I've collected reggae 7 inch vinyl straight from Jamaica for 30 years and I've been using a small ultrasonic cleaner for jewelry, you don't need a fancy schmancy do it manually works incredibly well even super dirty records rinse in a separate bowl of distilled water when you're finished just manually rotate it with a few drops of dish soap, I think dish soap is a better surfactant than alcohol, room temp water then rinse in a separate bowl of distilled water
How do you do it, do you hang them on a rod through the center hole and turn them like in this vid but manually or how? How do you protect the labels from getting liquid on them?
bought myself this machine a while ago and didn't regret it. The only issue I had was fixing the little screw on this silver motor rod - a little help here from me: there's a flat side that should be facing upwards, then tighten the screw. Another thing is that I take off the whole motor thingy, lay it on the table and then take the records off and let them dry. In the meantime I can clean the next batch.
I bought one of these on your recommendation and I could not be more pleased. I had to go back and watch the bit about creating your own spacer... then it all came together. Appreciate it very much, thanks!
There is no need for an additional spacer. Simply use all 5 label protectors (pucks) and the supplied spacer. Do this whether cleaning 1 LP or 5. I prefer to clean only 2LP’s at once, with 3 pucks in between to maximize distance.
I just got mine delivered today....I can't believe what a difference it's made to some of my 40 and 50 year old records, it's the best purchase I could have made for my albums...if you're sitting on the fence about spending the money, it's 100% worth it....the guy in this video is spot on....
I purchased an adjustable voltage power adapter from Amazon, it allows the motor to spin slower, so records spend more time being cleaned ... definitely improved the cleaning
Great video. I thank you for taking the time to make it- it was so well done. I just ordered one and it works very, very well only using distilled water and a little alcohol. I like you, have found that the right amount of 91% isopropyl alcohol is the perfect surfactant and my records come out spotless. Thank You again, just a perfect video on how to clean records. Mark
This machine is amazing ! I use it and it removes 90% of the dirt. For the perfect result, I use my Loricraft for the finish. Great Video ! Greetings from Germany
Thank you for this very detailed review. The price of this unit is hard to beat compared to the likes of Degritter or Audiodesk. I would probably just dry the wet records with the vacuum on my VPI 16.5.
one thing you failed to mention is that to effectively clean using ultrasonic methods the fluids need to be properly degassed first. a 20-30 minute run with nothing but the cleaning fluids in the cleaner will take care of this and allow the fluid to properly cavitate on the surface of your records.
The results won’t disappoint. Always. The difference between expensive and affordable ultrasonic cleaners is noise, automation, drying, and so forth. Levels of a cleaning are similar at 90%.
Thanks for the review! I just bought one of these a week ago and have been running records of all condition through mine to see results, making before and after recordings of the sound too. I can't seem to get the results everyone else is getting. Using distilled water with a little isopropyl alcohol and D4+ in the mix, and the water appears to vibrate across the surface when the cleaner is on as one would expect it to. Still hearing the same pops in every records I've tried cleaning so far, and not getting much collection of gunk in the tank either. Every review I've seen on these is really positive so I figure I must be doing something wrong or maybe have a defective cleaner, but I can't figure out what it might be.
I should mention, the crackle and pops on new vinyl is not usual noticeable while the music is playing. It’s only on quite sections of a song that you would notice it.
Got one of these two years ago. After realizing some significant dishwarps after 10 minutes of cleaning under 28 degrees Celsius I moved back to my old cleaning machine by Okki Nokki. I think a clean brush, clean suction pipe, cleaning fluid incl. a surfactant like Triton X and a final rinsing with pure water is the best and safest way
Should have simply reduced to 5 minutes. Most demos reccomend that. 28 celcius is only 60 degrees not enough to warp. Do you have a cooking thermometer? Maybe your water had been sitting in a hot garage? Maybe it started out hotter. I dunno, I really like mine.
There is no need for an additional spacer. Simply install all 5 label protectors (pucks) and the supplied spacer. Do this whether cleaning 1 LP or 4. I prefer to clean only 2LP’s at once, with 3 pucks in between to maximize distance. WARNING!! I’ve noticed the tank heater temp selector DOES NOT correspond to actual temperature. Use a separate meat thermometer to insure desired temp and avoid warping your records.
