Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaning - with the HumminGuru
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- A review of the compact and comparatively low budget HumminGuru ultrasonic vinyl record cleaner. How well does it work? You can determine for yourself by listening to this series of tests. Best experienced through headphones.
00:00 Start
01:13 Unbox & set-up
04:38 The dirty record
08:29 The cleaning process
11:35 DEMO 1: Before cleaning
12:58 DEMO 2: After one clean
14:31 DEMO 3: After three cleans
15:40 DEMO 4: After anti-static gun
16:40 Results summary
17:22 TriMicron test
18:02 Unrealistic expectations?
21:10 Patreon credits
MANUFACTURER'S WEBSITE humminguru.com (Note prices are shown in $HK (that's Hong Kong Dollars).
AFFILIATED LINKS to the real star of the show -
The ANTI-STATIC GUN
AMAZON USA amzn.to/3rgjJjb
AMAZON UK amzn.to/3rgjJjb
AMAZON DE amzn.to/3rh6sqA
AMAZON CA amzn.to/3o4k8U6
MY PREVIOUS VIDEOS ABOUT RECORD CLEANING
A selection of options tried out: • A few ways to not real...
Orbitrac 3 Pro: • Cleaning Vinyl Records...
**ACTUALLY, YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG**
ANTI STATIC PISTOL (Correct usage)
In the video where I wave this pistol around and pull the trigger randomly while talking about it, this is (clearly) not an accurate representation of how this device is used. The reality is that you place the end very close to the surface of a record and pull the trigger *slowly*. If you buy one you will get instructions - but I wouldn’t want to be responsible for leading anyone into performing a sub-par de-staticising procedure by following my non-example. By the way my pistol is an old version - that's why it looks different to the ones on sale now (links above).
LIQUID
Q) Hey why didn’t you fill the tank with (inset alternative liquid here - IPA, Detergent, a diluted mixture of stuff etc etc )?
A) The instructions state only to use (Distilled) Water with the machine and not to put anything else in it.
ALTERNATIVES
Q) You shouldn’t clean your records with that, the best way to clean records is to (insert alternative method here).
A) This is a video review of the Humminguru Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner. If the video was about something else, the title wouldn’t match the contents and also we'd all still be in the dark regarding the abilities of the HumminGuru Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner. Now you've seen it in action you can form your own opinion of it's worthiness.
DAMAGE
Q) Perhaps the crackles and pops and clicks that remained on the record after cleaning are caused by permanent damage to the record and not removable dirt?
A) Yep - this is discussed in the section starting at 18:02 entitled ‘Unrealistic Expectations’ - where I mention that perhaps it is unrealistic to expect any type of record cleaner to return an old vinyl record back to factory condition.
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Regularly asked question
Q) Why are there comments from days ago when this video has just gone live today?
A) Patrons / techmoan usually have early access to videos. I'll show the first version of a video on Patreon and often the feedback I get results in a video going through further revisions to improve it. e.g. Fix audio issues, clarify points, add extra footage or cut extraneous things out. The video that goes live on youtube is the final version. - Наука та технологія
I have a different ultrasonic-record cleaner. When I first used it, the results were very similar to the ones presented in this video, and I was bit disappointed. After talking to a few people about the results, as well as the manufacturer of the device, I learned that water alone isn’t the ideal cleaning fluid to use. The surface tension of the water prevents the water from entering deeply into the grooves of a record. This means that crud buried deeply into the grooves doesn’t get removed properly.
After adding a bit of a wetting -agent into the water and a splash of IPA alcohol to help dissolve any grease, my results improved substantially.
I do understand the reasoning for not adding certain cleaning fluids for the tests performed in this video, but it might be worth a try for you personally. Who knows, maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
This was my initial thought too. Just a couple of drops of washing-up liquid in the water should improve the performance. Adding IPA will help even more.
Cause it was a a review of the product as specified by manufacturer, if they said " well if it doesn't work just add XXX amount of ZZZ" sure , but they said distilled water.
So after all , You could add or do whatever You want , but that is a different process from one that manufacturer said it should do.
Using sand paper also will make a difference - tho what result isn't the question here.
