Audio Desk Vinyl Cleaning System

Guys, last night I was ready to try the Audio Desk but found nowhere did it say how to fill the unit. Do you fill through the filter hole with it removed?

Chosenhandle, thanks so very much by your findings. I will try what you suggest tonight.

Ical, that is very disappointing. I don't have one any longer and have a VPI with the delrin tube, but I still have not cleaned any records since I sent the Vinyl Cleaner back. I guess I am going to have to bite the bullet.

Chosenhandle, your suggestion of doing the counter clockwise rotation after the brushes first contact with the record and retreat. I did about ten records last night with no problems. Now to do some listening and more tests of the AD versus the VPI/Walker.

Madfloyd, what are your issues. My review sample did stop rotating the records, but I was told they had cured that with a better glue.

Chosenhandle, in the 70s I bought a Keith Monks cleaning machine. It worked quite well but took a long time to do so, which is the cost of a pivoting arm system. I have since been through all varieties of rcms. Then I got one of Lloyd Walker's delrin tubes to replace the normal tube on the VPI. It rides on the record surface greatly enhancing the vacuum level and dries the record in one revolution. Since I use the Walker Prelude system, this greatly shortens the time need per record.

I found that records cleaned previously on a Loricraft rcm, sounded cleaner and pop free with the Walker/VPI.

I am soon to try the Audio Desk vinyl cleaner. I must say that I am concerned about it not vacuuming the cleaner, but we will see. Given your experiences I am completely opened minded.

Chosenhandle, in the 70s I bought a Keith Monks cleaning machine. It worked quite well but took a long time to do so, which is the cost of a pivoting arm system. I have since been through all varieties of rcms. Then I got one of Lloyd Walker's delrin tubes to replace the normal tube on the VPI. It rides on the record surface greatly enhancing the vacuum level and dries the record in one revolution. Since I use the Walker Prelude system, this greatly shortens the time need per record. Here the Audio Desk's 5 minute cleaning time is of concern, but one does not have to attend to it.

I found that records cleaned previously on a Loricraft rcm, sounded cleaner and pop free with the Walker/VPI.

I am soon to try the Audio Desk vinyl cleaner. I must say that I am concerned about it not vacuuming the cleaner, but we will see. Given your experiences I am completely opened minded.

Thuchan, thanks for the reply. Not having seen a demonstration of the unit, I was thinking that the liquid was pumped out of the chamber and that I might have to remove the filter and pour the water in there. I learned, however, that you can just pour it in the main lp opening and then add the cleaner.

I have yet to decide what my procedures will be in evaluating the Audio Desk. Probably I will take one of my already cleaned records using the VPI and Walker's delrin tube, listen to it, and then clean it with the Audio Desk and listen again. I also bought a lot of used records at the RMAF, all of which need cleaning. I will probably use the Audio Desk, listen and then clean with the VPI/Walker and listen.

Has anyone had problems with the record not rotating at the start of the clean cycle? I am sliding the record into the Vinyl Cleaner until there is some resistance and rotating the record counter clockwise to get the white leaves upward, but still I have had to tap the record to start rotation or once to have had to start the rotation with both hands on either side of the record. I have even had the record stop rotating during the cleaning cycle. I have now done about 25 records and this happened only once, but several times I have had to help the initial record rotation.

Donaudio, I have a VPI with the Walker Delrin tube change. This allows the water to be removed in one rotation of the record. I had been using the Walker Prelude also, all four stages. So each record involved 8 vacuumings. It did a very good job, however, and was far faster than when I used the Loricraft cleaner, when it basically took me 20 minutes per record.

I just got the Audio Desk. It is at least as good as the VPI and hands off for about 4 minutes. It is loud so I would put it in another room, but you can go back to your listening while it cleans and turns itself off when done. I am still evaluating whether it is better than the VPI/Walker. I know it is better than the straight VPI.

Any one have trouble getting the record to rotated with the Audio Desk? Probably one record in three initially does not rotate until I tap it. A few will not continue to rotate. Still the AD is very convenient and does a good job.

I am following the instructions to insert the record and to lightly press it down through the slight resistance and then rotating counter clockwise to get the flaps up on the record. Often in this rotation, I then have to once again push downward.

Mem916, how long can the fluids stand in the Vinyl Cleaner? What is really nice is to have it in another room. You can put a record in and go listen. When you want you can go back and get a cleaned record.

I have heard that they have made a great effort to deal with this complex machine's problems.

I had this unit and had one problem with it, which I was told have to resolved. Ultimately, my unit stopped rotating the record as one of the drive capstans got loose and did not turn. Other than this and an occasional instance of not really getting the lips in the upward position, it was perfectly functional and certainly the most convenient record cleaner I have used.

Can you guys elaborate on what problems you have with the unit?

Syntax, I assume you had the old version of the Keith Monks. How would you compare the Odyssey with it? I understand that it is much faster. I had the Loricraft for several years. When I went to using the Walker Prelude four step cleaning, which I found most effective, it was taking me 15 minute per record to clean them!!!! I now have the VPI 16.5 with the Walker Delrin tube that vacuums the fluid off in one rotation, so the total cleaning time is down to less than five minutes. I still do twenty at a time, however, since the enzyme fluid has a limited life.

