The Big Dust Off!
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- čas přidán 5. 01. 2022
- Dry brushing a record before play is very important for both stylus and record longevity, not to mention getting a quiet play. This video shows and demonstrates 9 different brushes, plus a device called the Spindle Spinner that's used to manually wet-clean records with relative ease while protecting the label from getting wet. A more detailed write up will be on the analogPlanet website. NOTE: the AudioQuest carbon fiber brush says in tiny embossed letters to hold by the gold part to take advantage of its anti-static capabilities. Sorry I didn't see that when I did the demo. It works much better if you do! Also the BLACKAUDIO BRUSH is meant only for wet cleaning and it really shouldn't have been made part of this demo.
- Věda a technologie
“Never touch the bristles.”
Proceeds to touch the bristles of every brush
I keep a toothbrush handy to clean the brushes between uses
Yes, for the sake of these videos I often do unrecommended things. It's kind of "poetic license"...
"you don't want to touch the brush because of the oils on your hands" few seconds later 2:18 Michael is fondling the SK2 brush.
Priceless.
The two things that really attracted me to vinyl were the expense and inconvenience
😂
Love records, but I’ll never get rid of CDs
A lot less hassle
Records aren’t for everyone but to me they sound the best and I enjoy the ritual of playing them.
On the plus side they get me off my arse every 18 minutes or so, and keep my manual dexterity skills up.
I have this tee shirt lol
Can't believe I watched the entire 20 minute video
Good video and look forward to the results and details on your website. You might want to vacuum your carpet 😉
Thanks for this, Michael - very informative. All the very best for 2022🤞👍👍
Wow, Michael - great demonstration of all those different brushes 😊.
Loved your method of testing. Love from Dublin Ireland
Had an AudioQuest carbon fiber brush since 2017 when I finally got my setup and it has served me well.
Stayed on topic. Informative. With just a touch of Fremer humor. A+ video. Wouldn't the spindle spinner just introduce more static and exposure to dust in the air walking it back and forth from sink to platter?
@5:00 that Brush with the cord works great - used to use one for dusting critical components in the photography studio.
I have the first brush you showed, except the company is "boundless"! I find that does a really good job!
Fantastic. Was so entertained.
I enjoyed that bit of information, I understand fully these are static dust brushes, Ursa mayor also Hart audio vinyl will be adding to my record care.
Thanks for the informative video, Michael. I’m sticking with my discwasher.
Great info as always, and you saved us all a day’s time trying it for us. Have you ever used canned air for an initial dust off (before your brush of choice)or before a deep clean? I use it from a reasonable distance and it works well, especially used records.
Great video. I’ve found best results with an OLD Discwasher brush moistened with Mobile Fidelity One Cleaner, followed up with a pass using my Hunt brush. Works really well, but my records are periodically cleaned with a Music Hall machine.
Great video! Thanks Michael! Did you perhaps forget to introduce Ramar's brush or I missed something? I would like to see more about it.
That sure was an extreme test.
It seems the more rows of fibres the more it slows down the record.
Some prices are off the charts. Thanks 🙏
Great video! I have a phobia of using Audioquest carbon fiber brushes ever since I used one on a white record and noticed minuscule black fibers scattered throughout the record. Always using the correct and gentle technique. The little bristles are obviously not visible on a black vinyl surface. Those little fibers now sound like little 'tics', exactly the sound I was trying to avoid!
I also recently noticed that my AQ brush was leaving tiny black hairs behind after using it, so I opted to buy the Kirmuss Audio goat hair brush that is similar to the furutech one in this video.
I'd never go back to carbon brushes after exactly what you've described. Nightmare!
I had been using the AQ brush for a long time but started to notice that it would leave some hairs behind in the grooves. Nearly impossible to see on black vinyl, but on white or other bright colors it was noticeable. Some other brushes I have tried also leave fine scratches, especially on the deadwax area. I was looking for an alternative and I decided to try the Kirmuss Audio KA-B1 goat hair brush that is similar to the Furutech one you have in the video, but smaller and has a thicker area of goat hair. After 1-2 passes on any LP I've tried so far, it's basically dust free. I know this brush is meant to help apply their surfactant solution during cleaning with the Kirmuss machines, but it works very well for dry cleaning before playback as well. I bought it from Elusive Disc for $18 USD and am very happy with it so far.
