How sensitive is MD to dust?

[Michiel]

I wonder how sensitive MiniDisc is to dust because it looks like you can't stop it. Even new discs that I keep neatly in the box get some dust particles in the case over time. I then try to wipe them off with a cotton tip. With older discs I see that even speckles can stick to it that cannot be wiped off. Can the laser then simply read the information from the MD? So my question is how bad is it to have some small dust particles on the surface? and what is the best method for cleaning them?

[trott3r]

Never wiped MDs myself and never had a problem with the discs only the players laser reading the disc.

Thus i would leave well alone and clean as a last resort

[McLovinGR]

Very good question. The most common Problem is, when you try to Record Music on such a dirty Disc because the Magnetic Head comes in contact with the Dust and creates white Outlines all over the Upper Side.

Are there any Tips on how to clean the surface of the Minidisk without damaging it? I tried Q-Tips with Isopropyl Alcohol in the past, which helped, but left some tiny scratches on the upper Side.

[Michiel]

When I buy second hand discs, they usually have some dust particles on the disc surface and at the bottom, which I usually can easily wipe off with a cotton swab. I use ethyl alcohol to clean the hard-to-remove spots, but sometimes I can't remove it. I even saw discs with a few small holes in the surface, strangely enough, the discs were still working and heard no interruption or something (maybe it has to do with the error correction included in MiniDisc). Well I hope the laser is strong enough to read through some dust. I think the best method is compressed air to clean MiniDiscs. Unfortunately I do not have an air compressor at home, but I think there are air spray cans available commercially.

[sfbp]

On 8/26/2019 at 3:09 AM, Michiel said:

I wonder how sensitive MiniDisc is to dust because it looks like you can't stop it. Even new discs that I keep neatly in the box get some dust particles in the case over time. I then try to wipe them off with a cotton tip. With older discs I see that even speckles can stick to it that cannot be wiped off. Can the laser then simply read the information from the MD? So my question is how bad is it to have some small dust particles on the surface? and what is the best method for cleaning them?

I think the answer is: not at all. Most of the applications of magnetic field induction are in extremely rough environments, such as most electric motors. If it made a difference we might have a lot of failing generators, ships, planes and stoves?!?!?!

One of the genius things about MD is how amazingly stable it is. The worst thing that interferes with the signal is stray light, and has to be allowed for in the calibration. I recall some disks that had different reflectivity (because the case was transparent) causing strange problems, but I don't think I've ever run into dust being responsible for a disk refusing to play. Sure, actual gunk on the head, yes, but dust - no way.

Oh yes, there is one thing that I feel may interfere with MD play, which is sticky labels that get caught in the eject mechanism. Sooner or later one of these is going to catch a head (overwrite or laser) in such a way as to cripple the unit. I feel painfully aware of this when I blithely stick labels on the top and sides but there's a limit to how much you can write with felt pen on the original casing. This is my main objection to the beautiful "full metal jacket" labels which cover the disk in a seamless fashion ("seemingly seamlessly"). That, or the mechanism for ejecting and accepting the disk breaking down (belts, but also electric motors) because it has to push too hard.

Stephen - whose S.O can't stand the fact that his man-cave is un-dustable!

[freddyjollo]

hmm I live in a very dusty London flat  and I dont get  dust on the disc  surface as the shutter to them is  closed? It is a mistake to  try and clean the ( top) surface of the  disk as they have a lubricant on upper surface where the record head goes?  You need to store your discs in the proper  sleeves? and in a box of some kind? I once bought some discs from Richer sounds and saw what I thought was  dust on the top surface of the discs and took them back for a refund. I now realise it was just  lubricant spots. On another  point, I would assume this  lubricant will eventualy dry out and so wont  do its job, what then?