, somehow it reminds me Darkroom Developing Tank Roller.
My fellow countrymen are very creative people.
Ultrasonic cleaning
Re: Ultrasonic cleaning
Indeed, it's not unlike a jobo roller! I always thought the ultrasonic method might work - I use such baths in work quite a bit so knew the potential. Just in case there was any doubt see the pic below of the crud in the tank after washing 21 records most of which had already been washed on a wet/dry system!
- 4252016212856.jpg (103.52 KiB) Viewed 397 times
Do or do not, there is no try
Re: Ultrasonic cleaning
Fran - you are a legend!!! :-)
Re: Ultrasonic cleaning
My reservations about isopropyl alcohol go back to the early 1980s. Having tried in vain to find a U.K. copy of Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' that played quietly, I got a Japan copy via a shop in Hammersmith, London that imported Japan LPs. Somehow, I must have cleaned the record once too often on the Keith Monks and there was a huge static charge on it and it became very 'crispy'. I had to replace the record with another Japan copy which I have to this day .. along with Steve Hoffman's more recent remastered version. There was talk that alcohol cleaning agents could cause leeching of essential vinyl additives and that is what I think happened to my first Japan copy of 'Rumours'. By the same token, that was the recommended cleaning fluid at the time, i.e. a mixture of 75% distilled water and 25% isopropyl alcohol, if I recall correctly. It did not do any harm to any of my other records. I am sure if it is used sparingly it is fine.
At the moment, I use laboratory grade pure/de-ionized water and 'Vinyl-Zyme' enzyme cleaner. I can't recall the exact formula right now but the 'Vinyl-Zyme' comes in concentrate form and I think I use about 100 drops to 30 fluid ounces of water. I use this on the VPI HW-17F and it works exceptionally well. I bought a Japan Promo copy of Ry Cooder's 'Get Rhythm' in 2006 and while the record looked absolutely mint, it played with a lot of noise. VPI's own cleaning fluid or Record Research Labs cleaning fluid did not improve it. I then discovered vinyl enzyme based cleaners through one of the audio forums and I tried 'Vinyl-Zyme'. It restored the Cooder LP to pristine replay quality. There was obviously some organic type of contamination on the vinyl that could not be seen with the naked eye! I use this now for all records, new or used and it works exceptionally well. It seems that it is only in the U.S.A. that they have specific enzyme based vinyl cleaning agents? Audio Intelligent is another one that is manufactured in Missouri, U.S.A. but I have not tried that one.
While I think very highly of the water/vinyl-zyme formula, I have been astonished at what Ultra Sonic Cleaning can do in taking analogue replay a step further up the sound quality ladder! I have many U.S. records that played with noise that now play silently. It is quite incredible really. I frequently 'dissed' U.S. pressing quality over the years but it seems that U.S. LPs may have residues and other artefacts in the vinyl after manufacture that can only be removed by ultra sonic cleaning. Anybody who is serious about analogue really needs to hear the benefits of ultra sonic cleaning. The commercially available machines (Audiodesksysteme Glass and Klaudio) are expensive though. I bought the Klaudio in 2014 when there was a favourable Euro-Dollar exchange rate. It is very expensive now. I plan to add an Audiodesksysteme Pro unit in the coming weeks. I have had a life long fascination with vinyl, vinyl cleaning and audio!
At the moment, I use laboratory grade pure/de-ionized water and 'Vinyl-Zyme' enzyme cleaner. I can't recall the exact formula right now but the 'Vinyl-Zyme' comes in concentrate form and I think I use about 100 drops to 30 fluid ounces of water. I use this on the VPI HW-17F and it works exceptionally well. I bought a Japan Promo copy of Ry Cooder's 'Get Rhythm' in 2006 and while the record looked absolutely mint, it played with a lot of noise. VPI's own cleaning fluid or Record Research Labs cleaning fluid did not improve it. I then discovered vinyl enzyme based cleaners through one of the audio forums and I tried 'Vinyl-Zyme'. It restored the Cooder LP to pristine replay quality. There was obviously some organic type of contamination on the vinyl that could not be seen with the naked eye! I use this now for all records, new or used and it works exceptionally well. It seems that it is only in the U.S.A. that they have specific enzyme based vinyl cleaning agents? Audio Intelligent is another one that is manufactured in Missouri, U.S.A. but I have not tried that one.
While I think very highly of the water/vinyl-zyme formula, I have been astonished at what Ultra Sonic Cleaning can do in taking analogue replay a step further up the sound quality ladder! I have many U.S. records that played with noise that now play silently. It is quite incredible really. I frequently 'dissed' U.S. pressing quality over the years but it seems that U.S. LPs may have residues and other artefacts in the vinyl after manufacture that can only be removed by ultra sonic cleaning. Anybody who is serious about analogue really needs to hear the benefits of ultra sonic cleaning. The commercially available machines (Audiodesksysteme Glass and Klaudio) are expensive though. I bought the Klaudio in 2014 when there was a favourable Euro-Dollar exchange rate. It is very expensive now. I plan to add an Audiodesksysteme Pro unit in the coming weeks. I have had a life long fascination with vinyl, vinyl cleaning and audio!