Noisy vinyl? - Just add water

A controversial but effective way of improving the sound of noisy vinyl records.
Audio samples:
drive.google.com/open?id=0B_oq...
Fran Blanche's video:
• Cleaning Records With ...
VinylEngine thread:
www.vinylengine.com/turntable_...

[@captaincinema5066]

In 1966 I worked in the LaBrie FM Stereo Network in NYC as the Chief Recording Engineer. We transferred "Easy Listing" music from LPs to tape for FM radio stations that didn't want to incur the cost of buying a full library of LPs. At this time FM was didn't have nearly the audience that AM had -- most radios didn't even get FM reception -- and they just simulcasted whatever they were broadcasting on their AM transmitter over to their FM transmitter. But the FCC eventually mandated that the stations who owned an FM license had to broadcast at least 85% original programming and couldn't just duplicate their AM audio. All of a sudden then, stations scrambled to get syndicated music packages like ours for a quick and easy way to get original programming on their FM station. Of course we needed to master LPs to sound pristine. While I would say 50% of our LP library was new records, the other half was used and needed to be MADE to sound new. We used a variety of cleaning methods and we also had what was called a Transient Spike Suppressor, a clever processor that always had about the last 50 microseconds of audio stored in memory; when it detected a pop, it would replace the pop with the same amount previous audio. Unless there were dozens of pops in a row, your ear could never hear the electronic "splice." We also actually splice out pops from the master tape itself, and believe it or not, those eliminated microseconds of sound were undetectable. But here the interesting thing -- we played LPs wet all the time when they had surface noise and those tiny scratches that the TSS unit couldn't detect. We always cleaned then with a special vacuum machine first, then with cleaning solution that was old specifically to radio stations (have no idea what was in it, but it did smell like it had alcohol) next level up was to wash it in diluted dishwashing liquid. Then lastly, we used this very wet-play method that you show here. Great video, btw. Here's the eye-opener -- the solution that we let the needle run in (a bubble of the liquid would ride with under and be dragged along by the stylus plastic body) the liquid we used was 60% distilled water AND, believe it or not, 40% diluted KY-jelly. The KY is a water-based lubricant that seemed to work better than water alone. We used it routinely and it really worked. I haven't read the long discussion pros and cons yet about using a water bath to play records so I don't know what the con arguments might be, all I can say is I have day in and day out practical experience in one of the largest professional production houses in NYC and we certainly wouldn't use it if it didn't work and as you have also demonstrated, there is no question it can significantly tame LP surface noise.

[@zelphx]

TOM LaBrie???

[@allthrone7492]

are you writing a comment or a biography? Edit- autobiography********

[@leon9021]

Captain Cinema I have heard that playing wet might work well, but after a while the record nearly requires to be played wet to sound good at all and there is no saving you from it. Not sure how true that claim is however.

[@ChuckD59]

I wonder if those who experience that noise "creep" are using distilled water? The only quibble I have with this video is there's no mention that the water needs to be distilled. I'm sure that if I did this with my household water and just let it dry on the vinyl, it wouldn't be too long before the minerals that don't evaporate would build up a noisy crust. Great video VWestife, and thanks for the confirmation, Capt. Cinema.

[@franklinblankenship8991]

Leon thepro only because you become so accustomed to how it sounds wet...it'll still play dry, but your ears will have been spoiled by the new sound...

[@elviswjr]

"Popular Music That Will Live Forever" Never got converted to CD and died in the 80's. How ironic.

[@zeke2048]

Elvis S lol I was thinking the same thing

[@Ukiyowo]

Didn't I literally just see you in a Frankie X stream

[@Ukiyowo]

apparently you replied but youtube's comments are bad and wont let me see it but anyway for some reason it made me reply to you rather than luke so woops

[@elviswjr]

Ukiyo, I did reply, but then I noticed you were replying to Lukethewolf so I deleted my comment. Gotta love KZbin's comment system.

[@Ukiyowo]

ah sorry yeah it sure does work just amazingly

[@hughjass4040]

I swear that mood music is straight from spongebob

[@EugeneWallamanamoStinson]

Literally thought that then I saw your comment.

[@Jacob-oy1lo]

20/20 Envisioned Ya it just has that classic beat and background strum and thump

[@jessesmith2655]

Hugh Jass now that is funny as hell...

[@fortunamajor7239]

@@jamescarter3196 I think they did because I've heard specific hawaiian-sounding tracks from spongebob pop up in other media, so they must've gotten some public domain stuff

[@KylesDigitalLab]

10:24 Sounds just like one of the video games. It's actually sort of familiar.

[@yanikkunitsin1466]

"Popular Music That Will Live Forever" - well, that's optimistic

[@Cont0rt]

People who think modern pop and hip hop will survive into the 22nd century or something have a screw loose imo.

[@TheCobCAP]

@@Cont0rt yeah music evolution lol

[@MikehMike01]

music from today is garbage

[@stevethepocket]

Reminds me of the claims on mono records that the format "will never be obsolete".

[@92Jdmsupra]

@@MikehMike01 Nah you just have to look. Alternative rock is extremely popular.

[@dillondriskill6403]

That’s the 1960s equivilant of Lo-Fi indie hip hop beats to relax/study to

[@ahard-daysnight6659]

24/7 Radio

[@JasonBellVideos]

Oh its lo-fi for sure

[@BILLCLINTONSREVENGE]

Pee wees playhouse lol

[@thebruckler3707]

Oh my God I've thought the exact same thing about "easy listening" music from the 50s and 60s

[@carlosenamorado952]

Yes lol

[@gazjones3549]

Ive always done this as a dj. People look at me like im mental when im squeezing a baby wipe onto a record and then the sound goes from shit to HD. Controversial. but it fucking works.

[@ramiabouzahra]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[@ronaldphillips8421]

dumb fuck

[@Lyrabon]

Gaz Jones Introducing HDVINYL The new Vinyl! It has better sound quality then the average vinyl, Get it now for 19.95 S+H 1-800-HDVINYL Not sold in stores must be 18 or older to order

[@SweetHyunho]

Gaz Jones But after the water dries don't you get water stain on the record?

[@franklinblankenship8991]

SweetHyunho not really, if there's not much minerals in the water...that's all a water stain is...