I did not know India pale ale could be used for that
@@Spaniard47 The last time I brought an IPA they didn't ask for ID.
I also wonder if the temperature of the water makes a difference. Maybe heating the water a bit before putting it in the cleaner would help some? Probably not nearly as much as the surfactant and isopropyl alcohol, but if you were trying to avoid using chemicals on your records for some reason, it might help the process along a bit to use warm/hot water.
It would be interesting to see the grooves pre and post clean under a video microscope.
maybe an electron microscope, Techmoan should stop being cheap and invest in one
@@mason6300 LMAO! he would have to sell all he owns including him self, to be even able to buy one of the cheaper ones. come on get real...
@@zvezdaster maybe a nearby university would be willing to help out … FOR SCIENCE!
@@zvezdaster its worth the sacrifice for making one good video
@@zvezdaster r\woooosh
First I was excited to hear Mat play Rick in Casablanca, then I was excited to see him walk around town and use the anti-static pistol to cause letters to fall off shop windows. It's been a rollercoaster of emotions over here!!
I think that chasing perfection with records is folly, the fact it was improved a fair bit is awesome!
Yeah exactly, a reccord need to sound like a reccord. I mean the imperfection in analog sound is the entire point of it nowadays. If I want a perfect reproduction, then I rather just listen to a CD or FLAC.
It's the same with people spending 15'000$ for an absolute high-end turntable and needle-cartridge... Why bother so much, just to get the best sound of the groove. Why even listen to reccords, if you want the best possible quality?
Arlene Dahl is still alive at 96 and has worked her way through 6 husbands.
Sounds quite a character!
She has her own page on Wikipedia.
Looks like her most famous role was probably ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ (1959) with James Mason.
Update: Apparently she died on Monday 29th November 2021 ☹️
(I think posted my original comment the day before).
And she's mother of Lorenzo Lamas.(90's star from TV show Renegade.)
@@Davej82, "He was a cop, and good at his job. But he committed the ultimate sin and testified against other cops *gone bad* - cops that tried to kill him, but got the woman he loved instead. Framed for murder, now he prowls the badlands, an outlaw hunting outlaws, a bounty hunter - a RENEGADE." 👍
@@Bahama3ay LOL that takes me back. Me and my brother used to make fun of that, and the little guitar riff that went with it.
@@RCAvhstape, used to love 'Renegade'.
After the second or third husband, you start to think "maybe it's me."
I'm really impressed with that anti-static gun though - a sombre word or two from the 80s kid version of myself - never use an anti-static gun on yourself, it REALLY HURTS! 🤣
Didnt even knew this thing existed
Is it just a glorified piezoelectric stove lighter sold for 4 times the price?
@@baksatibi after looking it up, I think it might be.
my dad had one as a young dumb but curious teen i stuck it in my mouth fiddling etc i pulled the trigger my mercury fillings i dont know but totally zapped myself ....dont do this lol...
@@705johnnyboy Man, I read your comment and my body recoiled in shock! 🤣
Ok, first comment I ever do to a video made by Techmoan, but this thing really hit home for me. I have always had dirty records, using the records from an early age, and knowing next to nothing about handling them, but lately I had a streak of nostalgia and I started listening to my old records again, only to find that my records were soooo dirty. Obviously, I had nowhere near the budget that many from the west have so I had to resort to methods using stuff I already had in house. I have used soap and worm water, paying no respect to the label (but the label always survived, somehow), I have used microfiber cloth to try to remove the gunk from the grooves, I have played them wet using only water or a combination of water and soap, but I have learned of a method that initially made me very uneasy. Wood glue! Some videos are available about the method, and I have tried that one on a expendable record. I was blown away of the result! Almost all the pops disappeared and, what's more interesting, the information (music) became more crisp! Hearing things I wasn't aware were there was the greatest reward and was what convinced me that the method is actually pretty safe. I have a video made for a friend, several years ago, that shows the method and I think has some samples of audio, it's private, but I can provide a link for reference. In short: the side of the record, placed flushed on a flat surface (it might be even the platter of the turntable) is covered in generous amount of wood glue, so that all the surface of the recorded vinyl is covered completely with wood glue. It's white, so it is easy to control the quantity of glue used. Left to dry, the glue becomes transparent, and the black vinyl begins to show from below. When there is no more speck of white on the surface, the glue is dry enough to be peeled from the vinyl but soft enough to be easily pealed, and the shrinking glue does not damage the vinyl. Pealing the glue leaves a very statically charged vinyl but with care the charge can be drained and the surface left is quite clean. Playing the vinyl immediately renders the best results, and I usually digitize the side at once, to be able to get the most of the method (static charge left on the vinyl will attract all the dust from air like a powerful magnet). The time to dry is somewhere between 3 to 5 hours, so this method is by no means quick, but it really pays for the simplicity and cost to efficiency ratio. I have some samples recorded over time, I can provide them for comparison (before and after). Some record are more damaged by the embedding of dust into the soft plastic of the record, therefore even if the dust is pried off by the glue, the impression remains and produces the noise received. Anyway, the biggest plus of the method is that dust that acts like a mediator between very fast-changing signals (the highs in music) is also eliminated leaving the groove (and the sound) as it was when the record was pressed. Minus the embedded dust, of course, and the macroscopic scratches; they can't be fixed by glue, of course.
