kimr@athena.UUCP (Kim Rochat) (09/18/84)
I purchased a VPI record cleaner a year ago. My survey of the market showed the following models available: VPI HW-16 ~$350 Nitty Gritty 2.5 ~$335 Keith Monks ? $995 There are several models from Nitty Gritty, which mostly differ in cosmetics, but there is a new "profesional" model which cleans the record on both sides at the same time (for ~$600). At the time I purchased my VPI, I got to compare it directly against the Nitty Gritty, and there was no comparison for convenience. That and the fact the the VPI was on sale for $238 made it pretty easy to choose. WHAT IT DOES: Don't think of a record cleaner as a tick-and-pop remover. It will do that to some extent, but it cannot correct flaws in the vinyl, it can just make it microscopically clean. The primary effect of a record cleaner is golden-ears stuff. The imaging, focus, and depth improve noticably, and "hash" is reduced. There is more air between the instruments. This works even on new records, reputably because of the mold release material left in the grooves. I've been using LAST on my cleaned records and am quite happy with the results. WHAT TO USE: There are a variety of commercial cleaners available from Nitty Gritty, Nakoda (?), and LAST. I have been using a 25% solution of ethyl alcohol (otherwise known as diluted vodka :-) ). I haven't tried any of the commercial products, so I don't know if they're better or not. CAVEATS: The VPI cleaner is not without its eccentricities. The original plexiglass top broke on mine and was replaced under warranty. I have had to re-adjust the platter height a couple of times, which is non-trivial. You are supposed to replace the velvet-covered pickup tube every 100 records at a cost of $10, so it'll cost you at least 10 cents a record to clean them. And it wasn't build for continous use - you can't clean 100's of records in a row. I clean each (dirty) record as I play it, gradually working my way through my collection. It is recommended that records be cleaned no more than once a year. I do commend the service provided by VPI Industries. They have always shipped replacement parts and supplies quickly and accurately. Good listening, Kim Rochat tektronix!kimr
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (09/21/84)
It certainly sounds a lot better than our Kieth Monks. While it used thread rather than velvet pads in the suck up arm the whole thing was not worth the price for a cheapo turntable motor and an cheap vacuum pump. -Ron