[@LMacNeill]

Back in the ‘70s when I was a kid, I can remember my Dad cleaning his records with water and a little bit of dishwashing soap. And he *never* dried them - he just put them straight on the turntable. He said it got a better sound that way. I never really thought much about it until now. I guess he was right. :-)

[@andygozzo72]

yep, the water, and ideally water plus detergent, it cleans and 'scrapes' out any muck during playing 😊

[@andygozzo72]

best is play once with soapy water, then rinse, play again with plain water, then rinse and let dry naturally, done it many times

[@andygozzo72]

adding isopropyl alcohol may also help remove some types of dirt/gunk,

[@andreasleonlandgren3092]

Let it dry first or the dust Will stick on the needle.

[@andygozzo72]

@@andreasleonlandgren3092 actually thats partly the idea, while still wet the stylus 'scrapes' the muck out.. you do need to keep lifting up the tonearm and removing the gunk off it for the first play,

[@hunterjohnson7393]

After reading the patent for Dishwasher solution, I formulated my own cleaning solution using Hibiclens (1.5%), isopropyl alcohol (1.0%), and distilled water (97.5%). The gunk in old records is usually a combination of dust and mold. The Hibiclens acts as an anti-microbial and the alcohol reduces the surface tension of the water (surfactant) so that it gets in the nooks and crannies of the groove and helps the Hibiclens emulsify with the water. The only thing I do differently is that after playing the album wet, I rinse it with fresh distilled water to (hopefully) remove the gunk/cleaner and then let it air dry. Otherwise, as the record dries, the gunk just stays put.

[@dukctape]

do you protect the labels at all or do you just get them wet and accept risk of damaging them

[@adeladd7638]

That is an interesting point, I never considered mould. I bought a record a couple of weeks ago, described as A+, when I went to play side two the arm skated across the record. It had ploughed a huge chunk of dust and gloop from side one, I had to get the stylus under a magnifier and pick the stuff off with a knife point, I will try something similar on this record.

[@shotguntimmy]

lets go calvin and hobbes pfp

[@beelzemobabbity]

@@dukctapethey sell watertight protctors that are for washing records.

[@andljoy]

I agree with you , its not that inherently that vinyl is better , its that in general the mastering on vinyl is better than modern CD's.

[@chrysanth.5700]

Andrew Joy I need to listen to more vinyl in order to reach a good conclusion, but I have heard vinyl has the potential to sound better depending on quite a few factors.

[@JonnyInfinite]

Andrew Joy can't argue with that, in fact the technical superiority of CD results in over-compressed modern masters that actually sound worse than vinyl: a sad irony. This is why getting CDs from the 80s and 90s is a pursuit of mine.

[@5roundsrapid263]

JonnyInfinite I love finding cheap, used '90s CDs. They sound loads better than the horrible re-remasters of the last few years.

[@QckSGaming]

Everyone should note that CD's lack about half of the frequency range of the original track / vinyl.

[@astertm99]

5Rounds Rapid you're absolutely correct!

[@CGQuarterly]

My grandparents had a tabletop radio in their kitchen that was turned on 24/7, and was turned into a station that played exactly the kind of music that you're talking about.

[@cyrus5075]

Classic Gaming Quarterly woh

[@dylang-s3821]

wheres the radio now?

[@Bant_Panorama]

Still waiting for that Dreamcast launch video... Also thanks for the postcard :)

[@JasonMontell2501]

Hey chris

[@Bloodray19]

It just amazes me that vinyl records are possible. I mean, they are just precisely cut grooves in a piece of plastic and some needle turns it into music 🥺

[@schmenkspeedtyping218]

Stylus*

[@chriscook5613]

It's a little more involved than that 😆

[@TovaHolmberger]

@@chriscook5613 not really. The needle (stylus, but we call it needle in most other languages) vibrates according to the groove and that's what creates the sound. Gramophones would just amplify the sound made from the needle with a big funnel and that was it. The only reason it's complicated nowadays is cos we want to improve the quality of the sound and raise the volume even more.

[@gayusschwulius8490]

Music is just pressure waves in the air, too, lol

[@jasonpark5906]

The volume change with records is what baffles me. I don’t understand how when the artist sings louder or softer the record knows and the volume goes up or down.

[@willsnyder8735]

It absolutely blows my mind how any content that was ever mainstream has been kinda lost and forgotten… it’s just a sad situation when classics aren’t really available now for new listeners to discover for themselves & experience.

[@djwoodgate]

This album was added to Spotify in 2019, so it is not completely forgotten.

[@vCavernosa]

all available on the web

[@muzician338]

You can buy new release LPs at your local Walmart.

[@Bronco541]

LOL - "Popular Music that will live forever" never even made it to a CD conversion.

[@mspenrice]

...or did it? In any case, it's now been immortalised on KZbin...

[@hankwilliams431]

I have that boxset on vinyl as well. It has some good shit though

[@Torn_Shoe]

@@mspenrice in awful quality?

[@freeman10000]

In the far distant future when humans are a space fairing species there will be an enormous retro-revival of "Popular Music that Will Live Forever" because of the discovery of some digital files stored on an ancient computer.

[@bugradio]

YES!! I'm a program director at a public radio station where people still play records. Playing wet is a trick that our real vinyl-hound old skool hip hop DJs passed on to the rest of us years ago. Took one demonstration to convince me - let the needle ride in a band of water, it EATS the crackles. We've had the same Technics 1200s for almost 30 years, and we don't go through an inordinate amount of cartridges/styluses, water doesn't hurt the vinyl either. This isn't a crazy gimmick, it's a practical tool for people who broadcast vinyl recordings.

[@romancernjak]

my only concern is, does the high end suffer or get muddled in any way? the type of music in the video doesnt have a lot of high frequency percussion so it is hard to hear. what are your experiences with hip hop or other styles of electronic music with lots of high freqs?

[@victornpb]

@@romancernjak Water probably dampen no pun intended the stylus a bit, causing a slight attenuation on hi-frequencies. But I’m just speculating.

[@PAULYHEDRA]

@@romancernjak In my experience after doing many vinyl rips into 96 Khz 24 Bit the high end does NOT suffer from any deterioration in sound, at least not that i can hear or perceive.

