is a darned pure alcohol/water mix. If it doesn't work for you, other uses can be found, and I guess that goes for the Oxyclean too.

Playing records wet is real. Radio stations, especially in the days of 78s, did this, and audiophiles picked up on it.