LENCO CLEAN, HECOCLEAN, ANALOGIS CLEAN and DISCO ANTISTAT : Vinyl record cleaning sets

Vinyl records cleaning kits - LENCO CLEAN - HECOCLEAN - ANALOGIS CLEAN - DISCO ANTISTAT

In this decade (2010 ÷ 2020) the musical record in Vinyl is back in fashion and like all fashions it could be a passing phenomenon. However, there are some aspects that make the Vinyl so loved and desirable, so that recent digital recordings are also spilled on Vinyl, as happened in the early 1980s, before the decline in sales of Vinyls (analog) in favor of Compact Discs (digital).

More evident if the starting recording is digital, from the technical point of view with vinyl it can only be a degradation of performance (falsed frequency response; reduced dynamics; increased distortion, background noise, impulsive noise). Honestly, since the human being cannot interface directly with the Numerical "domain", since its senses are Analogical, even from a "Digital" device it is possible to obtain a not negligible degradation if it is equipped with a poor Digital / Analog Converter (DtoA) and , downstream, with a poor Analogue Output Stage (see low-cost DVDs that read all audio formats, MP3 Players, PCs, Tablets, Smartphones and TVs with only analogue audio output, and no optical output to a truly HIFI DtoA) ). For "Digital" devices, therefore, it is not so much a question of noise but of sound quality !!!

Therefore, even a good sound system with a good turntable can still give great satisfaction.

Moreover, from the tactile and visual point of view, thanks to its physical dimensions and materiality (covers, photos and texts) and to the rituality of use, the gratification and the satisfaction that gives the Vinyl are insuperable in comparison to other physical supports (for not talk about the depressing immateriality of streaming listening). These are cultural and personal taste issues: de facto, the vinyl commercially has started to pull again, even among young people.

LENCO CLEAN For a decent listening of the Vinyls, I have no doubt: for 45 years I have been using the demonized LENCO CLEAN, a narcotic for the Vinyls that can no longer do without it. In the pianissimi of music, symphonic and soloist in particular, it is indispensable, under penalty of sound disaster. In reality I have never owned or used the original LENCO CLEAN and its, they say, "notorious" liquid (early 70s).

First version with longitudinal handle

HECOCLEAN In practice, the name LENCO CLEAN remained in common use, but the product soon changed its name, undergoing some not substantial modifications: already in the 70s it was called HECOCLEAN (the one I really use).

My original HECOCLEAN 70s pack, still intact in 2019, never opened

In the foreground, the head with brush and the transparent arm tube that allows you to see the liquid On the left the package of handkerchiefs (for the nose!) placed under the leaflet of the instructions

In the foreground: liquid tank with incorporated counterweight and metal part of the arm support

Original HECOCLEAN Studiotonic 250ml liquid bottle and height-adjustable arm support

For 45 years I have been filling his tank and his transparent arm of liquid VETRIL, in blue bottle: the classic, traditional and very cheap product to clean mirrors and window panes, "with dustproof and rainproof effect, and brilliance without halos".

Probably VETRIL has antistatic characteristics that are not explicitly stated.

VETRIL 750ml bottle

VETRIL cleans and shines all glasses and crystals. Keeps surfaces clean longer because dust and water glide away without a trace ... so it has an antistatic effect on dust (ed.)

VETRIL also produces an Anti-dust, declaredly "With antistatic action" and "without halos".

It’s transparent violet and isn't as cloudy as VETRIL classic. It contains alcohol.

My current choice (2021) is to use plain distilled water with liquid dish detergent (contains surfactants, to lower the surface tension of the water).

No alcohol, of any kind: I fear it is the cause of indelible stains and periodic rustle.

See: Cleaning Vinyl Records: Fruscio periodico dei dischi in vinile (Vinyl Record periodic rustle) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPBle4ZDefs The diamond tip wet by the liquid suffers less friction, increasing its duration (which is not eternal and must be replaced with a periodicity that depends on the use: months - years - decades).

The furrows, in the long run, deteriorate anyway, but probably less quickly than dry: I have a nice ARCHIV record that I very often only listened to Side 1 and the difference with Side 2 today is heard, despite having always used LENCO CLEAN. My STANTON 881S cartridge is such a widespread model that today, for a few tens of euros, you can easily find the compatible replacement removable stylus (tube with elliptical diamond tip and white plastic front with the classic removable built-in brush).