Techmoan, sorry for the length of my comment, I hope you have patience to read it all. And please try it on an expendable record for yourself. It's a bit messy and it takes some time to get it right (the method) but maybe you'll be pleased by the results.
Arlene Dahl has died at age 96. The actor's charm and striking red hair shone in such Technicolor movies of the 1950s as “Three Little Words” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” From todays news … nice tribute by featuring her on your video ….
The day after this upload - creepy 😯 RIP Arlene.
Any relation to Roald?
@@michael5089 Not that I know of, although the Dahl surname is Norwegian and both do have Norwegian ancestry in their families
I nailed that scene. It was an emotional performance
Can't stop looking at the color dots thing on the shelves...
Like something from StarTrek the original series.
Reminds me of a Big Clive video in my watch que….
It’s the old puppets trying to communicate with us.
Does anyone what purpose it serves?
@@smartyhall same here. Just put BigClive‘s video on my watchlist before I started this video.
I think it did a pretty good job. The volume seemed louder on the post cleaning playbacks so the drop in crackle level might have even greater than it appeared, and the final result had a greater ambience and presence. The biggest surprise was the anti-static gun though.
I remember back in the 80s my Nana sitting at the table every so often to clean all her jewlery with an ultrasonic machine that I was fascinated by. It definitely had some kind of detergent though, and ran for longer than 5 minutes. Hmm. Thanks for the video, Mat! I love watching your videos, even though I have no ability to put anything I learn into practice! 😄
@@timfagan816 they've been spamming that reply on every comment.
I looked into a jewelry cleaner, large enough for the task, and it was much lower priced, than the same thing, sold as an ultrasonic LP cleaner. Reason: hipsters don't buy jewelry cleaners. I am sure they will figure this out soon, if not already.
The anti.static-gun is the real star of the show! Didn't expect it to work that well!
Ultrasonic cleaners work VERY well in other applications, including the one I'm most experienced with, small engine parts cleaning. That being said, I think the ones I'm more experienced with may be bigger, and "more powerful". Also, I run them for much longer than 2-5 minutes at a time. And, being the dirt has been in the record for 40-50 years, it may take a considerable amount of time to knock it all loose. I think this is a great idea, although it may be a while before the perfect middle ground is found to clean well, and also not damage records.
Yes and perhaps if it had some kind of detergent in it to aid in devolving oily finger marks full of dust and dirt too. That would probably do a better job
Yeah - the application that interests me is cleaning flux off of freshly soldered PCBs, I heard ultrasonic cleaners do wonders for this!
@@1974UTuber Something like Photo-flow would allow the water to flow more freely into the grooves and won't leave a residue behind.
Ultrasound for fuel injectors operates wonders. Most of the gunk deposited on them (if not all) goes away.
Can it damage records? I mean, it's just water and microvibrations...
What has worked for me better than anything is the white glue method. Also, I have a static brush on my turn table, which really helps too. Thanks for another helpful video, Techmoan! Very detailed as always.
