HumminGuru Tips: Get Better Record Cleaning Results
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- In this video I share my experience with the HumminGuru ultrasonic record cleaning machine, including a couple of tips to help you get the best possible results from this affordable entry into all-in-one ultrasonic record cleaning.
This includes adding the GrooveWasher G-Sonic record cleaning fluid to the HumminGuru water tank, which helps to break the water surface tension and improve cleaning and drying.
For the best results with this machine, I recommend a pre-clean of used records in particular.
Resources & Links: (AAL = Amazon Affiliate Link)
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HumminGuru from TTL: www.turntablel...
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Thanks for watching! Do drop your comments and questions below. If you'd like to support the channel, check the video description for many DISCOUNT CODES codes to enjoy money off various products and feed your vinyl habit! (I earn a small commission - no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!
Well, I tried to order the G-Sonic Ultrasonic Concentrate, only to be informed shipping was not available. I live in UK.
I agree a quick manual pre-clean is essential for dirtier records, it only takes a minute and also keeps the excess dirt/grime out of your HG which is beneficial.
💯- thanks for joining the discussion. Happy spinning 🎶🎧
I have the HumminGuru myself BECAUSE of the fact the Degritter is outrageously over priced! I absolutely love my HumminGuru & have had it now for almost 2 years. Mine came with the HumminGuru cleaning solvent & I actually bought another bottle in case I run out of the bottle that came with it. I have been nothing but shocked & awed at how wonderfully it has been working for me. I think it's kind of expensive too, but I also believe "you get what you pay for."
Yes. The HumminGuru is great fro the price. The Degritter is so nice though (I get that it's expensive, but I love it). Regarding the cleaning fluid, I very much trust the GroooveWasher version more than the HumminGuru copy; particularly considering they had one before HumminGuru + they actually specialise in developing those products.
See my post above. You have been placebo effect fooled like everyone else. It may look better and possibly even sound a little better but don't pin that on "ultrasonic cleaning".
@@stillaliveandwell5291 I can't find your post anywhere, care to reshare the info?
I think this is sage advice, for those of us who can’t afford a much more expensive machine, or devote the time and effort that the Kirmuss system involves.
Glad it helped. Happy spinning 🎶🎧
0:37 "I think it's one of the best record cleaning machines I've ever tried." For $3500 it f*cking better be!
I can concur with your findings. I have tried it both with and without a drop of G-Sonic in the basin, and the results are clearly better with a single drop added. The surfaces are repeated quieter with blacker backgrounds.
Thanks for watching and for your comment. Indeed: doesn't work so well without it. Happy spinning
Makes good sense to help this little "cleaner that could" do its job. The issue with ultrasonic cleaners I've seen on various forums is that ones like the Degritter have much larger power supplies (not low power wall warts) and they provide a much higher level of cavitation that creates the bubbles which get down in the record grooves and do the cleaning. Sometimes you do get what you pay for. However, I'd love to see something in between these two in price without all the bells and whistles of the Degritter, but provides a good level of power and cavitation such that one pass would do the job. I have a vacuum record cleaning machine that I can use to pre-clean and then dry the records just fine and don't mind taking a little more time.
Absolutely, a mid-way product would be interesting. I find the HumminGuru is a little under-powered, but it does give people an affordable option with relatively low fuss. Thanks for watching and for your editions. I would still use my VCM also as part of the process with very dirty records if only I could find space to have it set up ready to go! Happy listening
@soundmatters For me, I have used a wide variety of cleaning regimens, from the Disc Doctor manual system (very effective, but time and labor intensive) to vacuum style cleaners (a Monk machine with their record fluid - astonishingly good) to the Degritter to the HG. If needed, I now use a Record Doctor vacuum machine to preclean, but most of the time, I only use the HG (w/G-Sonic) and it's about as good as anything I've tried. It has even gotten off fingerprints.
I know that the Degritter is a more sophisticated piece of kit in its design, and I haven't made a comparison side-by-side with the HG, but the very quiet, velvety black backgrounds I seek I have been able to get with the HG.
