Record cleaning vs Last Record Preservative

Red2,
I use RRL + DD brushes on a Loricraft. I've cleaned many 100's of records and have never once experienced a record getting noisier. Obviously this should never happen in any well designed cleaning regimen that's followed with discipline.

OTOH, before I got the Loricraft I was using a Shop Vac modded with self-stick felt on the nozzle. Even with RRL fluids, this setup sometimes left a record noisier than before. I discovered two reasons for this:

1. Despite its loud and powerful motor, the Shop Vac simply couldn't dry a record completely. It always left a trace of liquid in the grooves.

2. If I didn't keep the felts scrupulously clean and replace them frequently, dirt removed from one record was easily transferred to another.

Contrary to what Larkyparka said, a vacuum RCM is (or should be) about much more than convenience. The cleaning solution suspends or dissolves contaminants. If any portion of this dirty liquid is left on the record to evaporate, where do those contaminants go? Right back on the record of course. Typically they will have been spread around evenly in a low level layer that produces a background hiss or hush, rather than ticks and pops.

The incomplete vacuuming and cross-contamination of felt-covered vacuum wands is what finally led us to choose a Loricraft, which does not suffer from those problems. I'm not saying you have to buy an $1800 RCM, but if you're using a felt/wand style machine you'll have to be very particular to get consistently good results. Read 4yanx's description of how he uses his VPI. It's in the 'Record Playing Rituals' thread. I've played a few of his records and they're fairly quiet.

Red, As you stated "Last Preservative", it is used to lengthen the life of an LP. LAST isn't a Filler, & should only be used on a thoroughly clean LP. You might want to mention your entire cleaning equipment, & cleaning regiment.

The machine is a manual Nitty Gritty. I turn the records by hand. I replaced the felt pad at the vacumn suction slot, and I am using Last disposable brushes and a Nitty Gritty brush. I have cleaned about 50 LPs is all. Maybe time to start using Last disposable brushes and pitching every ten records or so. A new one every record would be a real expense drag. I have been scrubbing the records back and forth manually with the grooves, and then using the machine to vacumn each time. Three washes with the Super Cleaner formula and vacumn each time between washes, and then same three cycles for Regular RRL fluid. Usually spin the record 4 times or so on the vacumn.

I read the response from Davehrab and the link above. Interesting. I may try this new cleaner. Seems to make sense to me. Anyone else tried Vinyl Zyme Gold???

R.

Over vaccuming or over drying can cause static to build up on the record surface. I never go over three rotations, and less if possible. I'm not really a fan of Nitty Gritty record cleaners, but I don't know that I would point my finger at it as the source of the problem.

Let me clarify my earlier post.

Doug Deacon was right to correct me, in that a vacuum is not merely "for convenience."

HOWEVER . . . .

The Disc Doctor instructions call for a post-cleaning dry using a clean, soft cotton sheet, then a rinse, then another dry with a different sheet, then a final air dry. Now that sounds like a big pain in the arse, but in truth once you get it all set up, getting through a bunch of records is quite easy--much like doing the dishes.

For those of us who can't yet spring for a good vacuum machine (and in truth I think that I will hold out for the Loricraft), it gets us very close.

And certainly shouldn't ADD noise to records.

All the best,
Steve