Record Cleaning Machine

10 years ago when i got serious about vinyl i purchased the VPI 16.5 RCM. i've likely cleaned at least 3500 records with that machine over the years.

recently i built a new dedicated listening room with a foyer outside the room with a dedicated space for record cleaning. the space has a tile floor and hard surfaces and when i tried my 16.5 in that space the noise from the vacuum pump made it just too uncomfortable. if i hate to clean records i will just avoid it.

so i did some research and decided to go with the Loricraft PRC3. during the research i learned a few things....particularly that all the machines that use a wide sweep arm (like the VPI 16.5 and the Clearaudio among others) will to one degree or another leave at least some dirt on the record due to the nature of the cleaning process. also that these machines need a large noisy vacuum pump due to the size of the vacuum opening.

OTOH the Loricraft (and Keith Monks) machines use a new and clean bit of thread for every cleaning so the cleaning process itself will not leave any dirt. the Loricraft website does a much better job of decribinbg this process than i could do. suffice it to say that if clean is what you want this approach has a better chance of doing it.

in addition; since the Loricraft has only a tiny orifice to provide vacuum to it gets away with a much smaller and less noisey pump; and is very comfortable to be around for extended periods of time. whereas i would have my hearing assaulted by the VPI 16.5 and it would take me out of the mood to listen i am still feeling at ease using the Loricraft.

remember that the machine is not the whole issue; there are still questions of which cleaning solution to use and keeping the RCM platter clean constantly.

i do recommend the VPI 16.5 at it's price point as a great RCM. but if you use the PRC3 once you will likely find a way to afford $1895.

My apologies with respect to pricing on the Loricraft; I was unaware that they had introduced the lower priced model at $1895.

There is certainly no doubt that the Loricraft and Monks are good machines and will do an excellent job. They both offer much quieter operation and the ability to really churn through cleaning records at much higher speeds than budget alternatives. The threading system on both is an excellent way to prevent cross contamination (the thread is really only a spacer to prevent vacuum lock up and does not contribute anything to the cleaning process other than preventing potential cross contamination) although in my experience with the KAB providing one is diligent in keeping the vacuum slot clean (ie. by vacuuming it occassionally following cleanings and by pre-cleaning records with a carbon fibre brush and Nagaoka roller if really filthy before the wet clean process) the threat of cross contamination is negligible. As an example, an almost new record cleaned on the Monks with Nitty Gritty Fluid (without a rinse) sounded noticeably better when cleaned a week or two later with the KAB using RRL Super Vinyl Wash followed with a lab grade water rinse, which is now my standard cleaning procedure. There are two pieces of info to be taken from this in my opinion and they are: 1) that as I said above, the issue of cross contamination if you're using a bit of common sense is negligible and 2) as Mike and I said previously, selection of cleaning fluids and/or cleaning regime is just as important as cleaning hardware.

I am in no way trying to knock the Monks or the Loricraft; my intention is only to make someone new to cleaning vinyl aware of the fact that they can get very high quality cleaning with a bit of effort and a relatively modest financial outlay.

Hdm's reasons for not buying a Loricraft/Monks are quite reasonable, for him and his priorities. OTOH, like Mikelavigne I would never go backwards from my PRC3 to any wand-based design. The Loricraft's ease-of-use, quieter operation and 0% cross-contamination risk make it one of my "never sell" components.

From this discussion it's reasonable to deduce two sensible RCM strategies. One is acquisition-cost concious, the other demands best possible performance.

Those in the cost-concious camp can choose between DIY, KAB, NG or (at most) a VPI 16.5. To spend more than $500 on such a design would be unproductive. The VPI 17.5 is nearly as costly as a PRC3 and it's nowhere near as good. The Clearaudio Matrix is overpriced for an inherently inferior technical design, no matter how well made it is.

Those in the ultimate-performance camp can take the Loricraft model of their choice. A Monks will clean no better, though the two-platter models would clean faster. This should only matter to those with extremely large collections who intend to use a RCM in an intensive effort to clean thousands of LP's as quickly as possible.

Having built a DIY cleaner - and having modest but not abysmal skills - and now having a low-end NG, the NG is clearly better - easier to use, better contact point materials (where lp meets suction), smaller footprint, etc, etc. The main thing one has to be aware of with the NG is keeping this contact point clean.

Why not a Ultrasonic cleaner plus a vacuum type machine? This combination will definitely stands out most (all maybe?) vinyl cleaning method. Ultrasonic is safe to groove and very powerful to get everything out of the groove, and NO special cleaning fluid needed so you can just using warm water. There are many lab grade ultrasonic cleaners available on eBay cost from $250~600 depends on power and size. Once you have the vinyl cleaned by ultrasonic you can dry it by a vacuum type machine. If there still audibly noise then nothing on this planet can fix it.