Hi, great ideo again. The HG is a good budget unit but as you say you do need to pre-clean as you should do with all ultrasonic units. For a pre-clean I use a motorized vinyl style unit. I have built my own unit that runs three frequencies 80, 120, 220 khz which is set to run at ten minutes at each frequency. The higher the number the smaller the bubble and the deeper the bubble get inti the groove. Most commercial units run 40khz because that is the industry standard for cleaning auto parts, medical equip and jewelry. There is a theory that 40khz/200+watts units may cause damage to records if used multiple times on same record, which is where the HG has an advantage in that it runs lower wattage so it should not cause a problem if used often on the same record. The Degritter is a far better unit than the HG, but the cost is a major problem. In Australia since I can get a HG with extra tank, and all accessories for around $800aud from Amazon, whereas the Degritter with extra tank and record size accessories comes in at $5,600+aud. Makes it rather expensive. A friend of mine has the HG and it works ok but you do have to use a surfactant and pre-clean and also a pos clean rinse in clean DS water to get te surfactant off the records.
Thanks for watching and your addition to the topic. Yea, I’ve heard similar theories about 40Hz. I’ve not way to test that of yet though. I’ve ended up with a Degritter, but yes, very expensive. I agree with your comment about how you can make the HG get very good results for much less.
I have one and really like it. It definitely works better with a surfactant and I use the HumminGuru brand. 1-2 drops only. I pre clean all my records before the ultrasonic step and they come out pristine. Even used dirty vinyl cleans up very well.
Cool. Glad it's working well for you. The pre-clean step definitely helps a lot. Enjoy the music!
Hello, and thank you for very clear pictures as an evidence of a need of surfactant.
When I clean records with HumminGuru I prepare mixture of water/ethanol/surfactant (Drywell from Fujifilm; Ilford should work too) in 5/5/1. I spray the mixture 1 ml per face, and spread it over the face with a cheap cheek brush. I don't put a surfactant in the tank (my comment doesn't work for your commission, sorry for this).
LP surface looked perfectly hydrophilic at the beginning of ultrasonic process, but turned to nearly hydrophobic after 3min cleaning. So, any debris or soluble matter on the surface was removed. Surfactant on the surface did not remain, and dried surface was hydrophobic. Oh by the way I put a piece of paper on the surface just 1 round upon drying.
I change lukewarm water every time. I use a tap water with a built-in filtration system in my kitchen. In reality, Japanese tap water is soft enough and clean enough to use even without a filtration system.
Anyway, HumminGuru is a good maschine, not so effective on insoluble gummy stuff though, and worth far more than its price.
Spin Clean in distilled, Humminguru with TergiKleen surfactant, post rinse in Spin Clean with fresh rank of distilled. Zero issues and best possible results IMO.
That’s what I plan on doing, seeing as I already use a dual SpinClean setup for cleaning the records I sell in my store. Oh, and if they’re really gross, a quick rinse in the sink first to get the loose crud off.
I use the groove washer sonic cleaner in an amazon ultra sonic tank with a slow speed motor to turn the record. I do 30 mins runs on Discogs records and my 50-year stuff I had in High school. New stuff gets a 15 min bath with no scrub than I have an 8oz lab bottle to do a distilled water raise Dry them off with a clean microfiber towel that is just for cleaning and drying Records. I also use a small 100x microscope to check the Groove down inside to see what kind of job it does. On the microscope I can see 10 groove wide. Most of the time I will only see a flake or too or just clean with no trace of dust. I will also pre scrub with Triton X and 2% 99.9 ISA with an edge painter flat brush which tracks the groove perfectly. They come out Very Clean and Shining like a New car.
I'm not having good luck with my HumminGuru and older records at all. Newer records, under 10-20 years is usually no problem. I bought 1970s version of "Fly Like an Eagle" and "Rumors." Cleaned them both multiple times on the long clean and dry with the HumminGuru Anti-Static Vinyl Record Cleaning Agent. The records look very clean and nearly new now, but they still have cracking and popping noises all over the place. Filters are clean as well. Also, whenever I look at the water tank, it's basically the same as when I put it in there. I'm using fresh distilled water, 3 drops of the cleaning agent. Even did 2 long wet clean cycles, followed by a long wet clean and dry combo cycle.
