From: Steven Smolian <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
<ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx>
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Record cleaning fluid recommendations?
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 11:45:10 -0500
I'd like to point out that this is their formula, not the results of their
tests.
Steve Smolian
----- Original Message -----
From: "David S Sager" <dsag@xxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 9:17 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Record cleaning fluid recommendations?
> The LoCs formula is posted on the LoC website.
>
> >>> smolians@xxxxxxxxx 12/16/03 08:09AM >>>
> 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.