I think the end result was pretty good for a record of that age, really. The crackles weren't intrusive and the sound was solid. You did a great job of showing us the unit in action and how responsible it was for the end result. I now know I need to get a static gun. Thanks for that tip.
Just don’t use your zerostat the way techmoan did. You are not supposed to pull the trigger so fast that it makes that clicking noise. There’s also a bit of technic to using it to get the best results. Everyone has their own method, but in my experience they work better than anything else.
Thanks for the review Techmoan! I was also thinking about buying the Humming Guru, but decided against it. It is of course much cheaper than similar known ultrasonic cleaners, but, it uses only 2 transducers instead of 3, and its frequency is too low to be effective (40kHz. does not create small enough bubbles to penetrate the deepest parts of the grooves). Also, something that many people don't know about Ultrasonic cleaning: It does affect the chemical compound of the vinyl (mainly PVC), and might cause some degradation of its surface!
As a long time record collector and professional vinyl seller, I of course own a professional cleaner (the vacuum type) , and from my experience, one should always play the LP at least once after cleaning to let the stylus loosen the gunk stuck deep into the grooves, before you can hear the improved sound! When it is loosened by the cleaning process, the gunk sometimes clumps together upon contact with water, and it is this that generates the noise you thought was static (It exactly sounds like the one on your record!). What I always did, was playing the record once fully through, then use a fine brush to get rid of any loose gunk left. I was always astonished at how much better the record sounded the second time around after cleaning! It has most likely nothing to do with static! At least not in my experience! I always remove all static from an LP before playing it, and it always sounded better on second spin despite the static removal before the first spin! Also, the distortion you heard after the first clean (with the cloth) was most probably from the fluff left by the cloth itself! This will always require the stylus to be thoroughly cleaned with a stylus brush.
Just my two cents! Thank you for all the great videos, and keep them coming!
Most water bath ultrasonic cleaners have been adapted from industrial use and therefore have their transducers bottom mounted. This is counterintuitive to cleaning a record but works as a general rule because they are really are more powerful than they need to be for delicate cleaning. Because of this fact, the time spent in such baths is crucial though as record damage can occur. The use of adaptors where 4/5 records are cleaned simultaneously is not good practice and far less effective. The transducers in the reservoir of the humming guru has them facing the record which is the logical thing to do when designing a device with a specific purpose such as records It means the face of the record rotates directly infront of the transducers. As to the frequency it uses, this was tested thoroughly and although much conjecture remains, the company chose this frequency as a happy median not wanting loads of complaints and claims that precious records are being damaged. I think they have it about right. It should also be noted that records pressed using junk recycled vinyl and even some using virgin vinyl have pops and crackles that were there baked in from new and will always be there. I assume the use of a cloth in this video is just to remove surface items and is lint free. I agree though, Zero Stat works, it always has. I use it after cleaning and before I put the record back into its sleeve, it's just good practice but in playback it's amazing how much noise is produced by static. Personally I have the Humming Guru on route. I have followed the kick-start process closely and believe this item to be a convenient, well judged machine, that will be another tool in the box when dealing with dirty vinyl. Incidentally I would never play an uncleaned record using my expensive line contact stylus moving coil cartridge! that is asking for expensive trouble. It's far safer and more effective to throughly clean the record. One additional point, I would use de-ionized pure water slightly warmed it works better.
@@richards7909 depending on the pressure you can damage the record.
Dude you really over think this hole cleaning thing. Realy affect the chemical compound of the vinyl lol. Are you one of those that go and buy 50 dollar fuses?
I use my old reliable Knosti record bath thingy. Its analogue , no motor in it. It just removes all gunk via brushes and it has a record dryer stand built in so you can air dry 8 record at a time. And it costs 40 pounds. This thing look clumsy,noisy and the price is AAAArgggg.
This record cleaner reminds me of the Ronco Record Vacuum from the 1970’s. I remember these old commercials from 1970’s where Ronco promoted the record cleaning kit known as the Record Vacuum.
I was only ever so-so on the old puppet segments, but to be honest, I would have loved it if at the end of this video if one of the puppets was filmed acting alongside the record, the goofier the voice the better.