Brand new vinyls, not treated with any product but necessarily dusted with my carbon fiber brush, have continuous crackles, small but annoying, like a fryer: I can't resist the temptation to intervene with LENCO CLEAN loaded with distilled water with liquid dish detergent (it contains surfactants). No alcohol, of any kind.

Antistatic carbon fiber brush Of the Vinyls, first treated with liquid, subsequently replayed dry, listening is impossible: the sound is noisy and distorted. I am forced to continue using the LENCO CLEAN. However, it matters little to me: I do not want to resell my Vinyls. I want to enjoy them but without hearing noises as long as I live. You only live once. The day will come when the issue LENCO CLEAN yes or no LENCO CLEAN, will eventually be someone else's problem.

Since my considerations, in general, are valid for all Vinyl lovers, I do not understand the fury against LENCO CLEAN, a fury that translates into obstinacy in wanting to listen badly your own Vinyls. Also because those who use the recommended Record Cleaning Machines like the DISCO-ANTISTAT (manual), act on the grooves with a long brush of soft hairs, exactly as the LENCO CLEAN brush does, with the burden of a very demanding manual work, while the LENCO CLEAN works autonomously and without effort.

Packaging of the manual Record-cleaning machine DISCO-ANTISTAT

Internal tank for the liquid, with the soft hairs long brush, for the deep cleaning of the Vinyl grooves

Rack for air drying of the Vinyls, without further contact either with cloths or with handkerchiefs !!!

The contents of the pack: the Tub (brown) incorporates the removable Rack

Manual rotor (beige) with black and white centering device; filters and funnel for the liquid final recovery

Manual rotor (beige): it rotates with your fingers ...

Centering: black for LP, white for 45rpm (removable)

So, at the most, if there is a fear that the LENCO CLEAN will produce harmful effects, you can still intervene on your Vinyls with the Record Cleaning Machine, using its "special" supplied liquid, to eliminate those effects. I own it but I hardly ever use it. Drying should be done in a dust-free environment (WC), leaving the wet Vinyls at the air in the special support (rack), without absolutely passing cloths or handkerchiefs (they would add new dirt).

Final result: dry listening to me seems more noisy and distorted than with LENCO CLEAN.

Supplied antistatic liquid (1 liter): today Knosti Disco Anti Static Record Cleaning Fluid at 28 euros (!!!)

Rack (detail): it has a bottom where liquid can flow from the records, which can then be poured off

As with dishes, the soaking in distilled water, for 3 ÷ 4 hours or more (at night?), softens and removes the deepest dirt and the most stubborn grains of dirt from the grooves, in a non-invasive way.

To speed up, it is advisable to space several overlapping Vinyls between them with plexiglass discs of 12cm MAX, at least 1mm high (old CDs?) and threaded on a pin, knitting needle (?), of 7mm MAX. Nothing harmful happens to labels: fear is unjustified; seeing is believing.

Then you use the Record Cleaning Machine to completely remove the dirt.

Drying should be done in a dust-free environment, leaving the wet Vinyls at the air in the special support (rack), without absolutely passing cloths or handkerchiefs (they would add new dirt).

The best result is obtained by drying by suction, to remove the liquid in which the residual dirt is diluted (for example with the machine Record Doctor V o VI, Pro-Ject VC-E, ecc.).

At this point the record can be played dry and then with LENCO CLEAN for comparison. This is the right time to digitize a Vinyl.

It is evident that in all cases, in the long run, dirt and dust settle and get stuck in the grooves, to the delight of the washermen.

The choice is yours: dry or wet reproduction.

ANALOGIS CLEAN Today LENCO CLEAN is on the market under a new name: the complete arm is called ANALOGIS CLEAN, wet cleaning arm 6101 produced by Analogis.

Website: http://www.analogis.eu/Pflege_en.html Analogis also produces spare parts: - the only brush (green), Replacement brush “Greenhead" for wet cleaning arm 6101 - the only head with already incorporated brush (yellow), Replacement head for wet cleaning arm 6101 - the only support, Replacement axis for wet cleaning arm 6101 About its liquid Superclean fluid ... see you.

On Ebay you can find everything for less than 50 euros.

Advice on using LENCO CLEAN 1) It is advisable to cut the side handle of the head flush which is not necessary. Contrarily, it risks scratching the first furrows of the Vinyl, if by mistake the head is made to fall outside the plate. Note that the first version of LENCO CLEAN had a longitudinal handle that prevented this danger.

