[net.audio] Record Care

wjm@whuxk.UUCP (MITCHELL) (09/27/83)

I've been using the Discwasher products for many years and have had good
results with them - this includes the Discwasher record cleaner and D4
fluid, the stylus cleaner and SC2 fluid and the Zerostat.  There are other
anti-static devices on the market and any of the reputatble ones should
work well - personally I prefer a unit that generates ions through a pizeo-
electric principle rather than by a radioactive source, which is why I like
the Zerostat (and photo-electric smoke detectors, for that matter), however
one should be very careful about what record cleaning solution is used.
D4 is one of the few that has been tested (by Stereo Review's lab) and found
not to remove plasticsizers from the vinyl.  I also urge you NOT to use
the so called "record preservative" products.  One of the audiophile record
companies (I think it is either Mobile Fidelity or Sheffield) who specializes
in very high quality recordings states that the use of these preservatives
will void your warranty on their recordings.  They recommend D4 only for
cleaning their records (and they are not affiliated with Discwasher, Inc.).

It is also imperative that you check your stylus for wear periodically and
replace it if it shows any wear.  Diamonds are much harder than vinyl and
once audible damage appears it is too late to do anything.  A reputable
dealer will generally inspect your stylus free of charge (hoping, that if the
stylus shows wear, ypu'll buy a new one from him).

Aside to rabbit!jj - Shure has improved the M97 by giving it a new stylus -
the current model is the M97HE and this stylus can also be retrofitted to
earlier M97's - it is the same type of stylus used on the V15-V.

Bill Mitchell
Bell Laboratories
Whippany, NJ  (whuxk!wjm)

jsf007@trsvax.UUCP (10/08/83)

#R:whuxk:-27900:trsvax:55100013:000:181
trsvax!jsf007    Sep 30 07:52:00 1983

A minor correction to Bill's statement:
	The HE stylus is not really new to the M97 family.  It has been 
	available for at lease two years.

				Steve Fintel
				...trsvax!jsf007

wjm@whuxk.UUCP (MITCHELL) (01/12/84)

Some thoughts about record care:-
1)  I've found (as have many other people on the net) that the Discwasher
family of products work well and do minimal harm to your records when used
properly (in accordance with the directions on the package)
These include: the Discwasher record cleaning brush with D4 fluid
               the Discwasher stylus cleaner with SC-2 stylus cleaning fluid
               and the Zerostat anti-static pistol.
2)  I do NOT recommend the use of any "record preservative" - my opinion is
reinforced by two very respected record companies, Sheffield and Mobile Fidelity
who will void the warranty on their LP's if record preservatives are used.
3)  The only safe fluid to use on records is distilled  water or cleaning fluids
like D4 specifically designed for this purpose.  Detergents can
extract the plasticizers from the vinyl, damaging the record.
4)  Using a anti-static mixture on a dust cover is an excellent idea, since
static forces can reduce the effective VTF (vertical tracking force) causing
the cartridge to mistrack, with consequental record damage.
Bill Mitchell
CSO
Whippany NJ  (whuxk!wjm)