While I don't dj in vinyl i still have a passion for it! Here is a little contest that may be of interest - I have one of these units and highly recommend it. I am not affiliated with this in any way:
Something of interest for all you vinyl loving DJs out there
- Thread starter Navydiver
- Start date
Cool .. I'm still a Discwasher man, though I will need to find new "juice" soon ..
I've tried several of these type cleaners and always go back to using a distilled water/alcohol mix, wipe with a soft cloth.
Basically what the original Discwasher solution was .. 99% distilled water, <1% isopropyl alcohol, few drops of a surficant (industrial version of dish soap).
There are many a discussion on the internet on the original formula and how the new version isn't the same. There were some chemical analyses done and that was the decrypted formula. Anecdotal evidence seems to show slight variations don't make a lot of difference. It's mainly the water that cleans, the alcohol is a wetting agent to help the water get into the grooves and the surfacant (there are different debates as to what to use .. everything from a drop of "Joy" to some industrial stuff (Triton X-114)) to reduce surface tension.So that's what was in that little red bottle.
Some analyses show Sodium Azide as a bacteria killer in some versions.
This has become my bible/basis for the LP cleaning solution I have settled on (and I have tried many in my day) - a very very interesting read and requires some interpretation for what ultimately works for you - the basis of the solution I use is centered on one of several available long chain non-polar also referred to as non-ionic (aka static free wetting agent - most soaps like dish actually soaps aren't static free) detergents like Triton X-100 (or Tergitols etc) making up less than 0.5% by wt solution Triton in a less than 10% by wt solution of (99% pure) IPA in either De-Ionized (preferred) or Distilled Water. Also mixed in all this is Behentrimonium Metholsufate (ratio of 5mg per Litre DI H2O or DW H2O) which is an extremely powerful anti-static agent (active agent used in hair conditioner to eliminate static cling without all the froo froo smelly stuff to statically contaminate the mix also found in dish soaps). Don't be fooled by the complicated chemical names as they are quite easy to obtain. Often on Amazon....This is a highly recommended elixir by the chemist (and others) in the following linked discussion. It is a long read that is easy to understand but if and when you get through it you will understand the philosophy and the methods that various pre-eminent archival libraries like the library of congress and Library and Archives Canada use to ensure the longevity and play-ability of their collections:
Record cleaning- you're doing it wrong! | Audiokarma Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
I won't say some of it is not contentious and is open to interpretation to some but as a Hydrocarbon Engineering Technologist by education I follow exactly what the chemist is laying down and I am here to tell you it works darn good for me. Here is a review I did of the Squeaky Clean Mk3 quite a while ago using my magic Triton elixir (I like to call it) - it works like a hot damn but like all things not everyone will agree....
My current philosophy remains: If ain't broke, don't fix it but if it can be done better, why not?
Record cleaning- you're doing it wrong! | Audiokarma Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
I won't say some of it is not contentious and is open to interpretation to some but as a Hydrocarbon Engineering Technologist by education I follow exactly what the chemist is laying down and I am here to tell you it works darn good for me. Here is a review I did of the Squeaky Clean Mk3 quite a while ago using my magic Triton elixir (I like to call it) - it works like a hot damn but like all things not everyone will agree....
My current philosophy remains: If ain't broke, don't fix it but if it can be done better, why not?
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When I was collecting 45's back in the middle 80's I would clean those yard sale purchases with a new born baby hair brush and Windex (See "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" DVD 1 and 2). It really did a great job of getting those nicotine stains off the vinyl that were previously played in the local lounge or Bar. Had a rubber mat that was a bit larger than an LP that had raised panels so the paper center wouldn't get soaked. It helped to have one of those record racks (the 45 rack with 20 or more spaces). Rinsed the records and let them air dry. The process was simple: spray, brush, rinse under faucet (Bar Sink) mindful of not getting water on the paper label, take a lint free towel and dry the vinyl, place it in the rack for air dry. When dry and ready to play use the Disc Washer spray and velvet brush. I then played the cleaned record on a Technics, belt driven, with fairly new needle to determine the audio quality of the record. Surprisingly, some of those turned out to be "A" quality. I kept any in the A to B+ category for DJ play...anything else went to the AMI-Rowe R-84 Jukebox for game room play.
Glad to hear that some of us are still playing vinyl (LP and 45). When I semi-retired from active DJ business I kept those "A" quality (yard sale) 45's and the hundreds of other New and Re-Issue 45's for Sock Hop and Oldies play. I've got new and nearly new 45's from 1950's through 2004. I could do a decade night (50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 2000 to 2004). I have enough vinyl by decade that I could easily play 4 hour evening of each. Going to have a Sock Hop (50's and 60's) in a couple of months at the 55-Over community in which I live here in Florida. Should be lots of fun.
Glad to hear that some of us are still playing vinyl (LP and 45). When I semi-retired from active DJ business I kept those "A" quality (yard sale) 45's and the hundreds of other New and Re-Issue 45's for Sock Hop and Oldies play. I've got new and nearly new 45's from 1950's through 2004. I could do a decade night (50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 2000 to 2004). I have enough vinyl by decade that I could easily play 4 hour evening of each. Going to have a Sock Hop (50's and 60's) in a couple of months at the 55-Over community in which I live here in Florida. Should be lots of fun.
You should read what the chemist says about Windex or other domestically common cleaners in the link I posted above. It all boils down to "Not good for the long term health of your vinyl" according to him. The trouble with commercial products like windex or endust or Joy or any number of shortcuts to the science behind it has long term detrimental effects because of all the impurities and things to make them smell nice end up being their downfall - the short term gain that is perceived to be achieved by them is not worth it in the long run....
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Still have my VPI HW-16.5 purchased many, many years ago. 50/50 Vodka and isopropyl (91%), with a touch of Kodak PhotoFlo. I found the more left over Vodka I drank, the better the record sound.
A good moving coil cartridge paired with a good preamp (and carefully dialing in the VTA or vertical tracking angle of the cartridge) can also put the surface noise of the record on a different "plane" than the music, so it's much less noticeable.
A good moving coil cartridge paired with a good preamp (and carefully dialing in the VTA or vertical tracking angle of the cartridge) can also put the surface noise of the record on a different "plane" than the music, so it's much less noticeable.
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I ONLY used the windex class cleaner for the initial "cleaning" of those nicotine stained 45's and really finger-printed 45's. That baby hair brush got into the grooves nicely and never scratched them. Rinse and dry was another key element; however, when I reintroduced the vinyl to the needle the record had been cleaned with Discwasher like Steve and others have used in the past.
I still have the "static" gun that I use when playing LP to reduce the ion charges.
Yep, that's the one. Even have the box in which it came although crushed a bit over time and packing.
I don't have the box, but I do have the fitted soft plastic cradle (flecked in fake velour) that it came in inside the box.
A friend of mine got out of vinyl so I listed this for him (I prefer my squeaky clean MK III so declined to get it at a much reduced price):
$125 · Discwasher D4 Set
$125 · Discwasher D4 Set
I have all the pieces (although my Zerostat is an earlier model) .. The walnut base for everything is sweet.