2) Calibrate the Antiskating counterweight (compensation of the centripetal force): the reading takes place with wet Vinyl and no longer dry and the calibration is slightly different in the 2 situations, as proposed by Thorens. Refer to the instructions of the turntable and arm manufacturer.

3) Before placing the arm on the support and with the hairs of the brush on the traces of the Vinyl, dust the hairs that are still dry, then let the liquid flow down into the tube, then let the hairs wet by rubbing it gently on the soft cloth. For dusting you can use a brush or a toothbrush (Analogis gives you a white one), also for the diamond tip.

4) Does the liquid no longer go down from the brush when listening, not even with the maximum adjustment?

The center of the brush head is pierced with a Ø=1.8mm nail, on the hair side (the hole already exists).

The liquid thus descends correctly from the beginning to the end of the record side, for the whole duration of listening. Every so often gently wash tube, tank, head and brush with water and liquid dish detergent (degreaser). Shake the tube well: small pieces of dirt, accumulated over time, may come out of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHfE8-0LJc0 5) The arm doesn't follow the grooves until the end of a long lasting record: apply a minimum rotation of the head from the central notch to the left, head up, hairs view.

6) After removing the record from the turntable platter, the residual liquid should be left to dry or manually dried along the direction of the grooves with a soft cloth (that's good for cleaning monitors).

The strip of fluid wets the diamond tip of the STANTON 881S, from the beginning to the end of the record side and the listening quality is superior to that of its corresponding virgin dry Vinyl (however I think it is inferior to that of its corresponding CD, if it exists on the market, but I don't want to enter the dispute).

My HECOCLEAN in unopened package was purchased as a reserve for the future (or for posterity), not knowing that it would return to production as ANALOGIS CLEAN.

Antiskating adjustment on the TP11 arm of the Thorens TD 165 turntable Eg: STANTON 881S cartridge with D81 or D81S or D81 IIS or D81E stylus: Recommended tracking force = 1g; stylus brush weight = 1g; small weight = 0.6g; great weight = 1.4g With LENCO CLEAN (wet); Skating (centripetal force) lower => lower centrifugal counterweight: Total support force = 1g => small weight positioned on the notches 2 (unequipped stylus brush) Total support force = 2g => small weight positioned on the notches 6 (equipped stylus brush) Without LENCO CLEAN (dry); Skating (centripetal force) greater => greater centrifugal counterweight: Total support force = 1g => small weight positioned on the notches 4 (unequipped stylus brush) Total support force = 2g => small + great weight positioned on the notches 2 (equipped stylus brush)

Original instruction booklet HECOCLEAN

Schallplattenpflege - nicht nur Reinigung!

Schallplattenpflege mit HECOCLEAN bedeutet mehr als nur Beseitigung von Staub und den damit verbundenen Störgerauschen. Ihre wertvollen Schallplatten benötigen, um einen dauerhaften Hörgenuß zu gewährleisten, eine weitreichendere Pflege, die aber weder kostspielig noch umständlich zu sein braucht.

Das neue HECOCLEAN bietet bei konsequenter Anwendung ohne weiteren zusätzlichen Aufwand alle für einen langlebigen Hörgenuß nötigen Pflegekomponenten.

Welche Faktoren oft schon nach kurzer Zeit die Freude am Neuerwerb einer Schallplatte verderben, soll zunächst kurz aufgeführt werden: Der Staub ist der offensichtlichste Feind der Schallplatte, doch seine Herkunft und sein Auftreten können unterschiedlicher Natur sein.

Da sind zunächst die groben Staubfasern, die sich meist leicht durch Blasen, oder mit einem Tuch entfernen lassen.

Oft setzen sie sich allerdings schon vor der optischen Wahrnehmung an der Abtastnadel fest und führen somit in kurzer Zeit zu Verzerrungen, wenn nicht gar zu ersten Beschädigungen der Plattenoberfläche.

Noch gefährlicher sind jedoch kleinere Staubpartikel, die sich fast unkenntlich in den Rillenflanken absetzen und - trocken abgespielt - wie ein Schleifmittel wirker und dann nicht wiedergutzumachende Schäden hinterlassen.

