Keeping Vinyl Safe

[Aimee Lauren]

Anyone have any suggestions on how to keep vinyl safe?
I have several gigs while there, and would love some advice, not a big fan of spinning cd's, but that is a back-up if need be.
Peace thru beats.
Aimee Lauren

[AntiM]

There are many threads about this. here's one of them:

viewtopic.php?t=14445&highlight=vinyl

[EspressoDude]

and to think that at first I thought you were talking about vinyl CLOTHES!!!

[trilobyte]

The thread AntiM linked to is pretty much on the money. But please know that nothing you can do will keep the vinyl safe. Sun and heat are just one of the concerns - the playa dust itself is corrosive, and the tiny particles that settle in the grooves of the record will work to cause damage. So don't forget to bring plenty of record cleaner and cleaning cloths, and make peace with the idea that anything you bring out there might not make it back in one piece.

~Trilo~

[ShadeyK]

I use my Nitty Gritty record cleaner. If you're in the SF bay area, I can lend it to you (Once I dig it out of storage). It will need solution.

Anyway, this is the best way to get your vinyl back in tip top shape.

http://www.nittygrittyinc.com/

or some such similar device.

[mo_corleone]

the first order of business is to ignore the naysayers who insist you should switch to CD mixing. i've been bringing vinyl out to the playa for several years now and i've never damaged even one record. you just have to pay *really* close attention to your wax.

this bit from the thread linked earlier is good advice:

a) Keep your records in the shade at all times! I've kept mine on our school bus or any shady, ventilated area and it works fine. Don't keep them in a car or enclosed area where the temps can get quite hot.

b) Put your records back in the sleeve immediately after playing them and ONLY bring them out when/where you know you'll be playing them. Keeping them in their bags at all times will save a lot of wear and tear.

the other trick i've learned is to pack your record bag super full so that there's no room for the records to get misshapen. supplement the ends of your crate/box with the cardboard squares you get when you order records in the mail if you can't pack it full enough. in my experience, having all those records crammed in so tightly means there's not enough space for them to get deformed.

bring an extra can of gruv glide (or whatever vinyl treatment you prefer) and a stockpile of those round puffy applicator pads. clean up after yourself. stash your records somewhere cool and safe. if you do all this you'll be fine bringing out your records, and i'll respect you more in the morning than if you had played CDs

[Fat SAM]

I'm with Mo. I've been bringing vinyl to the playa for awhile now and I can assure you that it's pretty safe. I've always kept my tracks in my flight case and have had it PACKED to the ends, partly for space conservation and partly to keep those bastards good and flat. During the day, I just keep the flight case in my vehicle covered up with something and out of direct sunlight. Try to spin in domes or booths if you're planning gigging out there. Some folks put tables on top of art cars and I've seen records warp in the heat of the day in direct sunlight.

Good luck! Stay away from cd's. Keep it vinyl.