We actually manufacture the Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions product line, but we do have an online store and sell it and other products direct to the consumer.
If you check our Links page on the website, you will find a number of dealers who carry the AIVS line. Many are mail order and internet dealers, be we also have several very good brick-and-mortar retailers around the country.
As I mentioned in an email to Radioheadokplayer, the inventory manager at Elusive Disc, Jason Marcum, has taken off work the past two weeks because he and his wife have a new baby.
Stock has probably slipped in a few areas in his absence, but I think we would all agree that the new baby should get first dibs on his time. He'll be back in this coming week.
Hello, I have been using the formula found in the December 1996 Stereophile for years with outstanding results. Have not seen better. Send me an email and I will forward a .pdf file of the page where it appears.
Everybody has their favorites but the bottom line is, despite all the marketing and chest thumping, you're only removing a small amount of dirt/grease/oil from a plastic disc.
Audiofeil, I don't recall anyone mentioning in this post that cleaning a record was 'Rocket Science'. Just a fellow looking for a way to obtain record cleaner. For years, it was hard to find, so many of us just started making it. We all know it's not difficult. No reason to try and belittle someone just because they don't have your obvious 'mastery' of rocket science. They just posed a question, in which some of us are willing to help answer.
Nothing (maybe exept ultrasound) cleans vinyl LP's better than hot water with detergent/washing up liquid/rinse aid and a squeeze of isopropylalchohol. Water must be warm but not anymore than you can have your hands in it. Use a genuine hair brush. Use Groovmaster label protector. http://www.stephsrecordsale.com/cleaning.html
Dry LP's with a drilling machine as a kind of centrifuge.
A lot of custom made fluids for cleaning records are damaging or not leaving the vinyl and attracting dust and dirt.
Yes; It's always a good idea to know the subject matter before posting. And I do. Most certainly. After using this method with better success than all the alternatives in cleaning vinyl LP's (exept ultra sound) for more than 30 years.
Theoreticaly, a bumblebee can't fly. Figure that out...............in theory.
I said the theortical KB value. If you knew anything about chemistry you'd know that only aromatic and aliphatic solvents' KB values can be quanitfied. Esters, glycol ethers, alcohols, ketones, etc. can only be estimated or theorized.
This thread is becoming the engergizer bunny, going on, and on, the BS, and erroneous information is getting deeper, and deeper, and has no relation at all to the original poster's queries.
But before I end my post, I'd like saying that your knowledge, and command of chemistry is incorrect Bill. This is NOT why Alcohols are used in some record cleaning products. What end users may "think", with a DIY formula, with all of the crazy ingredients in a mix, they can believe what they wish.
Why would anyone design a cleaner, with alcohols, so the filthy product "dries" on the surface before it has a chance to be removed, makes no logical sense. I think it's time for you to hit the books, (or consult with some of the manufacturers) before more mis-information gets spread, and that others start to believe these false asumptions as gospel. Mark
I think what dolph is saying, is that as usual your inflamatory and degrading remarks are best left to the those in your circle that have chosen to deal with them/you. When I was looking to find a record cleaning solution recipe, I gave not a care as to the "values" of any of the ingredients, I just wanted something that worked and did not harm my records.
I've used the AIVS stuff, the three step and the one step, with a VPI 16 machine. Results are pretty good, sometimes night and day vs. using a manual brush, for instance. I check enjoythemusic.com today and saw a new product that seems to provide ultrasonic cleaning of LPs. I had not heard of this product before, but it sounds interesting. Has anybody tried it? To bad, it is expensive...around $3,500. For that price, the performance better be phenomenal.
Radiohead, Markd51's point is well taken. In an effort to help I would offer up a DIY solution for you. Mix one gallon of distilled water to 16 ounces of Isopropyl alcohol, it will say like 90% or better concentration on the alcohol bottle itself. Then add about 10 drops of Photoflo, which can be had at most camera shops, to this solution. It will last a long time and cost pennies per use . The greatest initial outlay will be for the Photoflo, but it will last forever, or longer. Sorry for not helping out sooner. I have used this very recipe for about a year now and have suffered no ill effects to my vinyl. They sound great!
Hello Ibog1, This is an awful lot of alcohol to be adding to a mix. As I understand it, other than being wet, your DIY is really not that effective a cleaner.
There was a fairly good, but very lengthy article here some time back, can be found in the archives, called "A very lengthy primer of record cleaning fluids", written by Justin_Time, that might give some insight, and ideas what a cleaner, or I should say way a "good cleaner" should do, and not do.
When one gets right down to it, even the most costly, state of the art cleaners that are made today are figured on a "per record basis", they too really don't come out to costing much more.
The problems I see with many DIY formulas, is off the shelf products, which are not optimum for use on records, and the entailing difficulties for an end user acquiring very high quality, and high purity ingredients.
Although I haven't tried every single commercially available cleaning product on the market today, I would venture a very good guess that "all" of them (The best known brands) do do a very good job as far as cleaning, as far as leaving little, to no sonic signature, or residues, and last but not least, causing little-no harm to precious vinyl.
Yes, there's no denying that DIY can, and will be less expensive, but you'll find for various reasons, many, and many here in this forum have perhaps gone that route, have discovered-recognized the certain shortcomings, and for the quality of sound they wish to achieve-attain, many of the DIY cleaners they find, and have tried, fell considerably short.
You would find that once they "hit" on thier product of choice, they would never consider going back to DIY.
I'm no chemist, but have been in the hobby long enough, to prefer the use of highly trusted, and reputeable cleaning products.
And, it was many of the highly knowledgable members here in this forum who have helped me have a better understanding of vinyl, and analog playback. Mark
Iblog1, Your remarks to Bill are spot on. I should copy everyone here on the 'offline' remarks that Bill made to me last week. It is unconscionable to me how demeaning the replys are that this 'professional businessman' makes to those who could someday be one of his clients.
I also agree with you about the record cleaners and the use of.
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