Comments on: DIY way to fix pops and scratches in records

By: smokey

smokey — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:07:44 +0000

having a good and clean stylus helps a lot.

By: IAMWonder

IAMWonder — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:57:23 +0000

There is a way to reduce some of the noise. Vinyl records tend to attract a static charge, dust collects in the grooves and the air around it, and both build each other up until you can hear the crackling of arcs amplified as pops and hisses. Spray a tiny bit of Static-Guard on a micro-fibre cloth and dust with the grooves. If you can buy one of those carbon brushes to use on the album before you play it that will help. Scratches are there to stay though.The next best thing is to adjust the balance of the stylus arm a tiny bit heavier than usual (be careful – not too heavy) so that it is not as sensitive to jump at the scratched places. The needle will stay in the groove instead of jumping up and pounding down again.
Think about purchasing recording software like Roxio Creator 10 – your own sound studio. You can convert your albums to CDs and eliminate
all the crackling and scratches from the tracks. It is my next project.

By: Russell C

Russell C — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:39:50 +0000

I assume you are asking about vinyl. If so, the answer is yes.

Dirt:
Some of the noise will be caused by dirt and dust and accumulated fingerprints and other gunk. To fix this:
1) Soak the records for a hour in tepid water and detergent.
2) Use a soft-bristled brush to trace along the grooves.
3) Rinse VERY thoroughly.
4) Pat dry with a fresh towel of the kind used for drying glassware.
5) Set on edge to air dry completely.

Scratches:
Some noise will no doubt be the result of physical scratches on the surface. You can’t fix these but you can minimize their effect by:
1) Using a device the lays a film of liquid just ahead of the stylus as the record is played. This seems to help dampen extreme movement of the stylus that is typically caused by scratches and pits.
2) There are replacement styli available designed specifically for playing damaged records.

Digital:
Using the methods above, record the album to your computer
1) Background hiss and noise.
This is result of wear and impurities in the vinyl itself. A program like Audacity (FREE) will let you detect and sample the background noise and then filter it out. The result may not be pristine but it will be a vast improvement.
2) Pops and clicks.
Once you have your tracks on your computer, A program like Audacity will let you examine the waveform in detail. You will be able to clearly see the noise in the waveform and use filters and wave-shaping tools to reduce or eliminate it.
(Audacity is not as powerful as a professional audio suite like ProTools, but being free, it is thousands of dollars cheaper.)

Now convert your track’s .wav files to CD format and burn away.