2. analog
  3. 1265585584

what to keep analoge system perfect working?

Hi,

the intent of this thread is to expand a bit more the subject on how to set the cartridge, keep it cleaned and keep your LPs in a good shape.

I came out with the following list of tools:

1) strobe disk to fine tune the speed, wherever it is possible to do so.
I was thinking of K-A-B Strobe disk that seems to be a very precise tool

2) clean off dust from the records.
At first I was impressed by the Nagaoka roller, but after researches I found it not to be as good as I though and all in all the carbon fiber brush seems to be still the classic solution for dust

3) vinyl cleaning machine.
There are several solutions out there but they are pretty expensive.
I found a DIYs to be much cheaper but yet as efficient. It just needs an old TT and a wet/dry vacuum;

3a) for the liquid fluid a diy version should work fine. Unfotunately the fluids on the market are quite of expensive and if you have a wide selection I guess this is the way to go:
- 3 parts of distilled water
- 1 part of Isopropyl alcohol
- few drops of photographic wetting agent

3b) brush for the cleaning duty.
To spread the liquid, it is supposedly better to spend few more bucks and get the VPI HW-17/17F brush than having a cheaper solution that won't least as long will start shading soon and won't be as efficient

4) keep stylus clean.
I found a very inexpensive solution for it. It is called Mr. Eraser ME. It seems to have gathered a lot of follower among all the people that have been using it for long time

5) perform cartridge alignment.
I found Mint LP to be the best custom made tool. Unfortunately it is costly. (does it also have a mirror to check the azimuth?!)

6) digital stylus force gauge

7) level to check if the platter is flat

This is what my understanding of what's needed for a perfect analogue front end set up and maintenance till now.

Please feel free to comment each point and give suggestions.

Best,
Stefano.
stefanoo

Showing 2 responses by dougdeacon

dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Stylus cleaning does indeed require care, attention and calm, steady fingers. Good eyesight helps too.

There are risks, but you should also be afraid of NOT cleaning your stylus, particularly a ZYX stylus.

A major part of a ZYX's performance is due to its fine contact ridges, the finest used by any cartridge manufacturer. These gunk up VERY easily, at which point your cartridge will stop sounding like a $3K LOMC and start sounding like a $100 MM. I guarantee this will happen if you use inadequate cleaning solutions, poor vacuuming or fail to clean the stylus after EVERY SIDE.

As the founder of the Magic Eraser as stylus cleaner, I've been using it on ZYX UNIverses, Atmos's and other cartridges for 6+ years. No accidents so far and my styli are as clean as the day they left the factory. That will not be true if you use a ZeroDust (and definitely not if you use a ZeroStat!) ;-)

P.S. You aren't getting many responses because this has all been covered before. Do a search. Your Mint question would be answered with one glance at their website. No offense, but do a little homework. That can be fun too. :-)
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Re: cleaning solutions, many here like steaming. I've tried it and it didn't work very well for me. I've found nothing better than the enzyme-based solutions from AIVS (or Walker or MoFi). But they are expensive and slow to use.

Your DIY solution and good vacuuming should get the record clean enough so it won't be damaged during play. If there's any trace of residue it'll cling to the stylus. The ME will remove it if used regularly.

***

Your vacuum device sounds like a manual/DIY version of my Loricraft or a Keith Monks. (Scroll down 1-2 pages to the section "How is the Loricraft different".) Great idea!

Those machines use a thread to maintain a tiny gap between vacuum nozzle and vinyl surface (check the closeup pictures). The thread is advanced a few mm after each sweep so the bit touching the LP is always clean.

I think you need something like this to avoid having your tube opening making a seal with the LP. That could scratch the record.

Without seeing your DIY device it's hard to say what the best material would be. Thread? String? A bit of soft cloth? Whatever you use, change it frequently to prevent contamination.

Keep on thinking, you're doing some good stuff.
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