[@MARTIN201199]

@@PAULYHEDRA yesterday I captured a vinyl that I just cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and a little vinegar. Tomorrow I’ll do it again just adding water, like this video suggests, and share the results here so you can compare.

[@Penetralia666]

@@MARTIN201199 so?

[@tool_fighter]

This method has been practiced forever in Europe. My Thorens actually had a "Wet" setting on it.

[@gsk5161]

Strange, my Thoren also has a wet setting on it.

[@RichieRocks1]

Never heard of Thorens!! Is it a brand of turntable?

[@danehenas]

@@RichieRocks1 Have you heard of Google?

[@adcraziness1501]

@@gsk5161 what does the setting do?

[@GarryDeWitt]

Just have a look through my affiliate links...oh wait there aren’t any This channel is comedy gold sometimes

[@therealjammit]

Trisodium phosphate: Degreaser. It's freakin' soap. Sodium tripolyphosphate: Water softener. EDTA or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid: Chelating agent that "bonds" with metal and is used to dissolve lime (think of the cleaning product called "CLR"). Pretty much "Dawn" dish washing liquid.

[@letsrock927]

I've use Dawn on my records with a few drop on Isopropyl Alcohol and water mix. It really cleans well. Gently all around and rinse. Dry off and wash in the circular rotation. Recipe I found online...haha!

[@CheezMonsterCrazy]

You'd be surprised how many expensive, fancy cleaning agents are just diluted dish soap. Oh, and that leak test stuff mechanics and engineers use.

[@gianluccasimao]

EDTA is also used on tubes to collect blood samples for testing, it prevents its coagulation

[@yugo4515]

So you are trying to say that lots of audiophiles got scammed and basically got a "dawn" in different packaging

[@fredjones5698]

@@yugo4515 true audiophiles would probably use reel to reel

[@alexatkin]

Immediate thumbs up for "A well mastered CD does sound better than vinyl". Its so rare to find anyone dealing with Vinyl that isn't a nutty purist.

[@VideoArchiveGuy]

He's also wrong. A CD CAN sound better than vinyl, but too often they do NOT.

[@tonycolbourne7694]

Only properly mastered cd's sound good. Most remasters are brickwalled for volume. Many re released vinyls are just digital transfers. Compare many vinyl remasters to originals and the difference is amazing. I tend to search out the sound engineers before I blindly buy vinyl nowadays.

[@viperfixer6517]

Vinyl has more detail than digital formats. I'm partially deaf and the only way I listen to music is vinyl or reel-to-reel. My wife commented from UPSTAIRS in the house that she had never heard so much detail in Steely Dan's "Aja" as she did on a new Cisco remastered "2-step" LP vs. CD. Even 40-year-old LP's that were made during the energy crisis when the vinyl became super-thin sound better than CD. and the person who commented that the current CD's are "brickwalled" is spot on. You'd be awestruck if you heard the difference. BTW, for all of my CD playing, I now use a Jolida reference player with tube outputs - close to vinyl, but... not.

[@charvelgtrs]

@@viperfixer6517 Vinyl does not have more detail. CD can capture all the detail necessary. This is not an opinion but a Scientific fact. In fact because of the physical limitations of Vinyl it can't quite hit the low frequancies as well as a CD can. The main benefit Vinyl has is you are basically guaranteed a non brickwalled sound. It takes more work to find digital music with proper dynamic range, but they do exist and they do sound better than Vinyl since the source doesn't color the sound at all since its digital.

[@darinb.3273]

@@charvelgtrs You are spot on about what digital can capture ... vinyl can capture it (but not faithfully) ... the last part you said is partly true ... some vinyl mastering engineers take what was mastered for a crappy "brick walled" CD and use it as the audio for the lacquer master ... thus you still hear the "loudness warred" music (if it can be called music) ... I have a copy of the album Fallen by Evanescence ... it was mastered from the same master used for the CD (examined in Cool Edit) the only difference was the brick wall wasn't quite as solid but the same chopped off mountains (peaks was just as flat (chopped off) it was within the limits of vinyl cutting rules ... but sounds JUST LIKE the CD version AND according to the wave form looks exactly like the CDs wave form minus the account of the physical cutting of the lacquer cutting lathe

[@timothymallon]

I literally did this exact same thing decades ago when I was like 15. I had gotten several LPs that were so scratched that they skipped almost all the time. I got them wet and was able to play them without skipping to transfer them to cassette.

[@johnb6723]

Gives new meaning to the term "Water Music". Lol.

[@EmeraldLeafVids]

I think its an absolutely fantastic idea, seeking to preserve these many forgotten tracks in a lost genre of music. Very inspiring. Keep it up.

[@DerekPower]

This reminds me of the wet-gate technique in film to digital mastering/film restoration where the film element (OCN, interpositive, etc.) is bathed in a solution (some water and alcohol mixture) as it passes through the scanner. This is helpful in removing some of the dust and other artifacts before they are scanned (and makes it easier for further restoration since it makes the inherent flaws more apparent).

[@BrianSmith-vl7xu]

Funnily enough, there was a small resurgence of this type of music in the 90's through what was known as "lounge music" or Exotica. A good series was the Ultra-Lounge series.

[@labnine3362]

I have those lounge CDs and they are excellent!

[@abulmeez]

@@labnine3362 Me too. Oddly enough, I've been listening to lounge music since I was a teenager! They bring back good memories.

[@hackerinsidetm4271]

"I don't know what exactly this is but it sounds toxic" Sounds a lot like some relationships I've seen :\

[@dubiousdove782]

It b like that bro

[@darylhudson659]

I hope you're using distilled water to keep any minerals from getting in those grooves. I love that type of music it always gave me a better feeling when I was in the stores or an elevator. I remember it being called Muzak and also elevator music. I would love to have a lot of the classic versions from real artists. Some of the artists in the '60s like The Association, etc.

[@gnocchidokie]

I think it’s precisely those minerals filling in the microabrasions that makes the vinyl sound better after it dries

[@inthefade]

@@gnocchidokie but what is the difference between a high frequency sound and an abrasion?

[@euphoria_7477]

The only thing that would worry me about using this technique, is damaging the center label.

