The HumminGuru And The Cleaning Controversy
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- Опубліковано 21 січ 2023
- The HumminGuru And The Cleaning Controversy. So last week there was A lot of talk about ultrasonic cleaning in the Viny Community. The rub was use of surfactants.... Heres my take on the HumminGuru, my approch and what I put in my ultrasonic cleaner. #ultrasoniccavitation #vinylcommunity #vinylfinds #recordcollecting #ultrasonicrecordcleaning
Originally I had a longer Sound clip for comparision, youtube was not happy so all you get is the run in. Cheers Bob
Bob. I like your point about getting the last 10% of dirt/grime out on records I’ve already cleaned.👍👍
Nice job, Bob. I recently picked up a HumminGuru as well, ordered in early December and arrived early January. I’m happy with the results as well. I checked in on HumminGuru web store as I was listening to last week’s conversation and the unit only version (no 10” or 7” adapters) is now sold out. - Mike
Nice video, Bob. Thorough and direct to the point
Much appreciated Felipe :)
I enjoyed your concise review and demo regarding "The HumminGuru And The Cleaning Controversy". Great stuff!
Much appreciated, trying to be as to the point as possible, salute!
I just got a Spin Clean machine. I've been cleaning my collection 30-40 records at a time. It's not ultrasonic but does the trick for my purposes. Cheers Bob! -Jay
That’s the ticket jay as long as it works for you, cheers
Each process offers a different level of clean. The cleaner the record, the more of the nuance of the music in the groove gets revealed. The higher level of resolution to your system and ears, the more you appreciate the quieter surfaces and lower noise floor. It's particularly appreciated with jazz, classical, and simple folk music. Instruments and voices arise out of a blacker background so that the start of the sound of an instrument or voice is more apparent. The way the person produced a note is more revealed. Small, low level nuances are there where they might not have before.
The better cleaning regimens allow more of all the above. Reducing or eliminating ticks and pops is one thing. Better cleaning can get beyond that. Not everyone needs that, however.
@@jeffbellin8224 I think I'm going deaf anyway 😁
@TheHSIHP I'm waiting for an US cleaner for my ears.
@@jeffbellin8224 lol
I use a nitty gritty vacuum machine with a distilled water tergisol fluid. Works great. Clearly cleans lps. Very happy.
Bob- really enjoyed the video- would you be so kind and put a link as to where you purchased your Humminguru machine-thanks
If you want best results, you gotta change the water every record.
Ever since I used my first ultrasonic cleaner - the Audiodesk - 10+ years ago and compared results to regular wet-wash methods, including the often revered by audiofools, er, files, Loricraft, I have said that in principal, an ultrasonic cleaner will beat a wet-wash cleaner any day of the week, by virtue of simply being able to do what no wet-wash cleaner can do: get inside the grooves to eject dust and dirt. Your video simply proves this out - good stuff B!
Absolutely Danny, with this sometimes difficult and fussy media it’s nice to be able to have a machine that get down in those grooves and gets the stuff we can’t see. Cheers my friend .
thanks for your indepth review! but who is playing the background music? thanks😀
Humming Guru in my future--bit after the move to Tennessee..one less thing to move!--Currently using the method of Patrick(Vinyl Archivist)... time consuming but good.
Thanks for the info!!!
JG
Patrick knows his stuff, and I bet those records are clean Jack! The humminguru is a great little machine. We’ll see how much we can all beat on them before they explode :) cheers Jack!
I just got my HGuru a few weeks ago as well. I'm using ilfotol and tergikleen with distilled water and well, let's hope in 20 years my records don't turn to dust! What I like about having this machine is that I can confidently take a new $50 audiophile album and drop it in there and know that I'm not likely making it any worse. My old wet cleaning, no vacuum method definitely left some microfiber towel stuff in the grooves. Nice review Bob. I feel like all the hoopla about cleaning agents that was discussed last week was a bit overblown.
