Corey Bailey
Audio Engineering
USEFUL INFORMATION
The first thing that came to mind about playing a record wet is that water has
viscosity which should affect how the stylus interacts with the groove. So, I set out
to see what the difference may be.
Only certain types of records can be played wet. Basically, any record that is
made of solid material throughout is OK although, some will say that only vinyl
records should be considered for wet playback. Those records that have a fiber
core are out. Any record that is laminated with a fiber core should not be played
wet or cleaned with a solution of any kind. Lacquer coated discs (Lacquers) can
be played wet if they are in playable condition and have a metal or glass center.
After a through cleaning, I used plain distilled water with nothing added, the type
that is sold at your local supermarket. When playing a record wet, I like to smooth
the water out with a fine bristle brush so that the water is spread evenly over the
entire groove area. I do this by running the turntable while the tonearm is securely
fastened to it’s rest. Obviously, I use a manual turntable because it cannot be
done with an automatic turntable. With an automatic turntable, you will have to
hold the platter steady with your fingers or such while you apply the water and
smooth it with the other hand. Avoid getting any water on the label. If you do, wipe
the label immediately with a dry towel. Some cartridges have dust brushes
attached. I haven’t tried playing a record wet with that type of cartridge/stylus
combination. Some cartridges sit parallel to the record and tend to trap the water
beneath them while playing. I haven’t found it to be detrimental when that
happens. Those same cartridges have even got the lower connections wet and it
was not a problem (yet). However, I did dry and clean those connections when I
was done.
How much water to use? About a drop every couple of inches (About 5 CM)
seems to be adequate. Do this for each band (song). I have noticed that the
center grooves tend to dry out on long playing media. When this happens, I will
carefully drip some more water on the surface while playing. Brushing is out while
playing a record.
I tested both Widegroove and Microgroove records. I used all three speeds, dry
and wet. I tested all formats with both conical and elliptical styli. That said, I only
used moving magnet cartridges because that’s what I had available. I used test
records for each format and then ran the test with music that I was familiar with. I
ran the tests using outboard test equipment, software, and my hearing. I listened
through headphones and a couple of pairs of speakers. The only thing that the
test equipment and software could come up with was a slight difference in level;
about a half of a dB which is generally imperceptible. Other than that, to my
surprise, the frequency response, and the other test parameters were effectively
the same. The tests that I ran were for my own curiosity. In the scientific
community, the tests would be referred to as empirical. When doing the listening
tests, I thought maybe I heard a small difference in the harmonic content, but I
wasn’t sure. The difference that I thought I heard was with an elliptical stylus. With
a conical stylus, I could hear no difference. I have tested every type of record that
I can think of wet and dry and the one thing that stands out is the fact that any
record, regardless of the type, will play quieter. Scratches and surface noise are
noticeably quieter in all formats. So, grab a record with content that you are
familiar with and perform the test for yourself, using your ears. If you have record
that has a lot of surface noise or is full of pops and scratches, try playing it wet.
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© Corey Bailey Audio Engineering
PLAYING RECORDS WET