02-12-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree rl1856 SE USA Posts 1 Joined on 02-13-2018 Post #: 51 Post ID: 24689 Reply to: 24650 Ultrasonic Cleaning  Interesting thread.  I went down this rabbit hole a long time ago, and I think I have emerged, or at least can see light at the end.  I started with a Nitty Gritty, generic alcohol water mix and fine nap brush.  I noticed a positive difference, but felt there was room for improvement.  I added a  Spin Clean before the NG, and noticed a further improvement, but still not quite what I was looking for.   Records were cleaner overall, and on many the noise floor was lower the and the noise floor of my system.  I could hear fade outs or gain roll off down to nothing.   But I could still hear a low level whoooshh- shhhhhh sound on many LPs as the background noise floor.   I read a lot of reviews and posts for ultrasonic cleaning, and the more I found out, the more I realized that US could be a significant improvement. I recently put together a DIY US cleaner using a Chinese 9L US tank and a Vinyl Stack to spin the LPs in the tank  After much research, I settled on Rushton's diy cleaning mix using Tergitol, Hepstat 256, 91%+ isopropyl, distilled water.  After experimentation with times, method etc I now use the following procedure: Clean with Spin Clean to remove all surface dirt, and most embedded dirt Rinse US Clean for 15 min at .3 RPM (1 rev per 3 min) in 35 degree C water, using the mix described above Rinse Nitty Gritty Vac Dry My results are outstanding.   I can hear an audible difference from the addition of the US step.  Cleaner, clearer and more distinct transients.  Much better HF extension, more air and ambiance around musicians.  And almost complete removal of the whooosssh- shhhhhh background noise.  I know it is a cliche to say that "a veil was lifted" but the additional clarity I hear is just that. What prompted my addition to this thread, was several comments made at the beginning of the thread, specifically regarding embedded dirt that remained impervious to several methods of deep cleaning.  My theory is that dirt becomes embedded, and maybe chemically bonded to the walls at the bottom of the groove and into the very small undulations representing leading edges of transients and HF content.  The use of specific cleaners and the US cycle breaks down and removes this last layer of debris. My evidence is the surprising amount of effluent in the bottom of the US tank after cleaning  a dozen LPs.   Remember, all records are cleaned via Spin Clean and rinsed before immersion in the US tank.  The effluent represents debris NOT removed by the Spin Clean alone. It is not all lollipops and unicorns.   Greater clarity also makes some types of groove damage more audible.  And on some LPs I experience an increase of pops and tics as I get closer to the inner groove.  I think the later issue can be addressed by more careful drying. Anyway just my experience; yours may vary.

02-13-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree N-set Gdansk, Poland Posts 617 Joined on 01-07-2006 Post #: 52 Post ID: 24693 Reply to: 24689 No such luck I must be somehow unlucky here. I recently added a US cleaner from Audiorevita +DIOY 1micron filtering. I use Rushton's recipe with 5% IPA +0.13% Photoflo + Deionezed water, 15mins, 35C, 1.5" spacing, 60% power@40kHz, 3rpm (yes, the motor is quite fast). Then pure water rinse + vacuum+ 3% Etanol final  rinse + vaccum + destating using an ion blower. I tried it on several vinyls previously cleaned on my Okki Nokki vac in a 4 step process (2 brushings with IPA + 2 rinse). ...no effect to talk about so far. The background as noisy as it was, all pops& clicks plaguing me there, sometimes even seems more. I hav a feeling that sometimes I lost a bit of directness of the sound. Perhaps the vinyls I selected are permanently worn out (all are 2nd hand bought God only knows where) and US cleaning in some cases actually reveals more of the damage? Have to experiment more. Cheers, Jarek Cheers, Jarek STACORE

02-14-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,658 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 53 Post ID: 24694 Reply to: 24693 Some Grease? Short of an Audio Desk Ultra-Sound unit, like Mark's, I've been thinking about trying some stuff I found called "Crud Buster", because it seems to clean other stuff without messing things up. The label says it contains: Ethoxylated Alcohol, Sodium Metasilicate Pentahydrate, Glutamic acid, N-di-acetic acid, tetra-sodium salt, and Sodium Hydroxide.  Maybe the Glutamic acid is some sort of "grease", and I'm hoping this will "lubricate" the record surface just enough, as I believe extreme drying effects exacerbate the "scratchy" sound.  Of course, as we've beaten to death already, too much grease = too little "traction" for the stylus. Paul S

02-18-2018 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Romy the Cat Boston, MA Posts 10,159 Joined on 05-28-2004 Post #: 54 Post ID: 24698 Reply to: 20207 A nice video "I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche

05-09-2021 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,658 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 55 Post ID: 26146 Reply to: 24698 Perspective! I must have been otherwise pre-occupied when I first watched and listened to this video, because it surely warrants a positive response. I am very impressed, not just by the guy's technical knowledge and skills, but also by his practical implementations. The Great Hope is that people like this who can also hear well, and who know and care about music, and who can run a business will "get involved" with record cleaning. I am keeping one eye peeled for flying pigs, which I will take as a sign that a solution is at hand. Paul S

05-25-2021 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree drdna San Francisco, California Posts 526 Joined on 10-29-2005 Post #: 56 Post ID: 26161 Reply to: 26146 Video: How Records Are Made When thinking about how to clean records -- even brand new records -- it may be instructive to remember how records are physically manufactured. This is a nice video that reviews the process: https://youtu.be/awmA-z6EgrE

05-25-2021 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree Paul S San Diego, California, USA Posts 2,658 Joined on 10-12-2006 Post #: 57 Post ID: 26162 Reply to: 26161 No Way That Can Work! The more one knows about the process, the more unlikely it appears that we'll ever get our problems solved! Certainly, the switch to computers has not made things appear less convoluted! Rube Goldberg is IMMORTAL! Thanks, Adrian. Best regards, Paul S