In the latest The Absolute Sound

Pcosta,

Arturo at Axiss mentioned his Canada dealer on a couple of occasions and that they had purchased two of the latest versions, perhaps the store you mention is the recipient.

The RCM from three years ago is a different model. I have no experience with that version, although it may clean just as well ?

I'm not certain what every change is, but I think the analog gauge mounted into the stainless steel top deck is one of the improvements. This displays the actual vacuum applied to the LP in the finish stage.

Mine is obviously very new, so new that the instructions are printed in German only, even though its the 120V USA version :^).

Fortunately my son speaks and reads some German, so between he and I we managed to get it unpacked, hooked up and running.

Thomas, I agree about static. My VPI 17F gets the LP completely dry at around 6 revolutions of vacuum. At that point, the LP is so charged with static that debris is drawn onto the surface before I can counteract with my Zerostat.

Regarding the Keith Monks. I have an older KMAL and it has a motor for the thread and a motor for the arm. No motor for the fluid, just a plunger type pump to get the fluid to the cleaning wand. It works really well.

Kim

I agree, the problem with Keith Monks and the Loricraft is the arm is left to gravity follow the LP (groove). If you have liquid near the label it gets caught in the run out groove and does not get picked up.

The Loricraft PRC-3 is typically operated with the cleaning arm starting in the runout groove next to the label and moving toward the outside of the record. The pickup arms on Loricraft machines are driven by motor and not left to gravity. On mine I have never experienced liquid caught in the run out groove.

The Monks has no motor for the string, no motor for the arm and no motor to deliver the cleaning fluid.

I think the last one is correct and it is true the Loricraft asks one to turn the thread spool by hand to let out 5cm of new thread when beginning a new cleaning run. If not all, I believe at least some of the versions of the Keith Monks machines had thread take up motors, as shown in the picture of the linked Web page.

The only regret I have about record cleaning machines is not having bought one sooner. The new German RCM sounds like it does it all. Now if we could only get coin-operated models installed at local laundromats. :-)

Cheers,
Tim

FYI: As I recall, the later and better models from Keith Monks had a motor for the thread, eliminating the need for the user to fiddle with the thread. That was one of the features that distinguished the Keith Monk machines from the Loricrafts.

Albert

There is something wrong with the cleaning fuild or the VPI RCM??

My nitty gritty used with the pure 2 I think actually removes all static and debris from my records.