Ical, I did and returned my review sample. I was told that it was the glue holding them and had been fixed. Is yours an older one?

Ical, I would call Audiodesk. I think all you need is new glue.

Petrayer, in my review of the Audiodesk I found it consistently improved LPs previously cleaned with the Loricraft or the other machine I had at the time a VPI 16.5 with a delrin tube in place of the normal VPI tube. Then I cleaned a record first cleaned with the Audiodesk and found that a second cleaning with the VPI improved it. This has only one conclusion, I think, both cleaners do only partial cleaning.

The Audiodesk is much, much more convenient but is much more expensive than the VPI. I retain it. With the delrin tube it cleans off the liquid in but one rotation, meaning that I can clean both sides of a record with the four fluid routine of the Walker Prelude in five minutes. It is clearly superior to the Loricraft or the Keith Monks.

Ical, this is more serious than the problem I had.

Peterayer, you took me aback with the question of timing for the Walker enzyme treatment. I allow 30 seconds for this stage at the recommendation of Lloyd Walker. I can see that allowing 10 minutes per side would take a long time.

Long ago with the original VPI, I got a tiny piece of metal caught in the nylon pads and deeply scratched several records. I really didn't want to ever use such a device after that. Ultimately I ended up with a Loricraft and diligently advanced the string every record. But it took forever to clean records with the four step Walker cleaner.

I then learned about the Walker delrin tube which just replaced the entire tube on the VPI. This tube has no nylon pads and greatly increases the vacuum level allowing one rotation to be sufficient. Walker got it from a friend of mine and perfected it. It is no longer available as its manufacturing was too time consuming. This is a shame as it is very effective and quick. Perhaps Harry Weisfeld could use it on his VPI cleaners and find a quicker method for its manufacturing. I see and hear no evidence of it having any impact on the record.

Jtsamarinda, I had a problem with my Vinyl Cleaner not rotating the record. I had a talk with the Cable Company and learned that the second production run had greatly improved the cleaner. I have not retried it, but still remember that it did a great job and was so easy to use.

Jtsamarinda, you have been very stoic. I loved the convenience of the Vinyl Cleaner and wish I could buy a reliable one. Please continue to tell us of your saga.

Anybody tried the Moth?

Jtsamarinda, as I said before I loved the machine and it did a great cleaning job, without my involvement, but it stopped rotating the records. I returned it with regret. It is complicated, so I would have expected bugs, but it sounds like it is still being perfected.

Br3098, the Audio Desk Vinyl Cleaner is an innovative device for record cleaning that gets the user out of the picture and does work, quite well. Were it more reliable, I would have one in a flash, as I am tired of spending as much as 20 minutes per record, using four fluids and awaiting a string wand vacuuming across the surface between each for both sides.

I wonder how many are using the AudioDesk Vinyl Cleaner with no problems. This is, far and away, the easiest way to clean your records, and I would use it were it reliable.

Donaudio, ironically, I was just wondering what has happened to the Audio Desk Vinyl Cleaner. Do you know if there are major changes in the unit?

I do miss its ease of use, but my review sample quite working.

Jtimothya, only the single cleaning fluid they provide can be used and reused. This fluid is drained off and goes into a holding tank in the bottom of the machine. It is evaporated off the record with fans, not vacuumed. Nevertheless you do not hear residue after cleaning.

One of the disturbing findings I had was that using it after I had cleaned records with the Walker Prelude and vacuumed it with the Delrin tubed VPI record cleaner. It was improved greatly. Also doing the reverse, greatly improved the sound??? I am not about to clean all of my records with two different machines.

The Audio Desk Vinyl Cleaner was vastly more convenient. If you have it in another room, you can listen to music a go to it to remove a cleaned record after about five minutes.

The Cable Company.

Jtimothya, you are understanding me right. There are limits to how much I will put up with. The Audio Desk is very convenient. I would still have one, were they dependable. Mine stopped rotating records after doing about 50 records. It does a good job also. But it is just different than what Walker Prelude and my VPI does.

Eddiesudz, I suspect it is being discounted for a reason-not selling. It is too bad if Audio Desk cannot get their act together as this machine does its job well and is very convenient.

Mem916, I hope you are right. I remember doing perhaps a hundred records on the Vinyl Cleaner and feeling little overworked. Yesterday I devoted three hours with my total commitment cleaning 30 records. And I have the short-lived Delrin tube on my VPI which allows total vacuuming in one rotation. I will buy another Audio Desk Vinyl Cleaner were I convinced they were reliable.

I should say, however, that were you to clean a record on the Vinyl Cleaner and then clean it on the VPI, its sound would improve. Oh, if you clean it first on the VPI and then also clean it with the Vinyl Cleaner, it will also improve!!! I just chose to ignore this.

Suteetat, I bought a new Audio Desk Vinyl Cleaner. Of course it may take many hundred of records cleaned for me to know that it is more reliable. But I have great confidence that new runs are more reliable; otherwise I would not have bought it.