recordisc-permadisc restoration

Frank <[email protected]> wrote:

> Can anyone advise me as to how to restore old permadisc, recordisc,
> and similar recordings?

I am not familiar with that particular trade mark, but it sounds as if
it could be similar to 'Permarec' which was a disc made with
thermosetting compound. The recording was cut whilst the compound was
relatively soft, then it was baked in an oven to harden it up.

The surface noise of thermosetting discs was always very high and
sometimes unbearably so. There is little you can do to reduce that
particular sort of noise without destroying similar amounts of signal.

There is plenty you can do to get the best out of nitrate and similar
discs, but he term'restore' can't really be applied to thermosetting
discs (if that is what you have got); they will always sound terrible,
even if they haven't been damaged.


--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

Frank <[email protected]> wrote:
>Can anyone advise me as to how to restore old permadisc, recordisc,
>and similar recordings?

Home recording acetates?

Clean them thoroughly. With an ultrasonic tank if possible, with mild
soap and water if not. Don't use a vacuum machine.

Play back in mono (lateral). Start with a 2.5 mil stylus, but have a
good set of styli available because the people who cut them weren't always
careful about setting depth properly. You will have to fool around with
VTA and tracking angle because they were often not cut on properly aligned
machines. A microscope will tell you a whole lot about the size and state
of the groove, and if the cutter was cockeyed or parallel to the radials.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Jun 28, 12:18 pm, [email protected] (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
> Frank <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Can anyone advise me as to how to restore old permadisc, recordisc,
> >and similar recordings?
>
> Home recording acetates?
>
> Clean them thoroughly. With an ultrasonic tank if possible, with mild
> soap and water if not. Don't use a vacuum machine.
>

> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Why not a vacuum machine?

Obviously the standard alcohol/water solution cannot be used, but
wouldn't plain old distilled water be rather benign on the disc?

Richard Kuschel <[email protected]> wrote:
>On Jun 28, 12:18 pm, [email protected] (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
>> Frank <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >Can anyone advise me as to how to restore old permadisc, recordisc,
>> >and similar recordings?
>>
>> Home recording acetates?
>>
>> Clean them thoroughly. With an ultrasonic tank if possible, with mild
>> soap and water if not. Don't use a vacuum machine.
>
>Why not a vacuum machine?

It'll suck the lacquer coating right off the aluminum base.

The Kieth Monks machine can actually be used for lacquers, and it works
very well, but it's also seven thousand dollars.

>Obviously the standard alcohol/water solution cannot be used, but
>wouldn't plain old distilled water be rather benign on the disc?

It's not the water, it's the vacuum.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Jun 28, 5:53 pm, [email protected] (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
> Richard Kuschel <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >On Jun 28, 12:18 pm, [email protected] (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
> >> Frank <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> >Can anyone advise me as to how to restore old permadisc, recordisc,
> >> >and similar recordings?
>
> >> Home recording acetates?
>
> >> Clean them thoroughly. With an ultrasonic tank if possible, with mild
> >> soap and water if not. Don't use a vacuum machine.
>
> >Why not a vacuum machine?
>
> It'll suck the lacquer coating right off the aluminum base.
>
> The Kieth Monks machine can actually be used for lacquers, and it works
> very well, but it's also seven thousand dollars.
>
> >Obviously the standard alcohol/water solution cannot be used, but
> >wouldn't plain old distilled water be rather benign on the disc?
>
> It's not the water, it's the vacuum.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

I have a Keith Monks Machine and it's the only vacuum machine I have
ever used.

Seven Grand? Gawd, they're proud of them now. There really isn't that
much to them except for that really cute nylon thread dispenser.