Love the record doc x! You’re the first reviewer on RUclips who got the entire process for this cleaner 100% right. 👍 I also stop the vacuum prior to stopping the motor. Great tip and Awesome video.
I use a "work" turntable to scrub in the cleaning fluid while rotating the platter. I then spray the muck off with distilled water then i transfer the record to the vacuum cleaning machine to vacuum the record dry. I use the manual model which means i turn the record by hand. The cleaning process consists of.... A record cleaning vacuum machine. A work turntable. A power cleaner (mold release agent) Record cleaning fluid. Record preservative.
Totally agree even new records should be cleaned. I see this device positioned between a spinclean and an ultrasonic. You have waded into a highly debated subject. I use a spinclean for all the records, new or used, that I buy. I use a Kirmuss ultrasonic cleaner for anything that needs more. Kirmuss requires a LOT of time, but really does improve sound quality and removes a significant number of pops and clicks. Always enjoy your videos👍
Pretty much the same for me, Record Doc VI, and Kirmuss. On used records usually use the Record Doc to get the grunge off, then the Kirmuss. On new mostly the just the Kirmuss. Destat static device and MoFi pad, goat hair brush and a Giotto bulb blower (a must) before I play a record. My main ICK (talking yo you Bob) are carbon fiber brushes, if you have a good turntable light, you would be shocked at how many fibers it leaves on the records.
To complete the set of machine types, I use a Loricraft Audio PRC3 (early model), 'string-type' point vacuum wand machine, similar to a classic Keith Monks, slightly more affordable though with manual fluid application (which many prefer). Expensive, but no-where near the price of a top-end ultrasonic - looking at you, KLaudio. Although I wouldn't say no to one of those, in addition to my Loricraft. Well 25 years ago, I used to dream of owning a Keith Monks (a friend owned one, and I used to pay to have my vinyl cleaned, one record at a time, with a Monks in a record shop. 50p per disc -new inner included- back then, last century.
Nice to see Schmilsson there in the background, Bob. I know I'm going to meet with disapproval, but... I do clean my records under the running luke-warm tap water + a little squeeze of washing-up liquid + a nylon washing-up brush rotated gently in the direction of the grooves. Rinse off completely, lay flat on a tea-towel, pat dry with kitchen paper towel. It's on 2nd-hand records that were given to me that are visibly dirty and audibly scratched-sounding. Nothing to lose. It's free. It works.
I started cleaning all albums by hand from day-1. I'd pick one of these up if I had a few stacks or crates to get through. Up to this point microfiber rags, distilled water, a wet & dry brush with fine hair that can get into the grooves, and a home-brew cleaning solution have worked well. 5-6 minutes per LP is normal and for used stock, cleaning is that last step of the revival/sound quality up leveling process. Hand cleaning isn't as quick but it does work. Don't be scared to build a good routine that works for you. Sometimes keeping the grooves wet to soften old grime is needed. Cleaning in general is worthwhile to get those old favorites back in service with a noticeable noise floor reduction. Nice video - good topic to touch on.
I picked one of these up last month, and I love the thing. I cleaned around 150 records last weekend, and it was a breeze. If you find that the brush is occasionally depositing hairs on the surface (as I did), you can pick up the brush that came with the RD6 (rather cheap), and it (to me, anyway) does a better job.
Quick question. When you apply liquid to one side of the record then flip it to the bottom side, and rotate your motor again, is that side you just applied liquid to touching the velvet essentially drying the record?
@@brandonpagano8948 it’s certainly not as wet as the upside, after applying the fluid to the other side, but it’s effectively further brushing the fluid into the grooves. It doesn’t completely dry either side until the vacuum is engaged.
Lol!! I have a spinclean contraption. Loved the vid. I once purchased a used CSN album that had some suspect whiteish powder in the gatefold. Love the dry rack idea!! Not to groan, (and I realize you're not pricing these) but that still seems like a bit much for what should be a pretty simple device.
@@UnitedStatesofAnalog ...and if it was too cheap I'd be worried that it would have too much suction and scratch the bejesus out of my records. Us audiophiles are so hard to satisfy!! Keep up the great work!!
