Audio-Technica AT6012 Record Care Kit with Record Care Solution, Brush Pad, Storage Base, and Adhesive Tape

For a long time, I'd been looking for a simple way to clean records, but the discwasher trough method didn't appeal to me, and it was also quite expensive. I did find one of the old brushes with the oriented fibers in an antique shop, but it was only available as part of a console stereo package, so I couldn't buy it separately. br>br>This unit must be entered. br>I didn't have high expectations for any modern brush, but I just cleaned about 70 platters with it and couldn't be more pleased. Yes, the directions are terrible, but it's not that difficult. br>First, squirt the solution into the brush's two top holes. Instead of drops, squirt some into the pad to get it saturated. 1. br>br> The little holes in the top work well for squirting the solution in from the top, but it takes a while for the brush to become sufficiently wet to clean. The brush will not be completely damp for the first few minutes. Wait. The dampness is necessary for the dirt to adhere to the brush rather than simply pushing it around the platter, causing more damage.
2. The brush has a direction arrow on the side that indicates which way you want it to flow across the record, and it's just wide enough to cover all the grooves in one pass. If you're using a moving turntable, make sure the brush is pointing into the vinyl as it approaches the brush. In other words, use the arrow as a directional guide to make sure the brush is moving around the circumference of the record. br>br>3. After one or two platters, you'll notice that the brush fibers have a lot more fine dust in them than you might expect. That little blue plastic strip on the holder? It digs up some serious dirt. This is used to scrape the dust from the brush. Use it frequently, but gently, and the dirt ball will rise to the surface, allowing you to remove it. This is required; otherwise, the dirt will simply be redeployed on a different platter!
4. The "magic solution" consists of distilled water and 70% alcohol only. After you've finished with the small bottle, go out and buy a small alcohol bottle and a gallon of distilled water, both for around $1. There is enough mix to last a lifetime. br>5. I took it to the next level. Following the cleaning of the platter, I discovered microfiber kitchen towels that were slightly tacky but not so much that they dragged on the platter. Wa discovered some white ones. ^%%t. Not in the auto section, where the truly obnoxious ones are stored, but in the kitchen towel section. I lightly rotated the towel around the disc after cleaning it to remove any excess water. After a quick back and forth fanning of the platter while holding the edges, it was dry enough to put back into the sleeve. br>br>One piece of advice: It's possible that the debris inside your old sleeves contains more debris than you think. I yanked my sleeves down and shook them vigorously, allowing some of it to escape. Sometimes there was nothing, and other times there was a cloud of dust. They were so bad at times that I had to replace them with new sleeves purchased on Amazon. Also, make certain that your album cover has a sleeve. Cardboard wreaks havoc on the delicate grooves of vinyl records. I also began using plastic outer covers on my albums to keep them looking nice and prevent dust from getting inside. It also gives the record's packaging a cool look. br>br>I was surprised by the results. Not only did the music appear brighter, but the permanent scratches on the record did as well; most of my records were purchased used, and others had scratched and scuffed them. Obviously, the brush does not help, but it does ensure that the needle rides cleanly in the groove and makes music, rather than digging out dirt and trying to make music at the same time; scratches, on the other hand, are scratches, and you will hear them cleanly as well. Fortunately for me, a few scratches on a record bring back memories; I don't mind them at all, and there's no way to duplicate the original analog sound that vinyl produces. Vinyl is the best way to listen to your favorite old artist, whether it's Nat King Cole or Jerry Lee Lewis; one of my personal favorites is an original Sun recording of Jerry Lee Lewis performing all of his hits. After cleaning with this brush, it was scratchy, scuffed, and the sound was heavenly! Overall, this is an excellent brush that I would purchase again. It takes more time to handle the platters and move things around once you've gotten used to it than it does to clean any one side, which beats the silly wood glue method hands down.

Ramona Shaffer

| Sep 26, 2021

br>br>1) Simply squirt a bead of solution onto the brush's ridge. The water holes should not be used. Conserves solution and prevents your albums from becoming soggy that the dirt in the grooves turns to mud, exacerbating the problem. 2) While the record is spinning on the turntable, make a dozen or more gentle sweeps counterclockwise with the brush. In between sweeps, scrape the brush against the squeegee's rubber edge. Between sweeps, this helps to reduce moisture and remove particulates. The final sweeps should be done with a brush that is nearly dry. br>br>3) Allow the record to dry for a few minutes before playing it. Moisture will ruin a stylus, so it will sound better. br>br>4) If there are still a lot of cracks and pops that aren't caused by scratches, go back to step 1 and try again. 3 until the album sounds as good as it possibly can. br>br>5) This is very important: Wash your brush with cold water on a regular basis. The number of tiny black dirt fibers that emerge from the brush will astound you. The next time you use it, it will be better. br>br>I hope this information is useful. Good luck with your listening!.

Bowen HARGREAVES

| Nov 28, 2021

  What it can be used for: every time you play/flip your clean records, you should treat them for superficial dust. It is not suitable for the following purposes: removing heavy static, cleaning heavily soiled records, and treating record damage It cleans in the following ways: br>br> It is the exact length of an LP's media section. So you simply place your record on the platter, turn it on, hold the brush slightly perpendicularly against the surface of your turning record with light pressure to collect dust, and turn it 3 or 5 times using the graphics on the record label as a guide. When you're finished, slowly slide it out on a diagonal, then shake and remove debris from the brush over a trash can. br>br>Ease of use: br>br>Ease of installation: br>br>Ease It's ok. Because the handle has a tendency to rotate loosely, you must hold it by the brush body and practice not to scratch your record (I was holding it by the handle at first, which was unstable). Also, because the brushes are so soft, if you press too hard or incline too much, you risk accidentally pushing the vinyl's hard metal edge, so be careful and clean at eye level until you get the hang of it. Removal of static: br>br> I haven't noticed this brush assisting in the removal or addition of any significant amounts of static. When the static gets too bad, I have to use a Zerostat gun to get rid of it. It's not enough to have a brush. br>br>Because it flips when you hold it, the handle does not appear to be a handle. It could be for the purpose of protecting or cleaning the bristles when they are not in use. However, it appears to be ineffective in both cases. So please let me know if you figure out what it's for in the comments section. br>br>Additional wisdom pearls: If you're having serious static issues, try the following: Get a Zerostatgun and learn how to use it (hint: to avoid my learning curve, get a Zerostatgun and learn how to use it). Remove the cap and the trigger will operate slowly, with a click indicating an error (but I'm not going off on a tangent here). The cap is used for testing (it has a small light bulb inside that you can see light up through a small window to see if the static generator is working). Use high-quality plastic or archival sleeves. After cleaning the stylus, I also zap it with the gun when it's really bad. Cleaning records with water and other methods (such as using wood glue to clean them) are also proven and effective, but you must know what you're doing.

Sophie Hanna

| Oct 13, 2021