Anti-Static Treatment
Static on vinyl records is something that cannot be avoided but can be minimised. Vinyl, on contact or friction with many other materials, attracts extra electrons onto the surface of the record, resulting in a negative charge. Because vinyl is a good insulator, this charge does not leak away – it is a “static” charge. Once a record has a static charge, it will attract dust and dirt onto the playing surface, causing pops and clicks during playback.
A static charge can be generated in various ways. The material that it’s made from is one factor; ironically, newer heavier vinyl (e.g. 180g) is a better insulator than older, lighter vinyl, and therefore more prone to static problems! The way that the record has been packaged is another factor; polyethylene and polypropylene create a negligibly small charge on vinyl, but dry paper and card can create a strong charge. Removing a record from a paper or card inner sleeve could immediately attract shredded debris from the sleeve and dust from the surrounding environment.
If a vinyl record has been deep cleaned in an ultrasonic record cleaning machine (URCM), then any static charge will have been significantly reduced or eliminated. For brand new vinyl with little or no ingrained debris, but with static buildup clearly impacting playback, deep cleaning may be considered a costly remedy.
Revivinyl offers an alternative, lower-cost anti-static treatment option for problematic new records. Using Zerostat neutralisation, we will reduce or eliminate static charge, and return your vinyl in an anti-static inner sleeve to maintain its neutral-charge status.
For each vinyl record that we treat for static, we:
Remove any surface dust or debris using a velvet brush.
Treat the vinyl with a Milty Pro Zerostat 3 anti-static gun. We ensure that all areas of the record surface are treated. The treatment is undertaken with the record in hand (not on a turntable or other flat surface), ensuring that the technician is earthed during the procedure.
Once surface static has been neutralised, we remove any debris remaining within the record grooves with an anti-static carbon fibre cleaning brush, ensuring that the technician is earthed during this procedure too.
Test-play a section of each side of the record to ensure that static reduction/neutralisation has been successful; repeat the Zerostat and carbon fibre cleaning steps if not.
Place the 12” or 7” vinyl into an anti-static, anti-scratch HPDE plastic inner sleeve.
Pricing
Pricing for anti-static treatment:
£2 per 12” vinyl.
£1 per 7” vinyl.
For postage/packaging or collection/delivery costs, see here.
For a free indicative quote, please contact us.
Maintenance
We also provide free advice on procedures and products to maintain static-free records, such as platter mat options with the lowest static generation and highest static dissipation properties, humidity and temperature recommendations, optimal storage approaches, and accessories for your toolkit (e.g. anti-static inner sleeves, carbon fibre brushes). Please see our Hints & Tips section for details.