I use a Pro-Ject record cleaner very similar to this. The vacuum tube pivots away from the record on mine so it is easier to put the record on it and take it off. It only vacuums one side at a time though. I usually clean a record just prior to playing it, that way I am sure it is dry before putting it away.
I had a VPI 16.5 for years. My only real complaint was flipping the relatively time consuming process of one side at a time. I'm reasonably sure I'm going to get this as the VPI replacement.
This looks like a pretty nice system. I use a Record Doctor VI for the initial cleaning. I also use the good old Discwasher + fluid and Zerostat before each play. That has worked well so far. But seeing the RD X in action, I like that it vacuums both sides of the record at the same time. I may also be turning the record too fast or too slow when I do it by hand.
Standard record brush, a few microfibre cloths and a big bottle of lens cleaner from the optometrists office. Works better than ay other cleaner I've used for vinyl. This new piece is inspiring some serious GAS though. Thanks Bobfather, awesome video. That Dylan record made me laugh seeing as I still have a few hundred record label sampler CDs like that from the 80s and early 90s.
I like it! If I didn't already own a VPI (that I got about 35 years ago), this one would be the one I'd buy. All records have mold release on the surface when they are new - otherwise the molten hot vinyl would stick to the stamper mold. Regular cleaning is good, because the stylus gets warm/hot too, and this can bond some dust particles into the grooves.
Very nice review. I’m surprised you feel the need to further air dry your records after running the RD X through its cycle. I have the 6 and never have had to let it dry further after going one direction twice and then backwards twice. Maybe the ability to control the spinning by hand is a plus?
I dry vacuum both sides using a Vinyl Vac to get the loose crud off, then in an ultrasound on a rotisserie (fits 3 records) with distilled water and TergiKleen for 15-20 minutes, then vacuum both sides off using the Vinyl Vac, rinse a side with distilled water and vacuum dry using the Vinyl Vac, flip and repeat.
Hey Bob! Have you ever tried wood glue on a record? I tried this a few times on garage sale vinyl and it seems to be a pretty good hack. Once the glue is dry you peel off a mirror print of the record … kinda cool. I used Titebond Premium (blue label) with a spatula to get an even coat on the record. So, is this a good idea?
Te Biggest problem with New Records is the Release Agent ! Also my opinion is after using the Cleaner, is that I spray a mixture of the Cleaner , like 2 or 3 drops in 8 ounces of Distilled water and do a second cycle to take the rest out and off!
@@UnitedStatesofAnaloglook at my comment again I edited while you were responding! Anyhow the Vinyl release is a necessary evil , it's probably much like Pam though!! Wait Who's Pam - LOL (Been hanging around Lenny's channels too long!!)
The only thing I’m confused about is when you add liquid to one side then flip, does that side of the record touch the velvet brushes on the bottom? If it does, aren’t you undoing what you just did to the top side when rotating the motor? I hope that question made sense lol
I have a record doctor V and use GrooveWasher cleaning fluid to clean them. I use "Invest In Vinyl" inner and outer sleeves to store them. It works GREAT, but I'll probably add a Humming Guru ultrasonic cleaner for a final clean after the record doc. Do I need it? No. Do I want it? Yes. :) And I never drink when I'm cleaning records. It's too risky - I might drop or scratch a record. EDIT - I follow the Groove Washer clean with a spritz of distilled water, a quick wipe with a carbon brush, and another quick vacuum. Its works great.
"I think it works. It can give you peace of mind anyway." Yep, that seems about all. I bought one for the 60 day Crutchfield trial. Cleaned fine but I only noticed an improvement in sound of about one out of seven or eight records. Maybe. Had my wife do a blind listening test for me for sound improvement - I failed. Also, the motor torque is so low my machine wouldn't vacuum in one of the directions. I had to push it by hand. I live in Arizona where the humidity is very low. I found the back side of the wetted record would start drying before I could do the other side and start the machine. The fluid got tacky. This can't be good. Did one final blind listening test - I failed again. Sent the machine back.
