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DJ Tip of the week: Clean your Needles, a quick how to
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DJ Tip of the week: Clean your Needles, a quick how to

Color TV 9:52 PM - 8 September, 2010
I am sure most of you have good technics for cleaning your needles, but if you don't, I posted up an article and video on my site: nycelectro.com Its inspired by my extremely dirty needle, you can see the pics on the article, its really bad, kinda funny.

I will assume everyone here is using Serato, so if you don't have clean needles, you will have some pretty weird problems. The music can sound all garbly/computer-like. Or even worse, the timecode will get out of whack and slow the song down with the computery sounding slowdown. This is no good when this happens at the club (like it did to me last weekend).

If that starts to happen, throw the song to the other deck (make sure you have instant doubles clicked), or put the deck in internal mode, and clean the dirty needle immediately. Hopefully no one will notice.

Basically, I have 3 methods I use. 1: Clean with your finger, not so good to do, but works in a pinch. 2: Do the needle to needle method, but you cannot really do this at a club. And 3: use a brush, sometimes with solution, this is my favorite way and is probably the best.

Hope this helps
DJ Color TV
nycelectro.com
DJ Rugged One 10:42 PM - 8 September, 2010
Number 3 is the best way and that is why I bring the brush with me all times when I do gigs. Don't like cleaning with the finger but sometimes it works but can leave a residue on the stylus.
Color TV 5:41 PM - 9 September, 2010
Yeah, i agree, using the brush is the best way. I try not to use my finger, but I do if i dont have my brush handy.
DJ Pullout 5:57 PM - 9 September, 2010
Do you always mount your needles at a slant like that in order to follow the groove of the record? Cause Ive put mine on perfectly straight for years...
Color TV 7:04 PM - 9 September, 2010
Yes I do, It is supposed to track better. It, essentially, straitens out the tone arm and puts the needle more in the groove. Im no scientist, but when i did this, many years ago, my needles held the groove better. Also, its how Q-bert did it (when he used these needles).
sacrilicious 1:53 AM - 10 September, 2010
How often do you guys get the needle all the way clean? I get 90% of the gunk off pretty regularly but rarely get to like new status because it's so much work (absolutely no gunk / mint level).
Color TV 4:52 PM - 10 September, 2010
I do a quick cleaning almost every time I play, even at home (my records seem to attract dust). But I do not get it 100% clean. Maybe I will take the time to do it once a month or something. Ill clean under and around the needle and use sometime use the liquid.
DJ Dac 6:08 PM - 10 September, 2010
have you ever used rubbing alcohol? also after years of having the cartridge straight i finally read the instructions that came with the needles since recently every time i scratched the needle jumped the groove, so i turned them 30 degrees as the directions instructed and i think i could drop the tt and it would still old the grove... also someone turned my antiskating up all the way so that was hurting the cause too...
Crackpipe 6:27 PM - 10 September, 2010
Just use CDJs or laptop only w/ internal mode and you don't have to worry about dirty needles..........................................................
DJ Dac 6:34 PM - 10 September, 2010
Quote:
Just use CDJs or laptop only w/ internal mode and you don't have to worry about dirty needles..........................................................[/quo
te]
naa i prefer winamp with auto fades...
Color TV 6:58 PM - 10 September, 2010
Quote:
Just use CDJs or laptop only w/ internal mode and you don't have to worry about dirty needles..........................................................[/quo
te]

Have you ever heard a CDJ skip at a club, its not pretty. Id much rather use records (or winamp, lol).
DJ506 5:16 PM - 11 September, 2010
Quote:
...the timecode will get out of whack and slow the song down with the computery sounding slowdown. This is no good when this happens at the club (like it did to me last weekend)...


Happen to me during the last hour at the club last Saturday night. Sooooo not good!