Excellent video, way better than the user guide. I was afraid of placing the record directly into the machine at first, but after watching your video, I got it right. Thank you so much.
Honestly I'm more impressed by the results of using that anti static gun on the record. I expected that to be pure snake oil but seemed to actually make a significant difference.
We can never know if the record you've cleaned was perfect when it was new. I've encountered several new records with crackles and noise, defect from pressing plant and whatever I've tried, I couldn't remove them. In my opinion the RCM does a pretty good job. I would test it with a cleaning solution, something like the one Degritter makes. Thanks for sharing your input on HumminGuru.
Mold releasing agents from the factory contribute to noisy playback. I'd say 80% of the time these can be removed and the record rendered 'quiet'. But sometimes, nothing works...even repeated cleanings. That's the 'joy' of vinyl.
Try playing it with WD-40. First round playback should be ignored, as the needle will catch all the remaining dust from the groove. Second round playback will sound about as pristine as the original press could possibly allow, assuming it's not scratched up of course. Seriously, if your goal is to get a nearly perfect digitized version of the original, who gives a shit if it's wet with WD-40, lubricate that shit!
Why would you even want to get rid of those crackles and pops? Those defects is what makes vinyl special. If you want perfect sound then just go digital lmao
I had a record from EMI that had a human hair pressed into it. So it that can be pressed into a record, so can dust!
Mind you, I contacted EMI and a new one arrived next day, beat that for service! You will not get service like that these days!
I wouldn't buy any new vinyl's, from what I have read regarding loudness normalization and the loudness wars, the CD masters are used for the vinyls and not the original Masters. Therefore the lack of dynamic range because of the loudness wars will affect the vinyls. Maybe someone out there can confirm this by comparing the original vinyl to the new one.
I eagerly await your video's each week. True appreciation for your hard work you put into each. When my money allows, as an example, thanks to you I now want to give Mini Disc another try.
Thanks for an interesting video. When I worked for the BBC in the late '70's we used to use a Keith Monks record cleaner which washed the disc with a detergent fed brush and then vacuumed the grooves. To my surprise they're still available (at a price !) If you ever get the chance (and if you've not already done so) Id love to see your review of one. Best wishes and thanks again . . .
I'm 60, and over my lifetime have used all the DiscWasher products including their anti static gun. This goes back into the 70's, and even then as a teenager, I wondered if it was all snake oil because I couldn't really tell a difference. 😁 But it obviously kept the records clean at the least, and prevented further degradation. 👍✌
Great video Techmoan as always!
I might get one. my mother gave me a lot of records. i think i'll get it in conjunction with a player in the near future. thank you for the great video, Matt. love them all.
Very impressed by the final result. Some records just need repeated cleaning, and that antistatic gun did something too.
Nice to see this quick run-through and review, had mine for a few days but only just got some distilled water yesterday so first go will probably be today. The company's Comms have been excellent throughout which has been nice and as a unit it seems very solid. But it's like you say I think it's about having the right expectations. It's not gonna be for everyone.
This is a really great video and fascinating bit of kit. Not sure I'm going to invest in one just yet but it's great to know that such things exist.
For anyone that is interested in this sort of stuff, you can purchase a regular ultrasonic cleaner wide enough to accept 12" records for very little money (around 120$).
Then just take a rod that fits the record spindle hole and a couple of washers and put the records with washers between them on the rod.
That way you can clean 5-6 records at once... although you will have to turn them by hand, about 5min is usually enough.
For a cleaning solution: 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and distilled water and a drop or two of dish soap (this can be used for a bunch of records before replacing)
I could imagine a handheld drill on low power connected to the rod could do the trick
@@ShockingPikachuReading this makes me feel like an idiot for not coming up with that myself xD
You'd still have to stand there holding the drill, but it would probably be more convenient than turning by hand.
The recipe varies as much as there are users. It seems most think a 20/80 mix is preferred, meaning 20 % iso and 80 % water. Also swapping the dish soap for "real" wetting agents/surfactants such as Ilford Ilfotol. On a chemical level, you might have the exact same thing happening with dish soap. That, I don't know.
