Record Pi (Part 2): Fixing another warped record

[@recordpi]

Joe - We really enjoy watching your videos. Thank you for buying our product and taking the time to so thoughtfully review the Record Pi! Hearing that rare Beach Boys single play cleanly was a real treat. Like going back in time. Always feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

[@AverageJoeVinyl]

Thank you so much! The Record Pi is the only reason I was able to save this warped, unplayable Beach Boys record.

[@TBNTX]

All vinyl fans love to see how they can be restored. Good job!

[@caddelworth]

As others have commented elsewhere on YT, a 'crease'-type warp is almost impossible to remove. It looks and sounds to me like the 'whoomp whoomp' (as you put it!) is being caused by your stylus _momentarily_ lifting as it passes the 'crease' : JUST enough to no longer be in physical contact with the groove walls. Look carefully in slo-mo and you will see the double/triple 'bounce' as the stylus pops up and then re-establishes contact. Hence, at that point on each revolution, it sounds a bit like a drop-out does on magnetic tape. It's still an impressive result IMHO, although I couldn't justify a purchase because I simply don't possess many warped records! Maybe if half my collection or something were warped, I might consider it.

[@danielleclare2938]

Heat causes the vinyl or whatever the record is to expand that is why the warp happens. You have to shrink it back to fix it and heat will not do that all you may do is stress relieve that area by expanding on the rest of the disc but that will cause its own distortion. So you cant fix that type of warp. Maybe a slight bend can be flattened... maybe.

[@vinyllpcare3619]

Looking at that warp me wonder whether it is a serious manufacturing error rather than a warp that has been caused by poor storage over a long period? Anybody who bought records that got caught up in the mountain of mail and packages that accumulated during the COVID pandemic will know that many records that came out of that mountain were hideously warped to the point of being only fit for the dumpster. I fixed a few of those for customers, back to complete flatness. It takes time. I was even amazed myself. It would certainly be worth it to try this record on your device again and again leaving suitable time gaps between cycles. I think much depends on how long the record has been in that state. Long established warps can be very difficult, but not impossible. I have come across brand new records that were pressed at the Pallas plant in Germany that have a raised ridge right through the record, much like a thin ‘speed bump’. Specifically, these records were by Willie Nile and James McMurtry both on the German Blue Rose label and an audiophile reissue of a Mary Black album. Pallas was obviously having serious quality control issues at the time. I have had no success with these records because the defect in question is due to a catastrophic pressing error.

[@hoobsgroove]

But the record you flattened originally you can see damage where the warp was that's because of the felt mat

[@TheAgeOfAnalog]

what?

[@hoobsgroove]

@@TheAgeOfAnalog yes you can see the felt has caused damage to the record surface where the warp was. As I say you don't want anything pressing down on the record playing surface

[@TheAgeOfAnalog]

@@hoobsgroove explain to me how I've flattened several hundred records with my VinylFlat and it's supplied felt discs without damaging them.

[@hoobsgroove]

@@TheAgeOfAnalog I can only tell you what I've seen on that record you did. Maybe you got lucky

[@AverageJoeVinyl]

For the record, TheAgeofAnalog isn't me. Just in case you thought it was. I'm not sure what damage you're referring to, but I appreciate your observations.

[@greenalishi222]

I don't think that type of a warp can be fixed. I brought a similar warped record to be flattened at a record store. And they said they couldn't do it because even if it was flattened it would make a noise. Which it seems like yours is doing. I think the warp has to be less angular but I don't know

[@AverageJoeVinyl]

That seems to be my observation as well. Angular warps can often be made playable, but not necessarily inaudible. Still, I want to work on it a little bit more and see if there's any improvement. Thanks for stopping by!

[@runetech]

Why do you not use the mats that compensates for the label bump?

[@AverageJoeVinyl]

Not sure what you're referring to. There are the full felt mats, the "dish warp" mats, and the 7-inch mats.

[@runetech]

@@AverageJoeVinyl I have another solution than the Record Pi, In my case the actual metal parts is i four pieces, Two outer that is Just just two flat ones, then the inner ones that has a hole in the middle slightly larger than the records label part, so that you only press on the groove parts on the record, as the label is slightly raised compared to the gooves part on almost all records. Without the big holes in the middle you would effectively only press on the label part of the record. In the video it looks as if you ignore the felt mats that compensates for the raised label, thus you could never get it flatter than the raised center label part of the record, and you would also only get the effect of heating on the groove part of the record, as all the pressure would be only on the label. Not the grooves part of the record. At least that is what it looks like. I interpret the solution as you should in addition to the full felt mats add either the 12" mats with the large center hole or the 7" mats for singles to apply pressure where it matters. And it the video it looks as if you only use the full mats, and not the pressure-mats with the big center hole.