Question on noisy records

agutierrezb

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Mexico City
I've noticed that more and more of my records are getting quite noisy. More often than before, new records I get have a bunch of pops when I play them (something you could blame both on the decreasing quality of vinyl industry-wide and my increasing attention to audio), but older records I recall as having no issues are now borderline un-listenable too. Could this be an issue with my stylus? Are my records degrading that badly?

For reference, my turntable is a Technics SL-Q2 with a Grado Blue cart. I use this to clean my records (I know, its not ideal) and replace most of the sleeves with these

This issue is getting on the way of my enjoyment of the music, so any help is greatly appreciated
 
It’s definitely drier in Mexico City this time of year, so it could be static.


You’re also correct in your cleaning regimen not being great. I’m assuming you use the brush on the record as it spins on your table? While you are cleaning the records, some dirt is getting left in your grooves.

A spin clean or rcm gets the dirt out of the grooves. Static is still going to be an issue with the spin clean because of the drying method. You could get a static gun first to see if it is just the static that is effecting your playback.

I used to use a similar brush system and there was a big improvement when I went to the spin clean.
 
I've noticed that more and more of my records are getting quite noisy. More often than before, new records I get have a bunch of pops when I play them (something you could blame both on the decreasing quality of vinyl industry-wide and my increasing attention to audio), but older records I recall as having no issues are now borderline un-listenable too. Could this be an issue with my stylus? Are my records degrading that badly?

For reference, my turntable is a Technics SL-Q2 with a Grado Blue cart. I use this to clean my records (I know, its not ideal) and replace most of the sleeves with these

This issue is getting on the way of my enjoyment of the music, so any help is greatly appreciated

All the brush is doing is removing surface dust. There's still lots of dust in the actual grooves.
 
You might want to look through Record cleaning - what's your method? for some ideas. For budget options, You might start with the Spin Clean or Squeaky Clean. The Spin Clean comes with its own cleaning concentrate, but the Squeaky Clean does not.
The two most popular cleaning solutions on this board are TTVJ or a DIY isopropyl solution: 25% isopropyl, 75% distilled water and a drop or two or whatever surfactant you can get your hands on (dishwashing soap, Jet Dry, Triton X100, Ilfotol, etc). We've had endless debates about which works better, which is a better value, whether isopropyl hurts vinyl, etc, etc, etc, and I would rather not restart them here. If you go DIY, then the debate turns to the ratio and which surfactant is best. At the end of the day, members have had excellent results with all variations mentioned here and many others.
There seems to be agreement that a rinse with distilled water is a good idea after cleaning, no matter the method. That goes for the Spin Clean too.
 
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You might also want to turn your attention to the stylus. You can find products meant to thoroughly clean them. I've had good luck with an Onzow ZeroDust, and others swear by the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Either way, you use the same method. With the platter still, drop the stylus on the cleaner for a second or so and lift it off. Don't let anything move while the stylus is resting on the cleaner--that can damage the stylus.
Also, after a year, your stylus might be approaching end of life. Grado makes a variety of stylii that should all fit your cartridge if cleaning everything doesn't fix your sound.
Personally, I put my cleaner on the record weight next to the platter. That way, there is one less moving part to worry about.
 
Assuming 1000 hours on a stylus at two records a day, you should have at least a year left on your stylus.

I found static and fuzz to be an issue using a magic eraser. I’ve been very happy with my zerodust. It does get tricky with a uturn though.
 
Yeah it really sounds like static if it’s pops and generally slightly noisy records. I battle static here in Colorado all the time. It’s so dry here and all I have is an anti static brush but I should really get an anti-static gun.

Have you accidentally hit your cartridge or stylus by chance? If your cart is somehow out of alignment or stylus is bent or damaged, that could cause groove damage which might produce noise, and the pops could just be static and coincidental. Either that or your older records have groove wear and you’re just noticing it now by chance?
 
Thanks for your input, everyone. I've been considering a squeaky clean for some time now, but I've postponed it because I thought it wasn't that big of an issue, and buying it here in Mexico isn't the easiest thing. I will look into it and a cleaning device for my stylus, hopefully those two will help with the pops I've been experiencing.
 
Yeah it really sounds like static if it’s pops and generally slightly noisy records. I battle static here in Colorado all the time. It’s so dry here and all I have is an anti static brush but I should really get an anti-static gun.

Have you accidentally hit your cartridge or stylus by chance? If your cart is somehow out of alignment or stylus is bent or damaged, that could cause groove damage which might produce noise, and the pops could just be static and coincidental. Either that or your older records have groove wear and you’re just noticing it now by chance?
I don't recall hitting the stylus, but will look closely and see if I can identify any misalignment.
As to older records, the thing is that I'm experiencing this with a bunch of newer records too, so I want to believe they are not damaged... At least that's what I tell myself, because it would suck if my records sounded that bad after less than 10 spins.
 
I don't recall hitting the stylus, but will look closely and see if I can identify any misalignment.
As to older records, the thing is that I'm experiencing this with a bunch of newer records too, so I want to believe they are not damaged... At least that's what I tell myself, because it would suck if my records sounded that bad after less than 10 spins.
Yeah most likely (hopefully) not damaged records then. Hopefully you figure it out and it’s an easy fix.
 
The lack of quality control and the reality that these are dirty factories working 24/7 means that new vinyl is sometimes just as dirty as used.

A good cleaning system is needed. I would recommend a spin clean at the very least. Vacuum systems are getting a bit cheaper with more brands popping up or companies licencing existing products.
 
The lack of quality control and the reality that these are dirty factories working 24/7 means that new vinyl is sometimes just as dirty as used.

A good cleaning system is needed. I would recommend a spin clean at the very least. Vacuum systems are getting a bit cheaper with more brands popping up or companies licencing existing products.

+1 on this.

IME the kind of cleaning method the OP is at best moving dirt around, and at worst adding new residue to the surface. I would also recommend saving up for those options (vacuum being best) and ditching this one and just not cleaning until you can swing it. These kind of systems just introduce more harm than good.
 
So, do you think the Vinyl Vac would be a good option? The Squeaky Clean seems much more sturdy and complete, but it is also way more expensive.
 
That vinyl vac looks like a right royal faff and I wouldn’t trust the steadiness of my hand with it. I’d happily take my spin clean over it for the same money
Really? The spin clean has always seemed uneffective to me. I've never used one, but it seems to me as a pool to get your records into, leaving the actual cleaning and drying to you. In my head, the vinyl vac would work better as the vacum would suck the grit and water out of the grooves, but of course I could be wrong in my appreciation of both the VV and the Spin Clean.
 
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