@@logicalparadox815 allow me to introduce you to a sturdy rod and strong tape to keep the trigger pressed. Though idk if that’d work all too good
@@ShockingPikachu Better still: a barbeque rotisserie motor.
Waited whole week for your new video 👍
Solid review thanks. Been curious about this one.
just wanted to say i enjoyed your video of man messing around with a tape cassette player.
I am actually quite impressed by this! I use a "Spin Clean" on all my records... (including brand new... you would be shocked how much dirt they hold from the factory! It collects in the bottom and is an eye opener)
This device seems to do about as well, but lots less messy and time consuming!
I will be watching for it to become commercially available.
I ordered on on Kickstarter and it was delivered today. Looking forward to using it. Most of my records are in good shape to begin with.
I love this channel .. it keeps my nostalgic mind present ..
The comments on the tape players is turned off, but I was going to suggest that the first one might have an issue with the power supply. I would also check to see if the door has a switch to check if it's closed. It could be something won't work because it's detecting the door is open.
At the paint shop, we have anti-static devices that work on high voltage. It's purpose to discharge the material so there's nothing hold the dirt on it. Plastics are really bad about static. It worked, but it took a long time to get rid of the static.
I've been thinking about buying a Zerostat and this demonstrated that it actually does work, despite some mixed opinions out there. Very cool. One other thing I thought was worth mentioning - you may have actually restored that record to nearly "factory fresh" condition after all. There's a lot of variance in the _purity_ of materials used in record pressing (most notably the vinyl itself). It is very likely, especially with this being a "dialogue" record, and not exactly expected to be for hi-fi use, that the vinyl stock is of low quality and contains higher levels of impurities. These impurities would present themselves as crackles and pops, just as dust would, except they are inherently part of the record itself and could never be removed.
Thank you for the back-to-back testing results. This seems like a very nice cleaner for the price/convenience!
Always producing entertaining videos..continue brother Techmoan
Amazing. I really believe that even after cleaning, the more plays it gets, the better it can sound. The stylus must be pulling out really embedded in the grooves
This is difficult to account for, but you're absolutely right. I've even had minor scratches "come good" after repeat plays.
Interesting device. I've got a few second hand records that I'm certain were spilled on at parties, or just lived in a smoke filled home, that would benefit from a couple (or more) runs through.
As a side note, I was kinda hoping the puppets would make a cameo at the end, doing their acting read through from the record! That would be fun to watch!
I was able to notice a big difference just from the first cleaning. I am very impressed, even for a recording on UA-cam!
That is a VERY creative way to select a record for testing. I am stunned. :)
I feel like this is a bit more of a chore saver than an archivists tool. If it’s easy to do “put record in, push button, walk away.” Then it might have you clean your records as frequently as you are supposed to, rather than when you get a tic about dust.
On the "Man plays with 2 cassette decks for 27 minutes" video the comments are disabled. The first thing I noticed was the cassette door just flapping around. Maybe that spring and bit of plastic kept the door from flapping around. The color of the plastic is the same color as the plastic on the front of the tape deck.
You just unlocked so many memories with that anti-static gun!
Hahaha the fact that you showed the script at the same time in case someone wanted to act is a very funny and nice touch!
I love your videos haha I’m so glad to be subscribed for years :)
The Zerostat is the one piece of equipment most people with phonographs are missing.
They work great on a day in Southern California when the San'tana Winds are blowing (high-static days).
You can see the gunk that's standing up on the record lie down after you fire the Zerostat. They are AWESOME.
The acting game seemed kinda fun. Sorta like karaoke. Is there anything like this today? Could be done really interestingly with modern tech, such as the other actor waiting exactly for when you finish your line. Also, imagine it as a VR game.
Monty Python did a skit on them concerning a soldier returning from WWI with his old man shot off lol.
Great , thanks a lot for the review !
So happy to see the trimicron got tested on this as that was the first thing to enter my head when seeing this video.
I always used the zerostat before cleaning to make the vinyl release the dirt easier, also I remembered you were supposed to pull the lever slowly as to not cause the "click" sound, this would cause a steady stream of ions, this was listed in the instructions. You can see the results in the dark at the end of the needle.
