[marknoir]

 Hello fellow inmates

I recently bought what appeared to be a mint Japanese pressing of Beatles Abbey Road. Side one played very well, occasional pop or tick. Side two, while looking new, was a horror story: constant "frying egg" noise, and loud too! I looked at the grooves with strong magnifier, and they have a lot of strange plasticky looking substance adhered to walls. I washed it, but it stayed there. Any ideas on what it is? And how to get it out? One guy told me it's mold, I read on line that it could be residue from bad inner sleeve (had never had that happen to Japanese LPs)... Seller offered to take it back for refund or exchange, I just would like to know what that might be... Come to think of it, I have another album (British) with the same problem. Thanks.

[no1maestro]

When experts refer to "mold" regarding vinyl it is more likely to be what is known as mold release which is added to the pressing machine so that the vinyl can be taken from the press without sticking. It is difficult to remove if the vinyl is still too sticky when removed. It could, of course, be actual mold but that is a little easier to remove from vinyl. Return the lp to the seller in either case and try again.

[rollo]

  Steam it away.

charles

[Wayner]

When experts refer to "mold" regarding vinyl it is more likely to be what is known as mold release which is added to the pressing machine so that the vinyl can be taken from the press without sticking. It is difficult to remove if the vinyl is still too sticky when removed. It could, of course, be actual mold but that is a little easier to remove from vinyl. Return the lp to the seller in either case and try again.

With a draft angle of 45 degrees, there is no need for a "release agent" in the record pressing process. That is an urban myth. I believe what you are witnessing is one plate of the press at too high of a temperature, and the walls of the second side have been bubbled, from the excess heat. The LP is ruined. I suggest a refund as no amount of cleaning will repair this condition. I have a copy of Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, with the exact same condition. It sounds like popcorn all the way thru, only on every side.

Wayner 

[marknoir]

Hi Wayner

There was talk of actual "mold" growing in revord grooves (!)

In any case, it is going back, with no hassles.

Thx to all

[orthobiz]

I'm experimenting with Titebond II wood glue. Apply it to the record at night, peel it off in the morning and everything adheres to the removed film and comes off the record. Several videos on how-to on youtube.

Paul

[Wayner]

Mark, Paul,

I think this kind of noise is not from any contamination in the grooves, not from mold or grime, but a physical damage to the vinyl itself. I believe that the press was too hot, and like frying eggs in a pan that is way too hot, things stuck to the pan, so to speak. So when the record was pressed, the vinyl in the bass of the groove actually stuck to the plate, pulling some of the vinyl into the groove as it pulls way when the LP was released from the press. Now there is actually vinyl debree in the groove that is still part of the LP itself. It can't be cleaned away or worn away.

Wayner

[Ericus Rex]

It also seems highly unlikely that mold would grow only on one side of the record.  I'm with Wayner, probably a manufacturing defect.

[marknoir]

Mark, Paul,

I think this kind of noise is not from any contamination in the grooves, not from mold or grime, but a physical damage to the vinyl itself. I believe that the press was too hot, and like frying eggs in a pan that is way too hot, things stuck to the pan, so to speak. So when the record was pressed, the vinyl in the bass of the groove actually stuck to the plate, pulling some of the vinyl into the groove as it pulls way when the LP was released from the press. Now there is actually vinyl debree in the groove that is still part of the LP itself. It can't be cleaned away or worn away.

Wayner

Hello Wayner

You seem to know some about this.

Recently I came across a few records, that had noise, but no distortion to music signal itself (!), which boggles my smallish mind. I bought a couple of Pink Floyd albums on ebay (both sellers said they will refund in a second, including return shipping, so there are no worries here), which had this peculiar problem: they look very good, music signal is VERY clean, but there is that popcorn (I prefer "frying eggs) noise, lots of clicks and pops.

When I'd encounter a well-used record before, usually there was noise, as well as damage to the music signal itself. Such as cyllables that were distorted, "S" sounding more like "Sh", distortion on highly modulated midrange passages, etc. One album is MFSL "Dark Side" first press, and the other is "The Wall" German, looks like an early press too. Both sound great, but the noise!

I have records in my collection that I have bought new as early as 1977, and they still sound nearly noise-free. What do these people do to those records to get that strange fenomena going? Or is my Shelter 901 stylus simply gets deeper into the groove, where the signal is still undamaged? But why is the noise there then? Mystery...

What is your take on this?

[Wayner]

Those are all great questions and I don't know if I have all the right answers, either. Mobile Fidelity claims that the occasional clicks and pops heard in their new recordings will slowly get polished away by a quality stylus,,,,to that, I just haven't seen it happen.

There are lots of sources for record noise. As we have been discussing, manufacturing defects will be the first encounter, from warps to scratches to too hot of a press (bubbling vinyl) to non-concentric pressings (hole off center). Some of the other noises you refer to, I haven't got a clue, unless I hear them.

The older LPs have their accumulated problems with just plain old wear, dirt, beer, body secretions and a whole bunch of other nasties that have gotten down in the grooves. These problems usually can be cleaned away with a RCM or by hand washing as I do, and a good daily cleaning routine.

I had an Aaron Copland that I bought for $1.00 that sounded like the pop-corn damage, but with some cleaning and a few playings, the record is almost noise free. That is not the normal success story, however!

Wayner 

[marknoir]

As I said before, it is a mystery. But I did find some surface hairline cracks or scratches under a microscope. They are on surface, so I thought they wouldn't affect the groove. Apparently they do. I wonder where do theses come from? Too much VTF? Bad stylus? I wash my records by hand as well, with dishwasher liquid and self-made brush.

The guy with "Dark Side" has refunded me the money including the shipping and told me to keep the record or give it to some newbi who will like it as is! There are some great faulks out there. I guess I will return "The Wall". Shame...