Thanks and agree 100%
I would like to hear a "before" recording following the wash in the sink. A basic wet wash gets you most of the way there anyway, and there is no substitute for a proper cleaning regiment. I do agree with your final point - that the ultrasonic cleaner is ideal for a quick wet clean that you don't have to do much of anything for a record that's already mostly clean anyway from proper care.
I'd love to hear about where you got that record shelving sitting behind you. I'm looking to upgrade my current storage/shelving situation and your setup looks modular, if i'm eyeballing it correctly, and perfect for a modest collection of records, box sets, and other media.
It’s just the Kallax from ikea🤘🏼
Cool video. Thanks for this Bob. I cleaned OG monos Pepper Uk and US Bookends. And a massive improvement. Starting g now with distilled water only unless a records needs much more TLC ✌🏻
Thanks Mazzy, and that seems to be the best approach, more if you need more :) cheers
Back in the olden days of the VC there were a lot of videos about record cleaning. I've done 3 or 4 myself. I missed the Fremer thing.
Yeah absolutely Richard, Record cleaning people get passionate about it lol! Cheers my friend
I use a few drops of Ilford wetting agent and a few drops of ultra pure isopropyl alcohol to each bath of steam distilled deionized water in my humming guru. It works like a charm. Getting far better results than just water. I note that Humming guru are now offering a cleaning fluid additive when initially it was water only recommended. So I guess they have learned too.
I bought a DeGritter today and I can't wait. I've spent a lot of money on different products and spent a lot of time cleaning records. No more spending money on cleaners! I'm free!!!
Cheers to that!
Sounds good!
I use my ultrasonic machine as, kind of, an enhanced rinse cycle.
The LPs are hand cleaned with Record Dr. Solution, go into the ultrasonic machine three at a time, and then they are vacuumed dry on my Nitty Gritty.
Spectacular results with this system!
Dan
Sounds like a very Thorough method. Cheers
Great thoughts Bob. Was hoping you’d chime in on the drama 😜
You know, people get wrapped up, lol People been asking about the HumminGuru so I figured it was time :)
What is your background music? It's amazing.
Bob, I've been using mine for over a year now, and I'm pleased with it's performance. I use about 5-7 ml of degritter fluid in each tank. After cleaning over a hundred records, my conclusion (due to it's type of transducers) is that best results are achieved through 15 minutes of cleaning cycles for new, or barely used, records, and 25-30 mins of cleaning time for records that have audible problems unrelated to marks or groove wear (removable debris). It works, it just needs more time to show tangible results. Cheers.
Yeah It works great.
Just got one. So you're saying run new/good records through it 3 times, and run serious cracklers through 5-6 times?
How many times can you run a record through it before pausing for the drying cycle? I read that it can overheat.
Yes, 2 or 3 cycles (10-15 mins) for M/NM records, and 5-7 cycles for older/dirty ones. I usually wash a few records casually using this system and have never encountered any problems over two years of use.
Great video Bob, I hope you picked up the Billion Dollar Babies album.
Great video. I still haven’t seen anyone compare it to a vacum based machine. I have the Okki Nokki and it works great but just the thought of putting my records in and walk away makes a tingle in my tummy. But will it clean the record as afficiant as a vacum one? I don’t want to first use one then go to the Guru. It’s to much of a hassle.
Yeah sometimes record collecting is just too hard 😉 cheers.
That is my dream turntable.
For decades I've been cleaning records on my Nitty Gritty Record Master w/ various fluids from Mobile Fidelity. Then I got my ultra sonic from Vevor. Best $200 I ever spent. What shocked me the most was how much dirt I was getting off of brand new records. New records are dirty records.
There's a release agent added to help the records eject from the molds. That stuff does need to be cleaned off.