Der Tonarm, der am vorderen Teil das Abtastsystem trägt, wirkt zwar recht leicht, doch beträgt der Flächendruck durch die Abtastnadel ca. 1000kg/cm2. Man kann sich vorstellen, daß die hier stattfindende Reibung nicht unerheblich ist, und kleinste Störfaktoren im Rillenverlauf zerstörende Wirkung haben können. ohne HECOCLEAN Schmutzund Staubpartikel Oberflächenbeschädigung.

verursachen

Knackgeräusche.

Hohe

Reibung

fuhrt

zur

mit HECOCLEAN HECOCLEAN Studiotonic löst Verschmutzungen und suspendiert Staubteilchen. Reduzierte Reibung schont Platten und Diamant.

Da die Schallplatte aus PVC besteht, neigt sie dazu, sich bei Reibungskontakt elektrostatisch aufzuladen.

Dies geschieht erstmals beim Herausziehen aus der Plattenhülle. Die Folge ist eine beträchtliche Anziehung und Ablagerung von in der Luft schwebenden Staubpartikeln. Bei der darauf folgenden Abtastung durch den Diamant kommt es zu weiterer Reibungsaufladung, die auch ohne vorhandenen Staub zu störenden Entladungsgeräuschen (Knacken) führt. Da durch die sich fortsetzende Reibung immer mehr Staubteilchen die Platte verunreinigen, nehmen Störgeräusche mehr und mehr zu, und es bleibt über kurz oder lang nicht aus, daß sowohl Schallplatte als auch Diamant dadurch Schaden nehmen.

Der Zusammenhang zwischen statischer Aufladung und Verunreinigung ist demnach offenkundig und es gilt, beide Faktoren möglichst gleichzeitig zu eliminieren. HECOCLEAN bedient sich der Feuchtigkeit, die einerseits elektrische Aufladung nachhaltig verhindert, andererseits beim Binden bzw. Entfernen von Staub und anderen Verunreinigungen bekanntermaßen gute Dienste leistet. Die Flüssigkeit - HECOCLEAN Studiotonic - wurde in chemischen Labors entwickelt und unterliegt einer laufenden Kontrolle. Sie besteht aus chemisch reinen, gegenüber Schallplatte und Tonabnehmersystem völlig neutralen Stoffen.

Studiotonic verdunstet nach dem Spielvorgang schnell und rückstandsfrei, so daß ein Ab-trocknen der Schallplatte weitestgehend überflüssig ist.

Arbeitsweise.

Das komplette HECOCLEAN -Set enthält folgende Bestandteile: Reinigungsarm (A) Höhenverstellbare Befestigungsachse (B) Sockel (C) Nachfüllflasche HECOCLEAN Studiotonic Trockentücher.

- Längenregulierung - Höhenverstellbereich Die feinen Bürstenhaare am vorderen Teil des mit studiotonic gefüllten HECOCLEAN-Arms gleiten mit geringem Gewicht über die Schallplatte und befeuchten einen ca. 1 cm breiten Streifen in jeweiliger Höhe der Abtastnadel.

Da die Plattenrille spiralförmig von außen nach innen läuft folgt die Bürste - ähnlich der Abtastnadel des Plattenspielers - dem vorgeschriebenen Lauf in Richtung Plattenmittelpunkt. Auf dem Weg dorthin bleibt ein

Großteil der Verunreinigungen in der Bürste hängen und diese können somit die Funktion des Diamanten nicht beeinflussen. Kleinste Staubpartikel - gerade diejenigen, die man mit bloßem Auge nicht wahrnehmen kann - werden durch die Flüssigkeit gelöst bzw. suspendiert und damit unhörbar gemacht.

HECOCLEAN besitzt bei gleichzeitiger Reinigung der Plattenoberfläche und völliger Beseitigung elektrostatischer Aufladung (ohne zusätzliches Gerät oder Ableitungskabel) außerdem folgende Vorteile: - die Reibung zwischen Plattenoberfläche und Diamant wird reduziert; dies hat eine Erhöhung der Lebensdauer des Diamanten um ca. 50% und der Schallplatte auf praktisch unbegrenzte Dauer zur Folge.

- die Verschmutzung der Abtastnadel ist weitestgehend ausgeschlossen.

- die Skatingkraft reduziert sich um ca. 20%.

Heco Hennel + Co GmbH Postfach 7 Schillerstraße 18 6384 Schmitten/Taunus 1 Telefon (0 60 84) 5 44 Telex 04 15 313

Montage der Befestigungsachse.

