Want to know how to get rid of static sound on a record player? Well, you have come to the right place. There are some folks (yours truly included) that see the odd crackle and pop that comes from listening to a record as a bit of the charm of listening to vinyl. However, it can be rather annoying if it is constant and today we are looking at ways you can lessen this from happening. Now, as far as I know, there is no way to 100 percent eliminate this, it is just part of listening and collecting records, but there are a few ways that you can keep it to a minimum.
Clean Your Records With An Anti Static Brush!
Cleaning your records is a huge part of being a vinyl collector. However, the way you clean them can have a real effect on the sound you are getting. Records build up static over time and this attracts dust and dirt which causes the static and pops that you are hearing. Using something like this Boundless Audio Record Cleaner Brush before and after you listen to a record can greatly lessen the amount of static.
In an ideal world, you would use this before and after you listen to a record. I know the chances of this happening each and every time you want to listen to a record as slim, but at least doing it every once and a while will help. The trick here is to be gentle, I tend to just hold my record right at the edge and gently rotate the brush along each side a couple of times. Other people like to lay the record on the actual turntable, turn it on and very gently let the brush move over it.
Use Anti-Static Record Sleeves
I will admit that I am a bit anal when it comes to my record collection and I bought a ton of Record Sleeves to protect the gorgeous artwork that my records have… well some of them have. Anyway, it was a friend of mine who said that as well as having the record jacket protected, I should protect the actual record too! I was kind of shocked, isn’t the fact that the record is inside the jacket which is in the sleeve protection enough?
Well, yes and no. For the most part that is fine, but you can put your records in Inner Sleeves Anti Static Round Bottom 33 RPM 12″ Vinyl Record Sleeves and this will greatly help lessen the amount of static build-up that happens.
What is neat about these is that the “science” behind these says that these should get rid of any static build up that the record may have! In theory, this should eliminate the need for an anti-static wipe around before and after each play. However, I would still recommend cleaning your records to keep them in tip-top condition. Of course, if you have a huge record collection this could get expensive, but on Amazon, you can buy these in bulk and it is probably not going to end up costing you as much as you would think.
Stick A Cork In It!
Another way that you can get rid of static sound on a record player is with a Cork Turntable Mat! You can pick these up dirt cheap on places like Amazon and they are a great investment if static is something that bothers you. As most record player mats are made out of rubber or felt they are real magnets for static which is of course what we are trying to get rid of today! However, with a cord mat, there is no static build-up that happens!
This is not a complete solution as you will still need to clean your records, but it certainly can help. The thing with this one is…. cork mats are kind of ugly but at the end of the day that is just my opinion. I have a pretty badass Bon Jovi New Jersey felt turntable mat on one of my turntables and I know it is a magnet for static and dust, but I love it! At the end of the day, the sound should be what we go for here, but if you are a bit weird like I am, I would fully understand why you would not want a cork turntable mat on your all black awesome looking turntable!
Anti-Static Spray To The Rescue
Ok, for this one do not just go on amazon and start looking for a magic bottle of anti-static spray for your turntable. The way you are better getting this stuff is by getting some kind of record cleaning kit like this very affordable Big Fudge Professional Series Vinyl Record Cleaning Kit that I purchased for my sister when she started collecting records. With something like this, you get a little bottle of spray that not only helps keep the record clean, but it also helps with the static issue as well.
There are a ton of these on there so be sure to do your homework first. You want to go with one that has a microfiber cloth with it or one that specifically talks about being anti-static. There are plenty to choose from and in my experience, none are really all that much better than the next.
Final Thoughts
Look, if there was a magic way to 100 percent get rid of static sound on a record player, I would tell you what it is! I am pretty sure there is no way to fully get rid of this and it is just part of the charm of listening to records! I would suggest that you just do not get too hung up on it. The easiest and cheapest way you can do this is by having an anti-static brush and just giving your record a wipe before and wipe after you are done.