The Hunt brush is fantastic. It's been my main brush for four years.
I'm currently looking into this very issue. I don't have a lot of income (being disabled) but I've managed to get an OkkiNokki vacuum cleaning machine plus work out the best solution for me, and use carbon brushes. That seem to work pretty well (plus I need to get a new Milty antistat too).
But I do get certain records that attract dust more or at least seem to pick up something that makes more noise than another record of the same age. I don't know what's going on but I've noticed some brushes don't work as well on these as others.
So I'm going to use this data to have a mess around - cheers!
I would love to see a comparison between record cleaning brushes and rollers.
Great job
We finally get the brush video! lol
The Micro brush looks like the paint edger many use for wet cleaning. I do find they work well for that purpose. Very fine bristles to get into grooves. And soft so doesn't scratch the record. But not for dry cleaning really. I wonder what Mr. Fremer thinks of those sticky roller cleaners.
Thank you for this video. Any chance for a stylus cleaner video soon ? Thank you.
Really interesting 👍
I've found over the last 45 plus years that brushes (as your example illiterates) vary greatly in surface cleaning, but real deep down cleaning, absolutely not i.e. it doesn't really work.
If anything, you're pushing crap into the micro grooves.
I've found two things that work. From new the diamond stylus is a great general cleaner as long as you remember to wet clean the diamond when it's grown a fluff beard after playing dirty records.
To clean to new, my Keith Monks cleaning machine with a few drops of vinyl lubricant mixed with the cleaner gives near noise free silent playback with zero static.
Can’t believe I just spent 22 mins watching someone wiping dust of a record, but it was far more interesting than watching darts or snooker!
I only use a brush to dust off my acrylic platter now. I feel that brushes sometimes push the surface dust down into the grooves. Now I use a sticky roller for surface dust and if anything ever gets into the grooves then it’s off to the Record Doctor.
No mention of the classic Disc Washer walnut brush with D2 fluid that lifts the dust off the record, with a rotating action.
I've used the AudioQuest carbon fiber brush for years but have not been all that happy with it. I have a Squeaky Clean Vinyl vac system for deep cleaning. But want to remove surface dust and destat before each play. My turntable is an ERA with very low torque and even the AudioQuest will stop it. So I twist my record weight to help manually spin the platter. But just like you, wind up with a line of dust after the first pass. Even second at times. And static is still a problem! Did you notice any reduction or increase in static as you lifted the record off the platter from brush to brush?
But based on this video I will likely be getting the Hart!
thanks dishin the real dirt, Mike!
I have several vintage Discwasher brushes and I still use one before every play. I still have two bottles of the D4 fluid (not sure what that stuff turns into after 40 years) but I never really used that stuff much. Occasionally I will use a thin bead of distilled water on the arrow side and use as normal. Has always worked extremely well. The brush is a bit heavy because of the walnut handle but you really only need to 'hover' over the record. "Three hairs and some air" - Bob Ross style.
Disc _washer_ is a very misleading name though. Probably should have called it the "DiscDuster" but that doesn't roll off the tongue as well.
Amazing how dust gets into everything. No windows in Mike's HiFi cave and yet loaded with dust/dirt on the floor and in the air. How do you clean the dust off the brush? So much to think about when handling and playing LPs to eliminate those Rice Krispies snaps, crackles and pops! Thanks Mike for your video - so many products to choose for a simple function - boggles the mind!.
There are windows. One behind speakers blocked by Stillpoints Apertures and another in the rear corner.
Nice to see them all side by side, but a pity you didn't have a Hunt EDA Mk 6 on hand. It's been my favorite for 40 years.
Great video. Why not do the acoustic sounds one with the grounding?
Interesting demo. Michael was kind enough to demonstrate what NOT to do with the brushes regarding running your fingers over the fibers. Human oils/grease not so good for then running over the records.
I do have a Groov Kleen that might be what the Hunt is. It's OK and I also have a record cleaner and a stylus cleaner 'pillow' from DS Audio. Because of this my records are usually quite clean to begin with. But some of those best brushes seems interresting. There's a serious Hi-Fi store in the next town so I will look what they have.
Very interesting and informative video, Mikey! Ideally you would've demonstrated the efficacy of the Big Brush while being grounded as well as not grounded. Oh well...!