Bevor das Gerät in Betrieb genommen wird, ist der Befestigungssockel (C) mit der Achse (B) an einer dafür geeigneten Stelle - meist auf dem linken hinteren Teil des Plattenspielerchassis - zu montieren.

B C Hierzu prüft man vor Abziehen der Klebefolie zunächst die günstigste Positionierung, in der der Gerätearm einwandfrei von Beginn bis Ende einer Langspielplatte den Rillen folgen kann. Geringe Abweichungen von diesem optimalen Punkt können nachträglich auch durch Verstellen des Bürstenkopfes (A1) korrigiert werden (Reduzierung/Vergrößerung der Gesamtlänge). Nachdem der Sockel montiert ist, wird durch Drehung der Achse die Höhe derselben und damit der Winkel des Gerätearms zur Schallplatte eingestellt.

Hierbei genügt eine geringe Neigung des Arms (etwa 2°- 3°). Nach Fixierung der Achse durch Feststellen der unteren Rändelmutter (die zweite, obere dient als Anschlag für den Arm in Ruhestellung) kann der mit Studiotonic gefüllte HECOCLEAN-Arm aufgesetzt werden.

Einfüllen der Flüssigkeit und Einstellung der Austrittsmenge.

Zum Nachfüllen zieht man das Kopfstück (A1) vom Röhrchen und füllt dieses mit HECOCLEAN Studiotonic annähernd voll auf. Auf dem Bürstenkopf befinden sich Markierungen, an denen Sie die einmal ermittelte Einstellung (optimale Länge des Arms) ablesen. Die Bürste (A2) an der Unterseite des Bürstenkopfes ist drehbar innerhalb des Bereiches "+", "-" und regelt die Intensität des Flüssigkeitsaustrittes. Es genügt, wenn die Platte leicht benetzt wird, d. h. nur ein schmaler Streifen in der jeweiligen Höhe des Abtastsystems abgesetzt wird.

Mögliche Fehlerquellen.

Sollten Sie nach erstmaligem Gebrauch feststellen, daß der Reinigungsarm nicht genau den Schallrillen folgt, d. h. zu langsam oder zu schnell in Richtung des Plattenmittelpunktes läuft, ist entweder die Position des Befestigungssockels noch nicht optimal oder aber die Länge des Reinigungsarms noch einmal zu verändern. Nach Prüfung der einen oder anderen Möglichkeit und deren Korrektur wird die einwandfreie Funktion gewährleistet sein.

Beendigung des Abspielvorgangs.

Nach Abspielen einer Schallplattenseite können Sie den noch nicht ganz verdunsteten schmalen Restflüssigkeitsstreifen mit den beiliegenden Papiertüchern trokkenwischen oder einen kurzen Augenblick abwarten, bis auch dieser verdunstet ist, um dann die Platte trocken in die Hülle zurückzuschieben.

Vermeiden Sie es, noch feuchte Schallplatten in die Hülle zu legen, da hier die Gefahr einer Verklebung mit dem Hüllenmaterial (bei Kunststoffhüllen) besteht. Nach Benutzung den Reinigungsarm nach oben kippen, damit das daraufhin in den Tank zurückfließende Studiotonic das Gewicht nach hinten verlagert und somit den Arm in seiner Ruhestellung fixiert. Nach mehrfachem Abspielen sollte man die an der Bürste gesammelten Verunreinigungen mit einem der beiliegenden Papiertücher abstreifen.

Allgemeine Tips zur Plattenpflege.

Um Ihrer Schallplatte bzw. Ihrem Diamanten eine möglichst lange Lebensdauer zu gewährleisten, sollten Sie die Pflege mit HECOCLEAN in Verbindung mit der Nassabspielflüssigkeit HECOCLEAN Studiotonic

regelmäßig anwenden. Außerdem sollten Sie jedoch auch folgende Punkte beachten, denn die beste Plattenpflege ist sinnlos, wenn man wichtige Kriterien der Schallplattenbehandlung mißachtet: Schallplatten sind hochempfindliche Schallträger und reagieren auf jegliche äußeren Einflüsse mit der Verschlechterung ihrer Wiedergabequalität. Deshalb ist besonders beim Auflegen der Platten und dem anschließenden Rangieren des Tonarms höchste Achtsamkeit geboten. Außer dieser Gefahr der direkten Beschädigung sind es - besonders im Sommer - Temperatureinwirkungen, die durch direkte Sonneneinstrahlung hervorgerufen werden und eine Verformung des Plattenmaterials nach sich ziehen können.

