Record Cleaning

[Andy]

I'm looking for a machine. Anybody have any
thought on VPI vs Nitty Gritty? The Disc Doctor stuff works great, but it's kinda slow
when you're cleaning more than one.

[Todd Fredericks]

I use the Disc Doctor method (good work out on the wrists) yet I've read that the VPI cleaning machines are the ones to get. Let's us know (after some more research) which one you're going to get and I'll send you all my vinyl for you to test it out on (DD is slow for me to but I had enough trouble raising the cash to pay for just the records...). Seriously, VPI's are great!

Todd

[Unknown]

It works well to use DD in combination with a vacuum record cleaner to suck the gook off in the last step.

[PsychFan]

I use the Record Doctor II (available from Audio Advisor), which is more or less the same as the most inexpensive Nitty Gritty model. It's fully manual but I actually like that, and it works great for under 200 smackers. If you use it right, it makes a heck of a difference, especially on used vinyl (though I give new LPs a quick spin too); it may be the best $$ I've ever spent on my audio hobby.

One tip I got that made it perform even better is to give the record at least one (sometimes two) distilled water rinse after cleaning and vacuuming with the cleaning fluid. I used to just do a cleaning, then a vacumming, and play, but once I added the distilled water step, my records started to sound even cleaner.

I've never used a VPI, but check out the comments on the Vinyl page on Audio Asylum ... most owners seem very pleased with theirs. In my opinion you can't go wrong ... it's just a question of features.

[RetroSmith]

I researched LP cleaning for a long time, and tried a bunch of different things, but I finally settled on DIY solution of Isopropal alchohol, distilled water, Lysol direct, and Kodak Photoflow.
Spray on, scrub with brush, rinse with distilled water.

Play record 2x

works great!!!

[Pinknik]

Disc Doctor and my VPI 16.5 work like magic, shiney like new surface where there was once dirt, mildew, fingerprints, all kinds of crud. If only it filled in scratches on VG- used records . . .

[Andy]

Pinknik,

Do you use the Disc Doctor fluid in place of the VPI fluid?