How do you reduce static electricity on records?

How do you reduce static electricity on records?

All music lovers have already faced the problems of static charge! These effects are particularly seen in a listening that lacks transparency and accuracy. Physical phenomena are added to them: the record attracts dust and sticks to the platter mat. The principle is simple and accounts for the following observation: A record rotating on the platter of your turntable encounters friction with the air. This group causes static charges ranging from static 3,000 to 20,000 Volts!

maPlatine.com gives you a few tips to reduce the static electricity of your records.

 

1. What precautions must be taken to prevent static electricity on records?

Indeed, there are a few small tips for preventing static charge from appearing on your records.

To begin with, you must try to store your records in the best possible conditions. We rarely think about it, but the temperature and humidity in the room containing your turntable can play a role in the presence of static charge on the records. For example, you must know that static electricity has more chance of appearing in a room which has dry air…

Moreover, it is highly recommended that you store your records in antistatic vinyl sleeves such as Nagaoka N-102 or the Milty Exstatic.

 

1.1. Use Antistatic sleeves

To prevent static charges, you can also replace the standard sleeves sold with the records by antistatic inner sleeves. Standard sleeves actually become damaged over time, which can create cellulose fibre residues. These fibres become incrusted in the grooves of the LP and detract from your listening or even damage the stylus of your record player.

To resolve this problem, it is therefore recommended that you replace them with polyethylene lined sleeves such as the vinyl lined paper antistatic sleeves

maPlatine.com recommends the Nagaoka N-102 antistatic sleeves that are recognised and widely appreciated for their quality and effectiveness. They have an antistatic treatment that reduces the accumulation of dust in the record's grooves, and consequently, the static charge.

Nagaoka N-102 antistatic sleeves

 

1.2. Choose the right platter mat

Another solution also limits the static electricity appearance on the records. It is simply enough to replace the felt (Acrylic) platter mat by a platter mat that generates less static charge. The cork platter mat (e.g. Pro-Ject Cork It platter mat or Thorens in cork platter mat) have antistatic effects, just like those in leather like the Analogis Mat 6 platter mat or the Leather It from Pro-Ject.

Pro-Ject Leather It record mat

 

2. I have static electricity on my records, how can I remove it?

Despite all the precautions that you can take, it frequently happens that the static electricity nevertheless appears on your precious LPs. To combat this harmful effect on listening, manufacturers propose different methods and products to reduce static charges

2.1. Use antistatic products

Thanks to antistatic sprays, reduce the static electricity on your LP simply: spray the cloth once, wipe it over the record and there you go! With the AMD Record Cleaner spray or the Pure Vinyl Mist cleaning product, you remove all the static charges. We recommend that you perform this operation each time before listening, when the record is spinning on your turntable.

Pure Vinyl Mist cleaning product

In a category a little less common, the Milty brand proposes an utterly surprising antistatic product: a static anti-charge revolver, the Zerostat III. Simply by pressing a trigger, with the gun pointing toward the record, you remove any static electricity. A fearsome antistatic product and one of the most effective!


Milty Zerostat III antistatic revolver

 

2.2. Use antistatic brushes

The antistatic brushes are easy to use and the effectiveness is very quick to be seen. These very soft brushes remove dust but also eliminate the static charge on records. By using them, your listening will that much more precise! 

Many manufacturers currently offer this type of brush (e.g. Milty Super Exstatic Brush antistatic brush). For maPlatine.com, the best remains the Furutech ASB-1 brush as it is immediately effective, and your record will be free from all its static charge! It is uncontestably an essential item if you want to listen with the best precision possible.

Furutech ASB-1 brush

The Japanese Furutech brand deliberately focused on the problem of static electricity! After the success encountered with its antistatic brush, the manufacturer was proposing a completely innovative solution: the Furutech SK-Filter antistatic tonearm. With this type of tonearm, all you need to do is place the tonearm next to your turntable and its brush at 1 mm from the spinning record to eliminate up to 20,000 volts of static charge! The BEST! 

Furutech SK-Filter antistatic tonearm

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We hope that these few tips will help you reduce the static electricity on your records, and that your listening experience will be that much better. As always, our technicians remain can be contacted if you would like more information via e-mail (contact@maplatine.com).