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.
I'd say the Degritter provides the icing on the cake, with a Loricraft getting things nearly fully clean. If one of them fails (and we know which is more likely to—I've had the Loricraft for 12 years and I have worked it hard, whereas U/S machines don't tend to last that long), I'll be happy to use just the survivor. If a record is noisy after I've cleaned it I know it isn't dirt, and the fact is not all will become silent. But if full automation is your goal, then U/S is the way to go. |
I would try to find someone locally with an ultrasound machine that will charge to clean records (I have someone here in the west suburbs of Chicago and actually dropped off a batch yesterday). Bring your problem records, have them cleaned, and then decide for yourself if there is an improvement. If so, then you can decide if you want to shell out for one or just pay a la carte |
My experience- it is not a "vs" but an "and"- the two different processes, manual cleaning with vacuum and US are complementary. Sometimes, you really have to work a record in the manual cleaning phase; I always use a rinse step and since I don't use chemistry in my KL US the bath water stays cleaner as well. When I got my first US machine- an Audio Desk- some years ago, I found certain records remained noisy. That's what led me to go back to manual cleaning and vacuum. (I buy mostly older pressings). If your collection is largely pristine audiophile quality pressings, you may be able to get away with US only, but with used records, I found the combination to be much more effective. I never used the Project; I had a VPI from the early '80s that was still working fine when I gave it to a friend in 2017; I use a Monks Omni (traditional point nozzle with thread). Like @dogberry that's one machine I would not give up. |
It's a question of how clean, isn't it? I use a cleaning solution with surfactant on the Loricraft, followed by a DW rinse. Then the Degritter with just DW, relying on cavitation for any further cleaning. Since Degritter recommends changing water every 20-30 disks, I'd rather remove the majority of crud with the vacuum machine and not contaminate the Degritter's tank with any more of it than necessary. If I changed the water after every disk, which might seem the counsel of perfection, I'd be running my water distiller every day to provide enough. Just a matter of finding a trade-off that one can be comfortable with. |
