Unlike its digital counterpart, the CD, vinyl remains a much more sensitive format when it comes to handling and playing it. The preservation of your favourite albums will depend on the care and attention you give them during your various musical journeys. In order to make the most of these works and in a concern to preserve their aesthetic integrity, but above all their auditory properties, it is advisable to adopt a few gestures that will allow you to preserve your favourite records for several decades.
When you buy a 12" or a 7", you are above all acquiring an object with unique artistic properties. You must therefore be aware that the making of such an artefact comes close to artisanal design methods. Comprising a whole chain of actors from the author/composer/musician, through the sound engineer in charge of mixing and finally the illustrator or photographer who will use his talent for the cover and inserts, the analog record has a soul that has been breathed by all these elements.
Therefore, it is important to respect this object as a work of art in its own right. All the more so, as vinyl has a much more limited number of pressing operations than CD and is essentially made from more noble but also more fragile materials.
The right things to do
The first thing to do when unpacking a record is to find a plastic protection for the cardboard sleeve. This one will have for role not to scratch and degrade the aestheticism of this one. Because one of the advantages of the 12" compared to the CD, lies obviously in its larger dimensions, offering a favourable ground for the artistic expression of the illustrators. The experience going hand in hand with the listening of the disc, it would be a pity to let this famous cover degrade by multiple manipulations without protection.
This protection also has a serious advantage since it allows you to take the vinyl out of its cover to insert it in the back. This way of storing the record will avoid causing a circular marking on the cover. This effect is mainly due to wear and tear over time when you keep your record indefinitely inside the box. Nevertheless, this method has a major disadvantage, as it will not be possible to consult the back of the sleeve when reviewing one's collection. However, the vinyl will be much more accessible this way.
As far as storage is concerned, never make the mistake of storing your vinyls flat, stacked on top of each other. This beginner's mistake leads to an irreversible degradation of your records, which will expand under the weight and present a distorted appearance, more commonly known as "warp". Eventually, a work that is a little too deformed could no longer be read correctly, the grooves being crushed. It is customary for your acquisitions to be arranged vertically, like books in a library, without being too tight.
You never lay your fingers on a vinyl ! If you have to handle it, be careful not to grab it at the ends or by the label (center) of the vinyl. Finally, it is important to brush your record with an antistatic brush each time you play it. The purpose of this is to eliminate electrostatic residues as well as any dust that may have become embedded in the grooves. Your hearing experience will be even richer !
This post has been shared on Reddit by @uwelang through the HivePosh initiative.