50¢ “Professional ICAI CY 8 record care BT i by Cecil E. Watts, Ltd. Internationally Recognized Authority for Record Maintenancehas research, the methods, the principles and the ingenuity embodied in this text is the work of Cecil E, Watts. The untimely death of Mr. Ne eI CCRT creat komt aos Mr, Watts was a musician, a recording engineer and a scientist of extraordinary talents. He is regarded by the major recording companies POST CRt eM UeT OMe ce Re eee Peete UR nS COCR RCC CLIC Cee Ly Marketing Industries requested access to Mr. Watts’ notes and teachings, Per ere eRe mem CCT es cece (CM BAR Coll has compiled this book as the most advanced contribution to the science aoe cari accor ite Elpa Marketing Industries proudly dedicates this book to the memory of Cecil E. Watts. and acknowledges with gratitude the gracious help Pert Ru cmc Scccm any CMA eee LS PMC mau Tem iee Tioent em rn Chemicon ossThe Era of High Fidelity WH the introduction of the long playing record in 1948, high fidel- y, as we know it, came of age. Since that time, technological ad- vances have enabled us to come closer to the theoretical ideal of perfect sound reproduction or sound re-creation, As each successive link in the chain of high fidelity reproduction is refined and improved, it necessi- tates a corresponding improvement in associated components. This has been especially true of the long playing record. We have only to recall the complete revision of the home music system occasioned by the advent of the stereo record to appreciate this relationship. Since the previous Cecil E. Watts booklet, “How to Clean, Maintain and Protect Records”, first appeared in September, 1964, a number of new developments have enabled us to achieve further improvements in the quality of sound reproduction. Perhaps the most significant of these improvements has been in the area of ultra lightweight tracking and the control of static electricity. For our purposes, ultra lightweight tracking refers to stylus pressures of two grams or less, Under these conditions, record wear, (for all practical purposes) is eliminated and a consider- able reduction in distortion is achieved, provided the source of sound — the record —is properly maintained and kept free of pollution in its grooves. Each time we improve one element in the reproductive chain, we must be prepared to make similar improvements in the others. Thus, when we reduce tracking weight to two grams or less, we must of nec essity, keep our records more scrupulously clean. All traces of dust, dirt and static electricity must be removed from the record before it can be played, Failure to observe these simple precautions will result in a rapid deterioration of quality and a degradation of the original re- corded sound. When we try to apply old record cleaning techniques and procedures to these newly evolved record playback conditions, we soon discover they are insufficient to the task. Therefore, it has become necessary to re-evaluate old record cleaning procedures, and to devise new ones, to take fullest advantage of improvements in record technology. If the public can be educated to the necessity of proper record care, then we have gone a long way toward ushering in a new era of enjoy- ment of recorded music.