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There's a common misconception that vinyl playback has an inherent problem with clicks and pops or static noise. I think when I was growing up, this was certainly the impression I had but realise now my Dad had pretty cheap equipment and certainly didn't look after his records. But a properly clean and well produced record will be as quiet in the background as any CD (on a reasonable system). If you're experiencing clicks and pops, it's either a defect in the pressing (which can happen), or it's some kind of dirt like dust or finger grease. So cleaning a record can mean turning it from a noisy static sounding mess to something far far better.
In the vinyl world, pretty much anything audio related carries a ginormous mark-up, it's just an unfortunate reality to the hobby, I guess because it's quite niche once you're getting into mid range stuff, so volumes are low, plus it's such exacting design wise (tiny tolerances required almost everywhere) that I think actually making a lot of the stuff must be very expensive.
When it comes to record cleaning, there are 3 main tiers:
1/. A manual cleaning setup using some form of solution usually in distilled water, often with brushes that go over the record and try to brush out any debris, then you just leave the record to air dry. These tend to be "cheap", the word should be cheaper, because for what they are they're extortionate! A very popular one is the "Spin Clean" which is the one I currently use. It's all plastic, I only bought it because it seemed popular but haven't found it does any particular good with my records, and I just don't like the idea of a grain of something getting stuck between the record and the brush and causing a scratch, so I barely use it.
This is it, it's literally just a plastic bath with a couple of rollers that the record sits on and you manually turn it. Costs £80 which I think is daylight robbery!
2/. Then you get Vacuum automatic RCM's, these are essentially the same idea, although it's automated and spins on a motorised platter as you brush over the solution, or some of the more expensive options will automate applying the solution. Then a vacuum rod will run over the surface of the record and suck up any residual moisture and dirt.
These are certainly more effective, and there are some semi reasonably priced options like the Okki Nokki, or the the Project VC-S2 BUT there's still the complexity of a physical contact with the record which I really don't feel comfortable with.
3/. Then, the cream of the crop is Ultrasonic machines. These have been used for decades in the Medical profession, or often in high end kitchens to surgically clean utensils and surgical implements. The idea is an ultrasonic signal is broadcast into a bath of warmed water, this signal creates small bubbles that then burst creating what's called "cavitation", and this process is quite effective at getting into the grooves and disrupting hard to remove skin oils and ground in dust. AND, there's zero contact anywhere, the bubbles don't wear the record at all, it's a really great solution.
I've always been dreaming of an Ultrasonic cleaner, there are DIY kits which you can pick up but they're really designed for jewelry cleaning, and I was really hoping to get something properly designed for records.
The major drawback of Ultrasonic though, is the price. Pretty much all "proper" vinyl cleaners run over £2000, there are some really famous ones like the Degritter (£2500) or KLAudio (£3500). This just isn't within my reach by any means whatsoever. Under about £2000 they're all mainly DIY apaptations of Jewelry cleaning kits.
Recently though a Kids Toy company called HappyWell Tech (based in Hong Kong) started a kickstarter to make a low cost mass produced Ultrasonic, I've followed it since the kickstarter which was about a 2 years ago now, and watched closely for any reviews since, and while there have been issues with some boards shorting out, HappyWell support has been absolutely first class, and they honour a decent warranty in every case I've seen.
To make things even better, they've recently partnered with establishments around the world as official distributors, and who can liaise with HappyWell for support issues. In the UK this is Juno who are one of the top Music websites in the UK from my experience, I've been buying records and record boxes from them for years and they've always been incredible.
So I'm now gonna get one (on Wednesday). I'm so excited, cleaning records is essential, especially as it took me a few years to work out how to properly handle them so a lot of my early collection have finger oils on them that needs removing, plus I've been buying quite a few older 60's and 70's second hand records that all need a proper clean
So this is what I'm getting, it's called the HumminGuru and is about 1/6th the price of most other taylor made solutions. It's got great reviews generally, of course, it's never going to be as effective as one of the "proper" machines, but at the pricepoint, I'm not expecting any miracles but for my needs I think it's going to be superb.
