DeoxIT®, GOLD & FaderLube - DJ Amazed by Improvement!

"DeoxIT®, DeoxIT® GOLD, DeoxIT® FaderLube - Now I'm Impressed!"

by Jeff Hart,
HartBeats DJ Entertainment

I hadn't used DeoxIT® GOLD before but I saw it advertised in a product guide I read. It was on a page with other cleaning products but I was never prone to buy things like that since I thought I could just get away with saving some money and buying simple water based cleaners to get the job done.

The other day while I was DJ'ing, (my other job aside from audio/lighting tech) I noticed my mixer's crossfader started sounding very poorly. It's a common thing that happens when you use the crossfader a lot in the DJ industry.

I have always used a cheap tuner lubricant to clean it, and it would make it sound like new for a few days, then it would sound like a bunch of static was in it once again. Just recently, I decided I was fed up with that happening so I called RANE Corp. (A pro audio company) and spoke with one of their technicians. He told me about DeoxIT® FaderLube 5% Spray, so I called CAIG Laboratories Inc. and ordered some for me as well as a few extras for my field work.

I first tried it out on my mixer at home and whatdya' know....the static went away. I wasn't impressed yet though considering the other lubricant worked too, at least for a day. It's been about a month now and the crossfader still sounds like new! Now I'm impressed!

After receiving the product from CAIG Labs, I realized they were the company that made the DeoxIT® GOLD which I had seen in the guide I read. Now I was intrigued to check that out. Another Tech friend of mine happened to have a can of DeoxIT® GOLD and a can of DeoxIT® contact cleaner. Before ordering these products, I borrowed them from my buddy and took it to a club that I’m doing sound system work in.

I’m just starting to work on this particular system and I know how it sounds from when the club was formerly opened under another name. You can tell the mixer channels had the same problem that I had at home. When the DJs mixed, you heard a lot of static and hissy noises in their productions (I also DJ there and had heard it in my own mixers).

Today, I used the DeoxIT® FaderLube 5% spray and the static problem was gone! Trust me, it was VERY noticeable as if the mixer hadn't been cleaned for years (and I'm sure it hadn't). The equipment is good but you can tell it was a very far generation from first. After the fader problem was fixed, I still heard noise and occasional drop-outs in the sound.

My first guess was a loose connection somewhere but after tightening all the sound systems connections, it was still there. I stayed around most of the day and cleaned the connections (XLR's and RCA's) with the DeoxIT® contact cleaner, then the DeoxIT® GOLD. I tested the system again, and the sound was perfect! No hiss, pops, drop-out's, static noise, nothing. Just clear music!

I’ve only had a chance to hear it for a few more hours after that but for the moment, it sounds perfect. There can't be any other explanation considering all I did was clean the connectors. I didn't touch anything else and the sound was great!

I'm just getting started in the audio tech field, but one thing I know for sure is that simple resolutions to problems can be the most overlooked and I will make sure I include CAIG Laboratories’ products in my arsenal of sound gear. Since I used my friend’s DeoxIT® GOLD, I know the first thing I have to do tomorrow is order all the audio cleaning products CAIG offers. I can't believe I am so “x-static” about cleaning solvents!

Jeff Hart
HartBeats DJ Entertainment / Sound & Lighting

NOTE:
DeoxIT® GOLD
DeoxIT® GOLD GxL (formerly ProGold GxL)
DeoxIT® SHIELD
DeoxIT® FaderLube (formerly CaiLube MCL)
DeoxIT® FaderGrease (formerly CaiLube MCL P20 & P40)
DeoxIT® Grease Type M260 & L260 Paste (formerly CaiLube Grease)