vinyl noise

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DigitalKillaz

DigitalKillaz

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Hello everybody,

why does some vinyl crackle and scuff even though it looks clean? i've noticed it a lot with vinyl i buy second hand online... as if they've cleaned so they can say the grade is good but couldnt care less how it plays...

does anybody know of good ways to clean vinyl?

does anybody know of good ways to reduce crackle and noise on apparently clean vinyl?

thanks...
 
I feel like some of it is caused by particles of dust and what not, and then some of it are just imperfections in the groove of the record. If it is just dusty, you can try and retake the sample in hopes the crackle will not be there. I haven't cleaned my records hardcore, but i use a microfiber cloth to get the dust off.
 
microfibre cloths are part of the solution.

the other solution, tried and tested over decades before the advent of cds, was/is to apply a fluid to the surface and then play (the fluid had a small amount of alcohol in it which helped to break the static electricity bonds of the dust and stuff and allowed the brush that some turntables came with to shift it from the grooves

we used to use high alcohol content shaving lotion to do the same thing when we couldn't afford ethyl alcohol or iso-propyl-alcohol (which in hindsight doesn't make much sense as the pure alcohol was much cheaper than any shaving lotion -I guess it came back to priorities even then).
 
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microfibre cloths are the shit.... be sure to check your needle too. if it's broken or if it has too much dust on it, it makes the cleanest record sound like *clikckcrakck clirikrl ckrkakrli kclir*

also, check you dj mixer setup (if you have one). mine gave me random noises and crickles and poples just because i had the setup wrong. sound weird i know but thats what happened.
 
ok thanks everybody... this is actually for my domestic listening, i dont really sample, apart from drum breaks... a bit of grime can be great on a sample and a bit of crackle is acceptable on certain types of music i agree... it doesn't bother me on an 80's reggae 45 for example but it sometimes gets in the way of more introspective styles of music... i guess there is good crackle and bad crackle...

"a small amount of alcohol in it which helped to break the static electricity bonds of the dust and stuff" yeah thanks, i think this and the microfibre is probably what i'm looking for...

"be sure to check your needle too." & "also, check you dj mixer setup" etc

needle is fine its only a few months old and i agree about the kit set up... i had crazy problems with mains hum when i first got the deck... you need to be so careful with cabling etc and even which mains socket to use (don't share the amp and deck on the same mains socket). Even now i get pops and clicks which seem to be caused by the fridge ticking over and i even get nextdoor's tv sometimes LOL, distant polish chat shows behind my selections...

thanks again everybody
 
Audiophiles have ways of reducing/eliminatiing surface noise. It's usually called a "$60,000 stereo system," with a very expensive turntable.

But, as mentioned, you can look at the needle, cartridge, cleaning with and without solution, or as BC mentioned, both wet and dry play. But, once you start playing a record "wet," you're supposed to _always_ do it that way, because it can cause problems for your needle and record if you go "dry" (little deposits of vinyl in the grroves that gunk things up as they move along like river sediments).

You can clean records too. There are expensive machines, but a couple of cool little products that protect the labels when you hand wash in the sinc. I'll try to find the link to the little washing doohickey I saw...

GJ
 
There are plenty of ways to cut down on the "bad hiss".
Use a micro fiber brush to clean the album.
You can use regular dish soap and a record brush.Those micro fiber brushes by audioquest are pretty
good(wet or dry).I've heard good and bad stories about using wood glue also but i wouldn't try it.

Peace
 
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without the crackling it just wouldnt be the same,too me the crackling makes the old school(gem)sample that much of a classic
 
OP is talking about hi-fi listening pleasure, rather than sampling for music creation...

GJ
 
RrrrrRRiiiiigggghhh-t...

Which is why I was pointing out to "Texas Already" that the OP was looking for quality sound, after his comment to the effect that "without the crackle, it wouldn't be the same..." (Which appeared to be coming from a production angle).

GAWRSH-- I wish peeps would READ...

GJ
 
rhythmgj said:
RrrrrRRiiiiigggghhh-t...

Which is why I was pointing out to "Texas Already" that the OP was looking for quality sound, after his comment to the effect that "without the crackle, it wouldn't be the same..." (Which appeared to be coming from a production angle).

GAWRSH-- I wish peeps would READ...

GJ
Click to expand...

Or maybe people could quote what comment they're referring to?
But i guess that would be to hard for some of you.

Peace
 
Or maybe people could spell "too" correctly, when that's what they mean (unless that's _too_ hard for them to discern the difference between to, too, and two)...

See, we can all nit-pick, but not all of us are man enough to admit when we've (you) jumped the gun a bit...

"RIF-- Reading Is Fundamental"

GJ
 
rhythmgj said:
Or maybe people could spell "too" correctly, when that's what they mean (unless that's _too_ hard for them to discern the difference between to, too, and two)...

See, we can all nit-pick, but not all of us are man enough to admit when we've (you) jumped the gun a bit...

"RIF-- Reading Is Fundamental"

GJ
Click to expand...


Congratulations i made a spelling mistake when i was typing and you caught it.
Your mother must be so proud of you.LOL

FOH.......like i said,whether it's just for casual listening or sampling,bad hiss,pops and cracks
are still a concern.If that doesn't make sense to you then that's your problem.

Peace
 
Your position doesn't make sense because, while being obviously true, it is not germane to the conversation at hand. It's like me posting "The sky is blue" (with an attitude), then when pointed in the right direction, again posting (with even more attitude) "It doesn't matter, The Sky Is BLUE."

Congratulations, the sky is blue, which isn't what we were talking about. FYI-- My mother is proud, but not because I can read, write, and spell; these are basic skills. You would be wise to seek achievement in those areas as well. Simple understanding and basic communication are not only important in a production career, but are important aspects of a successful life. Do the hard work; stay in school; it will pay off in the end. Read thoroughly and carefully, and think before you speak publicly, even on the Internet (especially on the Internet). Your reputation will thank you...

GJ
 
Since this was not clearly stated here, going to add after bandcoach closed thread. This is by far the best way to clean a record without investing in a record washer. You should be able to buy everything you need for around $20 or less and you will be able to clean quite a few records with one batch of the cleaning fluid mix.

You'll need:
-Isopropyl alcohol, you can buy this from a pharmacy
-Distilled water, same deal, get it from the pharmacy
-A clean bottle, preferrably a spray bottle as it will be way easier to use for this.
-A record brush, buy from a record store or some place that sells record players (or online if you can't find one)
-A micro-fiber cloth, the ones meant for cleaning eyeglasses are great

Make a mix of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water (1/3 isopropyl alcohol and 2/3 distilled water). Do not use tap water instead of distilled water, it usually contains lime and it'll build up in the grooves and may make things worse.

1. Use the record brush to get all the brushable dust off the record.
2. Apply the isopropyl alcohol/distilled water mix on the record.
3. Use a microfiber cloth to clean/dry the record along the grooves.
 
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