Record Cleaning Machines

rockitman

Member Sponsor
Sep 20, 2011
7,097
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Northern NY
Records should be cleaned before every play just removing them and placing them on the platter can create static and utrack dust. Record brushes merely push the dirt around.Cleaning is even more important for CDs.

That has not been my experience. Once cleaned and dried via an ultrasonic cleaner, there is no static. I haven't needed a zero stat or brush for 2 years now. I use a photo blower brush to blow off any dust and since it's not static changed, it blows right off the record. Cleaning a record every time you want to play it is a bit extreme and unnecessary IMO.
 

Nevillekapadia

VIP/Donor
Aug 30, 2010
231
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933
I have both machines AD and KLAudio.

The AD got packed up and put away in exactly 2 cleans after I heard what the KLAudio did.

I have had the AD for 2 years, and I find it frustrating to get answers from the manufacturer- Reiner Glass in Germany to my emails on issues for my machine. In short similar experiences where the thicker (180g) LP slip on rotation ( don't turn evenly like the 120g) and water droplets left on the record after the cycle is over have clearly frustrated me and made me purchase the KLAudio.

Shipping from Australia to Germany would just not be worth the cost for fixing.

I would like to use both machines and pamper the vinyl, but at this moment of time the build quality of the KLaudio clearly rules.

Neville Kapadia
 

Asamel

Well-Known Member
Jan 22, 2012
578
1
263
Philly
KLaudio saved my LP!

I was playing side 4 of the new Avett Brothers album when there was suddenly distortion in the middle of the last song. It was like nothing I've ever heard from an LP and thought that I might have a tube going bad. I lifted the needle and the cut played perfectly from the beginning until the same spot in the song when it again sounded very distorted. I saw nothing on the grooves, there was no dirt or blemish on the vinyl. I used my record brush several times but the same problem occurred when I played it.

I thought I would have to return it to my local indie record store but I thought I'd give my RCM a try. Four min. clean on the KLaudio and it's perfect. I can't say that other machines would have had a different result but I'm very happy with my machine right now.

Bruce in PA
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
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Metro DC
That has not been my experience. Once cleaned and dried via an ultrasonic cleaner, there is no static. I haven't needed a zero stat or brush for 2 years now. I use a photo blower brush to blow off any dust and since it's not static changed, it blows right off the record. Cleaning a record every time you want to play it is a bit extreme and unnecessary IMO.
I've never used an ultrasonic cleaner or airbrush. I don't know how either would prevent static buildup. If dust is on your record it will show up on your stylus which should also be cleaned after every play. The stylus acts like a plow or a rake.
What works for you is fine with me.
 

DonH50

Member Sponsor & WBF Technical Expert
Jun 22, 2010
3,947
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Monument, CO
I rarely had static issues when I lived in MO except in the dead of winter when the furnace dried out the house. Now I live in CO and it is a constant issue. In addition to humidity in the air, there are numerous other variables that play into static electricity generation, including the floor covering and material of your soles (shoes).

When I had my TT set up I grounded the (metal) rack and TT, and placed an antistatic floor mat (also grounded) in front of the rack to reduce static (ESD) events during record handling. This after taking out a phono preamp (my tube preamp had seemingly infinite tolerance, but a SS unit I had on loan, not so much :( ).
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
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static electricity was a real problem in the early days for computers. At my university temperature and humidity were strictly controlled. Also there was a mat that you walked on when you entered the room.
 

audioarcher

Well-Known Member
May 6, 2012
1,396
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970
Seattle area

Stump

Well-Known Member
Jul 15, 2012
153
75
335
Thank you Klaudio owners for sharing your personal experiences. Your feedback is very much appreciated!

Tim
Cheers Tim,As another happy KLaudio owner is there a update with picture of the 45 7 inch single adapter??
Stump
 

rockitman

Member Sponsor
Sep 20, 2011
7,097
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Northern NY
well it appears my Audio Desk System is down. I noticed two lights when the ultrasonic motion is on in the tank right. One purple and one red. These oscillate between those two colors during wash. Some time ago I only noticed only the red light coming on...perhaps a burnt led ? In any event, I just looked again in the bottom of the tank right and no lights are coming on during the wash cycle. I can only assume ultrasonic action is no longer working. Looks like it will have to go back to Germany for the second time in a year and a half. I estimate 1500 total wash cycles since I bought the machine in August 2012. Just as I predicted...an unreliable machine.

That said, I am looking forward to getting a KL Audio in the meantime.
 

Klaudio

New Member
Jul 16, 2013
18
0
0
www.klaudio.com
Cheers Tim,As another happy KLaudio owner is there a update with picture of the 45 7 inch single adapter??
Stump

We're still working on this and our 10-inch adapter. There was a slight delay in manufacturing, but it's still our intention to get both of these available by Dec.

Tim
 

hvbias

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2012
578
38
940
New England area
I was contemplating posting this or not since I've been a skeptic... but wood glue works?! My past thoughts were this was a DIY method for people without RCM's.