Der eigentliche Abspielvorgang sollte nach Möglichkeit bei geschlossener Haube stattfinden, um eine Absetzung von in der Luft schwebenden Verunreinigungen auf der Schallplatte zu vermeiden. Dazu gehören in erster Linie alle Arten von Staub, die in verschiedenen Größen, von kaum sichtbaren, kleinen Sandpartikeln bis zu leicht erkennbaren Textilfasern und Zigarettenasche reichen.

Andere „Luftverschmutzer" sind die Aerosole, die meist gasförmig transportiert werden, wie z.B. chem.

Abgase, Auspuffabgase, Zigarettenrauch, Küchendämpfe usw.

Es empfiehlt sich, von Zeit zu Zeit auch den Plattenteller mit einem feuchten Tuch zu reinigen.

Alle unreinen Flüssigkeiten (auch sog. Antistatik-Mittel), die nicht rückstandsfrei sind, beeinträchtigen die Wiedergabe beträchtlich.

Desgleichen Fette, die hauptsächlich durch Berührung der Rillenfläche mit der Hand in Schallplattenkontakt kommen. (Hautfett vermischt sich mit Staub und verklebt die Rille).

Record care - not just cleaning!

Taking care of cleaning the record with HECOCLEAN means much more than removing the dust and the noise associated with it. Your precious records need more extensive cares to ensure lasting listening pleasure, but these should not be expensive or cumbersome.

With a constant application, the new HECOCLEAN offers all the care components necessary for long-lasting listening pleasure, without further effort.

Which factors often ruin the joy of buying a new record after a short time, should first be listed briefly: Dust is the most obvious enemy of the record, but its origin and appearance can be of different nature.

First of all there are the coarse dust fibers, which can be easily removed by blowing or with a cloth.

Often unfortunately they settle on the stylus even before the optical perception and therefore in a short time lead to distortion, if not to the first damage to the surface of the record.

However, even more dangerous are the smaller dust particles, which are deposited almost unrecognizable in the sides of the groove and - reproduced dry - as an abrasive, leave deeper and therefore irreparable damage.

The arm that supports the reading system on the front (cartridge) works with sufficient lightness, but the surface pressure through the stylus is over 1000kg/cm2. One can guess how the friction that occurs at that point is not insignificant, and that the smallest disturbance factors along the groove could have a destructive effect. without HECOCLEAN: Dirt and dust particles cause crackling noises. High friction causes surface damage. with HECOCLEAN: HECOCLEAN Studiotonic liquid dissolves dirt and puts in suspension dust particles. The reduced friction protects the record and the diamond tip.

Since the record is made of PVC, it tends to be charged electrostatically if subjected to rubbing. This happens for the first time when the record is removed from the casing. The result is a remarkable attraction and deposition of dust particles in the air. In the subsequent phase of reading by the diamond tip, an additional friction charge occurs, which induces discharging noise (crackling) also in the absence of dust. As more and more dust particles contaminate the record due to continuous friction, the noise increases more and more, and sooner or later this is enough to damage both the record and the diamond tip.

The correlation between static charge and contamination is therefore obvious and it is important to eliminate both factors as simultaneously as possible. HECOCLEAN uses humidity, which on the one hand permanently prevents the electric charge, and on the other, it is known that it behaves well when it binds or removes dust and other contaminants. The liquid - HECOCLEAN Studiotonic - has been developed in chemical laboratories and is subject to continuous control. It consists of chemically pure and completely neutral substances with respect to the record and the cartridge. Studiotonic evaporates quickly and without residue after sound execution, so that the hand drying of the record is largely superfluous.

Operation.

The complete HECOCLEAN set contains the following components: Cleaning arm (A), Height-adjustable fixing axis (B), Base (C), HECOCLEAN Studiotonic refill Bottle, Handkerchiefs.

- Length adjustment - Height adjustment The thin hairs of the brush, on the front of the Studiotonic filled HECOCLEAN arm, slide with light weight onto the record and moisten a strip about 1cm wide at the height of the stylus.

Since the groove of the record runs in a spiral from the outside to the inside, the brush follows - similarly to the stylus of the turntable - the predefined stroke towards the center of the record. Along the way most of the impurities stick to the brush and therefore cannot interfere with the function of the diamond tip. Smaller dust particles - only those invisible to the naked eye - are dissolved or put in suspension in the liquid and rendered inaudible.

