Zero Stat Gun

The directions are on the back of the box. Cover off - squeeze slow - about 12 inches from record not spinning - one squeeze in middle and than one each at 3,6,9 and 12 o'clock. I use it on record on clening machine before I clean and on record on turn table after record is cleaned.

Takes some getting use to.....slow pull AND slow release.

How do you know it is static that you are hearing?

Using the Zerostat prior to play doesn't guarantee you of anything as static can build up during play. I only use the Zerostat after a play. It only takes one squeeze per side.

For a Zero-stat "how to", do what Cerrot said. Use it when you need to and squeeze slowly. If you hear/feel clicking you're squeezing too fast and it won't work.

As for your report of hearing "static" during play, you're not. Frequent or constant snaps, crackles and pops are not caused by static. They're caused by dirt and/or by damage from previous plays, as others explained on your previous thread .

Audible static discharges are rare (though not unknown). If you did get one it would typically take several revolutions (at least) for your rig to build up enough static potential to produce a second one. My rigs have not produced an audible static discharge in five years of constant use, despite a static-prone winter climate.

For those on tight budgets a Zero-Stat is an optional tool. There are simple (and free) ways to live without one.

Record cleaning, however, is not optional. A record being played uncleaned is a record being destroyed. Priorities...

P.S. Skip the Gruv Glide, at least for new records. It may quiet a few old, ruined LP's but it smothers the life out of good ones and builds up residue on the stylus that must be removed.

I always thought it was a squeeze away from the record, them one slow release onto the record as it is spinning. At least that's the way I've been using it (successfully) for many years.

Bob

In response to the whole squeeze slowly i have had 4 people try to squeeze this thing slowly without hearing clicks and all of us make the damm thing click.

And the directions say nothing that anyone here posted :) it says point "OH BOY" and nothing about "not hearing clicks".

And since there are 534,124 different ways of cleaning records I guess one just has to do what they feel comfy.

Thank for the replies.

I think the only thing that can help is a cleaning machine.

Dougdeacon? is static the snap crackel and pop or no? can we upload mp3 files to this thread, maybe if i can give you something to work with you can tell me what i need to?

Thanks

Groove glide, if used properly, works quite well. Low torque tables do not lend themselves to proper application. Try applying while LP is still on the RCM.

Snap, crakel and pop can be static OR just a bad pressing or dirty record. You can take the LP off the TT and move it near the hair on your arm to see if there's a static charge in it. If so, then apply the Z-stat and retest. The static should be removed. The record can still sound like crap, if it's flawed or dirty. (Which is not uncommon).

Dave

As Dan_Ed, Dcstep and I have all suggested, your snap, crackle and pop problem is very unlikely to be caused by static.

Want to prove it? Just do what Dcstep said: zap them with the Zerostat until the hairs on the back of your arm don't stand up when you pass the record over them. Then play it. If it's still noisy the problem isn't static.

Again, the two most likely causes are:
1) dirt still in the grooves and,
2) groove damage from previous plays.

You can fix #1 but #2 is permanent, and it can be caused by #1 because playing a record dirty inevitably causes damage. You can't drag dirt through a plastic groove with a super-sharp diamond chisel without damaging the plastic.

You said (on the other thread) that you're playing records you received from previous owners.

A. Did the original owners play these records without cleaning? If so, they may be damaged and never play silently again.

B. Did the original owners play these records on inexpensive or poorly adjusted rigs? If so, they may be damaged and will never play silently again.

I have a pretty typical collection for long time posters here, around 4,000 records. 3,500 of those play very quietly, perhaps more quietly than you'd believe if you've never heard a good vinyl setup.

The noisy 500 are mostly my own high school and college records from the 1970's and 1980's. Those were all played without cleaning, sometimes on very modest equipment by a guy who had little idea what he was doing, other than enjoying the music of course. Most of them will never play quietly again. Dirt got ground against the grooves during mulitiple plays and ruined the vinyl, or the rig itself ruined the vinyl. The only way for me to get a quiet copy is to buy another one.

It's not a matter of age. I have records from the 1950's and early 1960's that are dead quiet, because they were always well treated.

You're right of course that there are many ways of cleaning records. Pick one, try it and see if the results satisfy. You have to start somewhere.

Doug

P.S. I'd suggest buying, cleaning and playing at least one brand new LP, just to have a reference for what a quiet surface sounds like.

I complete second Dougdeacon's response. What you are hearing has 99% likely nothing to do with static. As Doug state with static you would hear a very loud pop only every few revolutions.

What you DO hear is dirt in the grooves or possibly even groove damage.

There is an old misconception that crackle on pop on records is called static which is a completely incorrect usage of the term for vinyl (unlike static on the radio).

ok lots of questions to answer here so bare with me.

YES all the records in question are from family who YES never took care of them.

My collection on the other hand have always been cared for and have no problems.

I set myself out on a task to get some of these records back to be at least some what listenable. Reason being i found some gems, now i am dumb when it comes to cleaning records because honestly i store my records properly and really just brush them with the HUNT cleaning brush and at one point used permastat anti static preservation which i believe could be why MY collection is very quiet and enjoyable to listen too. Now anything new i buy i just use the HUNT brush and then a little gruv glide for static because it kinds does everything all around. I couldn't find permastat so i went to gruv glide but i found permastat again so when i run out of gruv glide i will return to permastat.

I do not have a record cleaning machine so what is the alternative to getting all that crap out of the grooves?

And guys thanks so much for your help, oh and what kept me thinking it was static was taking the terms snap crackle and pop literally.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

and my rig is as follows

Primare I21 CD 21
Thiel 1.6
Music Hall MMF5
Music Hall pa1.2
Kimber Kable Interconnects
Monster Mseries 2.2 (will upgrade soon, Harvey closed there store on LI and I pick them up (20 ft pair) for 163 bucks.

Fablous sound so its really annoying to listen to dirty records on a nice modest system.

HELP!!!!

oh i also wanna to add

power condition to pass labs outlet on its own circuit.

Disc Doctor Record Cleaning system is one of the best non-machine solutions.

Dave

As far as cleaning without a RCM, the best way appears to be a hand-held steamer and wipe down with microfiber clothes. There are 2 extensive steam cleaning threads here on audiogon that detail this as well as videos on you-tube. I'm using steam and Disc Doctor fluids with a VPI 16.5 and get great results. Others report similar results with just the steamer and microfiber cloth. The other big trend currently are the enzyme solutions from AI, Walker and now MoFi which I have yet to try due to cost, the increaded time they require, and my natural skeptisism (in the case of AI and MoFi) that enzymes will remain active when held in solution for longer than a few hours.