Thanks for the video. What is your response to those who say that a wetting agent should be used (otherwise the water can't get into the grooves), that no heat should be used (the instructions that came with my cleaner say that using heat is "forbidden"), and that one should degas the solution 15 - 30 minute before mounting the record? Not to mention that a maximum of records mounted should not exceed 2, since the cavitation isn't as effective the the discs so close together.
You bring up some good points, the IPA will lower the surface tension of the water he is using about 10%, this should be sufficient but be aware that the IPA will evaporate out of the fluid over time. I do not use the heater just have it at a comfortable room temperature. I also have 30mm spacers between the records, this does help with the cleaning and much better than the 20mm ones I started with. Standard practice is to degas any fluid used, one or two cycles should be fine. Each machine is different so just keep a note on what works best for you.
Is the label protector efficient and safe for the label during the process? Also, the distilled water you are using is the standard for ironing or something more expensive? Thanks again for your review, it helps a lot!
The labels are protected enough by the plastic discs. Make sure you have a disc up against each record on both sides and not enough water will penetrate, if at all, to do damage. I've found that getting water on labels doesn't hurt them at all, but of course gently wipe off any dampness when you see it. They are very resilient.
Nice video. I'm a bit surprised they didn't specify to use a few drops of a surfactant (Triton-X or similar) per gallon of distilled water to break the surface tension so it would get down into the grooves of the record better. But if your results have been pleasing, then perhaps that isn't necessary or may be optional. Thanks for the video. This one looks just as good as the Humminguru and is a bit less in cost. Neat idea using the Styrofoam piece as a safe holder for set up.
@@wouterkolkman Triton-X is a bit better than that, leaving behind no soapy residue, but merely breaking the surface tension of water. Such surfactants were used in photography for many decades.
@@ajmoore2201 ah, that's something you'll need to research. Some say the advice against using alcohol was something stuck in a paper or magazine long ago and it just gets promulgated over and over and over, but there's no real evidence that it harms vinyl. Some have been using alcohol (91% I think is what we can get easily here in the U.S. that is above the "regular" 70%) for decades without issue. In any event you don't use much alcohol in most recipes for cleaning. Mostly distilled water and a little surfactant, just a few drops, with alcohol making up 10% to 20% of the solution. I've been cleaning using alcohol myself for years without any issue. But hey, there are alcohol free solutions available that clean well, if you want to go that route. Good luck. Vinyl is great. But clean vinyl is next to godliness. As an aside, I still wonder if any of these Ultrasonic cleaners powered by wall warts actually produce the amount of cavitation to do the job all that well? I'd like to see a more scientific study done on that. Are these lower cost devices "real" or only an "imitation" of the real thing? I'd like to know before buying one and moving up from my current vacuum system. But I'm pretty happy with the vacuum system other than the amount of work involved. The ultrasonics have the ease of use factor going for them - if you can justify their price tag. But I only listen to vinyl maybe 10% of the time, so it is hard to justify the $$$. I'll likely just keep using my vacuum system and be happy.
Something doesn't seem right witht the spacers. The big white should be an adapter for 7"/45rpm records. I'm surprised they didn't include other spacers. What if you want to clean only one record? I also noticed that your bottom record touches the foam rest. I would consider something different that keeps the records elevated and off any surfaces - you might just be adding dirt, dust, whatever back to the record after cleaning it.
@@sc0or It's not just the frequency depends on the energy how strong also, plus 40 kHz the bubbles too big and doesn't go in the groove but only acts on the surface. there was a guy on yt who did a test on all of them and 120kHz was the best. You could change the circuitry to be at a higher frequency not too difficult to do. If you can't do it there'll be a module out there You could replace.
@@hoobsgroove Agree about a bubble size. That's true. But... Don't you think an emitter is designed for a specific frequency? It will may be work with 40 -> 80, but what about 40 -> 120kHz?
