2. analog
  3. 161946-976

Is this the solution to LP static issues?? Seems to be!

Last night i was listening to a superb original RCA white dog pressing of Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte ( if you can source this, i highly recommend it!) 
I noticed that all of my prior LP's were exhibiting considerable static attraction to my felt mat on my LP12. Not this one!!! How come, since the LP was played at the same time as the others, in the same system, the same room temperature etc.?? I noticed on the cover of the album the following large sticker: Miracle Surface, This record contains the revolutionary new antistatic ingredient, 317X, which helps keep the record dust free, helps prevent surface noise, helps insure faithful sound reproduction on Living Stereo.  

Whatever this additive is that was put on this album back in 1959 sure works well!! Anyone know what 317X is?? Why are we NOT using this stuff today??
128x128daveyf

Showing 5 responses by millercarbon

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I had a lot of records to do so drove down to my local Home Depot paid a couple day workers $20 each to pressure wash em in the drive way. Lost a label or two for which I docked each one $5. They were more careful after that let me tell you!  

All my records are treated very carefully. No matter what you might think, set the cheeseburger down. Trust me. Also the platter is not really a platter, and should not be used for food, not even chinese, which is a shame seeing how it rotates and all.   

Static will attract dog and cat hairs, and bird feathers. When this happens use the brush attachment, do not just vacuum on the floor however much better this may seem, its not. Trust me. 
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
That's a good one. Mine's even threaded. Thanks!
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
So I was right, its mixed in the vinyl. Next thing, why assume no one does this any more? Some may well be doing it (or something like it) and just not advertising it. This would certainly explain my experience of some records being incredibly charged while others are completely free of static even without me doing anything. I never paid attention to which are which because this never occurred to me before. Now that I think about it though some records a speck of dust blows right off- no charge. Some a shot of Zerostat will liberate, while others are so highly charged almost nothing will get them off. Now I will have to start paying attention and see which particular records are which.

One more thing to do. As if I needed that. Thanks. Thanks a lot. ;)
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
From reading that interesting link the most likely answer would seem to be some additive like propylene glycol. Whatever it is, it can't be a coating or additive since no way anything like that would last for decades. Has to be something in the vinyl itself. The record industry is just like the movie industry, penny wise and pound foolish.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Were they all washed the same? Or at all?
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