My thoughts exactly! I wonder how it compares, grounded vs not. I would assume it works better grounded, surely. 👍
What I have always done since a teenager in the 70's is after one or two turns with the brush I lean in an gently exhale at the brush. This moisture causes the dust to stick to the brush where I can raise it straight up. When I sweep to the outer edge I tend to leave a spiral trail so I try to avoid that. Oh, I still have all those records.
Problem I have with carbon brushes, including the Ursa Major, is that they too easily leave hairlines on the vinyl, which I personally find quite distressing. Yes, user error most likely, but an error I seem to easily make.
Super informative Michael, thank you. By any chance were you using an UberLight Flex for the test?
Yes of course.....best light as u well know!
Damn you guys need to vacuum once in a while!
Michael, Did you see any surface swirls caused by sliding the brushes off?
Would blowing compressed air do the same? I keep my records clean and in their sleeves all of the time except when playing.
Ultra Sonic record cleaner really cleans my old Pablo record beautifully
Hello Michael ! --- Suggestion --- Why they don't invent a brush that we can connect to a home vacuum ? --- Do you think it would be a good and easy solution ?
A few things that I would like to ask is where's the discwasher and I remember year's ago Roy Hall was demonstrating the Hunt brush and he recommended that you use them perpendicular to the spindle from the outside of the record and sweep towards the spindle. That the spindle was to act as a ground of sorts
Ya but then all the crap is sitting on label only to be deposited back on the grooves once it’s slid back into sleeve. 🙄
Some suggestions where some of these brushes can be purchased would be nice. Some of the "best" don't seem to be available in the US
As far as American attempts at our accent go, that was pretty good! 🙂 🇬🇧
What is your view of dry brushing vs liquid systems (like disc washer and it’s descendants) ?
The snake oil flow deeeep in this one. And, alas, Mr Fremer does his part pushing it, no doubt in order to further feed his hunger for cables and stuff. Watching him reading off a script as he ”explains” how the gizmos work is like getting an explanation from a Target employee.
far as what I saw... thicker is better than thin - more area in the wider thicker has more collecting bristles and tend to capture and hang onto the dirt, hair, etc.
Things I didn't think. are some material bristles actually better than the other?
... So I've been thinking about getting a 3rd brush. I have ideas now. :)
Audioquest is what I use, after a wet machine clean and dry. If I get static I do a distilled water rinse and vac.
Michael - Since that test record is from Rainbo, you may want to check for off center pressing. They are The Masters at non quality control. I shipped back 3 copies of the Beatles white album for that same reason.
Rainbo is absolutely horrible. I do not miss that company one bit! Lol. Nearly every pressing I have made by them has had some kind of issue. 👎
Hi , That's good, but I admit to being a little surprised that the Analog Relax brush AR-ASAB1 Antistatic brush is missing from your panel !
I’ve used ordinary water wipes (99c for a pack of 100 in the supermarket), like the type that are used to clean a baby’s backside, to very successfully clean my records as they spin on the turntable. Then I use a dry velvet/velour brush from Big Fudge Vinyl to dry off the spinning record before playing. As the record plays the needle in the groove also quietly picks out lots of other pieces of microscopic dust that have been dislodged by the above cleaning process. It all works for me.
@Nicholas : Yes that’s true. I should also have said that I have seen that gunk and I do gently clean it off every time it gets on there. The actual cleaning process gets most of the dust. But yes, there’s no doubt that it will not be good for the needle in the groove. That’s the trade off…..
I find it necessary to shine a very bright daylight white, narrow beam, LED torch onto the record to see all the dust. Daylight and normal room lighting is not sufficient.
8:49
Ah! The Dutch "Sit 'n Spin!"
Pretty sure I did that in Amsterdam back in the '90s.
Where's the "infamous" Disc Washer? I probably still have one around somewhere and always wondered if they're really any good - I do remember liking the idea that you could sort of "roll" the brush as you used it which picked up the debris exposing the record to cleaner bristles as you made a pass or two over the record - that is - instead of pushing the dust around and then off of the inner or outer edge of the record like most brushes do.
I still think it's the best approach for a simple brush arrangement, IMHO.
@@kenheitmueller69 Thanks Ken - I keep a pretty nice "Oracle" brush nearby my turntables for "touch up" - haven't used the disk washer in probably 15 or maybe even 20 years, just had a curiosity as to how it would stack up, always liked it though - - I have one of the Record Doctors in a closet somewhere which more or less replaced my disk washer - but I do think it's tough to beat the Ultra Sonic cleaners - I've been using the KLAudio 200 (I don't think they make this larger model anymore) for at least 5-6 years now, it seems to work fairly well. Happy listening.