It's all automatic, has an air filter, water filter, water heater and even dries the record after cleaning
humminguru.com
In the vinyl world, pretty much anything audio related carries a ginormous mark-up, it's just an unfortunate reality to the hobby, I guess because it's quite niche once you're getting into mid range stuff, so volumes are low, plus it's such exacting design wise (tiny tolerances required almost everywhere) that I think actually making a lot of the stuff must be very expensive.
When it comes to record cleaning, there are 3 main tiers:
1/. A manual cleaning setup using some form of solution usually in distilled water, often with brushes that go over the record and try to brush out any debris, then you just leave the record to air dry. These tend to be "cheap", the word should be cheaper, because for what they are they're extortionate! A very popular one is the "Spin Clean" which is the one I currently use. It's all plastic, I only bought it because it seemed popular but haven't found it does any particular good with my records, and I just don't like the idea of a grain of something getting stuck between the record and the brush and causing a scratch, so I barely use it.
This is it, it's literally just a plastic bath with a couple of rollers that the record sits on and you manually turn it. Costs £80 which I think is daylight robbery!
2/. Then you get Vacuum automatic RCM's, these are essentially the same idea, although it's automated and spins on a motorised platter as you brush over the solution, or some of the more expensive options will automate applying the solution. Then a vacuum rod will run over the surface of the record and suck up any residual moisture and dirt.
These are certainly more effective, and there are some semi reasonably priced options like the Okki Nokki, or the the Project VC-S2 BUT there's still the complexity of a physical contact with the record which I really don't feel comfortable with.
3/. Then, the cream of the crop is Ultrasonic machines. These have been used for decades in the Medical profession, or often in high end kitchens to surgically clean utensils and surgical implements. The idea is an ultrasonic signal is broadcast into a bath of warmed water, this signal creates small bubbles that then burst creating what's called "cavitation", and this process is quite effective at getting into the grooves and disrupting hard to remove skin oils and ground in dust. AND, there's zero contact anywhere, the bubbles don't wear the record at all, it's a really great solution.
I've always been dreaming of an Ultrasonic cleaner, there are DIY kits which you can pick up but they're really designed for jewelry cleaning, and I was really hoping to get something properly designed for records.
The major drawback of Ultrasonic though, is the price. Pretty much all "proper" vinyl cleaners run over £2000, there are some really famous ones like the Degritter (£2500) or KLAudio (£3500). This just isn't within my reach by any means whatsoever. Under about £2000 they're all mainly DIY apaptations of Jewelry cleaning kits.
Recently though a Kids Toy company called HappyWell Tech (based in Hong Kong) started a kickstarter to make a low cost mass produced Ultrasonic, I've followed it since the kickstarter which was about a 2 years ago now, and watched closely for any reviews since, and while there have been issues with some boards shorting out, HappyWell support has been absolutely first class, and they honour a decent warranty in every case I've seen.
To make things even better, they've recently partnered with establishments around the world as official distributors, and who can liaise with HappyWell for support issues. In the UK this is Juno who are one of the top Music websites in the UK from my experience, I've been buying records and record boxes from them for years and they've always been incredible.
So I'm now gonna get one (on Wednesday). I'm so excited, cleaning records is essential, especially as it took me a few years to work out how to properly handle them so a lot of my early collection have finger oils on them that needs removing, plus I've been buying quite a few older 60's and 70's second hand records that all need a proper clean
So this is what I'm getting, it's called the HumminGuru and is about 1/6th the price of most other taylor made solutions. It's got great reviews generally, of course, it's never going to be as effective as one of the "proper" machines, but at the pricepoint, I'm not expecting any miracles but for my needs I think it's going to be superb.
It's all automatic, has an air filter, water filter, water heater and even dries the record after cleaning
HumminGuru Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
A professional ultrasonic record cleaning machine, not only brings your dirty records back to life but also designed in ways that bring you a pleasant cleaning experience. It's intuitive, compact, lightweight, smart, and quiet. For any vinyl lovers who are seeking an all-in-one and compact...
humminguru.com
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