My favourite record-cleaning equipment -- not that I was ever an expert -- was a carbon-fibre brush. It felt just as soft if not softer than the usual cloths, and unlike a cloth it didn't trap the dust against the record. Er, I mean cloths with a bit of a pile; something to get into the grooves, although it probably wasn't enough. The carbon-fibre brush also got rid of static build-up; the hairs were conductive because they were carbon and I think they were electrically connected together in the handle.
Of All The Videos In All The Channels In All Of UA-cam, This One Shows Up In My Recommended List.
After listening to the antistatic gun results I ordered one. i am seriously impressed .
I'm not sure the device does anything for records that look clean, but it does help to clean up cruddy looking records. I've been using it to clean a big batch of old 78s that I'd bought off the auction site a few months ago (note - they don't recommend using it with shellac). It does a good cleaning job, but I have concerns about the amount of distilled water it goes through (even though I've been re-using the water, for several records). The water level is a bit hit and miss - some records have recordings beyond the reach of the water level as proscribed The filter has gotten very dirty, but it just seems to be the stuff you use in fish tanks. Drying for 5 minutes sometimes leaves a drop or two of water, I just use a microfibre cloth to wipe it.
Oh, and if you think that this is noisy, then you would be astounded by the noise from vacuum type cleaners like my Kuzma. I think the machine is small/ light enough to keep close to your hifi so that you can use it to clean up visibly dirty records before playing. My main concern is how long these units will last.
Great video! I have run loads of records through my HumminGuru. While my own review videos on the machine were fairly negative, I have found improvements. I, personally, found that “distilled water only” wasnt very effective and indeed created static through the process. I also found water temp to be fairly important to cleaning effectiveness of the HumminGuru. And, I find that it’s at least a 20-min process to get results.
All just my thoughts, and experiences, thanks for your review!
what temperature of water was best
@@varsityathlete9927 I don’t know “ideal temp,” but I have found “better cleaning” through use of water that is “at least slightly above room temp.” Say around 75f-80f. Keeping in mind the HG will rise ~2-3f for each 5-min ultrasonic cycle.
I have been told by people I trust, you never really want anything above 100F. I’m staying well below that… again tho, 1000 ways to clean a record and 1000000+ opinions on “best way” to do it.. Results May vary.
@@polypetalous over 100F sounds right to avoid. interesting. the water I use is in bottles its distilled, maybe I could give it a slight buzz in the microwave first see if that does anything for the cleaning. its summer for me right now so the room temp is high, but during winter its a lot lower.
@@varsityathlete9927 I’ve been either just putting the jug of distilled water in a sink of warm water to raise the temp of the jug or putting the jug over a floor register (starting to get cold in these parts).
@@varsityathlete9927 DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT PUT IT IN THE MICROWAVE.
DON'T.
Very enjoyable as always❕ I haven't seen one of those "zero stats" in a long time ‼️®™️
Most reliable tech guy on UA-cam hands down.
Great stuff. I can't believe how well that anti-static gun worked, that blew my mind. I feel like I should be paying you for the information and knowledge I've gathered over the last 2-3 years watching me some Techmoan. EDIT: I will get on the teespring right quick.
They can make a huge difference. Once a record is truly cleaned, static is one of its worst enemies, especially in winter.
Ya, I was on the fence when I bought one, but it realy works. It can take some time to do it right though. I use it before and after I use a dust brush.
Thanks so much for this episode! I have contemplated buying one, I believe I will take the plunge after hearing these results.
FYI... for better results, use the Zerostat BEFORE you put it in the machine. I have used them for 30 years. They do a great job of releasing particles being held to the vinyl by static. I have worn one out, and have another in reserve for when my current one dies. Keep up the great videos!
That record cleaner surely works! Keep up the good work Techmoan!
I'm a little surprised by the apathetic conclusion after the testing. I was really impressed by how much the repeated cleanings and the anti-stat treatment improved the sound and reduced the noise on the record!
Techmoan uses an LP featuring Arlene Dahl on November 28, and on November 29 I read this headline: "Arlene Dahl, 1950s Screen Star, Dead At 96." Whoa, spooky!