I looked in your description and couldn't find a recommendation for a precleaning kit. So, I just purchased the highest rated one on Amazon. Hopefully a preclean with that, a wet clean, followed by a dual cycle clean of the HumminGuru will do that trick. If not, I'm really going to be sad with the results. I can't afford a degritter.
If after cleaning using everything you say and there are still pops, clicks and crackles it could well be that that because of the age of the records the grooves could well be damaged, if that is the case there is no repair for it other than to use a Puffin noise filter to blank out the clicks, crackles and pops. Most people in the 70's used radiograms and console units that did not get regular stylus replacement. Worn out stylus will badly damage the grooves causing crackles, clicks and pops.
I use their surfactant ($30.00) and get excellent results. Four or five drops seems good. I put a couple more in @10 records and change it @20. This seems a reasonable units with the cost of vinyl these days. 😊
Perhaps over the top, I built a vacuum machine with the vinyl vac, do a clean with a surfactant/detergent mix, rinse/vacuum, the tergikleen, rinse/vacuum … then a rinse in the humminguru, w/ a very small amount of iso alcohol.
If it works, great. Everyone has there own cleaning routing. Thanks for watching and enjoy the music!
Fyi Tergikleen requires a rinse with distilled water, as per the instructions.
I used to use a vinyl stack with a 10L ultrasonic tank but ive found I get just as good results if not better with my Pro-ject VC-S2 ALU.
Step 1, clean with pro-ject wash it and vacuum
Step 2, clean with Tergikleen/Ilfotol mix and Vacuum.
Step 3 distilled rinse/brush and vacuum.
Cool, yea: there is certainly more than one way to shine a penny as the saying goes. Happy listening!
I use a tiny amount of JetDry as my surfactant in the Humminguru. Works quite well.
Interesting. A dishwasher product
I made my own cleaning solution. Distilled water+ 1/5 of the amount of water but of surfactant and some isopropilic alcohol. Use is with a sprayer on the vinyl and clean it in a circular motion with one of those velvet cleaners. Wipe then with a microfiber towel and leave it dry. Very good results. The stylus have to be clean after or during the listening. You will see the dirt from the vinyl on the stylus.
Just add a drop of ILFORD ILFOTOL to the water in the Humminguru washer. It costs around £25 per litre. It will last a lifetime.
Thanks for the video. I feel that Humminguru wants to prevent shady mix in order to avoid problems. Like, I wouldn't put alcohol. Seems risky to dry out some washer or seal inside the machine.
I personally go with a real sonic machine for the first time, and use Humminguru before every listening after that.
I use the same process and products. Pre clean with G2 spray and one drop g-sonic in the tank. With new vinyl I skip the pre clean.
That makes sense. No need for the pre-clean with new wax. 👍
Actually, new vinyl oftentimes has a lot of mold release agents on it (depending on what company did the pressings). Doesn't hurt do to a pre-clean.
I do those things you mentioned with great results. Have you ever had the Guru leak half the fluid when draining to thereservoir ? Every now and then mine will leak along the bottom edges.
I’ve not had that happen when I’ve used it, no. I wonder if it’s just a loose connection somewhere?
While I absolutely agree with the need to add something like G-Sonic fluid to maximize its effectiveness, I've never had an issue with residual dust. Admittedly, for a VERY dirty record, I'll do a preclean, but for new to average used records, I've never had an issue. I do humidify my room, so static is kept down. I'm just wondering if there's something else in your room that is contributing. Because the result of my HG use is usually absolutely clean and,
more importantly, quiet surfaces.
Hello from Argentina, I bought a humminguru about three weeks ago, and what happened to me now is that the discs stopped rotating, I changed the wheels on the sides but the discs still don't rotate... I would like to know if you can tell me how to fix it... thank you very much.
Hey. Thanks for watching. This should be covered under under warranty I should think. I would contact them directly
As a Humminguru owner also, quick question: when you add the cleaner to the tank, how many cycles would you do with that tank? Generally with just distilled water on new LP or pre-washed ones, I do about ten. But I'm curious to know how much cycles you guys would recommend.
And a side question: have any of you found an alternative to their water filter? I'm running low and I find the prices for replacements a little excessive. Was also wondering if there was a better filter as well.