Can do the wet on a VPI 16.5 cleaner
Thanks for this video. Can anyone suggest a replacement for the felt mat that comes with Rega's P10? Mine cinges to records and comes up every time I change a record.
Funk Firm Achromat. Get the thinner of the two. The sonic improvement will ...well I don't want to hype it but one thing's for sure, your records won't stick to it....
Seems none of these do any damage. I have bought several carbon fibre brushes that have put micro scratches on brand new records, the worst offender’s being the type that have carbon fibre brushes with the velvet sandwiched between them.
You did not introduce the RAMAR Record Brush, but you used it at 8:40! Rangel says not to drag the brush off to the edge, like you did. You are trapping some dust in the grooves if you do that.
there is a particular method to increase the de-stat power of the carbon fiber brush using distilled water.. not by making it 'wet' just misting it. If you ever have some sneaky static that won't go away from the dry method.. works for me every single time. have never needed a de-stat gun or anything esoteric like that.. maybe if you lived in an arid region it might require something else. I'm southern ontario canada. It's basic science, the ionic quality of water eliminates static charge. - the static electricty in hair / wet brush experiment proves it every time.
I do the same. It's strange that people will spend so much money on the gun when a little water does the job so perfectly.
In fact, most of the static comes from you via the nylon content in the soles of your shoes, the nylon in any floor covering carpeting (I can't afford pure silk rugs) and even your nylon socks. I wear leather sole house slippers which eliminates the problem.
@@vinylholicsanonymous3871 I assume it's the fact people are mostly simply not informed about the simple approach. Cheers~
@@apollomemories7399 a grounding issue certainly could be a factor ! :) Nylon is terrible for Static.. I only wear Cotton and rubber soles.
Hi Mike . I have been collecting records for about 53 years . I therefore have a very large collection . I have recently been reading reports that vinyl records " GAS OUT " over time . This has been said to be toxic and dangerous to human health . Should i be worried as i have some stored in my bedroom where i sleep .Do you know anything about this ?
What is the one he calls "the most beautiful of all" at 20:35. I didn't see it in the first half with descriptions?
Another comment from my days working at Capitol Records Toronto back in the early 80's. Unless you don't plan to play them, never buy coloured vinyl. What makes a black record black is carbon which is a conductor which helps mitigate static buildup. Coloured records do not have this and that is why they tend to get noisy very quickly because they become a real dust magnet.
Good tip, and explains why my blue vinyl records are so full of pops and tics despite constant cleaning.
The only problem I'm having with your test is that the abount of grit and dirt on the record calls for a wet cleaning first. A dry brush would possibly cause scratches, and possibly imbed dirt deeper into the grooves.
Since the record was dry and the floor was dry and the dirt was "new" and the touch was "light" I don't think that's a problem. However, this was done for the purpose of the demo but if I bought a used record that looked like that I'd still probably give it a careful light dry brush before a wet-cleaning regardless of which kind of machine I had. I wouldn't want to contaminate "velvet lips" or a cavitation machine tank with that much surface dirt.
Where can you buy the Hart Audio Special Source Super Cleaner Mk3?
I searched and found it on ebay, sold by Hart Audio themselves
I dampen a micro fibre cloth with distilled water and wipe the record lighly clockwise and anticlockwise. Job done. Cheap
I think I will stick to my Keith Monks Cleaning System. Brushes only move the dust around.
Which brush works best for lacquers
I think if you are brushing lacquers with any regularity, you owe it to yourself to have the German Ramar brush which costs more than some turntables. Did he cover that one?
Now I use a nice horse hair paint brush
i would doubt if any brush alone would remove static completely, i would either use an antistatic gun away from the turntable or wash the records in a VinylShelter fluid bath and wet brush with a goat hair brush, i use a microfibre brush for dry brushing on the turntable. i don't like the spindle spinner, much better to clean the record on a flat table.
@21:42 "...I will sum it up in print"
Where is that summary?
Thank you.
The Man.
It's too bad there's no links in the description or in a pinned comment.. Kind of pain tracking it down, pausing, then typing it all out, hoping you've got it right, but otherwise a decent shootout. 👍
Actually... the only thing this is good for is the 'comedy.' Your hilarious and this is kind of a satirical short (kind of like) on the proliferation of online Info-Programs.