[@vwestlife]

It did get a little wet but was not damaged. And I was only doing this as a last resort, so I didn't care even if the label did get damaged.

[@WaybackTECH]

I've hand washed quite a few records under the sink with soap, and while the label does get wet, it will dry and I haven't had any fall off or bubble up, so I imagine the label will probably still be ok even with this method. What I do know happens with this method is sludge can build up on the stylus because all of that trapped dirt in the groove gets lifted by the water, and then the needle acts as a wall for it to build up on as it is played.

[@StevenSmyth]

No argument there, I've never seen it and I've washed my fair share of records in the sink.

[@NeilVanceNeilVance]

Same here, I'm an ex DJ and have washed 100's of 12" in the kitchen sink, Never an issue with damaging any labels.

[@Meanfidler]

Neil Vance i

[@OrwaSmadi]

:D the ending line was Hilarious

[@megabojan1993]

Ooops, there aren't any :))))))

[@blehmeh9889]

Soon he's gonna be asking us to donate to his patreon, and he won't provide a link.

[@wilkes85]

Yes, it was awesome. It's nice that VWestlife hasn't "sold out" like a lot of people who become popular on KZbin. I've known him and been a subscriber for many years now, and he's just as down to earth as he's always been. :-)

[@megabojan1993]

He is my all time favorite youtuber. Because he's down to earth guy, and because he has the same sexual orientation as I do :)

[@5roundsrapid263]

MegaBojan1993 I'm not, but I think he's awesome, too. I follow anyone if their videos are really interesting.

[@aylamiller5752]

4:19 "I don't know exactly what that is, but it sounds toxic." 😂😂 I'm dead

[@vwestlife]

Turns out it's not actually toxic. It's really just a mild detergent and surfactant, like you use for washing dishes.

[@sebastianibarra4351]

All that was on my mind while listening to the record was: thats some good bob sponge music

[@remo687]

"By the time CDs were popular, people who liked this kind of music were pretty much dead.." This made me LOL! 😂😂

[@quinorodriguez3827]

read your comment timely with the video time 😂 u made me laugh!

[@jeantetreault132]

I’m 52 and I still appreciate that kind of music.

[@The4MusketeersYT]

I’m 14 and I only listen to easy listening.

[@SianaGearz]

Funny how a comment section of a video about a person trying to pull one good copy of old music that he enjoys, and documenting his findings, can become such a terrible shitfest.

[@rich1051414]

Mix vinyl elitist with youtube trolls and you get a complete shit storm.

[@alvarbilly]

@@rich1051414 haha

[@clydesight]

Great video! I always enjoy how objective you are in your analyses, and how detailed and scientific. Thanks for making these videos!

[@truck9moon100]

Here is the answer..All the disco's in Germany back in the day played the music wet, and at a head thumping volume. Night after night for the years i was there.

[@Matasky2010]

I'd say it was more about keeping the stylus lubricated, which inevitably prolongs the life of the vinyl, especially in a 'commercial' setting like a disco where the records would be played over and overrrrrr....

[@deafbyhiphop]

Djs have more knowledge than audiophiles

[@maxmustardman298]

Not to mention all the schmutz and particles in the air makes for funny take ups with the needle

[@albertgerard4639]

12:00 He starts playing the wet record

[@schmilew1230]

thanks

[@hunterdavis3003]

What about 6:36 ?

[@BronsonTheCat]

I use what the National Film and Sound Archive use which is a 1% solution of cetrimonium bromide in distilled water and then rinse with distilled water.

[@denshi-oji494]

This brings back memories. I tried water and some other liquids many years ago with the thought that the liquid would provide a soft cushion between the stylus and the record grooves. My thoughts were that it would isolate the stylus motion from small surface anomalies caused by contaminants and/or groove wear. I was actually quite surprised by the improvement of sound on some significantly damaged records. Great video!

[@Turboy65]

Not only did the surface noise almost go away entirely, the wet clip also sounds better in every way. All sounds are clear, better defined, with better imaging and focus within the soundstage. I attribute this to the subtle damping effect on the needle and its suspension that would be a consequence of running it in a damping liquid. Plus this also keeps the stylus tip cool which can't have any negative consequences that I can think of.

[@rijjhb9467]

Really? To me the wet disc sounded a bit muffled and less defined compared to the dry one.

[@FoxMulder78]

Being from Argentina I speak spanish, of course, and I'd say your spanish is very good indeed. Growing up in the 80s, I used to listen to those Reader's Digest records, and I read the magazines too. That "Música para Soñar y Reposar" box might still be around my grandpa's house, he was a Reader's Digest fan, lol. I remember my dad used to play vinyls wet, on an FM radio station he used to work at, in the late 80s. Also, I have that exact same Sony TV sitting on my room, and watching your videos always reminds me I should dust it and start using it again, for what, I don't know, I just know it was my first TV I bought in the 90s and I'll keep it forever.

[@ChristopherGaul]

If any of these are out of copyright, which is likely, it'd be great if you could upload them somewhere publicly accessible. Good video thanks.

[@justinbouchard]

I have the exact easy listening set and listen to it regularly. If you can help me find out that it's public access I'll gladly put it on youtube for you guys. I'll even play 'em wet with video of them spinning while I record them.

[@justinbouchard]

@Bernard Loughlin I have the exact easy listening set and listen to it regularly. If you can help me find out that it's public access I'll gladly put it on youtube for you guys. I'll even play 'em wet with video of them spinning while I record them.

[@jmorales09]

I don't know if it's public access, but the song is called Pagan Love Song by Al Caiola And His Orchestra, if you're interested in listening

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

Is just upload it to a seperate account or something like liveleak or metcafe or whatever it is.

[@Yoda8945]

None of it is out of copyright.You need to go back to about 1925 to have recorded music that is out of copyright.

[@slimeninja1]

Love that "popular music that will live forever" didn't even live long enough to make it on CD

[@philip6502]

The music is still present. Not making it to CD doesn't erase it.

[@OnionYeeter]

Lmao

[@mayle2010]

I got a record player for the same reasons! There is so much lost art out in the world that I wanna preserve. Edit: I have a Reader's digest box set called "Hear Them Again!" And it features 122 songs and 89 singers. It even has the orignal guide book.