USE A MEAT THERMOMETER to test the temp - I set mine at 30 Celsius which is 86F - My thermometer reads 125 F when I test it - the controls are so incorrect - Make sure you don't go over 100F, even though warp is not supposed to happen until about 140, dont take that chance. I've noticed warping at 130
I've collected reggae 7 inch vinyl straight from Jamaica for 30 years and I've been using a small ultrasonic cleaner for jewelry, you don't need a fancy schmancy do it manually works incredibly well even super dirty records rinse in a separate bowl of distilled water when you're finished just manually rotate it with a few drops of dish soap, I think dish soap is a better surfactant than alcohol, room temp water then rinse in a separate bowl of distilled water
How do you do it, do you hang them on a rod through the center hole and turn them like in this vid but manually or how? How do you protect the labels from getting liquid on them?
bought myself this machine a while ago and didn't regret it. The only issue I had was fixing the little screw on this silver motor rod - a little help here from me: there's a flat side that should be facing upwards, then tighten the screw. Another thing is that I take off the whole motor thingy, lay it on the table and then take the records off and let them dry. In the meantime I can clean the next batch.
Works very well indeed - bought in December and did 100+ records in a few days:-)
I bought one of these on your recommendation and I could not be more pleased. I had to go back and watch the bit about creating your own spacer... then it all came together. Appreciate it very much, thanks!
There is no need for an additional spacer. Simply use all 5 label protectors (pucks) and the supplied spacer. Do this whether cleaning 1 LP or 5. I prefer to clean only 2LP’s at once, with 3 pucks in between to maximize distance.
I play loud music when I clean my records so the sound waves basically do the same thing as the expensive machines🐸
I just got mine delivered today....I can't believe what a difference it's made to some of my 40 and 50 year old records, it's the best purchase I could have made for my albums...if you're sitting on the fence about spending the money, it's 100% worth it....the guy in this video is spot on....
I purchased an adjustable voltage power adapter from Amazon, it allows the motor to spin slower, so records spend more time being cleaned ... definitely improved the cleaning
Thanks for sharing.
Could you please share which adapter you got? Thank you :)
Great video. I thank you for taking the time to make it- it was so well done. I just ordered one and it works very, very well only using distilled water and a little alcohol. I like you, have found that the right amount of 91% isopropyl alcohol is the perfect surfactant and my records come out spotless. Thank You again, just a perfect video on how to clean records. Mark
This machine is amazing ! I use it and it removes 90% of the dirt. For the perfect result, I use my Loricraft for the finish. Great Video ! Greetings from Germany
Thank you for this very detailed review. The price of this unit is hard to beat compared to the likes of Degritter or Audiodesk. I would probably just dry the wet records with the vacuum on my VPI 16.5.
Agree. I got the digital one for under 200 dollars before they raised the prices. Has transformed my listening sessions.
Excellent Video my friend. I just bought one an use L'Art du Son Cleaning Fluid with Distilled Water. Works fantastic !
Looking forward to your turntable/phono stage/cartridge/arm reviews 😬
one thing you failed to mention is that to effectively clean using ultrasonic methods the fluids need to be properly degassed first. a 20-30 minute run with nothing but the cleaning fluids in the cleaner will take care of this and allow the fluid to properly cavitate on the surface of your records.
Thats what heating it up does and no need to wait for 30 minutes.
Just what I was looking for. Thanks!
Would love a comparison of the results, sorta before and after, especially how they sounded.
it's obvious especially when I tried a record that I played so many times before and after, thanks
The results won’t disappoint. Always. The difference between expensive and affordable ultrasonic cleaners is noise, automation, drying, and so forth. Levels of a cleaning are similar at 90%.
Great demo! I am ordering one now.
Thanks for the review! I just bought one of these a week ago and have been running records of all condition through mine to see results, making before and after recordings of the sound too. I can't seem to get the results everyone else is getting. Using distilled water with a little isopropyl alcohol and D4+ in the mix, and the water appears to vibrate across the surface when the cleaner is on as one would expect it to. Still hearing the same pops in every records I've tried cleaning so far, and not getting much collection of gunk in the tank either. Every review I've seen on these is really positive so I figure I must be doing something wrong or maybe have a defective cleaner, but I can't figure out what it might be.
Have you been using any sort of surficant at all in the solution ?
If you are new to vinyl, you need to know that even brand new LPs will have some crackles and pops.
Comments like urs stop me from buying
I should mention, the crackle and pops on new vinyl is not usual noticeable while the music is playing. It’s only on quite sections of a song that you would notice it.
