Record Cleaning Machine ~ Ultrasonic vs. Rest


As title suggests, those of you who have switched to Ultrasonic RCM, did you find records that were previously suffered from dust and grime or noise now spins clean as whistle.

I am currently using a Pro-Ject VC-S2 with their recommended cleaning solution to clean my records which requires some efforts on my part. I don’t mind the process but still can’t get some of the records to play cleanly. Does this mean, user error or some records are just inherently noisy and buying an Ultrasonic machine like Degritter Mark II or KL Audio won’t make them play any quieter.

Did you find a process that works well for those stubborn noisy records. I don’t mind assuming the role of a pro dishwasher for handful of records..LOL!

At the end of the day, I am looking for this process to be fully automated thus my desire to consider an Ultrasonic machine that does it all.

lalitk

Showing 4 responses by lewm

Great idea!! So someone else can then throw them in the trash, and I don’t have to be made to feel guilty. The phrase "throw them in the trash" was a euphemism. Here in Montgomery County, MD, you would have to bring useless LPs to the town dump for controlled disposal, but, call me a cynic, even then they end up in the environment. I throw away about 3 LPs in the average year, so I am hardly a major polluter. Also, can you say what chemicals you fear? So far as I know, LPs are made of vinyl, a very stable polymer that is mostly carbon and hydrogen atoms in covalent linkage. That is why LPs can last a hundred years at least, if properly stored. Nevertheless, I do take my junk LPs to the county dump.

Keep in mind that in some cases, there is no amount of cleaning that will eliminate ticks, pops, and all around poor audio quality that one gets from some LPs bought second hand.  There is such a thing as a worn out LP. Those I throw in the trash.

Dogberry, so far as I have been able to learn by reading the many threads on US RCMs, you are correct not to use a surfactant or detergent with your US machine.  As far as I can determine, most manufacturers of US RCMs don't recommend adding anything but water to the bath, except maybe Kirmuss with all its pre-cleaning rituals. But I think that using detergents/surfactants, as I do in my lowly VPI 16.5 or 17 (not sure what I have; the platter rotates in both directions, and it has a stainless steel waste tank) is a decided advantage in favor of the vacuum type cleaner.  My neighbor had a Loricraft for a while, but he kept having problems with the string thing.

If the water bath in a US machine stays “clean”, doesn’t that suggest it’s not removing detritus from LPs, which is its purpose?