The Record Cleaning Experience

As I've noted in these parts, I listen to music in mediums of CD, mp3, and primarily vinyl. Sorry cassette and 8-Track fans. I go to great lengths to enjoy my listening experience. It's not just listening, there are tangible touchy feelie things involved. It's not just background noise though I'd be a liar if sometimes it turns out that way.

These are some of the extraordinary measures I go to when purchasing records, new and used. Going back to first getting records, the first thing I check after cracking open the cellophane is to see if there is a lyric sheet in the record. If so, oh happy day! If not, just a little more work listening.

The next thing I do is clean my records. Presently I use these things products. I use the no-rinse Quick-Wash Record-Cleaner, the Miracle Brush, the Audio Quest Carbon Fiber Brush, and the Disc Doctor's Stylus Cleaner. Though a record cleaner vacuum seems like a coveted item, I made one myself. Though many products of this ilk can be found with a simple internet search, most of the links I've supplied here are from The Needle Doctor. Highly recommended from this music listener. Call 'em with your order, knowledgeable music fans who are eager to help and share their experience, not to mention their favorite record spins, if asked.

Here is a rough sketch on how I made the record vacuum. The first thing I found was a motor from an old vacuum cleaner. I proceeded to build a box around this. I attached some tubing (in layman's terms, it's just black tubing I got from the hardware store) and I then used the curtain or furniture attachment and cut an 1/8 inch slit along the length of this piece. I sealed the end with some caulk and a small piece of plastic. I put some black felt (as seen in photo) on each side of the slit to protect the records. I'll cut new felt and replace it from time to time. I've used an old turntable that was from my teenage years (circa 1982!) as my work station. Do I feel like a bit of a shoemaker by making my own vacuum? Yeah, a little, but this system seems to work well and my records are clean and sound great. Maybe if I have enough nuts stored away someday I'll invest in a professional record vacuum, but in the meantime . . .

I begin by placing the record on the turntable cleaning station which is on my vacuum. I soak the brush with cleaner and work it in for a few revelations and then some back and forth half spins (per the instructions) for about 20-30 seconds. I then vacuum up any excess cleaner and dirt that is still on the record. I then let them air dry with any excess liquid that may remain though the vacuum seems plenty strong enough.

One other thing that I do is make sure all my records are stored in record_sleeves. I've gotten a little lenient on storing all my records in these sleeves because I've found that as long as they are in a sleeve, they seem to have adequete protection despite the claims made on the hi-lighted sleeve link. I'm a little selective in what records get the fancy sleeve and which ones get the factory installed sleeve.

The other sleeve I use is an outer album jacket sleeve to protect the record cover. I store the records so that the record won't slide out of the jacket nor the sleeve.

Another little thing I like to do that is more of a personal preference is that any little sticker or label that was on the original shrink wrap I cut out and retape it to the album sleeve. All these records as shone are in a sleeve with the original sticker attached to the new record sleeve.

The Carbon Fiber brush is used for everyday use before playing a record. This removes any dust that may have accumulated in just general record usage. It's gonna happen. However, if you don't manhandle your records or let Uncle Fester touch the grooves of the records with his grubby mitts, there is no need to vacuum and clean them again. Just use the carbon fiber brush before you spin each side. The stylus brush, well, it's just what it says. Clean periodically with the cleaner but as I said, if your records are kept clean, rarely do I get a fuzzy little dangle on my needle . . . hey, wait a minute. . .

Are these extravagant practices? Umm, probably. Is it a labor of listening love? Most certainly. One thing I found odd was that my latest turntable, a Rega-P3-24, suggests that record cleaning is over-rated despite the record cleaning company claims. This is quoted from the instruction manuel, "Don't worry about visible dust on the record surface, this is brushed aside by the stylus and any that collects on the stylus can be easily blown away. In general, record cleaning is overdone and one should not believe all the claims made by record cleaner manufacturers."

This thinking almost swayed me to thinking that I don't have to go to such measures (or at least moved my "fader knob" more to the middle) to have clean vinyl. Almost. I think it's in my system now. To borrow a current cliche in writing. The series of one word sentences to accentuate the drama! Must. Clean. Records.

Greatest Invention of the Download Era

The greatest invention of the download era is when you purchase (Did you read that you downloading crooks? "purchase."  That means you buy it.) a new record of the vinyl variety often times it comes with a code for a digital download off the bands web site or record label site.  In fact, it's strange if you buy a new release on vinyl and it doesn't come with a digital download of some sort.  Some records will even come with a CD packageed within the record sleeve.  The digital download code one of the few bright spots in an otherwise spiraling record industry. 