Got one of these two years ago. After realizing some significant dishwarps after 10 minutes of cleaning under 28 degrees Celsius I moved back to my old cleaning machine by Okki Nokki. I think a clean brush, clean suction pipe, cleaning fluid incl. a surfactant like Triton X and a final rinsing with pure water is the best and safest way
Should have simply reduced to 5 minutes. Most demos reccomend that. 28 celcius is only 60 degrees not enough to warp. Do you have a cooking thermometer? Maybe your water had been sitting in a hot garage? Maybe it started out hotter. I dunno, I really like mine.
@@tomlayman3141 28 Celsius is 82.4 Fahrenheit.
The conversion is (Degrees C × 1.8) + 32.
There is no need for an additional spacer. Simply install all 5 label protectors (pucks) and the supplied spacer. Do this whether cleaning 1 LP or 4. I prefer to clean only 2LP’s at once, with 3 pucks in between to maximize distance. WARNING!!
I’ve noticed the tank heater temp selector DOES NOT correspond to actual temperature. Use a separate meat thermometer to insure desired temp and avoid warping your records.
Great job. Nice set up.
Thanks for the video. What is your response to those who say that a wetting agent should be used (otherwise the water can't get into the grooves), that no heat should be used (the instructions that came with my cleaner say that using heat is "forbidden"), and that one should degas the solution 15 - 30 minute before mounting the record? Not to mention that a maximum of records mounted should not exceed 2, since the cavitation isn't as effective the the discs so close together.
You bring up some good points, the IPA will lower the surface tension of the water he is using about 10%, this should be sufficient but be aware that the IPA will evaporate out of the fluid over time. I do not use the heater just have it at a comfortable room temperature. I also have 30mm spacers between the records, this does help with the cleaning and much better than the 20mm ones I started with. Standard practice is to degas any fluid used, one or two cycles should be fine. Each machine is different so just keep a note on what works best for you.
Is the label protector efficient and safe for the label during the process? Also, the distilled water you are using is the standard for ironing or something more expensive? Thanks again for your review, it helps a lot!
The labels are protected enough by the plastic discs. Make sure you have a disc up against each record on both sides and not enough water will penetrate, if at all, to do damage. I've found that getting water on labels doesn't hurt them at all, but of course gently wipe off any dampness when you see it. They are very resilient.
Wouldn't the liquid flow over the label and affect the label during the starting of the drying procedure?
Do you just let the water run off the records in the drying tray, or is there anything you do to dry them...like microfiber, etc. Thanks for the video
I’d just let it run off because distilled water doesn’t leave residue. Thanks
it is great.. best buy out there!
Very interesting video again
Seems like the link for the motor to the Vinyl are missing? Or did the motor for Vinyls in the Ultrasonic package all together?
You could stir the alcohol in the water for a beter distribution.
Do you have any ideas of how and what to come up with a "On The Budget" filter to clean up the cleaning filter? Thanks
Nice video. I'm a bit surprised they didn't specify to use a few drops of a surfactant (Triton-X or similar) per gallon of distilled water to break the surface tension so it would get down into the grooves of the record better. But if your results have been pleasing, then perhaps that isn't necessary or may be optional. Thanks for the video. This one looks just as good as the Humminguru and is a bit less in cost. Neat idea using the Styrofoam piece as a safe holder for set up.
I just use washing up liquid - a few drops
@@wouterkolkman Triton-X is a bit better than that, leaving behind no soapy residue, but merely breaking the surface tension of water. Such surfactants were used in photography for many decades.
@@rosswarren436 genuine question but is the 90% isopropyl safe? I hear people saying 70% should be used but I'm not sure if it matters
@@ajmoore2201 ah, that's something you'll need to research. Some say the advice against using alcohol was something stuck in a paper or magazine long ago and it just gets promulgated over and over and over, but there's no real evidence that it harms vinyl. Some have been using alcohol (91% I think is what we can get easily here in the U.S. that is above the "regular" 70%) for decades without issue.
In any event you don't use much alcohol in most recipes for cleaning. Mostly distilled water and a little surfactant, just a few drops, with alcohol making up 10% to 20% of the solution.
I've been cleaning using alcohol myself for years without any issue. But hey, there are alcohol free solutions available that clean well, if you want to go that route.
Good luck. Vinyl is great. But clean vinyl is next to godliness.