[@jefrey5578]

The real issue is that most of those box set records were so cheaply made that they sounded like crap when brand new. They cram too much music per side which messes with the sound. Those were made to be sold "mail order".

[@vwestlife]

Not the Reader's Digest ones! They were made by RCA and sound absolutely phenomenal. They usually only have about 18 minutes of music per side, about the same as a regular LP.

[@richardstrainsandmore]

That was one of my first albums I bought years ago and I still have it, I agree the fidelity was superb and very little "fake Stereo" sound was added as Columbia usually did on their big band remasters.

[@richardcline1337]

I have that one and have played it so much it now sounds like the old 78's!

[@patricknesbitt4003]

@God I have that set. My then 17 year old kid found it in a Goodwill store about 3 years ago and thought I would like it since I like music from the 1920's to the present. All three kids were amazed at the quality of the sound coming from those "black not-so-compact discs" The records are near perfect and even had the booklet and post cards that can be used to purchase sets for friends. Wish it had "No More Toujours L'amour" by Vaughn Monroe, though.

[@ghostownaproach]

You are probably thinking of those K-Tell type records with "20 Hits of the 70s" or whatever, with micro groves compressed and often edited versions of the songs as well, but most of these box set records were not like that and were owned by people who took very good care of them and when they die their kids donate these records to thrift shops.

[@RandomDude655]

I had tried this a while ago when I picked up a copy of Pink Floyd - Relics from a local record shop for $15. Normally, from that store, the records are always really nice and the workers will not put them on the shelf unless they sound really good, but Relics was a different story. When I got it home and cleaned it really good with the solution and my felt-pad brush (as I do with EVERY record I get) it sounded like someone actually took a microphone during the cutting of the album and just went "FFFFFFFFFF" throughout the entire thing. So I searched through forums after forums and videos and everything like the wood glue method and others were coming up but they just didn't feel right. But I came across this method and it seemed pretty open and shut so I did it. I got a small spray bottle from the dollar section at Target and filled it with tap water and sprayed it on the record when I got home and to my surprise, it was literally like a new LP. There were some high frequency sounds that were completely hidden by the rapid crackling and scratchy sound that found the light when I played it drenched in water. And, for long term effects, even to this day when I play it dry now, it still sounds incredible. It does work. These self-qualified experts just don't like the idea of something that doesn't have a brand name on it. As much as I do for the most part try to find the best brand name I can trust, sometimes it just doesn't cut it. And as a comment on the Vinyl vs. CD debate on which sounds better, I do believe that a well mastered CD can sound really good but in my honest opinion, I always find a warmth in vinyl that CD's just can't give to the sound. I still listen to both formats equal amounts but the majority of my music collection is on vinyl but I do understand when someone else believes that CD is better or maybe another way of listening to music. It all just comes down to personal preference and everyone has their own way of doing things. Anyways, nice video man!

[@jinky0u812]

I loved that you matched the fonts on the record covers when playing dry and wet. 😊

[@edgarfreire3766]

I just got the Mood Music for Listening and Relaxation set today at the Unique thrift store in Elizabeth, NJ for $1.99. Its in mint condition...vinyl appears to be unplayed. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@BobbyBasketballl]

I work as a software engineer, and when I wanna relax, work or study I put on the modern equivalent of "Mood Music" displayed here. Minimal lyrics, high fidelity, beautiful orchestration of sounds or combination of instruments and generated sounds to supplement that target train of thought. Funny enough it leads down a rabbit hole of music genre that is forgotten, like City Pop from Japan's late 80s and lofi hiphop which has blown up. I can definitely see myself enjoying this music as well unironically during my leisure or work sessions. It seems like things never change and we're just gonna repeat a similar "mood music" fad that will die with us in the 2080's

[@solomonkane102]

When I was a kid growing up in the 60s and 70s that music was kryptonite.

[@randycrass2097]

Ya and when you climb into the '71 Impala to go with the folks and your brothers and sister somewhere, guess what? You get to hear it on 8-Track tape at 95db 'cuse the old man can't hear. He left his hearing somewhere on the battle field shooting M101 105mm howitzer artillery rounds at the North Koreans. I guess he earned the right to torture his family with Strauss Waltzes and easy listening on the 900 mile drive to California! And yes that was at 55 MPH! Ha those days. Great video by the way.

[@longdaysandhardworkatramra8260]

wow it makes a HUGE difference, i really didn't expect that.

[@siggyretburns7523]

7:00 I feel like I'm in the Tiki Room at Disneyland.

[@836dmar]

Would love to have access to those recordings. They bring back so many memories when I rarely hear them. Thank you for preserving them!

[@SouthernMechanic]

there's a video on KZbin I seen a while back where a guy coated a dusty record in elmers wood glue then let the glue dry and peeled it off and when he peeled the glue off it took all the dust and dirt with it and it played flawlessly after that

[@1959blantz]

The main thing to keep in mind when using wood glue is to coat the record with a thick coating of wood glue so the glue doesn't break apart while removing the layer of glue. When I first heard of this, I thought there's no way this would work. After trying it myself and thinking the logic of the glue removing deep dust particles I was amazed.

[@chrislrenaud]

@@1959blantz ...and eventually, it goes horribly wrong. Speaking from experience. Yeah it's cool the first few times you do it. It's also expensive and risky. If you don't believe me, just keep on with it.

[@1959blantz]

@Audfilm I only tried doing this twice. I heard other people saying they had bad experiences doing this, so I stopped after only trying it twice. I will say the 2 times using wood glue came out with positive results.

[@freeman10000]

Wood glue is a pain in the arse. Water and isopropyl alcohol work a treat.

[@Boz1211111]

Cant you just blow off then brush the disc with sth like toothbrush to clean it?

[@periurban]

Thanks so much for this. You have potentially solved a problem I have with an audio project I am doing. Also, you have alerted me to some really well recorded sounds that might very well be worth preserving.

