How to Use a Carbon Fiber Record Brush
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- The correct use of an anti-static carbon fiber record brush is often misunderstood. Here’s a simple but effective method that works to help keep your records cleaner and reduce the amount of wet cleaning required over time. Protect your records and they will last a lifetime.
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AudioQuest Carbon Fiber Record Brush:
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Thanks for posting this. I've never used a brush before. Just wet cleaning with microfiber cloths, and using those cloths to brush off dust. The description on the box made it sound like you needed to rotate your wrist and drag the dust off the edge of the vinyl, so appreciate the actual tutorial.
Thanks for watching, and glad to help! I think the instructions vary quite greatly from one manufacturer to another, but from my experience, this is the safest way.
Happy spinning!
@@soundmatters This was the instructions on the Super Conductive Audioquest brush. Maybe watching people drag the brush off added to the confusion. You're right though, I think the method you showed is the safest and correct method.
I have tried many brishes in the past 35 years including the time-consuming Discwasher and DECCA brush and believe that to effectively remove dust, any brush must be wet.
I lightly spray distilled water on my generic carbon fibre brush and lift using the Audio Quest method. Removes 95% of dust, no print left and resolves static issue. Quick and easy
I have received my new brush this morning, and l’m very impressed with it. Thank you for the recommendation.
No worries. The new Audio Quest one definitely does the trick!
The appropriate and proper way to use a CF brush. Michael Fremer alerted the audiophile world a year or two ago, but it's wonderful to see a TH-cam video showing it. The problem with dragging the brush toward the label is that the dust doesn't stay on the label, but rather will migrate back onto the record. A complete waste of time.
Yea, that makes complete sense about the dust coming back from the label. Thanks for watching
Finally someone does it correctly. You cant really remove static effectively while a record is on the TT though.
you can't remove static with a brush ... AT ALL. so there is no right or wrong way ... for removing static.
@@ericshutter5305 You can if the record has tons of static and the brush is grounded well. Then it can bring the static levels down.
I have most of these assorted tools and I always return to using the Parostatik Preener made by Watts. I wish people would Google it. It's been around for 50 years and it's still the best. A micro fiber surface wrapped over a cylinder of foam, with an additional inner foam cylinder that is moistened to eliminate static. As the record rotates, I roll the cylinder always presenting a clean surface to the record. It never leaves a dust line on the record, and I clean the Preener after each use with a small clothes brush. It's fantastic. I still have my original Preener I bought in the early 1970s, and I bought a new back up on ebay a couple years ago. Someone needs to bring this item back into production! Cheers everyone!
Thanks!
Thank you so much! 🎶🎧 happy spinning
Thanks. I just got the brush, but had not understood the reason for the two separate rows. This will remain my only form of maintenance until I dare to pick a wet cleaning option, as even decades-long collectors and record store owners argue against each other on that, so I'm not yet sure where to put my money. Anti-static inner sleeves are on their way.
Cool. Glad the video helped. Enjoy the records and music. I'm in the pro wet cleaning camp, as I just can't see how dry cleaning alone could do anything about finger print oils or lots of intrenched grime and dust in very old records.
Hope the sleeves work well for you.
@@soundmatters I def will pick _some_ wet cleaning option, because even if I end up leaving the famous "film" on the record, it's probably not WORSE for the stylus than all the filth you mentioned...
Making several passes and still having the footprint is annoying so for now I follow up with the record roller. I used to do the method of pulling the brush off the record but have found that for ones I played early on, this left potentially permanent surface scuffs, though I've yet to give them a new wet clean so that could be remedied.
I tried moving the brush towards the label and touching the spindle but that just deposited a bit of the mess on said label which created a new problem.
I recently snagged a Zero stat which does wonders and is well worth the expense, especially for returning records to inner sleeves.
If you pull or push you could still be dragging a small partical across the record.
There is that risk, yes. I’ve got a newer video that debates those problems: th-cam.com/video/t7GkGw-NbAE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Mlr6kr7PpIfNNB-L
Thanks. I have the improved AQ brush and have always used the dragging outward slowly. Seems to work fine.
Yea, the likelihood of it causing an issue is probably very low with that method. It would have to be quite a large, sharp piece of debris I suspect. AudioQuest recommends the first method mentioned, but I know lots of people who continue with the drag outward method too.