Thanks a bunch
Thanks for your comment. I think 10 is a good benchmark. Check if the water looks visibly dirty regularly. It does depend on how dirty the records are though, so there isn't a concrete number as such. Sadly I don't know of another source for the filters.
@user-pb6nh7pm2v Thank you for your reply.
So, no filter but you replace the water in the tank every record. I guess that could work. You're right, the price of distilled water (at least in the US) makes it affordable.
Now if you use an additive in the tank even at a few drops per tank, one need to do the math.
Have you seen the German guy that made a mode to automatically refill the ultrasound bath? Doing so he's bypassing those filters automatically but it seems complicated to build and way out of my capabilities to built. But I'm glad it exists. Hopefully, someone will come out with a pre made kit that is easier to install (video on YT @good-vinyl_de)
One comment has an interesting way of using the HG. It's to wash the whole batch of records in a row and storing them on a rack, then do a rinse wash/dry cycle for each. I like the concept especially with using an additive but this is tedious since you need to be hands-on to cancel the drain of the bath for each record (for the 1st step).
Do these kind of machines actually work. we have records that go back to the late 1960s and they do not have scratches on them but they have crazy static that we just cannot remove no matter what we do. will these type of machines help with that. thanks for any suggestions.
Yes: though on very dirty records you might find you benefit or need to pre-clean by hand before finishing off in a machine like this. The Degritter is better (I have both and reviewed both) but the latter is much more expensive. You can get great results with the HumminGuru with a pre-clean first. Hope this helps
So... this or Pro-Ject VC-S3? Or any other suggestions in this price range?
Pros & cons. As a one step process, the VC-S3 or VC-E are overall better, as I find the HumminGuru benefits from pre-cleaning the records by hand first. However, the vacuum machines are much louder - so there is that to consider too.
@@soundmatters Interesting. So a vacuum cleaner beats an ultrasonic cleaner. That's actually a good news for me, living in the EU. Pro-Ject is definitely more accessible for me. I don't really care about noise. Only quality of cleaning and reliability. Unfortunately I read about quite a lot of dead VS-S2s. Hopefully S3 lasts longer. Anyway, thanks for you response and sharing your personal experience.
Should I still use a surfactant if I'm only doing a manual clean such as with the spin clean?
Spin clean provide a cleaning solution that you apply to the pads. In this case, I would just stick to that. I still have my spin clean, it’s a great affordable option for bulk cleaning and getting started out
@@soundmattersyes, especially when you use two, as I do, wash then rinse.
The influence of the cavitation doesn't actually depend on the water being in contact with the vinyl to disturb the gunk, a close explosion is likely to be good enough. Just like a grenade exploding in an enclosed space. There's very little in the scientific literature about cleaning plastic with a/s per se even less about the influenbce of surfactant.
Am considering adding the Groovewasher Sonic solution to my Humminguru, but am afraid it may leave residue behind.
Have you found this to be the case?
I've never noticed an discernible residue. If you're worried, you can add a secondary rinse step, but it all depends on how much time you have on your hands really. Just make sure that you don't add too much. As I say, just one drop in the HumminGuru tank is enough to break the water surface tension. That's all you want to do, as the cleaning results with distilled water aren't great (due to the water not covering the record evenly). Hope this helps
@@soundmatters I'm currently using the Humminguru as the last step of a wet cleaning process. Basically, it's a glorified rinse. Seems like such a waste. I'm going to try the Groovewasher sonic. Just a drop. Thanks
Could I use the G3 cleaner then run it through the humminguru with the G-Sonic additive added to the tank? Will the humminguru act as the rinse stage without damaging the machine, or should i rinse the G3 off the record first?
Perhaps I should just use the G2 first as suggested in this video......
I think it's you were to use G3, you'd be advised to rinse after. I'd just use G2 personally if you're going to run it through the HumminGuru afterwards.
@@soundmatters thanks.
Hey ultrasonic cleaner, I had anyone here horrible one record at a time it takes if you want the machine to dry it. It takes minutes 30 minutes. Almost to dryer record ridiculous one record at a time. 50% of your records will play through it the 50% of the have to change the wheels in the unit to accommodate the next LP, a lot of money or something that’s not worth it..