[@StLouisRod1]

Great video. I was curious if the wet playback dulled the frequency response at all, so I compared their spectrums in audacity, and surprisingly it actually IMPROVED in the higher frequencies by as much as 5db in the 13k section! Since the crackle diminished, this increase is likely purely on the musical material being played, which should translate to a crisper, more detailed listening experience. I'm stunned. I have several reservations about this method, however: 1) if the album is not thoroughly rinsed and vacuum dried AFTER a wet playback, the alcohol might overly dry out the record and cause micro-cracks within the grooves, 2) if the stylus and cantilever are not cleaned and dried somehow after wet playback, I would fear they could collect more dirt than normal and possibly rust or sustain permanent damage.

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

Makes sense really, sound actually travels faster through water.

[@joevial4707]

I've always wondered what a record sounds like when wet, but I've never tried it for fear of gumming up my stylus. Thanks for satisfying my curiosity :). On a side note, I absolutely love the Reader's Digest box sets! For one they're super affordable... seriously you can find most of them for around $5-$15, and that's for like 6-10 records! They're also usually packed with tons of great music and they look great in the collection too! Love your videos!

[@mescko]

I just picked up RD "Great Original Hits of the 50's and 60's". 9 LPs, each side with 6 hits from 1950 to 1969, all original recordings. All flawless--4 bucks.

[@twinsmm1]

Self proclaimed "audiophiles" who may suggest that playing a record wet will ruin or damage it are plain ignorant. Granted, tap water may contain minerals (and perhaps 3 ppm chlorine) but it won't do anything except maybe deposit a little additional stuff in the grooves. So, I'll go along with using distilled water. I suggest they all watch the "Applied Science" video of a record under an electron microscope. A stylus' interaction with record grooves is purely mechanical. All the electrical magic happens at the other end of the cantilever. Water probably acts as a lubricant and probably an antistatic agent to prevent a charge making its way up the cantilever.

[@Aberusugi]

Well yeah. If you want to reduce static cling on your clothes, put on some lotion on your body. Same concept applies to records. If you have a lot of static, use a humidifier in your listening room.

[@Logan912]

No HI-FI No life "everyone on Reddit knows" aaaand there goes your credibility. Also, while I do enjoy and collect records, digital audio (and by extension CDs which, by design, has the highest audio quality detectable by humans - everything above that is for mixing and mastering purposes) is and will always be better than analog in regards to fidelity.

[@dabcorn]

products like 'Dawn' (detergents) are surfactants. That reduces the surface tension of water and does not support the needle like distilled water - which may be better...

[@JamesE707]

Hello there, I employed this very idea back in the late 1970s with distilled water. It worked! ;o) Warning though - in time your stylus mechanism may corrode or partially oxidise, as I found to my cost one day some 10/15 years ago. The whole tiny cantilever just fell away.

[@mariodidier001]

As a Spanish speaker, your pronunciation was spot on! Selecciones del Reader's Digest was a magazine that usually sold music collections. My parents got a few of those LPs, cassette tapes and CD's.

[@CovertCulvert]

I learned one thing from this video: NOW I know what out-of-work studio musicians did with their time during the 60s and 70s!

[@2574mcu]

I feel old now. I'm 56 and remember hearing radio stations playing that type of music. I really felt old when a song from the late 80s was on and this girl said, I like these oldies. To me oldies is 50s early 60s.

[@josemeda4592]

You're making me feel old(er) also.

[@joelbrown6411]

I'm really enjoying your vids! Unbiased and informative.

[@nicet-girl1861]

I love when crackling makes it sound like your sitting next to a warm fire

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

Hahahah me too, it gives it that warm feel doesnt it.

[@Matasky2010]

I prefer a fake digital electric fireplace, because it is so quiet and doesn't have all the crackles and pops...HAHA just joking!!

[@jrawk4140]

Your needle and records won't like it...

[@lukegoodwin7560]

If wet cleaning improves playback, then it's only as a result of moving/lubricating dirt/debris during playback. Wet cleaning "success" stories only highlight that the records should have been cleaned properly to begin with. With wet cleaning you run the risk of creating a bigger long-term issues due to sediment and greater wear during play than if the record had been clean and dry. There's also some concern with different styli, as diamond tips are often affixed to the cantilever with glues that could be affected by moisture (bigger concern when alcohol is involved). This is not a proper method and I would strongly suggest not using it, there's good reason for it to be controversial.

[@vwestlife]

All of that has already been discussed and debated in the 22-page thread I linked to.

[@vwestlife]

ABaumstumpf It's not "chemistry" if you haven't done the experiment to prove it. Goodbye.

[@guspaz]

If the goal is just to get a single good playback out of it for recording, after which the original vinyl is not intended to be played again, it would seem to basically be perfect for that purpose. If the disc is alreay so noisy as to be useless, you've managed to get a good capture off a useless/broken disc, and can now enjoy the clean sound from the recording forever.

[@abigguitar]

+Luke Goodwin Actually, adding a lubricant to vinyl playback actually makes a ton of sense. Just because we've never done it doesn't mean it isn't a good idea. For this reason, CED (a video format made of a type of vinyl) did use a lubricant. Though, they had to.. otherwise, the CED wouldn't play at all. However, the music industry is in it for the money. They know that vinyl wears out. The more you play it, the more likely you'll need to replace it. That's beneficial because you might have to replace your records from time to time (making them more money). So, there was absolutely no incentive by the recording industry to offer best practices to save your favorite vinyl record. Instead, they let consumers playback their vinyl dry knowing that it would need to be replaced. Seriously, running a diamond (the hardest crystal on earth) against dry plastic will only lead to damage over time. However, adding a layer of water over the top will prevent direct contact between the diamond and the vinyl and will smooth out the rough hills and valleys of the 'extra garbage' which is not part of the recording. It's only controversial from the standpoint of _that's not how records are traditionally played_. Though, just because that's the way we were taught to play vinyl records doesn't mean it's the right way. Sometimes we are taught to do things the wrong way only because it benefits someone else. There is one assertion that you make which is valid... _diamond tips are often affixed to the cantilever with glues that could be affected by moisture_. That's a valid argument. Styli may not have been designed with moisture in mind. To that argument I counter with .. *I'd rather replace my replaceable stylus frequently than replace my extremely hard to find and costly out-of-print vinyl record.*

[@Robert08010]

Luke Goodwin That's true BUT if it goes back to sounding almost as shitty after it dries, then what method of cleaning actually works? It seems to me these methods only increase the temporary lubrication, not the actual cleanliness of the record.

