Interesting Album and a Request For Help

[DizRotus]

Soon, the slurry is clear again.  After it cools to room temperature, it goes into a push-to-close water bottle.  Later today I'll do Marty's record. The remnant will go to Dave @Mallette for use at his retirement project.

 

 

[DizRotus]

The bubbles are almost gone and the head is dissipating.  It will still be at least an hour before it cools to room temperature.

 

[DizRotus]

The attached photos show the slurry now in the green water bottle, dribbled on Marty's record, being spread around with a foam brush, drizzled on the Count Basie record, and after being spread around with a foam brush.  Tomorrow The facial will be peeled away.  I'll flip over the Count Basie record tonight to apply goop to side 2.  Both sides can then be peeled tomorrow.

 

[DizRotus]

Marty's record still looks like it has bare spots, but it doesn't.  Experience has shown that some vinyl causes the shiny "wet spots" that eventually dry, but the film still coats the entire surface and it will lift off the contaminants when dry.  The Count Basie record dried enough to flip and coat side 2.  Tomorrow they both get peeled.

 

[Mallette]

From personal experience, I have had this magical mystery goo resurrect an album that I only kept as I loved it.  Literally restored it to NIB.  Clearly, it can do nothing about damage or serious wear.  But if it's embedded stuff or leftover "cleaning" solution, etc, this is the one and only cure.  I had tried cleaning that album with everything under the sun.  PGA, soap and water, you name it.  Did zero good.  It was test number one for MMG and I really could not believe my ears. 

Dave

[DizRotus]

Dave-

 

I'll send you what's left if you use it on 78s and report your results.

[DizRotus]

The Presto record cleaned up nicely.  I was able to record it "as is" and after cleaning, as FLAC files.   Using Audacity, I was able to clean it up a bit digitally and then burn CDs.

 

 

[thebes]

You've been a busy man, Neil. Looks like you had fun, and preserved something special. 

 

I look forward to hearing the cd, and thanks gain for doing this.

 

I'm overdue to mix up a batch of your finest, and I'll use your revamped formula,.  The problem I had in the past was not getting a clean peel.  Seemed to go on too thin, or something.

[thebes]

So Dave, do you know why this album plays from the inside out?

[DizRotus]

1 hour ago, thebes said:

The problem I had in the past was not getting a clean peel.  Seemed to go on too thin, or something.

 

Better too much than not enough.  With practice it gets easy to use enough to work without wasting it.

[DizRotus]

On 5/28/2017 at 4:58 PM, Mallette said:

From personal experience, I have had this magical mystery goo resurrect an album that I only kept as I loved it.  Literally restored it to NIB.  Clearly, it can do nothing about damage or serious wear.  But if it's embedded stuff or leftover "cleaning" solution, etc, this is the one and only cure.  I had tried cleaning that album with everything under the sun.  PGA, soap and water, you name it.  Did zero good.  It was test number one for MMG and I really could not believe my ears. 

Dave

 

Dave,

 

I filled a small water bottle with the leftover goop and mailed it to you.  It's not water. Don't drink it.  Try it on a low value 78 and let me know what you think.  If you want more, let me know and I'll send it as my contribution to your worthy project.

[Mallette]

Copy that, and thanks, Neil

 

Dave

[thebes]

Very late to respond. Got the cd's last week but have been drowning in work, which for me is physical, which means uber tired at the end of the day.  No excuse Neil, I'm sure you've been wondering.

 

Love the cleaned up version, and although I haven't had a chance to chat with them yet, I'm sure my customers are besides themselves.

 

Then there is that whole thing of listening to a news report from 1946 that details criminal war trials for Germans and Japanese and makes reference to the ongoing conflict between the Chines Peoples Party and the Kuomintang.  We all know who won that one.

 

Once again thanks for your fine work on  this.

 

 

[DizRotus]

 You're most welcome Marty.  I played the CD for dinner guests last Friday.  They too found it interesting to listen to news reports from less than 6 months after the war.

[DizRotus]

@Mallette

 

Dave,

 

Have you tried that goop I sent on a 78?  I don't know what material Marty's Presto record was made from, but it seemed closer to that of a 78 than a 45 or 33 1/3.

I'm curious how it works.  If it helps, I want to continue my envagelical promotion of Reg Williamson's fabulous cleaning and anti-static system.  More important than personal use, musical archivists, such as yourself, The Library of Congress, etc. should use it.

 

Unfortunately, people tend to dismiss praise for it as more hyperbolic exxageration of yet another record cleaning gimmick, which it is not.  It pains me to think of the many missed opportunities to clean and then digitally preserve valuable recordings in the best possible condition.  IMO and in my experience, if one doesn't start with a PVA facial, the result will be suboptimal.

[DizRotus]

The friend/customer of Marty @thebes sent me a very nice handwritten personal thank you note.  They included a photo of Pres Roper, the voice on the disc.  The attached note provides some of the story behind the audition disc.

 

[Travis In Austin]

On 5/30/2017 at 4:05 PM, thebes said:

So Dave, do you know why this album plays from the inside out?

It was very common for Presto cutters to have the option of cutting outside-in, or inside-out. .

 

If they were doing a short recording, like an ad, they would go outside in because they didn't have to worry about distortion as they got closer to the middle.  It it was a long recording, over multiple Lps with dual cutters they would run in one direction, remove the lacquer, put on a new lacquer, and run the cutting head back in the other direction.

 

It would be interesting to know whether that lacquer was on a glass or an aluminium disk.

 

Unfortunately, with lacquers every play degrades it.  It is good that you backed it up to digital for your clients.  They DO NOT want to play the "record" for friends.   It will eventually degrade into the aluminium or glass underneath the lacquer.