How We Prepare Your Record
Go to your local record store and spend the money to buy an LP. Take it home, put it on your turn table and give it a listen. Satisfied with the quality? Yea, I know it's probably a 30+ yr old copy so you're cutting it some slack. But how annoying are those consistent pops that run through the tracks? That's dirt that is lodged in the grooves of the vinyl. And what does that LP look like? Do you really mind those smudges, fingerprints, and dirt on the vinyl's surface? And do the creases or markings on the cover take too much away from the artistic value of the cover? Many of your record shop owners believe that simply wiping the vinyl with a soft cloth and a little bit of dish soap is all that is needed to make it look and sound good. And sometimes they are right - if you want a good sounding record. But you know you want a record that sounds great! So, you come to Wiser Time Records.
At Wiser Time Records, our goal for our used inventory is to provide you with a great sounding vinyl in a great looking cover. it starts with a meticulous inspection of the vinyl, cover, inner sleeve, and labels. If you haven't already done so, you should read how we grade. Much of our criteria we measure each LP against when we visually inspect it is described there. But it's really more than that. Those that get past the visual inspection then go through a four step cleaning process that is designed to clean the surface grime off the cover and vinyl and get as much of that dirt out of the grooves as possible. We aren't wizards. We don't have a magic wand that turns every used LP into "mint" but we do guarantee it is better than anything you'll buy from your local record store, eBay, or the local flea market. The cover will look great enough for you to hang on your wall as art. The vinyl will have much of its gloss restored and void of a lot of that dirt that caused those annoying pops. And the LP will play fantastic even through quality headphones.
The first step is simply wiping down the cover and vinyl. You'd be surprised how this simple step improves the look of your cover and vinyl. It won't be great but it's better than what you started with. We use a special solution for the vinyl but if you want to try it at home, use a lightly damp cloth for both the cover and vinyl.
The second step is a vacuuming process using the Okki Nokki Record Cleaning Machine. This removes any loose dirt and particles on the vinyl.
Step 3 is the real key to this process. Ever heard of ultrasonic cleaning? Typical applications are found in the jewelry business to clean fragile watch components and jewelry pieces, in the medical field to clean bacteria from surgical tools, and in the automotive industry to clean grease off rebuilt parts. Well, it also works great on vinyl records as well. It's a non-contact process that breaks up much of that dirt that is wedged in those grooves on the vinyl that your needle runs over creating those pops you hear during playback. It also removes most of the grime and dirt that is on the surface of the vinyl. Here are some links that describe the benefits of cleaning vinyl records with the ultrasonic process:
Once we run the vinyl through the ultrasonic process the fourth step is vacuuming again using the Okki Nokki Record Cleaning Machine. This removes any left over residue. Why do we use both the record cleaning machine and the ultrasonic process? Because each works differently and both are necessary to remove as much dirt and grime as possible from the vinyl.
Once we clean it, we sample a few tracks to ensure it's Wiser Time worthy. It's impossible for us to listen to every album in its entirety so we sample some of the most vulnerable tracks such as the first ones on each side, the more popular tracks on the album, or those that may have a light scuff or smudge on it. We sample the tracks using a high quality turntable, state of the art stylus and listen through head phones designed for the musical tones contained in rock and metal music. Our turntable gets nothing played on it except vinyl that has been through the process described above. So, with this set up we hear any crap that is left on the vinyl. If there is, then we may run it through the process again or just mark it as less than perfect. It's important to note that if your equipment that you use - especially the stylus or speakers - isn't of high quality, you may hear equipment-induced noise when playing the vinyl.
After all this effort that is applied to a single LP, there are some that still fail to make the cut. Like I said, we aren't wizards. Those that do get past this point get immediately inserted into Diskeeper 2.0 Antistatic Record Sleeves. The covers also get placed in Ultimate Outer 2.5 Record Cover Sleeves. And, only then is it ready for you to buy.
This is a lengthy process but in the end we need to be satisfied that we are providing the best quality used LP we can.
And you'll be sure to hear the quality for yourself as well.
At Wiser Time Records, our goal for our used inventory is to provide you with a great sounding vinyl in a great looking cover. it starts with a meticulous inspection of the vinyl, cover, inner sleeve, and labels. If you haven't already done so, you should read how we grade. Much of our criteria we measure each LP against when we visually inspect it is described there. But it's really more than that. Those that get past the visual inspection then go through a four step cleaning process that is designed to clean the surface grime off the cover and vinyl and get as much of that dirt out of the grooves as possible. We aren't wizards. We don't have a magic wand that turns every used LP into "mint" but we do guarantee it is better than anything you'll buy from your local record store, eBay, or the local flea market. The cover will look great enough for you to hang on your wall as art. The vinyl will have much of its gloss restored and void of a lot of that dirt that caused those annoying pops. And the LP will play fantastic even through quality headphones.
The first step is simply wiping down the cover and vinyl. You'd be surprised how this simple step improves the look of your cover and vinyl. It won't be great but it's better than what you started with. We use a special solution for the vinyl but if you want to try it at home, use a lightly damp cloth for both the cover and vinyl.
The second step is a vacuuming process using the Okki Nokki Record Cleaning Machine. This removes any loose dirt and particles on the vinyl.
Step 3 is the real key to this process. Ever heard of ultrasonic cleaning? Typical applications are found in the jewelry business to clean fragile watch components and jewelry pieces, in the medical field to clean bacteria from surgical tools, and in the automotive industry to clean grease off rebuilt parts. Well, it also works great on vinyl records as well. It's a non-contact process that breaks up much of that dirt that is wedged in those grooves on the vinyl that your needle runs over creating those pops you hear during playback. It also removes most of the grime and dirt that is on the surface of the vinyl. Here are some links that describe the benefits of cleaning vinyl records with the ultrasonic process:
- http://sanfranciscoaudiophilesociety.com/forums/topic/observations-about-cleaning-lp-records-ultrasonically/
- http://www.instructables.com/id/Vinyl-Record-Cleaning-With-an-Ultrasonic-Cleaner/
- http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/ultrasonic-cleaners-baths-on-vinyl-records.235771/
Once we run the vinyl through the ultrasonic process the fourth step is vacuuming again using the Okki Nokki Record Cleaning Machine. This removes any left over residue. Why do we use both the record cleaning machine and the ultrasonic process? Because each works differently and both are necessary to remove as much dirt and grime as possible from the vinyl.
Once we clean it, we sample a few tracks to ensure it's Wiser Time worthy. It's impossible for us to listen to every album in its entirety so we sample some of the most vulnerable tracks such as the first ones on each side, the more popular tracks on the album, or those that may have a light scuff or smudge on it. We sample the tracks using a high quality turntable, state of the art stylus and listen through head phones designed for the musical tones contained in rock and metal music. Our turntable gets nothing played on it except vinyl that has been through the process described above. So, with this set up we hear any crap that is left on the vinyl. If there is, then we may run it through the process again or just mark it as less than perfect. It's important to note that if your equipment that you use - especially the stylus or speakers - isn't of high quality, you may hear equipment-induced noise when playing the vinyl.
After all this effort that is applied to a single LP, there are some that still fail to make the cut. Like I said, we aren't wizards. Those that do get past this point get immediately inserted into Diskeeper 2.0 Antistatic Record Sleeves. The covers also get placed in Ultimate Outer 2.5 Record Cover Sleeves. And, only then is it ready for you to buy.
This is a lengthy process but in the end we need to be satisfied that we are providing the best quality used LP we can.
And you'll be sure to hear the quality for yourself as well.