Results from Beta Testers of New Formulas

Hi Raul,

You say "Paul has to answer." Actually, I don't, but will do so now as a courtesy to you. I didn't respond earlier because I thought that what was already posted adequately responded to you.

Your suggestion that should send the fluids to the original recording engineers (studio engineers? mixdown/mastering engineers? lacquer cutting engineers?) makes no sense to me whatsoever. They don't have hard drives for brains; they can't "replay" sounds once heard years ago for comparison. And even if they did, how would they listen to the vinyl cleaned with these formulas except on their equipment ... which necessarily has its own sonic signature?

The reason for this thread is really quite simple: whether the knowledgeable, experienced and technically-oriented vinylphiles here on A'gon think the vinyl sounds better -- or not -- after using the formulas in my 2-step process. None of us need anyone else -- whether a recording engineer or our mothers -- to agree or disagree with us when we listen to something on our system and say "that sounds better," or "that sounds worse."

Having now responded, I respectfully ask that if you want to continue this debate, please start your own thread to do so. People are using the thread to post their feedback on using the formulas, and others are coming to this thread becaue they want to read that feedback ... and not debates on whether we should or should not have recording engineers tell us what sounds better -- or worse -- on our own systems. Thanks, Raul.

Best regards,
Paul

Dear Lugnut: An equalizer is a device that can change the frecuency response in music reproduction: all the testers told us that they hear something different ( that they like it ): this " something different " is a change in the frecuency response, my point is if that changes are in the recording or not: the only people that know about it are the people that were at the live studio recording, if these people told us that after the formula treatment the reproduction sound is more accurate to the recording then and only then Paul can say that the formula really works in favor of the music reproduction, if these people told us that the treatment it does not help for " accurate to the recording ", then the formula is an equalizer. That is all.
About the tube electronics that work like a very expensive equalizers I agree with you that this is not the moment to speak about it and I apoligize for that.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Well, this testing process is turning out to be harder than I expected. I bought some used records this afternoon, tried to get a handle on the "before" and then listened to the "after." Yes, a nice improvement, but not one I swear I could pick up in an A/B test. But a friend has another copy of one of the discs and this weekend we'll see if we can hear a difference between your products and whatever he uses with his Nitty Gritty/Record Doctor RCM (same model as mine).

One of the problems is that I may be too stingy with your stuff -- want it to last, and there's not a lot to play with. Another "problem" is that my own cleaning regime works very well -- Harry Weisfeld's formula (not the VPI concentrate, which I don't like at all) plus a distilled water rinse. More later, Dave.

Hi everyone,

I wrote to Dave and asked to go ahead and be liberal with using the formulas -- I'll send more if he needs more to complete valid testing. I make the same offer to everyone else. If you need more fluid, let me know and I'll send you more.

Best regards,
Paul

I received my samples on Saturday. The first album I tried was my Johnny Hodges, "Blue Notes" which has some scratchiness that drives me crazy. I was expecting a miracle cleaner. After cleaning album still has the same scratchiness. In other words this is not a "miracle" cleaner(it won't fix worn out albums). I will keep looking for a better copy of Johnny. Other albums that I used for my test were from garage sales that I purchased that day and needed cleaning. I first used my normal popular solutions, which is also a 2 step process, on one side and Paul's solutions on the other. Visually I could tell that Paul's would remove all of the fingerprints and the other solution would only remove a portion.
I have tried this method on a few others and the results seem to be the same, Paul's visually look cleaner, which should mean cleaner sound. There is definitely less surface noise. I also have been very conservative on how much I have been using, so maybe I am not seeing the full benefit of these solutions. Would it fix my Johnny hodges? Who knows.
Paul I would like to try a larger sample 6-12 oz of each and I would like to reimberse you for the expense of the materials and postage.