One of my friends told me it was able to get one of his noisy LPs clean (I trusted him since he owns a Loricraft), so I had to give it a try. I had a very clean looking copy of this album that I could not get to play quiet on side 1. This is after a cleaning on the AD and 2 separate cleanings on my VPI with AIVS or Disc Doctor. There was always some under lying surface noise and too many scattered tics. Paradoxically side 2 plays very well. I applied 30 mls of wood glue and let it dry for 7 hours with a fan. Peeled it off and cleaned it with Disc Doctor/water/vacuum to remove any residue. It now plays very close to CD quiet.



(I prefer the ORG 45 rpm reissue overall, but I like having the Van Gelder as well)
 

puroagave

Member Sponsor
Sep 29, 2011
1,345
45
970
I was contemplating posting this or not since I've been a skeptic... but wood glue works?! My past thoughts were this was a DIY method for people without RCM's.

One of my friends told me it was able to get one of his noisy LPs clean (I trusted him since he owns a Loricraft), so I had to give it a try. I had a very clean looking copy of this album that I could not get to play quiet on side 1. This is after a cleaning on the AD and 2 separate cleanings on my VPI with AIVS or Disc Doctor. There was always some under lying surface noise and too many scattered tics. Paradoxically side 2 plays very well. I applied 30 mls of wood glue and let it dry for 7 hours with a fan. Peeled it off and cleaned it with Disc Doctor/water/vacuum to remove any residue. It now plays very close to CD quiet.



(I prefer the ORG 45 rpm reissue overall, but I like having the Van Gelder as well)

this was covered in another thread and considered blasphemous by a few on WBF :rolleyes:. yes, it does work! I stumbled onto a product years ago watching house painters applying it to windows as a spray mask. its made by spraylat and goes by "protectapeel." its a water soluble 'mask' you paint on with a brush. its viscous and its consistency resembles aliphatic glue and cheaper by the gal, dries quicker and peels easier - the results are the same.
 

Barry2013

VIP/Donor
Oct 12, 2013
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Essex UK
I am very tempted by the Audiodesk which seems to have a good balance between performance and convenience and the UK and Germany are close enough for shipping costs in the event of any glitches not to be a problem.
That said the Klaudio sounds good and I am wondering if there are any plans to market it in the UK with 230 volt electrics
 

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
5,599
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Seattle, WA
www.genesisloudspeakers.com
I am very tempted by the Audiodesk which seems to have a good balance between performance and convenience and the UK and Germany are close enough for shipping costs in the event of any glitches not to be a problem.
That said the Klaudio sounds good and I am wondering if there are any plans to market it in the UK with 230 volt electrics

The Klaudio has switchable voltage. Mine came with a sticker covering the IEC inlet with a reminder to check the voltage.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
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I am very tempted by the Audiodesk which seems to have a good balance between performance and convenience and the UK and Germany are close enough for shipping costs in the event of any glitches not to be a problem.
That said the Klaudio sounds good and I am wondering if there are any plans to market it in the UK with 230 volt electrics

I have got an Audiodesk exactly for these reasons - and it cleans my LPs perfectly. Considering the usual margins in US products in Europe you can expect that the Klaudio will cost around 60% more than the Audiodesk here.
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
8,570
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38
Calgary, AB
I know that all the rage for you high-rollers is the KLA and the AD, but I'm really liking the Nitty Gritty 2.5Fi that I recently acquired. As you may know, I was using the manual Spin-Clean since I needed something....anything. I've been playing around with various methods in the cleaning cycle and decided to stick with a very basic formula. I first do a simple manual clean with the Spin Clean and let it dry. I then use the NG for a deeper clean and vacuum. I've been very pleased with the results and do not find a need to extend my regimen by rinsing after the NG clean cycle. Some will say that's a mistake on my part, but I'm not concerned about it tbh. I've never done it before (other than during this trial testing period) and have found no difference in sound quality or detrimental effects to my LP's.

I know that the VPI 16.5 gets most of the praise in this under $1,000 price segment, but I wouldn't trade the NG for it...no offense meant towards the 16.5.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
I know that all the rage for you high-rollers is the KLA and the AD, but I'm really liking the Nitty Gritty 2.5Fi that I recently acquired. As you may know, I was using the manual Spin-Clean since I needed something....anything. I've been playing around with various methods in the cleaning cycle and decided to stick with a very basic formula. I first do a simple manual clean with the Spin Clean and let it dry. I then use the NG for a deeper clean and vacuum. I've been very pleased with the results and do not find a need to extend my regimen by rinsing after the NG clean cycle. Some will say that's a mistake on my part, but I'm not concerned about it tbh. I've never done it before (other than during this trial testing period) and have found no difference in sound quality or detrimental effects to my LP's.

I know that the VPI 16.5 gets most of the praise in this under $1,000 price segment, but I wouldn't trade the NG for it...no offense meant towards the 16.5.

If you're using a scrub and vacuum machine, then it's important to use the best cleaning solution. I'd give a shot to the MOFI or AI RCF enzyme based cleaning solutions. Little more involved but well worth it if an US machine isn't in the cards.

The 16.5 is still available (VPI grew tired of the time to get parts for the 16.5 and 17 from suppliers) but the new Cyclone actually replaces it and reportedly comes close in performance to the Typhoon for a grand.

Also hopefully will get a chance to hear the new Clearaudio machine in the Spring.
 

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