A recent example of a download code from Roger Bryan and the Orphans

It's like someone, some "suit" with a brain knew that people who still like to spin records, young and old, are also using iPods and MP3 players to play their music.  So it's like we all get the best of both worlds, we can get the warmth of listening to a record and making that ever excruciating decision of "side one or side two" and still the the convenience of taking your music with you with an iPod.  

Journey Back to the Center of the Record

I love playing records.  Playing them not in the form of a digital download (paid for, of course, well, most of 'em), not in the form of a cassette, not in the form of a CD, not even in the form of an Edison Cylinder.  I like them in a good ol' slab of black (in most cases, black) vinyl with a hole in the middle.  I wanna look at both sides and have this mental anguish of whether to play "side one" or "side two".  Truth be told, I usually play both sides all the way through.

Playing records hasn't always been this way.  I did buy my first records with my very own money in the late 70's with the likes of "Wings Greatest" (I'm at an age where I honestly asked, "You mean Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings?") and then subsequently The Beatles 1962-1966 and The Beatles 1967-1970, better known as the Red and Blue records.  My albums came on red and blue vinyl.  I also bought a batting glove that day, all for about $20 on sale at K-Mart.  I played the crap out of these.  I re-listened to them recently and they do sound surprisingly good despite the (to use today's vernacular) "play counts".  I've always taken good care of my records but more on that in another post.

Most of my early vinyl consisted of what became known as "classic rock".  I built a modest collection of albums up til about 1986.  I didn't buy that many records post 1986 because CD's were really the thing so I figured "Why buy more albums when I'm gonna get a CD player soon enough?"  Inexplicably, I didn't get a CD player 'til 1989.

Once I got the CD player my record collection suddenly became, like for so many others, obsolete.  It had gone the way of Beta video tapes, 8-Tracks, and the powdered wig.  My record player lived in a closet.  I don't think I bought another piece of vinyl 'til 1993 when Pearl Jam's Vitalogy because it was released a week earlier on vinyl before the CD.  The next vinyl release I bought was Son Volt's Wide Swing Tremolo in 1998 for the same reason, it was released on vinyl a week before the actual CD release.  It wasn't until about 2003 that I slowly became converted or that I came back to vinyl "full circle", pun very much intended.  I slowly began to find plentiful slabs of glorious used vinyl!  I sifted through bins at garage sales and what record stores that remained in this world began to stock vinyl again.  I mean stocked records, not just a token few or a milk crate of records in the corner.  Entire sections of the store reverted back to vinyl!  Then artists began to release their new material on vinyl.  It even became hip with the "hipsters" and buying vinyl became the rage with all the kids.  New records come with a digital download for people to still listen to their records on their iPod.  This was the greatest idea in the download era.

To me, listening to vinyl is how music is really meant to be heard.  I've heard all the stories of a "warmer" sound with an actual record and while I can agree with that, I just like the idea of listening to vinyl actually creates a good "listening" atmosphere.  You have to actually spend time with a record, decide on which side, listen, spend time with the liner notes, stare endlessly at the jacket or gatefold, turn the record over, put on another record.  I listened to Led Zeppelin II for the first time in years (FM radio overload kept me from this record for eons), I opened the gatefold and I was transported back to being 17 years old star-gazing at the gatefold of Zep II.  Larger than life, indeed.

It's funny, as I write this first post of the new year praising the spinning of the black circle, I've been listening to all digital music in the form of mp3's on shuffle.  Go figure.   Enjoy your day and best of luck in the most important of life decisions, "side one or side two?"

Recent Vinyl Haul

Yesterday I went to a couple of good ol' fashion "brick and mortar" record stores.  One was lauries planet of sound and the other was dusty groove both of which are in Chicago.

Here is what I picked up, all on vinyl.  Some were brand-

spankin' new, some were used.

The Meters

XTC - Skylarking

Talking Heads- The Name of this Band is Talking Heads

Every Brothers - The Best of The Everly Brothers

Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues

The Ugly Suit - The Ugly Suit

Jimmy Smith - Groovin at Smalls' Paradise

Elmo James - The Sky Is Crying

Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Ash

Dave Brubeck Quartet -  Time Out

Not too bad a haul, a few old things, a few new things, a few things I didn't have at all.  Nothin' quite like Jimmy Smith on the B-3 Organ, a little Everly Brothers harmony, a little blues, and a new Chicago band release with The Ugly Suit.