[@Mountainman-gj4wz]

I too used to play my records "wet" but only using tap water and they sounded so clear of most pops except for large ones. The clarity was so good that while listening through headphones it sounded like you were there in attendance during the recording! But as others mentioned I had to replace my stylus needle due to corrosion. It just disintegrated a few weeks later, but the clarity is phenomenal. I never knew I could have so much listening fun out of a thin circular puddle of water. Enjoyed your site and all the comments! -d

[@mttlsa686]

how can a diamond stylus needle corrode?

[@WDeranged]

@@mttlsa686 Metal cantilever.

[@mttlsa686]

@@WDeranged Right, didn't think about it. 🤝

[@SuperAllanjames]

Just a quick note - the Readers Digest boxed Beethoven's 9 symphonies, Leibowitz conducting is, in Stereo, a very expensive set to buy now. UK Decca pressings often go for £100+ in NM condition.

[@Moonrunes2425]

I love the work you do man! Saving things onto a digital medium is my kind of thing!

[@ashleycox432]

If you clean the records properly using a deep cleaning method, wet playing is not necessary. Felt pads cannot penetrate the grooves.

[@arnmusicman]

I really like my Spin Clean system. Not meant to be a shameless plug for them but it cleaned several of my older records that I thought were unplayable sound amazingly better. Great video!

[@Brutus_Kennedy_Rutherford_III]

+arnmusicman I've been cleaning dirty records with a good dish soap, like Dawn, for years with wonderful results.

[@Musicradio77Network]

Brutus Rutherford III Remember when Ronco did the Record Vacuum? That was in the 1970's where they clean their records and now, they don't do that anymore. I used soap and water to clean their records by removing dirt and fingerprints to play it safely, and not to damage the stylus. I always clean it all the time.

[@ashleycox432]

Are you saying that vacuum cleaning machines are no-longer made? Because in fact the opposite is true.

[@hurkamur1]

Right? One would think someone with a KZbin channel mostly about records would own some sort of wet cleaning tools, there are a ton of options, wet vacuuming being the best.

[@VintageElectronicsGeek]

Few years ago, I ran across on YT people pouring wood glue on the tracks to help clean them....check it out....~Jack, VEG

[@livelongandprosper70]

yeah, it works quite well as it pulls deep dirt out.

[@oldskoolhead0]

so does washing up liquid and a toothbrush ;-)

[@Pindrop22]

I love your videos. The delivery is what makes it.

[@1008md]

Just did this with a very old Alice Cooper record that was scratched to hell. There is still background scratching and pops. It now doesn’t play like the needle is playing through a layer of sand. The background noise actually is kinda nice just enough to remind me that this is vinyl but not enough for it to ruin the listening experience

[@HunterSkowronPDX]

One of your best videos in a while! I would REALLY love to see you make a wood glue vinyl cleaning comparison video. I have tried it a few times and find it messy and the glue seems to never come off perfectly. Anyways, it's funny - I actually have that same "easy listening" collection! found it for 50 cents at everyday music in Portland, OR.

[@miguelsalami]

I tried this recently on a few records using the 50/50 alcohol & water mix. It did improve the sound quality even when dry so it must have helped the stylus needle clean the grooves.

[@GabrielMartinez-pe6ln]

Don’t play record wet, it’ll cause smalls scratches. You should get an anti static gun.

[@miguelsalami]

@@GabrielMartinez-pe6ln Lol I'm talkin about 45s that were Jukebox records 50 & 60 years old!

[@garyvandyke1204]

I have been doing this with a homemade record cleaning fluid (same as he used) since 2004 and have seen no adverse situations as long as I let them dry completely before putting them back I the jackets! I highly recommend this practice when recording to a CD!

[@jacesaces15]

just goes to show just how much of that scratchy noise is just static charge. A testament to how important wet cleaning your Vinyl is.

[@ClassicGarth]

I went to a screening of Lawrence of Arabia once where they showed how the film was restored by running it through a wet gate. Almost like this record! Then about 20 or 25 years later they redid it using digital techniques that are more painstaking but allow keeping as much detail as possible.

[@gorgoroth6072]

Best movie ever

[@GlitchyBastard]

Sprayed some blood, music really came to life! LOL

[@Driessens_Peter]

sprayed some jizz and its getting 45's

[@valerieehrlich1500]

Do not insult my crawsley it works just fine

[@MalahkAngel]

Spread some jelly, now I'm jammin'

[@LRM12o8]

that's the right way to listen to your Black Metal records: On s vinyl disc soaked in blood! TRVE KVLT! lol

[@jmorales09]

Imagine spraying blood onto the Doom 2016 OST vinyl You could probably spawn actual demons

[@pikaporeon]

"This kind of music disappeared in the 80s" Album cover: Popular Music that will live forever

[@count0nz]

My Dad use to have some Readers Digest Record set's like that Brings back memories as a Kid listening to Some of the Old Stuff my Nana / Dad had. old 78's etc. Sound of Music etc.

[@davisflyer]

The owner at my favorite local record store swears by using distilled water to clean the records.

[@jefffoster3557]

To be honest, I have never used another method of cleaning. Think about it......if you wet play your album with distilled water, you are actually cleaning inside the grooves, not just the record surface. The keys once again are.....always used distilled water and always dry the vinyl after play. I use and old soft t shirt for this.

[@KortKramer]

0:35 Popular Music - my folks had that, wow!

[@Kris_M]

My dad sometimes played records with a cleaning arm that you can fill up with cleaning fluid. It removed most of the audible cracks and pushed any visible dirt towards the run-out groove.

[@bazzle592]

I have a Thorens deck that uses a physical, hanging counterweight for anti-skate. When I was setting it up it listed two different positions for each tracking weight in the manual, one "wet", one "dry". It was super confusing but I think this video clears up what it meant by that. Also if Thorens believes in the wet playing method, it's probably fine for the equipment.

[@adeladd7638]

That raises a point then,does the ant-skate need adjusting when using this technique ?

[@TheTorkerman]

What a fantastic video. For once, real world experiment and results, not 25 pages of "expert" theory and advice. Many thanks!! My theory is that putting the cleaning fluid on and running the stylus through it is possibly the most thorough clean you could likely get. Great stuff.