HECOCLEAN, while it cleans the surface of the record and completely eliminates electrostatic charges (without the need for an additional device or cable), has also the following advantages:

- the friction between the surface of the record and the diamond tip is reduced; this results in an increase in the duration of the diamond tip by about 50% and in a virtually unlimited duration of the record.

- contamination of the stylus is largely eliminated.

- the centripetal force (Skating) is reduced by about 20%.

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Installation of the assembly axis.

Before operating the device, install the mounting base (C) with the axis (B) in a suitable place, usually on the left rear side of the turntable.

B C To do this, before removing the adhesive film, check the most favorable position where the arm of the device can perfectly follow the grooves from the beginning to the end of a long lasting record. Small deviations from this optimal point can also be corrected later by adjusting the head (A1) (reduction / increase of the total length; minimum rotation of the head from the central notch to the left, head up, hairs view). After having assembled the base, its height and therefore the angle of the arm of the device with respect to the disk must be adjusted by rotating the axis. For this purpose a slight inclination of the arm is sufficient (about 2 ÷ 3 degrees). After fixing the axle by locking the lower knurled nut (the second, whose upper part acts as a stop for the arm in the rest position), it is possible to insert the HECOCLEAN arm filled with Studiotonic.

Fill with liquid and adjust the spillage.

To top up, remove the head (A1) from the tube and fill it almost completely with HECOCLEAN Studiotonic.

On the brush head there are notches through which it is possible, once determined, to read the setting (optimal arm length). The brush (A2) on the lower side of the head can be rotated within the "+", "-" range and controls the liquid output intensity. It is sufficient that the record is slightly wet, ie only a narrow strip is deposited at the same height as the cartridge.

Possible sources of error.

If after the first use you notice that the cleaning arm does not exactly follow the grooves of the record, that is it is too slow or too fast in the direction of the center of the record, the position of the mounting base is not optimal or it is necessary to change again the length of the cleaning arm and/or the rotation of the head.

After checking one or the other option and having it corrected, perfect functionality will be guaranteed.

End of the playback process.

After playing one side of the record, you can dry the residual liquid strips not yet completely evaporated with the supplied paper handkerchiefs or wait a short moment, until they have evaporated, then reinsert the dry record into the bag. Avoid placing vinyls that are still wet in the bag, as there is a risk that it will stick to the material of the envelope (plastic bags). After use, tilt the cleaning arm upwards so that the Studiotonic, once returned to the tank, shifts the weight backwards and then stabilizes the arm in its resting position. After having used it several times, it is necessary to remove the dirt accumulated on the brush with one of the paper handkerchiefs supplied.

General tips for records maintenance.

To ensure long life to your records as well as to your diamond tip, you should regularly use the HECOCLEAN care, along with the HECOCLEAN Studiotonic wet playback fluid.

However you should also note the following points, because the best care of the record is useless if important criteria of how Vinyl is treated are neglected: vinyl records are highly sensitive sound carriers and react to any external influence with the deterioration of their quality of playback. Therefore, especially when positioning the record, and the subsequent maneuvering of the arm is required, maximum awareness is

necessary. In addition to this danger of direct damage, especially in summer the effects of temperature caused by direct solar radiation can cause a deformation of the record’s material.

The actual sound playback should be performed, when possible, with the cover closed, to avoid the deposit of contaminants in the air on the record. These include, first of all, all types of dust, of varying sizes, from small particles of barely visible sand, to easily recognizable textile fibers and cigarette ash.

Other "pollutants" are aerosols, which are usually transported in gaseous form, such as chemical exhaust gases, exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke, cooking fumes, etc.

From time to time it is advisable to also clean the turntable platter with a damp cloth.

All impure liquids (also called antistatic agents), which are not free of residues, greatly affect playback.

In the same way the fats, which come into contact with the record mainly by touching the grooves surface with the hand (the skin fat mixes with the dust and sticks to the grooves).

Eg: Elliptical stylus tracking force = 1g = 0.001kg Contact surface = 20.6μm2 = 20.6e-12m2  Stylus pressure = 49000t/m2 = 49000000kg/m2 = 4900kg/cm2 about 5t/cm2 !!!

