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Record Cleaner won't clean?? Or is it me?

Hello,

I have a MUSIC HALL WCS-2 record cleaner... and I can't for the life of me get it to actually clean my records... I am using Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab - Super Record Wash and my process is as follows:

 

I spin up the Music Hall with some vinyl.... I pour a nice dab of the Sound Lab Record Wash on it, use a Carbon Fiber Anti-Static Vinyl Brush to spread it around, for maybe 10 or so rotations, and then I turn on the vacuum of the Music Hall until it is nice and dry. 

I put the record on my player, and I am rewarded with still a bunch of pops and dust and it's just a bit of a nuisance. 

Am I doing something wrong? Am I missing a step in the process? Am I too much a perfectionist and I should just live with a bit of the dust? 

How best to keep a 80% "Clean" record clean? So that I don't have to do this constantly?

 

Thank you!

R. 

whyrichard
jpag
14 posts
 

@triton20trx +1

I love my Humminguru, also. It's removed noises no other cleaner would. It's not quite a miracle cure, but the closest I've seen yet.

billstevenson
1,164 posts
 

I love my HumminGuru too, and it is great for final clean of Ex+ or better records, it is no substitute for a wet clean and vacuum machine for really dirty vinyl.  If you buy new or near new records, then an US machine is the best choice.  If you buy a lot of used records, collect old records long out of print, then a machine like a VPI or a Loricraft is a much more effective option.  I am fortunate to have both.

whyrichard OP
89 posts
 

Hello and thank you for these comments....

 

I do use a gel stylus cleaner that seems to do a decent job of getting rid of dust and gunk on my needle. Do these wear out over time? 

I will try the distilled water wash on the Music Hall at the end of a cleaning. And also be mindful I do not vacuum for too long. 

 

Could you all point me to a brush which is stiff enough to do a deep cleaning while on my music hall? 

 

I am also thinking that my cartridge alignment or weight may be off and will check that. When I lift the needle using the lever, the needle has a habit of jumping up (as if it was stuck in the groove) and then it slides to the right (as if the table itself is not level but it is)

 

thank you!

Richard

winoguy17
1,323 posts
 

^^^^^

Check your anti skate setting

whyrichard OP
89 posts
 

Anti skate... thats right. 

I looked up this: Tonearm Setup Guide — TurntableLab.com

Question: in the tutorial it says the stock is 17 grams, if my stylus is a Goldring Eroica lx cartridge, is my setting different than this?  https://goldringusa.myshopify.com/products/goldring-eroica-lx-moving-coil-cartridge?variant=40286403297469

When I look up my cartridge, it says the playing weight of this cartridge is: 1.5 - 2.0 g (1.7 g nom.). 1.7 Grams! The video says the stock cartridge is 17.0 grams. Is the Goldring Eroica LX cartridge really requiring a super light touch on the record? Or am I misunderstanding something? 

When I follow the video, it doesn't work properly. The needle when raised drifts off the record, and there is no weight on the record when the needle is allowed to lower. 

Getting a scale in the mail today (as my old scale broke)

thanks,

Richard

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