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Analog care -- what do we NEED

Looking at all the stuff on the market -- cartridge demagnitizer, anti-static gun, stylus cleaners, a plethora of record cleaning accessories, plastic versus paper sleeves, cartridge alignment tools, damping materials, and a plethora of other tweaks -- it seems as if you can never get your analog set up right. So, here's my question; what do vinyl lovers need to do?

I clean my records regularly - dry-brush before every play, run them through the VPI 16.5 on occassion, - and I clean the stylus, both dry and with Last stylus cleaner about once every week or two, I obviously use a stylus gauge to set up the cartridge and a spirit level to do the turntable. There is a lot of isolation for my turntable and some damping. This already seems excessive. I just want to know what other people do and how much of this is really a necessity?
ssayeed
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Only as much as the user wants. I USED to wash LPs. No more. Now I just use a standard vacuum cleaner witha brush att. To suck the dust off. Then sometimes I use a carbon fiber brush. I use Stylast and THEN brush the stylus before play. I use a counter to see how many plays i have for real on the stylus. (All those phoney "only 50 hours" sales pitches..)
I buy used LPs pretty exclusively, so I buy inner sleeves. And I like the heavy 5 mil outer poly sleeves too. So I blow money on sleeves and stuff I do not need but like.
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If I hade to give up everything but three things: I would keep: Vacuum cleaner, Stylast, carbon fiber brush.
Add on one: new Inner sleeves
These are my 'extras'
PS I always have a tube of meguiars Scratch X to clean up LP covers. Just a tiny daub on a paper towel gets the grime off. So it is another extra but not a 'real' one.
kurt_tank
1,188 posts
 
Yes, Viridian, but, the question is:

What type of tape provides the best sonic benefit?

Scotch or masking?

;-)
bumboola
17 posts
 
Duct tape is superior to both.
bjesien
614 posts
 
25 percent? Scotch apparently.

I'm interested in real answers too.
xiekitchen
819 posts
 
Cartridge Demagnitizer - no
Zerostat gun - well maybe only if necessary
Wet vacuum cleaning machine - ESSENTIAL (had a nitty gritty for decades, now use a VPI 16) after wet vacuuming usually there is no static and no need for the anti-static gun
Walker magnet thingy (forgot the name) - very helpful, does work and does make a slight difference
Stylus cleaner - ESSENTIAL but I don't use it on every play, if the record is wet vac. cleaned before each play the stylus stays pretty clean
MFSL plastic sleeves - the best, after a new or used record is thoughly wet vac. cleaned, replace with one of these sleeves
After your cartridge is properly set up by a dealer that really knows analog, OR if you REALLY know what you're doing and do this yourself, then YES it is essential to get the platter level so YES on the level.
did that help?
Last time I tried a 'penny' on the headshell I was 15 years old using my dad's Garrard gear driven table LOL
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