The small surface of the diamond tip of the D81E elliptical stylus for STANTON 881S cartridge explains the adjustment of a low weight (tracking force 1g), to avoid excessive pressures that would ruin the grooves, but at the same time guarantee an excellent reading of the information, avoiding jumps of grooves on particularly damaged records.

The LENCO CLEAN (HECOCLEAN, ANALOGIS CLEAN) helps to counteract and mitigate the potentially devastating effects of stylus pressure.

Does a record suffer from wet playing ?

As a result of articles published in the USA, inquiries have been increasingly received concerning the question: Does a record suffer from wet playing ?

Phonograph records are seldom or never reproduced with the assistance of water or water-based liquids in professional operations. A major hinderance is the somewhat involved and therefore timeconsuming manual procedure involved.

On the other hand, the use of Iiquids is standard practice in turntable test procedures, especially for distortion measurements. lt Is recognized that after a record has been played with a liquid, hissing and popping noises are heard when subsequently played dry. One plausible theory explains this occurrence as

being caused by dust particles washed up by the stylus in the playing liquid and subsequently deposited on the walls of the groove as the liquid evaporates.

PH-level measurements, chemical investigations conducted by American investigators before and after wet reproduction using deionized water, have indicated that the concentration of acid ions thereby increases twenty to thirty times. In this study, it was concluded that the water had reacted with the material of the pressing, roughening the vinyl groove faces. This surface alteration would then be responsible not only for the increased noise but also for higher distortion Ievels when the record was subsequently reproduced in a dry state.

An expert on wet-groove reproduction in Switzerland was motivated by these experimental results to relate the chemical processes associated with record liquids to general considerations of the problem.

His conclusions lie at variance to previous theories: The record material does not generally consist of PVC alone but instead represents a copolymerisate in which other molecular groups, preferentially vinyl acetate, are built into the vinyl chloride chains.

Special chemical agents such as stabilizers, lubricants, and fillers are added to the mixture. Such a composite material absorbs only infinitesimal quantities of water, even over a long period of time, and therefore cannot contribute moisture to chemical processes. The changes assumed in the USA to have taken place after a short penetration period thus appear rather improbable to this Swiss researcher.

In his opinion, the phenomena observed could possibly be explained as follows. During the warm, plastic state which prevails when a record is pressed, changes occur in the macromolecular chains, and traces of hydrochloric and acetic acids are formed. For the most part, the acids are bound by the stabilizers mentioned above, forming water-soluble salts. Under the influence of humidity, and together with traces of the lubricants, the substances produced during pressing form a uniformly distributed film which, because of its homogenous composition, cannot be detected with an electron microscope. When wet playback is employed; the salts contained in this film are dissolved in the surface liquid. In the subsequent drying phase, the traces of dissolved salt are found primarily at molecular chains which have been altered by the warming process, as these exhibit a more pronounced affinity for water. When the liquid has totally evaporated from the surface, crystallization of the salt components thus occurs predominantly at these locations. During subsequent wet reproduction, the salts are again dissolved in the liquid and do not influence the tracing of groove modulations. The increase in the concentration of acid ions measured in America supports this conjecture. In fact, however, reproduction with a liquid only enables measurement data to be collected far a phenomenon which has already taken place when the record was pressed.

It should be noted that these remarks refer expressly to chemically pure deionized water. No general comment may be made concerning the additional ingredients contained in most commercial cleaning liquids, which may produce entirely different effects. As a rule, pickup cartridge corrosion is probably caused by aggressive ingredients; such corrosion is observed on cartridges used extensively for wetgroove reproduction.

When a surface liquid is employed for measurements, the recommendations of the proponents of this technique should be observed: *Only extremely pure water may be employed for the surface liquid, which preferably should be obtained in the vapor phase of double distillation. *20 % - 25 % pure ethyl alcohol is to be added to the water to lower the surface tension of the liquid and hasten evaporation. *Under no circumstances may denatured alcohol (spiritus) be employed. *The liquid film on the surface of the record should be as thin as possible.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Bibliography: Harold D. Weiler: THE WEAR AND CARE OF RECORDS AND STYLI (1954)

https://issuu.com/giovanni.baietti/docs/weiler_wear_and_care_of_records_originale Cleaning Vinyl Records https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHPowgX1zrrzNq9cmk0zbv6EHqGhsMgDA Giovanni Baietti, Cremona (Italy) 16-10-2021 g.baietti@alice.it