What RCM?

[Classicrock]

Well you are wrong, are you seriously telling me that manufacturers of carts use water soluble glue to fix a stylus to a cantilever.

Industry bullshit and closed minds has EVERYTHING to do with it. Rocky, I tell you what once again I challenge you to try putting some of your famous ( ) RCM fluid on the record (or just the distilled water) and leave it there and play the record, it can do no harm to cart or record and then tell me what you hear, and if you hear it then perhaps you will understand and experiment a bit more with a bit of lubrication, and be one of the first to break through the brainwash. Since when does you famous cleaning fluid leave gunge, since when does it damage anything, would you use it if it did. I AM NOT TELLING YOU TO USE LENCO FLUID!!!

I am talking about the WET method of playing record which has bullshit written all over about it which is the folklaw, of course there are fluids you wouldn't use the same as you would never use glass paper to clean your records even though it is a DRY method.

One of the worst things in this industry is people spouting absolutes with no experience or personal knowledge, I would expect more from you Rocky.

I'm willing to try it with cleaning fluid but I don't see an advantage as the record has to be dried before returning to sleeve. So it means wet play then wet clean and RCM dry? I can see it may make a worn or damaged disc playable however. BTW never bought into the stylus dropping off thing (just being devils advocate) but some manufacturers advise not to wet clean stylus while others such as AT sell the stuff!

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

It is to try the concept and then you can think about it and not say it doesn't work unless you have 1st hand experience it doesn't work. I suggested your cleaning fluid as you are putting that on records already, but wet is wet, did you read that thread about it, there are people who have tried, even with plain water it works (to a degree). With me if I want to use it I use something far more controversial and it is a lubricant. Oh yes it has been guessed - WD40!

[Daniel Quinn]

I think this will kill your cartridge quickly.

most cartridges have aluminium pipe cantilevers , the liquid will be forced up the pipe .

most have copper wiring . Copper and water do not mix .

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

It will do nothing of the sort.

[Daniel Quinn]

put some of water on plate .

get a straw .

revolve it round the plate , watch the water be forced up the straw .

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

So what, have you tried it, and since when is a straw a cartridge. You of all peoples should have an open mind yet you are stuck in the conventional. Up to you all I can do is inform. I have done it many times with many carts and never had any damage of any sort, plus it is not a bucket full it is a film. Water is the least effective but was given as example to try and allay fears. Plus this thread is about cleaning records, the wet process is for PLAYING! not cleaning and until you try and hear the benefits, and one run on one record will not hurt anything even with the fantasy dangers, then you can talk from experience.

Did you read the thread I linked to.

[Daniel Quinn]

of course I read the thread , the assurances were not sufficient for me.

I have not tried it, I have no intention of trying it. I have not tried a £795 mains lead either .

as I said most cartridges - eg ortofons are cylindrical L shaped pipes and have the diamond pushed through a hole . Ie a straw . the laws of physics suggest if the aluminium pipe comes in to contact with the liquid revolving at 33.3 rpm it will be forced up the pipe .

[Nigel]

I cleaned all my records using the two bath Knosti method. When I play a side now, whilst it is spinning, I squirt distilled water with a touch of surfactant on the LP and spread it across using the Clearaudio wet brush. It's pretty wet after this. I then use a microfiber cloth with my finger inside to soak up the water. I guess I play slightly damp but the surface looks dry. Cartridge has 800 hrs on it, when it hits a thousand hours I'm going to send it to Goldring for an inspection. My LP's, nearly all purchased in the seventies and eighties are pretty silent in respect to surface noise. The thread Richard linked to gave me the inspiration to try my variation on the method. I wouldn't be able to do this if I didn't have a direct drive turntable I know. I've been totally impressed with slightly damp playing, although too embarrassed to come out of the closet before because of fear of ridicule from the experts. I know Classicrock has a Technics so he could try my method on an old LP with surface noise and see what he thinks.

[Daniel Quinn]

It would seem we need a better definition of wet playing .

slightly damp is or is not the same as playing with a thin film of liquid covering the record .

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

DQ - So what, there is moisture and dampness all around us. Your analogy is daft, this costs nothing to try unless you believe your cart will be killed. I have been doing it on and off for since 1985 when I first tried it with WD40, I have never damaged a cartridge, though with WD40 you do need to clean the record in the end, but while it works it is brilliant for SQ. My second test was with record cleaning fluid just not drying the record, and that was very good but not as good SQ as WD40. My last test about a year ago was because I bought a bottle of eco natural screen cleaner for my laptop, and tried it on a record - it works!

I don't do this regularly as it is an extra faff and I am happy with my normal dry record SQ. BUT the subject is here so I am passing information, I have been reticent in the past due to the derision that always emerges, even though surely if anyone has deserved to be given licence and credibility it is me, how many times do I have to prove I know what I am talking about. Now if it had been Marco then a different matter. But Marco knows not to be that controversial as it might hurt his pursuit of Guru status.