I pretty much just do your last suggestion. And I'm not especially a stickler about it. But then again I don't mind static. I hear it in my head even when I'm not playing records!
It occurs to me that you should have called this piece, "No Static at All" and included the great Steely Dan song by the same name! Well, "FM (No Static at All)."
I have written about my cleaning routine in an earlier post of yours, I just cleaned eight records yesterday. But, I always use a carbon fiber brush on my record before I move the tone arm and lower the needle. It not only does well with picking up surface dust, but it also removes static. My Thorens has a rubber mat, which are generally good and certainly better than felt. I thought about a cork mat, but the Thorens also has a built-in 45 adaptor, which wouldn't work with an aftermarket mat.
To the person below who mentioned compressed air, I would be wary about using it on my stylus. The cantilever is thin and relatively fragile, I would be worried the force of the air could damage it or even remove the diamond from its glue. 'Last' makes a good, reputable liquid stylus cleaner that I have used for many years. I have never had any issues with it weakening the glue of the diamond (there are horror stories out there with some less-reputable stylus cleaning products). I use it and then (serious geek alert) shine my phone's flashlight on the stylus and look through a magnifying glass to ensure all dust is off. If I see dust clinging to the cantilever, I gently use the stylus brush to clean it. I do the geeky magnifying glass thing once a week when I also wipe my stereo down.
Thank you, Michael! Yes, rubber mats are supposed to be very good at keeping static at bay as well.
I read exactly the same about the compressed air / stylus risk factor, so it's reassuring to see it's more than just a passing comment, but rather, something worth paying attention to. Thanks again for your very valuable contributions!
The dust in some of my records but mostly my turntable really pisses me off. It just doesn’t go away. I’ve read I may need to get a compressed air duster especially for the turntable cover so I don’t scratch the plastic (probably already have lol). I also have my cat to blame a lot for all this, but oh well. Great post! ✨
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the post. I've heard of compressed air dusters but never tried one as I read somewhere they can damage the stylus. If you go for it, I'd say keep the stylus protector on, and clean your stylus separately. To clean my turntable, I use old-fashioned wet wipes (similar to phone/lens wipes) which work a treat for both the platter area and the cover (which you would need to remove and put back on, for best results). I try to make this a weekly thing, purely to have a sense of routine. You don't need to clean your turntable as often as you clean your records, though. Just try to stick to some sort of schedule. Good luck!
i've been wanting to try out the cork mat and anti-static gun for some time, but the brush always does the trick, and i just make a wipe down brush a regular part of the routine now to get ahead of it. great thoughts and insights as always, Andy!
Static is so annoying, once you notice its there, it just drills into your brain.
I keep my vinyl's in anti-static sleeves and always clean them before turning (as much of a tedious task as it is), it's all about that crisp clean sound.
Static drives me bonkers too! My cleaning routine is closer to Steve's than anything else. I thought about compressed air, but have been leery of using it anywhere near the stylus.
Thank you! Yes, that last step is key. I’ve stayed away from compressed air for the same reason. I mean, we aren’t even supposed to give the stylus a quick puff of air (which we still do from time to time… let him/her/them cast the first stone) but compressed air feels brutal.
2) Anti-static cleaning before every play. Definitely give the disc a good brushing before going back into the jacket.
3) Wet cleaning with a microfiber cloth when necessary, which seems often. Use a clean cloth. Change often.
4) Cork slip mat.
5) Clean stylus often.
6) Dust cover.
7) A clean, cool environment for both records and turntable. (Our room has zero carpet, for example.)
I also use a rubber cleaning mat for the cleaning. It is a wonderful tool I found at a thrift store years ago. Made in the 70’s.
Note: While I buy fewer used records these days, my main record store goes to great care by putting all of their used records through a cleaning in a professional cleaner before hitting the floor. This is a huge benefit to the consumer, giving the records a new life and head start before moving on to their new homes.
Thank you, Scott! Excellent tips. It’s great when stores take such good care of the vinyl product before selling. It’s a huge added value feature which doesn’t get acknowledged enough, so thanks for pointing that out.
I pretty much just do your last suggestion. And I'm not especially a stickler about it. But then again I don't mind static. I hear it in my head even when I'm not playing records!
It occurs to me that you should have called this piece, "No Static at All" and included the great Steely Dan song by the same name! Well, "FM (No Static at All)."
Thank you, Steve! Yes, the brush-against-spindle trick is a good one.