Thanks Bob for sharing your experience . You mentioned that you used a cleaning method in the past prior to getting the Hguru. Can you tell me what that was ? Is it just tap water and lint free cloth like you show in the video? But you do talk about a "vacuum" , I think . So what is that? Thanks
I have a record doctor as well, and I still use it distilled water and cleaning solution. Works well :)
I've been using my machine for about a year now and very happy with the results. Use only distilled water.
Cheers Ellis!
Rinse in tap water?
I feel so left out with my old school vpi. Nah I think I'm good but well done showing the difference / before and after. If these come down in price a bit I might go after one.
VPI is still a fantastic machine, but if you get a chance to add an ultrasonic it helps… sometimes records are just to hard Dom!
Tap water?!
Enjoyed the video my friend. If I had the extra $$ I would..but I will have to go old school and clean myself..LoL
Nothing wrong with old school, still a solid way to go. Cheers
Thanks for the demo! Seriously considering the Humminguru?
I really like it brooks, it’s already improved several of my more expensive records :)
I've been using the HG for a little bit. I have been putting a drop of G-Sonic (Groove Washer), and just using the HG with that drop of that drop of fluid in addition to the water sure does remove fingerprints, to my astonishment. So this machine works.
Now with VERY dirty records, I'm going to pretreat it by doing something like you did. I do have a Record Doctor manual vacuum cleaner with a good fluid does the trick.
Jeff I have a record doctor as well and do break it out on occasion for the Fillty ones.. I will try the groove washer liquid, I do like their products. Humminguru also makes an additive now that I may try. I’ve cleaned probably 250 records now with the HG and I really like it :) cheers!
Bob, in the past, I'd pull out a heavier-duty record cleaning fluid to get out fingerprints, a deep-clean fluid. I was surprised to see the HG w/a drop of G-Sonic take those off.
Without the G-Sonic (and it's the only one I've tried - HG used to recommend this one - and I've only cleaned a couple of dozen records so far), it doesn't look like the entire groove gets wet. And that makes me wonder if the HG can do as thorough a job without it.
Hi Bob. Thinking of buying one. How does this thing dry records? Is it a fan-driven process? Vacuum? I'm thinking it's fans and that is kinda a weak point, as debris and dirty water are not really being removed from the disc. Enlighten me my friend. Thanks. Ed from Chicago
Ed yes it air dries them, but I have to say so far I’ve probably cleaned 500 records and it’s doing very well. I take my time and I choose the longest cycles for cleaning and drying… if I pull a few records to listen I’ll clean one while listening to the other and then do the first one.. I’m making my way thought the collection without hammering the machine too hard. When I buy used records I will rinse off the loose debris just to keep the dirt level down before I put it in. The bubbles do all the work and it’s “blasting” the dirt out of the grooves. All I can say is I really appreciate how little I have to do to get a nicely cleaned record these days.. hope this helps cheers.
@@BOBBRADLEYCHANNEL Thanks a ton Bob. Big help. One last question, Does it remove fingerprints? Thanks again!
Nice video! I have the Degritter and will never look back. I agree that really dirty records needs a little pre-cleaning, but the ultrasonic is like the fine-tuning of cleaning. I would not recommend tap water on your records though since it mostly contains lots of mineral deposits that can be hard to remove, even with a ultrasonic cleaner. Use distilled water only.
Diegriter is a great machine is it cleaning at 125hz? Cheers
@@BOBBRADLEYCHANNEL The Mark 1 machine is 120Hz, the new Mark 2 has a sweep between 120 and 125Hz. According to Degritter this evens the cavitation energy distribution in the water, minimizing losses and giving an uniform cleaning action.
I use regular tap water to clean my records (78rpm shellac's).
Nice review. The Alice Cooper album was one of the first proper records I bought as a kid in the early seventies. Bought it on the strength of Schools Out and loved it. Don’t think my parents approved!
cheers to that! Alice is coming here soon, always a good time!
Hi Bob, great video as always, very interested in this machine cos the majority of ultrasonic cleaning machines are five times the price.
