8mm Forum: Cleaning Optical Soundtracks

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Topic: Cleaning Optical Soundtracks

Melvin England
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 707
From: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Feb 2016

posted June 13, 2019 09:00 AM

Is it okay to clean films with optical soundtracks, the same way as one would clean a film with a magnetic soundtrack?

I wouldn't destroy the optical would I ?

I am specifically referring to super 8.

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Mark Mander
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1236
From: Dunstable ,Bedfordshire.
Registered: Jan 2005

posted June 13, 2019 10:32 AM

I have cleaned many optical films over the years,the only difference is I use less cleaner(filmguard)as to not wet the film as much as I find the sound can warble in doing so,Mark

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Melvin England
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 707
From: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Feb 2016

posted June 13, 2019 10:54 AM

Thanks for that, Mark. I was just worried that I might mess up / dissolve the track or something. I will bear that in mind to use less cleaner.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted June 13, 2019 11:10 AM

Yeah! It's so good to do so, and so very essential as well as, those little optical tracks on super 8, once a buyild-up of dust or debris gets on that optical track, it can sometimes get as loud as the actual audio on the track. Thankfully, it's easy enough to get rid of ...

But also very essential, clean the optical lense on you're projector as well as, in that incredibly small pin-hole on the lense that let's the light shine through for the sound ... it can get quite dirty and even clogged, thereby either limiting or getting rid of optical sound altogether.

When i cleaned the optical lense on my projectors, the optical sound was suddenly much sharper and louder, a dramatic improvement!

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Leon Norris
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 958
From: Elkins Park, PA, USA
Registered: Jun 2012

posted June 13, 2019 04:49 PM

If you clean a optical print do it lightly! If you use to much you will get a popping noise! And clog up the rear element of the sound lens!

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