Record cleaning - what's your method?

dbarila said:
Lately I've noticed that my TTVJ fluid is leaving a white streaky stain on the dead wax. Anyone else experienceView attachment 34956 this?
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I realized yesterday that on my Squeaky Clean RCM the part where the valve screws in cracked so it's not closing the valve all the way. So I wonder if it's affecting the suction and causing it. I emailed Nick from there to order a replacement and because he is awesome he's sending me a part free of charge!
 
dbarila said:
I realized yesterday that on my Squeaky Clean RCM the part where the valve screws in cracked so it's not closing the valve all the way. So I wonder if it's affecting the suction and causing it. I emailed Nick from there to order a replacement and because he is awesome he's sending me a part free of charge!
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Most shop vacs actually generate more suction than you want, so venting a little shouldn’t hurt. But good on Nick.

Mrjay07 said:
Would anyone recommend Projects new RCM?
Looks good and seems to be easy to use for a newbie to cleaning records.
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Haven’t heard much about it, but as a rule of thumb Pro-Ject makes quality equipment.
 
kvetcha said:
Most shop vacs actually generate more suction than you want, so venting a little shouldn’t hurt. But good on Nick.



Haven’t heard much about it, but as a rule of thumb Pro-Ject makes quality equipment.
Click to expand...
I have a 1.5HP so I usually only keep the vent slightly open. With the screw not working I don't have any control over it.
 
I'd love to use a vacuum cleaner device, but the storage of a unit plus the noise wouldn't go over well in our home.

So for now, it's Spin Clean, and when I want a really good job, I pay my local HiFi shop $3 for an ultrasonic cleaning.
Now that the shop is closed, I may reach out to a friend/neighbor who has an Okki Nokki if I need that.
 
I use a KAB EV-1 and a 2.5hp shop vac. I have an old beater turntable that I use to soak and scrub on, then transfer to the KAB to vacuum. They sell the EV-1 for 139 bucks. One of the things I like about it is that there is no particle board used in it, so if it gets wet it doesn't swell. They license the top piece from Nitty Gritty.

I have some AI6 for the stuff that is real dirty and needs a good soak. Most stuff I just use a homebrew fluid (4 parts distilled 1 part Isopropyl a couple drops of dish soap). My only complaint I guess is that when I set up it takes a good amount of room, so I really don't use it prior to playing, but just a good clean before it goes in a sleeve city sleeve.

Works a treat! I already had the shop vac, so not expensive. But seriously WAY better than the spin clean i used before. Putting a vacuum system in use is easily the best improvement I've made to my system, way more than component upgrades.
 
Should I get one of these?

Amazon.com: Boundless Audio Stylus Cleaner Brush - Carbon Fiber Anti-Static Stylus Brush for Turntable Needle Cleaning: Home Audio & Theater

Amazon.com: Boundless Audio Stylus Cleaner Brush - Carbon Fiber Anti-Static Stylus Brush for Turntable Needle Cleaning: Home Audio & Theater
www.amazon.com

Or does anyone have a more recommended stilus brush?

I already have a zero dust. But that only cleans the tip of the stilus. I noticed there are still fuzzies attached to the sides / top of the needle.

Having a gold3 now I want to try to put more effort into cleaning that.
 
RenegadeMonster said:
Should I get one of these?

Amazon.com: Boundless Audio Stylus Cleaner Brush - Carbon Fiber Anti-Static Stylus Brush for Turntable Needle Cleaning: Home Audio & Theater

Amazon.com: Boundless Audio Stylus Cleaner Brush - Carbon Fiber Anti-Static Stylus Brush for Turntable Needle Cleaning: Home Audio & Theater
www.amazon.com

Or does anyone have a more recommended stilus brush?

I already have a zero dust. But that only cleans the tip of the stilus. I noticed there are still fuzzies attached to the sides / top of the needle.

Having a gold3 now I want to try to put more effort into cleaning that.
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I think I have the Pro-Ject one:

Amazon.com: Pro-Ject - Clean it - Stylus Brush: Electronics

Buy Pro-Ject - Clean it - Stylus Brush: Electronics - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
.

They are all pretty much the same, I bet.
 
RenegadeMonster said:
Should I get one of these?