If there isn't enough torque to turn the record automatically, then you don't have the center hub tight enough. These is key and has been mentioned in other vids on the RDX.
@@MartyHalpern Yeah, I tried that, too. The manual says to "not turn the hub too tight" but I tighten it good anyway. Sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. Didn't want to over torque it.
Still a little pricey for my taste, got an ultrasonic cleaner and amazon for $200. I can do 4 records at a time, although they clean 6 I think, I like to leave more of a gap between them. Plus it did come with a drying rack.
Be careful not to damage record label when cleaning. Water will damage the paper of some labels. I have older version of record doctor that's how I know.
Handling vinyl records, cleaning vinyl records, listening to vinyl records... It's a Zen experience. Popping a CD into a slot? -- my 4-year-old granddaughter can do that with her Disney Princess CD!
Nice to see Schmilsson there in the background, Bob. I know I'm going to meet with disapproval, but... I do clean my records under the running luke-warm tap water + a little squeeze of washing-up liquid + a nylon washing-up brush rotated gently in the direction of the grooves. Rinse off completely, lay flat on a tea-towel, pat dry with kitchen paper towel. It's on 2nd-hand records that were given to me that are visibly dirty and audibly scratched-sounding. Nothing to lose. It's free. It works.
Love the record doc x! You’re the first reviewer on RUclips who got the entire process for this cleaner 100% right. 👍 I also stop the vacuum prior to stopping the motor. Great tip and Awesome video.
This is a great cleaner! I sure wouldn’t get the process right…
I use a "work" turntable to scrub in the cleaning fluid while rotating the platter. I then spray the muck off with distilled water then i transfer the record to the vacuum cleaning machine to vacuum the record dry. I use the manual model which means i turn the record by hand.
The cleaning process consists of....
A record cleaning vacuum machine.
A work turntable.
A power cleaner (mold release agent)
Record cleaning fluid.
Record preservative.
Totally agree even new records should be cleaned. I see this device positioned between a spinclean and an ultrasonic. You have waded into a highly debated subject. I use a spinclean for all the records, new or used, that I buy. I use a Kirmuss ultrasonic cleaner for anything that needs more. Kirmuss requires a LOT of time, but really does improve sound quality and removes a significant number of pops and clicks. Always enjoy your videos👍
Pretty much the same for me, Record Doc VI, and Kirmuss.
On used records usually use the Record Doc to get the grunge off, then the Kirmuss. On new mostly the just the Kirmuss.
Destat static device and MoFi pad, goat hair brush and a Giotto bulb blower (a must) before I play a record.
My main ICK (talking yo you Bob) are carbon fiber brushes, if you have a good turntable light, you would be shocked at how many fibers it leaves on the records.
A 3-machine cleaning system is obscene.
To complete the set of machine types, I use a Loricraft Audio PRC3 (early model), 'string-type' point vacuum wand machine, similar to a classic Keith Monks, slightly more affordable though with manual fluid application (which many prefer). Expensive, but no-where near the price of a top-end ultrasonic - looking at you, KLaudio. Although I wouldn't say no to one of those, in addition to my Loricraft. Well 25 years ago, I used to dream of owning a Keith Monks (a friend owned one, and I used to pay to have my vinyl cleaned, one record at a time, with a Monks in a record shop. 50p per disc -new inner included- back then, last century.
I do clean my records! I have used a mixture of Simple Green for decades, and it works really well.
Nice to see Schmilsson there in the background, Bob.
I know I'm going to meet with disapproval, but... I do clean my records under the running luke-warm tap water + a little squeeze of washing-up liquid + a nylon washing-up brush rotated gently in the direction of the grooves. Rinse off completely, lay flat on a tea-towel, pat dry with kitchen paper towel. It's on 2nd-hand records that were given to me that are visibly dirty and audibly scratched-sounding. Nothing to lose. It's free. It works.