I'm currently using a Pro-Ject VS-C vacuum cleaner but I'm considering using the two in conjunction with each other. A bit similar to what you're doing. Will it make a difference to just a vacuum clean? Have you experimented? Many Thanks
Yes it makes a huge difference, when I do a full on clean… vacuum, cleaning solution, ultrasonic the results are great!
@@BOBBRADLEYCHANNEL cheers pal. Have a Pro-Ject VS-C vacuum cleaner but may add the ultrasonic cleaner if it makes a difference, cheers
I just use the vinyl-styl set when cleaning my LP's.
Josh Ward here....hey man. Hope u are good my man. I've got some records for ya to look over. Take what ya like.
What’s up Josh!
So if I understand this correctly, you can add up to 10% quality of that ultrasonic cleaning after you do a severe manual cleaning
🤔
Making the vinyl more quieter ?
Just remember it is just plastic at all, so it will degrade a little bit every further play/clean.
Add a little alcohol as a buffer. Also add a couple of drops of Kodak Photo-Flo to help the water dissipate during the drying cycle. Is that your entire record collection? If I just had that many, I probably wouldn't invest in an RCM. I have 4 times as many LP's as you are showing(then there are my 11K 7"-ers which I have inventoried), so, for me, an RCM is a necessity. Good video, thank you!
Na, that is not my entire collection just records I can easily point to lol. I have another cleaning machine so most of my collection is already pretty spotless. The guru is just for the newcomers and whatever I feel like might benefit from and ultrasonic bath. Yeah 11k 7” records is a lot lol cheers
My record cleaning system....
Nitty Gritty Manual Vacuum Record Cleaner.
Work Turntable.(direct drive)
L'Art du Son Record Cleaning Fluid. (concentrate)
Last Power Cleaner.
Last Record Preservative.
Distilled Water.
Fine cleaning brushes.
I believe this system does the job as good as, if not better than ultrasonic cleaners, provided you are prepared to put some time into cleaning each record thoroughly. The Record Preservative prevents record wear for approx. 200 plays.
After i am satisfied the record has been cleaned properly, i pop it into a brand new plastic cover. I have incorporated a soft wide sweeping brush into the head of a spare unipivot tonearm tracking at 1 gram with anti-skate adjustment, on the other side of the turntable to track the record ahead of the stylus. This collects any fine dust preventing buildup around the stylus and pushing the dust into the groove. It also increases the life of the stylus.
This sounds like an extremely thorough system, cheers sir!
How much does it cost and where did you buy it from?
You can buy it from turntable lab or directly from humminguru. It’s a longer wait direct from hong kong bit a bit more cash from turntable lab. It’s around $475
Great video Bob. I hope to someday get an ultrasonic machine but I just received a brand new vacuum cleaning machine for Christmas last year so I can't justify the expense just yet. Take care.
Well Melinda I can tell you it’s nice to have them both so don’t fret.. :) cheers
The fact that ultrasonic doesn't even get fingerprints off makes me skeptical that it's doing a whole lot. I was lucky enough to get an original VPI from a former coworker. The one with the wand built in to the cover. I upgraded it to the wand on the later versions. Less convenient but I don't think you can get them any cleaner. The motor torque really allows you to put good pressure on you cleaning brush.
Vpi makes a great machine. That said the ultrasonic definitely works. Cheers
Ultrasonic peels off layers of rust so if a US machine is not getting fingerprints off must be an issue with the solution used and the temperature. Plain water won't cut it, and a surfactant either. Some use surgical grade cleaners to get off mold from old, moldy records. Of course an extra cycle for rinsing will be necessary.
Also the power of the machine plays a big part. The Humming guru has one transducer, the Degritter, 4. And all the Chinese options, 3.
Well the sound of the records dramatically improve, a stubborn finger print isn’t a big deal to me .