The right way to use it 👍😎
Anytime you use a carbon fiber brush on a record, it generates static electricity. If you have one of the 2nd type of brushes shown, the metal contacts are connected to carbon fiber brush. Just holding it in you hand will not create a ground. Sometimes, you can touch a metal part of a turntable which is grounded with your other hand or something that is connected to a ground directly. But, you will still find that the record is charged with static electricity. The turntable mat will often be stuck to the record when you remove the record from the turntable. And, because the record is charged with static electricity, if you abruptly remove the brush from the record, the dust which you have swept up will remain on the record in a line. Dragging the brush on the record as you pull it off will help to remove the swept dust.
So, after you have peeled the mat from the record, you need to balance the record with one hand in the label area and shoot it with something like a Milty ZeroStat.
Then, the friction from playing a record also creates static electricity and even if you don't brush the other side of the record, you still have to shoot that side with the Milty ZeroStat gun before playing it. Before you play it, blow off the record with canned air and that will remove surface dust.
Thanks!
Thanks so much! Enjoy the music 🎵 🎧
The groove goes one way. From outside to in. I follow that direction and when on the label, I pick it up. The dust does not stay on the label as it is statically charged and takes the dust with it. The label has no charge. If you go from inside to out, your going against the groove physically leaving dust against the wall of the groove.
Groove spacing is so tight and tiny, it actually doesn't matter which direction you swipe the brush. You are going perpedicular over the grooves anyway. If you want to avoid this you should brush at the same rate the grooves move inward, this is actual full side play time. But this sounds ridiculous, right?
Mixed results. I have a Hama carbon brush, and so help me God,if you move it radially, it scratches the vinyl. If you use it normally, allowing the record to turn underneath, well it bulldozes up the dust in a radial “windrow” which is hard to clear unless you use a blower or masking tape.
So I rarely use it. I think it does more damage, and rubs dust along the grooves too. So I just listen to dusty records and they sound great anyway.
And we won't damage the motor of the player, right?
As long as you only lightly touch the record surface, no, you're all good. Simply allow the brush to "tickle" the surface.
Wouldn't your method tend to force or dig or poke particles further or deeper into the grooves? 🤔
My issue is i own an automatic turntable so i have to clean it while it's playing?
Tricky with an automatic deck, admittedly. You might be able to lift the tonearm yourself so the automatic rotation kicks in and then apply the brush carefully with your other hand.
Otherwise, you'll just have to do your best by hand and perhaps use a small amount of something like GrooveWasher before each spin. They have a cleaning pad that's designed specifically for giving records a light clean on the deck just before playback.
Hope this helps
Thank you for demonstrating the technique. So, you would recommend I purchase the new version over the older?
Yes. The new brush is far superior (IMO). Thanks for watching. Do this regularly, and you'll cut down dust build up and the need to wet clean massively.
@@soundmatters Thanks!
Is it normal for these things to create a slight abrasive noise when making contact with the record?
Yes. Ultimately, you're making contact with the record. So long as you use the method shown, you'll avoid dragging particles across the record that may risk scratching the surface.
I use another method. Off the turntable. Rest vinyl on a microfiber towel. Sweep a Hunt Brush manually one circuit. Lift off. Remove the line of dust with a vinyl record roller. Repeat if necessary. Use a flashlight to check. Then spray with a zerostat gun. I have examined my records closely using the approach recommended in the video and considerable dust always remains.
@Wade Marvin Sounds very creepy. Hope your gf finds out. Not far off the world of the show Made for Love. Weird to promote it here. Maybe the comment will be deleted 🤞
@@lsaideOK what did they say lol
@@gangbangerranga3401 9 months ago? Long forgotten. Nice to see it was deleted
A Carbon Fiber brush does not remove static electricity. A Carbon Fiber Brush might brush away dust but not static elevtricity.
The Audioquest one does.
I completely stopped using brushes after I discovered tiny carbon fibers breaking off onto my vinyl. A bright light above showed fragments. I use a milty and blower every time ..a dusty record goes on the rcm.
I noticed the same on a white record that I have, the bristles/hair was coming off of the brush and getting stuck in the record grooves. I like the idea of the bristles catching dust in the grooves but not willing to getting the hairs in the record. I might try a different brand (was using Kaiu brush off Amazon I think), but still a bit hesitant to try again.
I hate the carbon fiber brush. When using it you see all the particles left behind as the record spin. I prefer the velvet brush, from outside to inside. When you lift it you can see and notice all the white color of dust particles attached to the black cloth.
No matter how many times.... I keep leaving that straight line print on the record. 😭
Sounds like the record is very, very dusty. You might need to wet clean it. (After removing as must lose and dry stuff as you can).
Sometimes, you might need to just bend the rules a bit and drag the brush across the record surface to remove the final little bit. Just know that there is some risk in doing so.
Hope this helps
@@soundmatters Thanks on both replies.
@@laika25 no worries. Happy spinning 🎶