Clicking on vinyl

[stevo873]

Hi,

I am new to this forum and record collecting in general. My set up consists of a pro-ject debut iii, acryl-it platter, Ortofon 2m red cartridge,phono stage (not sure of the make), and a samsung amplifier of some kind.I recently purchased a record new and it was playing well and sounded fantastic. However recently I noticed a click on one of the tracks which is very loud and quite irritating. The clicking is consistent and happens exactly within a few seconds of each other. I have tried hand cleaning it with an anti static brush, washing up liquid and luke warm water but to no avail. I believe the cause is static but I am storing all of my records in anti-static inner sleeves and clean them regularly. Also this is the only record in my collection which is having this problem. All of my other records are playing ok which means the record itself is at fault and not the turntable or cartridge. I have no idea what else it could be. I understand it is only one track but it happens to be a favorite of mine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if this has been covered in a past topic and I am wasting your time.

Thanks,
Stephen

[Sandbah 92]

Stevo, is the clicking on the entire track or just one spot on that track? I doubt very much that it is static. See if you can pinpoint the spot and get a good look at the grooves in that spot - you may also want to use a magnifying glass - and see if there's something in the groove or perhaps an imperfection in the vinyl. In many cases a spot like that can be corrected with a toothpick > one of the best friends a vinyl lover can have < by digging the crud out if it's wedged in there. I've used toothpicks dozens and dozens of times and have never damaged an album by using one. You may also have to soften any crud with some cleaner to dig it out.

[stevo873]

Thanks for the fast reply and it is on one specific part of the track. Will try using a toothpick now.

Thanks for your help.

[stevo873]

Hi

I tried the toothpick but to no avail. However when playing the record today I noticed a lump on the outer edge of the vinyl. I believe this may be the problem as the track I am referring to is the first track on side 2 which may be why it is the only track to be affected badly. Also when playing I noticed the clicking occurs when the part of the vinyl with the lump is being played. The click happens every rotation.I was considering using sandpaper in order to remove the lump but I am hesitant as I do not know what effect it will have on the record. Any thoughts or help on how to remove this inconsistency in the vinyl would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Stephen

[Sandbah 92]

Is that a new album you have with the lump? If so, bring it back! Is the lump in the grooves or before the grooves start? Perhaps the bottom of the cantilever where the diamond is attached is hitting the lump as the lp turns. If it's a used record you may want to carefully shave the lump off with a new blade on an Exacto knife. Do you have a steady enough hand for that? Sandpaper - a very fine grade - may also be worth a try. Whichever method you use, work slowly and carefully.

[stevo873]

Will try the sandpaper. The album is new but i've had it for 2 months and I don't have the receipt so I am probably unable to return it. Hopefully this will resolve the issue if not I might just buy a new copy.
Thanks for all the help.

[Sandbah 92]

Stevo, you may be able to just take enough off the lump to stop it from hitting. Go slowly by doing a little, try it on your TT, and repeat if necessary.

[pivot]

Sandpaper??? Exacto knives????

It is a new record. It's defective. RETURN it and try again.

Now if it were a used record and you had to get it working maybe a pin or knife but I don't get the sandpaper advice even a little. I have never sandpapered a record and I can't see that ending well at all.

[Sandbah 92]

Pivot, I did suggest the OP return the lp if new. That said, I have performed "surgery" on lp's that I've picked up, and they've all been successful. In one case I saved a reord I could not find anywhere else. Did I come up with these methods/ideas on my own? No, all of them came from folks on this forum and other forums who have much more expertise than I who have used surgical and dental tools and in some cases sandpaper if it would not compromise the grooves. On one forum I learned how to use a wax pencil to fill and soften a mini crater in an otherwise pristine 2 lp set. Did it cure the problem? No! But now instead of a crunch when the stylus runs into that spot there's a soft pop. In time, I am told, the stylus will make its own grooves in that spot. At the end of playing that album - the spot is on the last track - I dip the stylus into Magic Eraser to clean off any wax that may be sticking to it. The first times I tried any of these procedures I was terrified I was going to ruin something big time. Hasn't happened yet, but that day may well come.

[pivot]

I have done stiff brushes, pins and even an Exacto knife once but sandpaper is a new one on me. What ever works, works, I guess.

[Sandbah 92]

True! But I certainly wouldn't use sandpaper on grooves. Kiss of death for a track that gets sandpapered.