End-Game RCM thoughts/advice


I've been reading lots of posts about various methods of cleaning LPs, and there seems to be important pros and cons for pretty much every method and/or machine I've looked at.  That said:

I have an old VPI 16.5 that works well, and a recently acquired Vinyl Stack and a Chinese 6L US tank (done about 10 LPs in it so far, one at a time.  I think that an US cleaning, followed by rinse/vacuum on the 16.5 sounds better than just using the VPI.... I have not compared fluids/chemistries yet.  I use the Mo-Fi and AIVS fluids for the VPI, and Distilled water, IPA and a tiny bit of Liquinox in the US.....

I am not interested in doing 4 step processes, spending 20-30 minutes per side, etc.  I want great sound, but also want to spend my time listening to LPs, not cleaning them. Not judging, just know myself,.  In any case, I will probably keep the machines I have now (16.5 can be used for multi-step cleaning, if necessary, and Vinyl Stack for cleaning 3 LPs at a time, if I so chose).  (I also have a Spin-Clean and one of the Merrill, spray LP in the sink devices).

I am shopping for a daily driver, that cleans both sides at the same time, and does a great job (if not the absolute best job possible). If vacuum-based, I want someting more 'automated' than the 16.5,without giving up performance, for an US, something quieter than the Chinese US, that also dries, even if only 1 LP at a time)..I have narrowed it down to the Clearaudio Double Matrix (non sonic version), The Degritter, and the 2019 version of the Audiodesk Pro. (please ignore the price in your comments- it is the performance, convenience and logistics I am concerned with.

I am not interested in a Loricraft/Monks style machine, nor a single-side latewral move from the 16.5-it works well.,  A single-side automatic like the Nessie Vinykmaster might be in the running since I am told it is much quieter than the 16.5

Please comment and save my sanity (what's left of it anyway... working from home and have too much time on my hands....  Everyone stay well, happy and healthy/safe!




fzman1956
"If you don't want to spend the time cleaning your records, here is another option."

Great service, business model looks unprofitable and short lived. I hope they are successful.

At $5.00 per record,doesn't seem like there would be much left over once the operating costs are paid.

Their service sounds perfect for the uber OCD among us, who do the super US cleaning procedures.
@fzman1956, 

A quick review of Degritter shows some issues. The 120kHz frequency is very effective for fine invisible particulate 10 microns and less, but will not be very effective for larger particles or degreasing (if on the record) that is required to get to the very small particulate. The water filter being but only a simple foam is unlikely be rated 5 microns absolute necessary to remove the particles that the ultrasonic will remove, and is just too small for continuous use. Also, the use of blown air unless finely filtered may remove visible particles (~50 microns) but not the invisible that are everywhere in a home (you would be surprised as to how much which is visible with a UV blacklight), so blow dry could contaminate the record. Additionally, the cleaner antistatic coating is likely from use of a quaternary ammonium compounds that are cationic surfactants which are not compatible with anionic surfactants – a gooey precipitate forms, so their cleaner more likely contains a non-ionic surfactant which is soluble with cationic surfactants. Also, for info, the way quaternary ammonium compounds work as an antistatic is the coating absorbs moisture from the air to form a microscopic layer of water which makes the record from an ESD perspective 'dissipative' – and thus antistatic.

A one& done/push-here ultrasonic cleaning machine (UCM) currently does not really exist; all current models have some compromise. Until the ‘big-guys’ like Crest or Branson who have +25 yrs ultrasonic experience and the manufacturing capability get involved, a really effective and reliable UCM is still yet to produced, but the cost would likely be not less than $5K. Some thoughts for an effective UCM would be a sweep frequency UCM (multiple 40/80kHz even better) with a pumped 5-micron absolute particulate filter and demineralizer cartridge to maintain the water/bath, and a heated (50C/122F) high speed spin dry for the records. After cleaning, the water/bath could drain to a reservoir under the UT tank, a perforated cover would then come over (manual or auto) and then heaters would energize and a high-speed spin dry completed. A variable speed drill motor could be the record rotator for clean and then high-speed spin dry. The cleaner could be a 0.05% Tergitol 15-S-9 non-ionic solution that should pass through the filter/demineralizer and will reduce the water tension to 30 dyns/cm making the water drain/spin dry effective.

Just some thoughts. Otherwise if interested I use a manual process. VinylStack record protector, tap-water pre-rinse, 1% Liquinox pre-cleaner, tap-water rinse, 0.1% Tergitol 15-S-9 final clean, tap-water rinse, DI water spray final rinse, lint-free microfiber to blot record mostly dry, remove from VinylStack record protector place in drying rack – move to next record. I can clean/dry 6-record in ~45 min, after cleaning 6-records, the first is fully dry and ready to sleeve; life cycle cost - $0.05/record.

 


Shame you're not interested in a Keith Monks. I have a 30+ year old MkII Keith Monks. It is built like a tank and clean really well and quickly - 90-120 secs per side. It's reasonably quiet (much quieter than the VPI 16.5) and will probably outlast me.