Great title suggestion! As is very often the case, it was a race against time, and I couldn’t think of a better title 😅
I have written about my cleaning routine in an earlier post of yours, I just cleaned eight records yesterday. But, I always use a carbon fiber brush on my record before I move the tone arm and lower the needle. It not only does well with picking up surface dust, but it also removes static. My Thorens has a rubber mat, which are generally good and certainly better than felt. I thought about a cork mat, but the Thorens also has a built-in 45 adaptor, which wouldn't work with an aftermarket mat.
To the person below who mentioned compressed air, I would be wary about using it on my stylus. The cantilever is thin and relatively fragile, I would be worried the force of the air could damage it or even remove the diamond from its glue. 'Last' makes a good, reputable liquid stylus cleaner that I have used for many years. I have never had any issues with it weakening the glue of the diamond (there are horror stories out there with some less-reputable stylus cleaning products). I use it and then (serious geek alert) shine my phone's flashlight on the stylus and look through a magnifying glass to ensure all dust is off. If I see dust clinging to the cantilever, I gently use the stylus brush to clean it. I do the geeky magnifying glass thing once a week when I also wipe my stereo down.
Thank you, Michael! Yes, rubber mats are supposed to be very good at keeping static at bay as well.
I read exactly the same about the compressed air / stylus risk factor, so it's reassuring to see it's more than just a passing comment, but rather, something worth paying attention to. Thanks again for your very valuable contributions!
The dust in some of my records but mostly my turntable really pisses me off. It just doesn’t go away. I’ve read I may need to get a compressed air duster especially for the turntable cover so I don’t scratch the plastic (probably already have lol). I also have my cat to blame a lot for all this, but oh well. Great post! ✨
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the post. I've heard of compressed air dusters but never tried one as I read somewhere they can damage the stylus. If you go for it, I'd say keep the stylus protector on, and clean your stylus separately. To clean my turntable, I use old-fashioned wet wipes (similar to phone/lens wipes) which work a treat for both the platter area and the cover (which you would need to remove and put back on, for best results). I try to make this a weekly thing, purely to have a sense of routine. You don't need to clean your turntable as often as you clean your records, though. Just try to stick to some sort of schedule. Good luck!
i've been wanting to try out the cork mat and anti-static gun for some time, but the brush always does the trick, and i just make a wipe down brush a regular part of the routine now to get ahead of it. great thoughts and insights as always, Andy!
Thank you, Kadrian! Very good tips as well from you, as always! If and when I try one of these slipmats I’ll let you know! Thanks again!
Static is so annoying, once you notice its there, it just drills into your brain.
I keep my vinyl's in anti-static sleeves and always clean them before turning (as much of a tedious task as it is), it's all about that crisp clean sound.
Great piece
Static is indeed so annoying… and persistent!
But I see you’re well equipped. A good anti-satic inner sleeve and a quick clean can go a long way.
Thank you for reading!
Static drives me bonkers too! My cleaning routine is closer to Steve's than anything else. I thought about compressed air, but have been leery of using it anywhere near the stylus.
Thank you! Yes, that last step is key. I’ve stayed away from compressed air for the same reason. I mean, we aren’t even supposed to give the stylus a quick puff of air (which we still do from time to time… let him/her/them cast the first stone) but compressed air feels brutal.
Your words resonate with me, 100%. ✌️🙌✌️
1) Anti-static sleeves.
2) Anti-static cleaning before every play. Definitely give the disc a good brushing before going back into the jacket.
3) Wet cleaning with a microfiber cloth when necessary, which seems often. Use a clean cloth. Change often.
4) Cork slip mat.
5) Clean stylus often.
6) Dust cover.
7) A clean, cool environment for both records and turntable. (Our room has zero carpet, for example.)
I also use a rubber cleaning mat for the cleaning. It is a wonderful tool I found at a thrift store years ago. Made in the 70’s.
Note: While I buy fewer used records these days, my main record store goes to great care by putting all of their used records through a cleaning in a professional cleaner before hitting the floor. This is a huge benefit to the consumer, giving the records a new life and head start before moving on to their new homes.
Thank you, Scott! Excellent tips. It’s great when stores take such good care of the vinyl product before selling. It’s a huge added value feature which doesn’t get acknowledged enough, so thanks for pointing that out.
Listen to CDs instead. Building a collection is much cheaper.
Who says one has to exclude the other? I love CDs as well. There’s room for all!