[@sysghost]

Static electricity that builds up on the surface also contribute to the "sparkling noise". The water helps in eliminating this.

[@coryunlisted]

I’m 35 and recently purchased a bunch of sing along with Mitch lps. The songs put you in a good mood

[@HQSoundWebradios]

For remove scratches dues from dusts, the "glue méthod" works very fine , it's a little complicated to do but the results are amazing

[@jefffoster3557]

Use distilled water and wipe with an old t-shirt when finished.....do not let the water dry. In transferring my vinyl to digital, it's all I do now is wet play for best results. One other note.....you want to periodically re-insert the needle sometimes as the water will build up oxidation faster on contacts. Been doing this for years and the only adverse effects are with the turntable and rust underneath the platter, so it's nice to have a dedicated turntable for this. But the key is DISTILLED water!

[@5roundsrapid263]

Jeff Foster I use filtered water and a t-shirt on old records I find. It works very well.

[@beatles4ful]

Why don't we want the water to dry?

[@Zestypanda]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NEVER EVER PLAY THEM WET!!! THEY WILL NEVER SOUND THE SAME. PLEASE GOD NO.

[@applepinez]

Zestypanda Yeah, they'll sound better

[@Zestypanda]

@@applepinezYears later, I’m not sure why I left this comment. Adding distilled water, or isopropyl alcohol, 85% to 99% works best. Makes nearly unlistenable records sound great.

[@michaeljordan5372]

I started as a top Radio DJ at a #1 station very young in 1985. CDs were just coming out & I promise U the ppl who "liked this kind of music" were NOT yet dead.lol When I started radio ALL our music was played Live from 2 turntables or from "carts" which were like 8-tracks recorded with 1 song each recorded from the record...or from multiple huge reel to reel tapes (called automation) where they played while NO Live DJ was present on air. I learned from the veteran DJs who'd been in Radio for yrs play their albums "wet" to reduce noise or aid in improving skips & scratches. Being a record collector since early childhood I was near horrified at watching these records played Live on Radio covered in water.lol It's something I never personally did but just confirm this has been apparently a common practice for many decades to reduce surface noise. I'm not sure about longterm effects on vinyl or on the equipment...but in the business of playing music on air in Radio appears this was rather common. Personally I would have done this just once for making a Master copy on tape & used that from then on. Being an audiophile since childhood I was 1 of the 1st Radio DJs to play CDs on Radio which was a rarity since ONLY a small handful of titles were even made & even harder to find in the mid 1980's. CDs would be a HUGE disappointment for me despite their False promise of being superior to records LONG before the days of CD "remasters" many yrs later. Just a little history from someone who was actually there & remembers the "wet" play of records 4 decades ago before Radio left records behind.

[@jchavez53]

I had a friend back in the 70's that swore washing vinyl records in the sink with a mild detergent made his records sound better. And i never argued with him, they did sound very good.

[@muskiet8687]

I wonder if most of the improvement is because any static from the record goes through the water to the needle instead of jumping to it while it plays which creates the popping. And after it dried, a lot of the build-up static may have dissipated by then? I've seen a video of someone having great success with using a static pickup brush to make it sound good.

[@EvanZamir]

Yeah my thought was either it's just cleaning it or something to do with static being reduced. There should be no static forces if it is immersed in water.

[@Dan-TechAndMusic]

While there was less noise, the sound got slightly more muffled to my ears, especially on the guitar.

[@s4ndwichMakeR]

I think it’s because the needle can’t vibrate that easy anymore when it’s in a more dense substance (water) than usual (air), cutting the higher frequencies.

[@WaybackTECH]

I think the water is causing a thin barrier so the needle is not getting down into the groove quite as far as it would when dry, and causing the needle to not hit the peaks and ridges of the groove quite as well as it normally would.

[@dentistguba]

it's basically a lowpass/damping, an oil would probably have a stronger effect.

[@alcampbell6832]

Probably the same as a car hydroplaning on a wet surface. I know if a car hydroplanes you're going too fast.

[@ChuckD59]

Then maybe adding to the tracking force would help? I might've heard that too but wasn't sure, and I've yet to run my own experiment, but I think with the improved lubrication you could add to the tracking force without too much worry about excessive wear.

[@TheMachinedestroyer]

I bought an LP this week and it was really dirty, so i washed it with a mixture of 3 parts water, 1 part 99% isopropyl alcohol and a tiny bit of car engine washing fluid (had no better idea) and played it after drying up. It had still a lot of of pops, so i lubed it again with the same mixture and this time it sounded waaay better. After 2 more plays (still wet), i dried the record and played it again. The same good sound as heard when it was wet, with no pops any more. Thanks for the perfect idea VWestlife and for the confirmation, Captain Cinema!

[@ProgshineNet]

I always played old records I just bought for the first time wet. I first clean them with normal dish washing (neuter) soap and a very soft sponge and I wash them under the tap, let the water dry a bit and put them to play. Always worked, never ruined anything. Great video!

[@zelphx]

Wrong; my mother listened to this stuff on "KJAX" "Cloud 99", in northern CA. She is still living, and still as ornery as ever.

[@16mmDJ]

the "ñ" sounded good to me :)

[@jackspicyeye9006]

Decided to use this trick on a Bobby Bare vinyl I found at a goodwill for a couple cents. The record originally was very "noisy" and hard to listen too. After using the trick, it sounds really nice. Thanks man.

[@gibsonfan159]

"A well mastered CD sounds better than vinyl" THANK YOU

[@HarryToeface]

I can smell my grandmother's house. Thank you. I teared up

[@StephenSpivack]

If you dig this music, you might like these albums: Seaside lovers - memories in beach house Pacific - Hosono & friends Cheers!

[@GodWeenSatan]

You are a life saver! I was trying everything to clean a record from skipping!! I used vinyl cleaner insteaf and it dislodged all the stuff from the grooves and it plays like new. Was about to double dip and buy another expensive copy

[@ghostownaproach]

My Dad loved that kind of music and we made fun of the records he played all day but after we grew up and when he passed away I kept his records and I love hearing them now because it takes me right back...