I started cleaning all albums by hand from day-1. I'd pick one of these up if I had a few stacks or crates to get through. Up to this point microfiber rags, distilled water, a wet & dry brush with fine hair that can get into the grooves, and a home-brew cleaning solution have worked well. 5-6 minutes per LP is normal and for used stock, cleaning is that last step of the revival/sound quality up leveling process. Hand cleaning isn't as quick but it does work. Don't be scared to build a good routine that works for you. Sometimes keeping the grooves wet to soften old grime is needed. Cleaning in general is worthwhile to get those old favorites back in service with a noticeable noise floor reduction. Nice video - good topic to touch on.
I picked one of these up last month, and I love the thing. I cleaned around 150 records last weekend, and it was a breeze. If you find that the brush is occasionally depositing hairs on the surface (as I did), you can pick up the brush that came with the RD6 (rather cheap), and it (to me, anyway) does a better job.
Luckily I have a 6 too!
Quick question. When you apply liquid to one side of the record then flip it to the bottom side, and rotate your motor again, is that side you just applied liquid to touching the velvet essentially drying the record?
@@brandonpagano8948 it’s certainly not as wet as the upside, after applying the fluid to the other side, but it’s effectively further brushing the fluid into the grooves. It doesn’t completely dry either side until the vacuum is engaged.
@@christopherklinck amazing! Thank you for the quick reply
Lol!! I have a spinclean contraption. Loved the vid. I once purchased a used CSN album that had some suspect whiteish powder in the gatefold. Love the dry rack idea!! Not to groan, (and I realize you're not pricing these) but that still seems like a bit much for what should be a pretty simple device.
Yeah. It's right on that outside edge, price wise!
@@UnitedStatesofAnalog ...and if it was too cheap I'd be worried that it would have too much suction and scratch the bejesus out of my records. Us audiophiles are so hard to satisfy!! Keep up the great work!!
I use a Pro-Ject record cleaner very similar to this. The vacuum tube pivots away from the record on mine so it is easier to put the record on it and take it off. It only vacuums one side at a time though. I usually clean a record just prior to playing it, that way I am sure it is dry before putting it away.
I had a VPI 16.5 for years. My only real complaint was flipping the relatively time consuming process of one side at a time. I'm reasonably sure I'm going to get this as the VPI replacement.
This looks like a pretty nice system. I use a Record Doctor VI for the initial cleaning. I also use the good old Discwasher + fluid and Zerostat before each play. That has worked well so far. But seeing the RD X in action, I like that it vacuums both sides of the record at the same time. I may also be turning the record too fast or too slow when I do it by hand.
I do clean my records with a Watson's vacuum recordcleaner. I use L'Art du Son record fluid.
Basic clean of every disc before I play it, I’ve used the same Discwasher and Zero Stat that I bought in the 80s.
That dog looks high lol 👀
Standard record brush, a few microfibre cloths and a big bottle of lens cleaner from the optometrists office. Works better than ay other cleaner I've used for vinyl. This new piece is inspiring some serious GAS though. Thanks Bobfather, awesome video.
That Dylan record made me laugh seeing as I still have a few hundred record label sampler CDs like that from the 80s and early 90s.
I like it! If I didn't already own a VPI (that I got about 35 years ago), this one would be the one I'd buy.
All records have mold release on the surface when they are new - otherwise the molten hot vinyl would stick to the stamper mold.
Regular cleaning is good, because the stylus gets warm/hot too, and this can bond some dust particles into the grooves.
Very nice review. I’m surprised you feel the need to further air dry your records after running the RD X through its cycle. I have the 6 and never have had to let it dry further after going one direction twice and then backwards twice. Maybe the ability to control the spinning by hand is a plus?
Better safe than sorry. Not too much extra work to do that!
I dry vacuum both sides using a Vinyl Vac to get the loose crud off, then in an ultrasound on a rotisserie (fits 3 records) with distilled water and TergiKleen for 15-20 minutes, then vacuum both sides off using the Vinyl Vac, rinse a side with distilled water and vacuum dry using the Vinyl Vac, flip and repeat.
Pro!!!
Why does the Record Doctor X spin so much slower than the Vacuum Project record cleaning machine?