As an aside, I still wonder if any of these Ultrasonic cleaners powered by wall warts actually produce the amount of cavitation to do the job all that well?
I'd like to see a more scientific study done on that. Are these lower cost devices "real" or only an "imitation" of the real thing? I'd like to know before buying one and moving up from my current vacuum system. But I'm pretty happy with the vacuum system other than the amount of work involved.
The ultrasonics have the ease of use factor going for them - if you can justify their price tag. But I only listen to vinyl maybe 10% of the time, so it is hard to justify the $$$. I'll likely just keep using my vacuum system and be happy.
@@ajmoore2201 It's diluted with just over a gallon of distilled water
Very enjoyable review/demo' thanks! ✌😎👍 does it clean CD's too?
I haven't tried cleaning CD, thanks
Is there a reason you let them air dry on the rack vs. just drying them by hand?
How many times can you use the ultrasound before having to change the water? Also, have you tried using a surfactant (as discussed below).
About 25 records after that water is pretty dirty with residues, I only use alcohol.
@@Tharbamar Thanks. I find your reviews very helpful. Down to earth and hands on.
Something doesn't seem right witht the spacers. The big white should be an adapter for 7"/45rpm records. I'm surprised they didn't include other spacers. What if you want to clean only one record?
I also noticed that your bottom record touches the foam rest. I would consider something different that keeps the records elevated and off any surfaces - you might just be adding dirt, dust, whatever back to the record after cleaning it.
Can you post a link for your 4 record spacer? My biggest peeve with the device.
Mine is included in the package.
Are you using any kind of filter after record cleaning to filter out gunk of the cleaning solution to reuse it another time?
I drain the water after 20 records. Thanks
Do you get water stain damage on the labels?
Not at all otherwise I wouldn’t use it, adding alcohol is the key to keep the water flowing in the grooves and tightening nicely will do.
What did you do for the custom spacer? Did you go down to a hardware store and look for one? How did you make your own? (Love the vid btw!)
I just had in electrical tool box, thanks
@@Tharbamar Ahhh, I see. Could you tell me the length of it? I just want to make sure I get the correct length spacer. Thank you!
Cool machine, but I almost fell from the chair when I saw the price in my country.
Do the white disc that cover the label come with a protective wrap that needs to be peeled off?
Yes
Has anyone used this with a vacuum-based RCM just to use the vacuum instead of the drying rack?
What is the frequency it runs at should say on the label. Use deionised waters more pure
oh you might have missed it, 40khz.
@@Tharbamar yeah that's not good really want 80 to 120khz
I've heard at that frequency can cause cavitation damage
@@hoobsgroove agreed. 80kHz could be expensive but 60kHz is not a rare thing
@@sc0or It's not just the frequency depends on the energy how strong also, plus 40 kHz the bubbles too big and doesn't go in the groove but only acts on the surface. there was a guy on yt who did a test on all of them and 120kHz was the best. You could change the circuitry to be at a higher frequency not too difficult to do. If you can't do it there'll be a module out there You could replace.
@@hoobsgroove Agree about a bubble size. That's true. But... Don't you think an emitter is designed for a specific frequency? It will may be work with 40 -> 80, but what about 40 -> 120kHz?
Thank you for sharing. I’m ordering mine now.
Doesn't the water soak the paper record label ?
It will not.
Is this better or worse than a Humminguru?
Would you see increased performance by ditching the wall wart and using a linear power supply?
Will it improve the sound quality if the unit was silver plated?
Alcohol strips vinyl etc so why would you use alcohol?
With right amount it does not, it’s for wetting agent as I have explained in the video.
Will 99% alcohol work? I have one sitting around
Does the temperature of the water cause any warping? I’d be concerned about using heat with my records.
It didn’t warped the disc but I use lowest setting.
USE A MEAT THERMOMETER to test the temp - I set mine at 30 Celsius which is 86F - My thermometer reads 125 F when I test it - the controls are so incorrect - Make sure you don't go over 100F, even though warp is not supposed to happen until about 140, dont take that chance. I've noticed warping at 130
£1200 on Amazon you call that on a budget
See video description for actual price.
1200 $ affordable machine?! Woah... Hope u're joking
I don’t think I said that, please see it again or I have actual price listed in description.
Good job