2. analog
  3. 1405984735

Spin Clean seems to add noise to records?

Hi,
On the strength of good reviews and enthusiastic forum comments, I recently purchased a Spin Clean record cleaning system and cleaned around 20 records with it. I'm a little perplexed.
On the positive side, music sounds great: clearer, more "alive" and more dynamic. On the negative, I'd swear that quiet parts of the record, e.g., the lead in groove and and pauses between songs, sound noisier: more clicks and pops. This doesn't seem to be what a cleaner record should sound like!
Could I be doing something wrong? I've followed the directions carefully. And I could certainly see blackish crud settling to the bottom of the chamber.
The only ambiguous part is how to hold the record when you dry it off with the drying cloths. I tried holding it upright and gently wiping both sides, but that seemed to risk stressing and bending the vinyl disc. I also tried laying it on a table on top of a clean towel or a couple of the drying cloths and then wiping the top surface dry.
Let me also mention that I am using distilled water, and that I have read the "noisy records" item in Spin Clean's FAQ, here:

http://www.spincleanrecordwasher.com/faq.html#15
Eager for your thoughts and advice.
rebbi
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
Well, I went back and listened to some of the records I'd cleaned and there's definitely increased surface noise in quieter passages, so it's not a matter of the records having been wet when I played them.
I was looking at the enzymatic cleaners to see if that might be the missing piece. The audio intelligent stuff is reasonably priced, How would I use it in combination with the Spin Clean?
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,844 posts
 
I have a Spin Clean but never used it. Back in my LP12 (late '80s) days, the consensus was to let the stylus clean the record and to leave well alone. Has this thinking changed?
effischer
562 posts
 
For decades I've only used LAST Power Cleaner to remove the mold release compound from new records, LAST cleaner on an old-school Discwasher brush, LAST preservative and LAST stylus preservative on every side. Works like a charm. Recently invested in a V8 ultrasonic cleaner, which works beautifully on my records that have been played a lot and used stuff. No real difference to my ears on infrequently played or new records. The Spin Clean is supposed to be a good cleaner by all the reviews I've read. I'd gamble on a bottle of a different cleaning fluid and see if it makes a difference. Good luck & happy listening!
sunnyboy1956's avatar
sunnyboy1956
424 posts
 
"I was looking at the enzymatic cleaners to see if that might be the missing piece. The audio intelligent stuff is reasonably priced, How would I use it in combination with the Spin Clean?
Rebbi"
You choose a thick towel, any color will do , but I prefer blue, place the LP on it and squirt a few drops of AVIS enzyme and clean using a brush with gentle circular motions.Repeat for side 2. Flip the LP a couple of times to ensure there is no liquid residue. Than insert in the Spin Clean. If you want to be really fastidious follow this with a RCM.
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
Sunnyboy1956:
Okay, I ordered the AI Enzymatic solution yesterday, along with a dedicated record brush. I'm going to try your method to see if it makes a difference. I noticed on the Needle Doctor web site by the way, in a review of the AI Enzymatic Cleaner, that the reviewer found that the AI fluid gets rid of the noise that Spin Clean can't seem to get rid of. So we'll see...
Thanks!
More to discover