Re: [ARSCLIST] Record cleaning fluid recommendations?

[Steven Smolian <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ask the Preservation people at the Library of Congress who run tests and
keep them secret.

Steven Smolian


----- Original Message -----
From: "John Ross" <johnross@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 4:31 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Record cleaning fluid recommendations?


> Has anybody actually done any systematic research about the relative
> effectiveness of various commercial and home-brew record cleaning
mixtures?
> It seems as if all of the suggestions posted to this thread have been
> anecdotal reports based on relatively limited experience.
>
> I understand that many on this list have extensive experience cleaning and
> preserving sounds from LPs and other media. I don't intend to belittle
this
> expertise. But it's entirely possible that more than one mixture will
> produce equally effective results, within the requirement that they do not
> do any damage to the media.  Seems like most people will stop
experimenting
> after they find a product that appears to meet their needs.
>
> And it's also possible that some common methods are in fact potentially
> destructive. Or that the difference between different mixtures might be
> below the noise threshold of many playback chains.
>
> I would like to see a study that compares the subjective and/or measured
> reduction in surface noise after treatment with different mixtures, and
> using different techniques. Of course, it's true that every LP has a
> different amount and type of crud in its grooves before cleaning, so the
> starting point will be somewhat different on each one, but using a
> reasonable sampling of records from collections and thrift stores ought to
> produce some kind of useful averages.
>
> Does anything like this exist in print or online? If not, would it be
> productive to organize some formal standards for testing?
>
> John Ross
> Northwest Folklife
> Seattle
>
>
>
>
> At 11:09 AM 12-15-2003 -0600, you wrote:
> >With all due respect, you're recommending products based upon price
rather
> >than the quality of the cleaning.  I'm confident that a superior & safer
> >level of cleaning is available at a reasonable price & its unfortunate
that
> >you have not had an opportunity to hear the results of using these
materials.