I'm assuming different motors. I wonder if faster is better?
Hey Bob! Have you ever tried wood glue on a record? I tried this a few times on garage sale vinyl and it seems to be a pretty good hack. Once the glue is dry you peel off a mirror print of the record … kinda cool. I used Titebond Premium (blue label) with a spatula to get an even coat on the record. So, is this a good idea?
I have the Record Dr V $299. To jump to this one it's twice as much. Good units but for me I'll keep putting my Dr V to work.
Yeah... you're in good shape!
Te Biggest problem with New Records is the Release Agent !
Also my opinion is after using the Cleaner, is that I spray a mixture of the Cleaner , like 2 or 3 drops in 8 ounces of Distilled water and do a second cycle to take the rest out and off!
Do the use PAM? It's probably something similar!
@@UnitedStatesofAnaloglook at my comment again I edited while you were responding! Anyhow the Vinyl release is a necessary evil , it's probably much like Pam though!! Wait Who's Pam - LOL (Been hanging around Lenny's channels too long!!)
what are the frequencies of the dual frequency vibrations
The only thing I’m confused about is when you add liquid to one side then flip, does that side of the record touch the velvet brushes on the bottom? If it does, aren’t you undoing what you just did to the top side when rotating the motor? I hope that question made sense lol
I have a record doctor V and use GrooveWasher cleaning fluid to clean them. I use "Invest In Vinyl" inner and outer sleeves to store them. It works GREAT, but I'll probably add a Humming Guru ultrasonic cleaner for a final clean after the record doc. Do I need it? No. Do I want it? Yes. :) And I never drink when I'm cleaning records. It's too risky - I might drop or scratch a record. EDIT - I follow the Groove Washer clean with a spritz of distilled water, a quick wipe with a carbon brush, and another quick vacuum. Its works great.
Ive been using a KAB EV-1 for years. Its a great option too
I use the Kirmuss system. Works fantastic
"I think it works. It can give you peace of mind anyway." Yep, that seems about all. I bought one for the 60 day Crutchfield trial. Cleaned fine but I only noticed an improvement in sound of about one out of seven or eight records. Maybe. Had my wife do a blind listening test for me for sound improvement - I failed. Also, the motor torque is so low my machine wouldn't vacuum in one of the directions. I had to push it by hand.
I live in Arizona where the humidity is very low. I found the back side of the wetted record would start drying before I could do the other side and start the machine. The fluid got tacky. This can't be good. Did one final blind listening test - I failed again. Sent the machine back.
If there isn't enough torque to turn the record automatically, then you don't have the center hub tight enough. These is key and has been mentioned in other vids on the RDX.
@@MartyHalpern Yeah, I tried that, too. The manual says to "not turn the hub too tight" but I tighten it good anyway. Sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. Didn't want to over torque it.
Still a little pricey for my taste, got an ultrasonic cleaner and amazon for $200. I can do 4 records at a time, although they clean 6 I think, I like to leave more of a gap between them. Plus it did come with a drying rack.
I've cleaned my records even when it wasn't Kool 😊
I'm still playing CDs with it not being cool 👍
Holy Schmoly 600 buckaroonies for this Doctor. Wow.
Be careful not to damage record label when cleaning. Water will damage the paper of some labels. I have older version of record doctor that's how I know.
Just get the collection on CD and stop wasting time messing around with vinyl... Pops, clicks and surface noise.... Who needs that trash?! 👎
Handling vinyl records, cleaning vinyl records, listening to vinyl records... It's a Zen experience. Popping a CD into a slot? -- my 4-year-old granddaughter can do that with her Disney Princess CD!
Nice to see Schmilsson there in the background, Bob.
I know I'm going to meet with disapproval, but... I do clean my records under the running luke-warm tap water + a little squeeze of washing-up liquid + a nylon washing-up brush rotated gently in the direction of the grooves. Rinse off completely, lay flat on a tea-towel, pat dry with kitchen paper towel. It's on 2nd-hand records that were given to me that are visibly dirty and audibly scratched-sounding. Nothing to lose. It's free. It works.