Record Cleaning Machines

I'm considering buying myself a present. I want a record cleaner but I have no idea where to start having never owned anything more exotic than a carbon fibre brush. I've seen machines from VPI for £500 ish (prolly too much unless outstanding) and an Okki Nokki for £275.

Pros, Cons ?? What should I be looking at ?

Thanks
= John

 

They're all great. I bought a second hand moth, I've seen Tony L use his VPI countless times, and I now plenty of people who really rate the Oki Nokki.

Unless you can find a good second hand deal, that's the one I'd go for.

 

or you could makeone.

http://www.jimmyneutron.org/Record Cleaner.htm

I did (not this version) from an old turntable. It looks horrible but does the biz as well as the cheap ones you can buy.

 

http://www.emporiumhifi.com/Pages/ModernPages/Turntables.html list the okki nokki for £250 delivered. Before I had one couldn't understand what all the fuss was about until the first time the vacuum arm did its thing - brilliant.
It was even better once I swapped the supplied felt brush for a VPI bristly one

 

I have an Okki and I am delighted with it

 

I have a Clearaudio Smart Matrix, which is mechanically the same as the Okki Nokki, but with the significant advantage of a lid. It's simple and effective, particularly with Art du Son cleaning solution. Both are a bit noisy while the vacuum motor is running, but bearable. I do recommend the Clearaudio, but anyone would be delighted with its cheaper Okki Nokki cousin, so don't hesitate! The improvement in sound quality after cleaning is sometimes startling, and those 99p s/h LPs often become perfectly listenable.

 

I have a okki, use art du son fluid, instead of using the supplied cleaning brush I use a cut back paint brush, something that can get into the grooves. Superb results over the last 12 months. The motor is a bit noisey, but as I don't clean and listen at the same time it's not a problem.
________
SexyBarbie

 

Moth Mark2

I have a Moth Mark 2 which does the forwards and backwards vacuum cleaning. I'm eternally grateful to the chap who sold it to me 2nd hand for the princely sum of ?150. I use the standard home-made cleaning agent formula of 4 parts purified water/ 1 part isopropanyl alcohol/ a couple of drops of photographic wetting agent as recommended by Moth.
I haven't tried products like L'Art Du Son and might perhaps take some convincing at that price, although exactly how I'd be convinced is difficult to say. A strict A/B would of course require 2 of the same LP from the same issue in an identical state of filth!
Does record cleaning work? A resounding yes in most cases, but also a qualifying no. Obviously a visibly scratched record remains scratched and the scratch will almost always sound after cleaning. LPs played with worn or damaged styli can also be invisibly but permanently damaged. LPs made from grungy recycled vinyl from the mid-70's and into the 80s won't have their surface noise removed by cleaning. Some LPs remain beyond redemption for no obvious reason...
Sadly, more than a few of my LPs haven't been played much from new and were stored under a window-bench against a wall in a bay with a history of damp-problems. Consquence? The release agent remained on the vinyl, wasn't removed by regular prior brushing, then playing and under those damp conditions turned to visible and highly audible mould. Mostly the Moth has been able to restore them to as new, but in some cases not.
The good news of course is a cleaner like the Moth is indispensable to the active analogue addict. I regularly go to record-fairs - usually the VPI ones at Kensington Olympia - and it is really ridiculous what you can at 3 or 4 for a fiver. And then the dealers start chopping their prices towards the end of the day... poor sods but then I don't suppose that many nowadays are full-time pros. Anyway - even at that price I won't risk bad-looking vinyl. But I do tend to come back with bagfulls on the basis that if even a 2 or 3 don't respond, it's no great loss... and in any case there's my mate with similar tastes who still has a turntable but doesn't get hifi... or failing that the charity shop.
Hope I've not rambled on for too long... Must give the Nottingham Analogue Hyperspace a shove to make it spin.
________
Ecigarettes

 

I don't own one - but have had records cleaned on a few makes nd without doubt the best result seems to have been from an OKKI NOKKI. However - beware buying one of the older ones as they are prone to problems - get a later one. May get one myself in due course.

 

I own the VPI. Not one problem in over 10 years. Affective as it does its job very well. Never compared to other devices however so no clue how it compares. Good luck with your choice.


rollo

 

Thanks for all the replies. Summarising, it sounds like an Okki Nokki would be a reasonable investment but that I shouldn't expect miracles.

One further question. Do these devices have any impact on static? I've got a few records that practically give me a jolt when I take them out of the sleeve (and have been like this from new). I'm sure this can't help the surface noise.

 

I have seen a machine on ebay selling for under a ton. I assume you have to connect up your own vaccum cleaner. Has anyone tried one?

 

I've got both a Moth MkII and a VPI - the VPI is significantly better IMO; I was never that impressed with the performance of the Moth. Having said that, I have a Moth RCM for sale if you want it... ;o)

After cleaning, I give the records a couple of clicks of a Milty Zerostat which does the job as far as removing static is concerned.

 

I've found static vanishes with the Moth. It's been the best way to clear that that I've found

 

Also, Kuzma have just released a RCM onto the market at a price south of the VPI. That might be worth a butcher's

 

I've been very happy with my VPI 17F, I've had it for about 10 years now and it's held up well to a lot of use, way more than the typical hi-fi geek would put it to - I've stuck over 5L of cleaning fluid through it in the past year alone!

Tony.

 

Cleaning a record ( sometimes especially a brand new one ! ) has a very profound effect on static. It removes it completely and the record then stays static free for many, many playing afterwards, ofetn years.

I clean brand new records not because they are dirty but to remove the static - before they get dirty.

If a record has a static charge on it that is so strong that it can attract the felt mat off your TT platter, then a microscopic dust particle has no chance of ever escaping this bond.

I have been using an Okki Nokki for about 18 moths now and am very happy with it, I use an aftermarket felt/velvet record cleaning brush and L'Art du Son RCF,a small bottle of concentrate makes up to 5 litres of cleaning fluid. It leaves a pristine, smear free finish on the record surface.

See Here : http://imageevent.com/sidandcoke/recordcleaningstuff for a few more photos from my online album to give you a better idea of the Okki Nokki i have also put some photos up of how to make a very simple but effective dust cover for the Okki when not in use.

 

What about the KAB EV1 ?
http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/index.htm
It's the same as one the more expensive brands ( nitty gritty??) but without the build in vacuum, you connect it to your own domestic vacuum cleaner.
They'll ship direct from the USA too.
Only $159 today
I bought one !!