Amazon.com: Boundless Audio Stylus Cleaner Brush - Carbon Fiber Anti-Static Stylus Brush for Turntable Needle Cleaning: Home Audio & Theater

Amazon.com: Boundless Audio Stylus Cleaner Brush - Carbon Fiber Anti-Static Stylus Brush for Turntable Needle Cleaning: Home Audio & Theater
www.amazon.com

Or does anyone have a more recommended stilus brush?

I already have a zero dust. But that only cleans the tip of the stilus. I noticed there are still fuzzies attached to the sides / top of the needle.

Having a gold3 now I want to try to put more effort into cleaning that.
Click to expand...
I've been using the MoFi cleaner and brush, the brush is pretty much standard. Just be careful what styli you clean with this, some manufacturers specifically state not to use any kind of cleaning fluid. .

1585861645143.png
www.sleevecityusa.com

Mobile Fidelity LP-9 Stylus Cleaner

Mobile Fidelity LP-9 Stylus Cleaner
www.sleevecityusa.com
 
For the folks who have either specifically mentioned, or also believe a vacuum record player is one of the best upgrades you made to your system - are you referring only to the difference it made to old/used records? Is their a noticeable jump in quality to brand new records too?
 
Splunders said:
For the folks who have either specifically mentioned, or also believe a vacuum record player is one of the best upgrades you made to your system - are you referring only to the difference it made to old/used records? Is their a noticeable jump in quality to brand new records too?
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The dirtier they are, the bigger the improvement. But there’s a noticeable improvement with most new albums as well.
 
HiFi Guy said:
The dirtier they are, the bigger the improvement. But there’s a noticeable improvement with most new albums as well.
Click to expand...
Ugh, I was afraid of that. What cleaners out there are worth dropping money on? Is the record doctor decent? Anyone out there have one?
 
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HiFi Guy said:
The dirtier they are, the bigger the improvement. But there’s a noticeable improvement with most new albums as well.
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+1

I read about mold release stuff, or maybe it's just grinding against a paper sleeve as it gets moved around a warehouse, but I now clean all the new stuff when I get it. You are right, it's easily noticed.
 
Splunders said:
Ugh, I was afraid of that. What cleaners out there are worth dropping money on? Is the record doctor decent? Anyone out there have one?
Click to expand...

If you have a shop vac, the KAB EV-1 works well. Both that and the record doctor use Nitty Gritty's top plate. I think the people with the Squeaky Clean (?? I think it's called that) are happy with theirs, it needs a shop vac too.

All I know is that having a vacuum has been a total improvement for me compared to the spin clean.
 
Splunders said:
Ugh, I was afraid of that. What cleaners out there are worth dropping money on? Is the record doctor decent? Anyone out there have one?
Click to expand...
Budget and preference are going to come into play here, I think any vacuum system is a plus, I haven't heard anything bad about the record doctor, I think most of the systems have their pro's and cons. I bought the VPI early on, and I'm in the camp of it being one of the most important pieces of your system. It does wonders on old dirty crate records and as mentioned helps new records as well......honestly, I clean any and all records when I first get them, but don't kid yourself into thinking new records show up clean, lol.

That being said, I'm going to cast my vote for the VPI 16.5 with the TTVJAudio Vinyl Zyme cleaner as the perfect combo ;)
 
AnthonyI said:
...honestly, I clean any and all records when I first get them, but don't kid yourself into thinking new records show up clean, lol.
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I've got the Spin Clean now, but that's best for batches of records. I do wash my new records, but it might be months of playing them before I get enough to warrant a cleaning session. I was listening to a brand new record last night and it had a loud crusty section, which got me thinking I need to clean them right away, as soon as they arrive. I'm sure the VPI is built to last, which is appealing. The price less so, but I know I've seen used ones out there too. Thanks for the suggestion!
 
Splunders said:
Ugh, I was afraid of that. What cleaners out there are worth dropping money on? Is the record doctor decent? Anyone out there have one?
Click to expand...
I have a Record Doctor V. It's pretty loud but it takes just a few slow rotations by hand to vacuum off all the cleaning fluid. I use it with Audio Intelligent One-Step Formula No. 6.
 
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