..... Hey, I Love you, man! You're a good guy... funny sometimes, but good!
Fun torture test! The brushes seem to have varying ability to sweep the dust away, but none are great at actually removing it. It seems like the more bristles (and the finer they are) the better the sweeping. For actually picking up dust, I like to sweep into a line and pick up with a quick pass of a record roller. I posted a video that demonstrates this astounding innovation :)
I only use a brush after I fully clean a record. you are 100% correct.
Your records will never get that dusty if they are wet cleaned, stored in an anti-static sleeve and not left out longer than the playtime. Yes, they will attract small amounts of dust but nowhere near that amount. Therefore, these brushes are more designed to remove small specs of dust and to remove / reduce static.
I don't really feel like wet cleaning all my records.
@@hurkamur1 I can totally understand that as neither do I, but I do it because it makes a big difference that I deem worth the effort. If you don’t wet clean a record and it’s as dusty as the ones in the video, I’d say that in my experience a velvet type cleaner does a better job at removing the bulk of the dust and that these brushes are more for light maintenance and removing / reducing static. I use the velvet type on all records prior to wet cleaning. The one I use is the (yellow) Tonar Classic, which is convex, allowing you to rotate it during cleaning so that a fresh part of the velvet is used as the record spins. Works really well.
@@JamboLinnman I agree, i have a RCM and a ultrasonic cleaner. I like velvet or wet cleaning for a dusty record, and carbon fiber if the record is mostly clean. That big brush looks interesting though. I might one of those ground wire versions up.
@@JamboLinnman My friend has the tonar brush. Great brush. I use a vintage le-bo, but I have a bunch of different new and vintage brushes. I've been meaning to pick up that tonar brush though. It's one of the beat I've tried.
@@hurkamur1 which RCM and ultrasonic machines do you have and do you use the RCM then the ultrasonic (for dirtier records) or just the ultrasonic? I have a Watson’s vacuum RCM, which I like, but I’m very tempted by the Degritter ultrasonic machine.
Could you put the urls in the description next time? It's a pain to scan the video to find them.
It's the Record that gets statically charged..........just taking a record out of its cover or replacing it creates static. MOST brushes create static, especially ones using man made fibres.
Put a plant, that needs watering regularly, close to your record deck. This will help dramatically with dry air/static problems.
Ouch, you used a test pressing.?
Mike where are you working now?
Any opinion on the Ramar brush? That one interests me
I was wondering the same
There's a video similar to this one here: czcams.com/video/6X6pwHgzamM/video.html from 2014 covering 3 including the Ramar
@@AnalogPlanet
Actually, that one has the Levin brush
I NEED THE DELUXE ONE!! =^__^=
Hi Michael I suggest your next video should be on the best vacuum cleaner fro clean your carpet it will need to be powerful 🤣
I have a Miele but I can't find the "on/off" switch
Hart SS MK£ shot up in price after this. Nice.
Is there or has ever been made a brush/vacumecleaner? I imagine a kind of brush with an air-extraction rotor build in the handle extencion... Has that been done yet? (i hereby claim the idea:-) Possibly does that enhance the statics of the vinyl?
Wait. One of these brushes can actually get in the groove? I thought that was almost impossible. So the hair is as thin as the tip of the stylus?
The Stasis and BlackAudio claim to be able o
@@AnalogPlanet awesome. If that’s true it’s great news.
OK...which brush is being tested at time 20:45 ??? Its not mentioned in the opening commentary (or if it is, I cant find it)
I have come to reject the idea of any brush on vinyl records. Yes they'll pick up some dust particles but they will also drive others deeper into the groove. Better to blow the dust off with something like Giotto's Rocket Air Blaster Large Dust-Removal Tool.
So, I guess the sleeve of my sweater could be improved upon...
@Nicholas Of course, I was joshing, but I have seen others do this. Quite what sort of results they were expecting only they will know.
What’s the last one?
Found it. It’s a Ramar record brush, from Germany.
Why not just use a vacuum cleaner with a brush like head? That's what i use anyway, works great.
22 minutes to dust of a record. Amazing. Next video is how to put it in a sleeve
One thing I’ve come to realize is that your brush is only as good as your light. A nice LED work light is essential.