Dang Bob, as a former Driver Ed teacher you have me freaking out! Get those hands on the steering wheel 9 and 3 (not 10 and 2 because of the airbag) and stop taping while you drive!!!!! You've got one job, to get to your destination safely. I'm flunking you. Report to your former high school at 3:30 on Monday and start over!!! I'm calling the DMV!!!!!😯😯😕😕
Urban assault leaves little room for the driving of olden times Elliot! Cheers my friend ;)
@@BOBBRADLEYCHANNEL Dang Kids these days!!!!
😂😂
Why didn’t you add a surfactant to the distilled water?
it works great with just distilled water...
I clean all my records with Everclear (Grain alcohol) and a folded up piece of Bounty paper towel … have cleaned well over 10,000 lps and 5000 45s this way without a single issue (obviously don’t clean shellac 78s with alcohol) - when I play the record I dust them off with a brush while they are spinning on the platter :)
OMG 😲 😱!!!
How do you clean your shellac records?
Shellac records with soap and water :)
@@johngaldieri5535 thanks :)
I think the issue with these lower cost "ultrasonic" record cleaning machines is that they are extremely underpowered. Any "real" ultrasonic record cleaning machine that can actually create the cavitation bubbles needed to clean down deep into the grooves will not be using a wall wart or brick power supply. They also will likely cost north of $1500 or more. So, at best, I'd consider the Humminguru and others like it only for "light" cleaning. Don't expect "super" cleaning from it or miracles. Sometimes you do get what you pay for.
I have a homemade motorized vacuum cleaning station I made using the low-cost Vinyl Vac and it works well. Only thing is that after you really buy everything you need to build one, you will be close to the price of a Record Doctor V or VI, maybe even more than that. However, you'll end up with a more robust system that should last you a lifetime.
I say compare the Ultrasonic cleaner vs rinsing the record off like you did and the getting a light colored microfiber cloth and some isopropyl alcohol and then let's see the results 🤔
Well, the move is to do my whole cleaning method and ultrasonic. I’ve improved several very nice records this way already. Up at least a whole grade .
There is definitely more than one way to skin a cat. People are over thinking this subject. While I have my own DIY methods, record cleaning machines are really great for people who have a ton of records to clean and not a lot of time. Honestly, cleaning records is really simple.
Also, try using RO water (reverse osmosis filtered). Distilled water still contains chemicals like chloramine, etc....
Absolutely and I will try the RO, cheers!
That machine looks a little chincy. I got my Kirmuss. Pretty happy with it
It’s not really a heavy duty piece of gear, we’ll see how long it last. Hopefully for me a while. Kirmuss is great but involved. I’m good with pressing start and going on with my day. Cheers
2 hands on the batwheel at all times, Robin. #spooge 🤭
Come on Rachel, whatever it takes to bring the content lol 😂
200 American United States, dollars, buys you an ultrasonic even better than the hummingbird check it out rangers
tap water has minerals in it you like putting tiny rocks into your precious vinyl?
There’s no telling what happened to that 50 year old record before I got it…. A light rinse with tap water right before it get ultrasonically cleaned is probably the most gentle treatment this record has ever had. Cheers
Click bait. Did I miss your opinion on additives?
I don’t use any lol
Not a very compelling demonstration, at all.
Well it was more so, and UA-cam asked me to remove it so I did. I have a comment pinned at the top of these comments . Cheers
@@BOBBRADLEYCHANNEL I get it. But still. When are people going to get the fact that all these clicks and pops they keep trying to scrub away are either physical damage to the vinyl itself, or due to the actual composition of the vinyl itself? You’re never going to reduce that amount, based on the sample. Cleaning vinyl has become a second, very expensive, hobby for some. It’s kind of becoming ridiculous.
Saw some of the alpha nonsense and wasn't impressed.
I also have a HG...and I use Tergikleen in it, then I rinse and dry with my VPI.
Works. Solid. Nuff said.
Sounds like a solid way to go, also a quicker way to get more records clean. Instead of waiting on the HG to dry them. Cheers