Olaf Posted August 17, 2002 Share Posted August 17, 2002 I have about 2000 vinyl albums mostly pre-'85 and they have years of accumulated dust,fingerprints,etc. The vast majority of them are in excellent shape but the years have produced those annoying 'clicks and pops' which we are all familiar with. The old stlye preeners only seem to push the debris deeper into the grooves and are for the most part ineffective at producing a desirable result. I'm considering forking over some cash and buying one of the record cleaning machines which are available. Does anyone own or have any experience with these 'machines?' If so I would really appreciate some info and some advice on buying one that really does the jobs of deep cleaning my albums. I've tried many of the DYI methods and have been disapointed with the results. Thanks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted August 17, 2002 Share Posted August 17, 2002 Olaf, I have the Nitty Gritty mini-pro 2 and am very happy with it. I started a thread on 70's vinyl in the 2-channel section and talk about it in there. Here is the thread... http://216.37.9.58/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001594.html Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted August 17, 2002 Share Posted August 17, 2002 The record cleaning machine will not get rid of pops and clicks unless they are caused by particles of stuff which have settled on the disc, dried out, and got stuck on the surface. Those little bits can also be removed with hand cleaning. Examine discs carefully for those removeable specs and utilize a simple solution of distilled water with a small amount of pure alchohol added as a surfactant. Hand cleaning is more labor intensive but less expensive than the machine, but it works for me. I am fairly confident that the dirt is washed away by generous rinsing with the solution, good machines use a vacuum and are obviously more appropriate and convenient in a shop setting or living room situation. Sometimes I have a dozen LPs drying in the dish rack in the kitchen after the rinse and gentle blotting. Once throroughly cleaned and packaged propery, I never have to do this again, except for quick touch ups with the usual Discwasher at the turntable. I have been using this method for years for all kinds of discs, never had any problem. Forgot to mention, you need to be somewhat uninhibited about getting the labels wet.. Most labels are entirely water proof, however, use caution. If I obtain an otherwise mint LP, I do not have to resort to this radical bathing process. -C&S ------------------ Cornwalls currently upgrading to all tube components This message has been edited by Clipped and Shorn on 08-17-2002 at 09:05 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted August 17, 2002 Share Posted August 17, 2002 I've seen this suggested on Vinyl AA forums. http://www.garage-a-records.com/spin.html It's low cost, which is nice, but I havn't tried it myself. Anyone hear anything good or bad about it? - tb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weiming Posted August 17, 2002 Share Posted August 17, 2002 I think the most cost-effective RCM is the KAB-EV1. All you have to do is hook up your home vacuum cleaner to it and use arm power to spin the records while cleaning. I have one and it is just as effective as the VPIs although not as convenient to use especially for large number of records. But, it is significantly cheaper and you can easily store it when not in use. http://www.kabusa.com/INDEX_RC.HTM ------------------ Solstice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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