I bought a spin clean years ago, there’s always been a noticeable change after using it and you’ll see the crud it’s cleaned off. That’s like €70 but copy cats are around €50. At that price they are hard to beat and the effort involved is just a little bit more. Also, I never play a newly purchased secondhand record until it’s been cleaned.
I’m really impressed with the zerostat gun though, I always doubted its effectiveness but it appears to work a treat.
Yep, my zerostat is the only device I’ve found that can always remove static electricity. However Techmoan was not using it correctly. First you aren’t supposed to use it with the record on the turntable. You can either place it on the outer sleeve (or some other non-conducting surface) or I just hold it in the air with one hand while using the gun with the other then put the record on the platter. The other thing is that you are supposed to pull the trigger very slowly. If you hear the clicking noise like when Techmoan was pulling the trigger it means you are going to fast. When it seems like it’s doing nothing it’s working.
I don't think he was trying to show how to use the zerostat and i believe he has used it off screen per the instructions.@@trippmoore
Love your videos!
Funny coincidence, I was just looking at the instructions for my Maxell record vacuum cleaner as your video came through !
And I also have a ZeroStat 3 from back in the mid eighties, I liked the zero stat but the record vacuum was 'a bit nuts'.
Anyway keep up the good work, there can't be much more to learn from 'way back when'
I use an U/S cleaner for my records and it is unrealistic to expect click and pops to vanish completely because a lot are caused by groove damage and not dirt. Also new records are not always free from noise either. (I've been buying records for over 50 years so have plenty of experience of this). But what U/S cleaning does do is improve sound quality - giving a clearerr sound without the build-up of crud in the groove. I would never, ever, spray some liquid on to a record and rub it around with a cloth. That is just asking for trouble! IMO of course ;o)
I bought an anti static gun back in the 80s, it's still working.
I bought a mighty expensive VPI record cleaning machine sometime in the 90's.... they still make it, and my original unit still works very well. Sometimes investing in the heavy hitting devices is worth it in the long run.
wow! The static or the disappearance of such is a revelation! I am impressed with 👍
I can't be the only one who would actually want a version of this video with Matt reading the parts of Rick 😁
with the muppets at the end acting out the lines :)
"We'll always have flippin' Paris."
What I have always used to clean my records is to play them wet. I make a solution with water and Ilford Ilfotol (Wetting Agent), and spray it on the record while it is actually spinning. The needle will take out a lot of the gunk, but is easily cleaned off. If your needle is pressure, have a second one or... But it actually sounds immediately better!
Yes, this kind of technique does work.
I just use "Inox" penetrating lubricant. It's compatible with the vinyl and it gets right in there.
@@godfreypoon5148 that is true, but old Wetting Agent to develop film makes your records antistatic and resistive against dust
@@ArnoDePachter It sounds like the proper gear, I'll give it a go.
Does this mixture need exact proportions?
@@orbispictus6127 yes! is mentioned on the bottle of the wetting agent.
I think your conclusion at the end of this video is spot on. This cleaner does exactly was it says on the tin, it cleans records. It does not however completely eradicate crackles and pops, which I think are just part of the inherent nature of vinyl. This device serves to clean crud out of the grooves of the vinyl, which in turn protects the stylus and the turntable from damage caused by the accumulation of dirt during playback. I suppose if you're a regular spinner of vinyl this would be worth getting, but probably less so for the occasional user.
Hi Matt,
My uncle bought a 1 liter open rectangular ultrasonic cleaning device (stainless steel). He is a crystal and mineral collector and some crystal formations come with dirt and clay in between. If you try to remove that dirt mechanically you screw up the tiny crystals. He was very disappointed with the machine, because he would fill it with water, set the sample inside and turn it on, and nothing happened. The surface tension of the water prevented a good sound wave propagation and a good energy transfer fom the water into the dirt. Suspecting that y let two or three drops of dish wash detergent fall into the device while it was on and you would see immediately a cloud of dirty water form around the dirty part of the sample. It started to clean immediately. The device was a success. I am not a vinyl record expert, but I imagine the cracks come from lint, dust, condensed and hardened nicotin and sublimed oils in the air (from the kitchen or fingers). The last two ones maybe hardened. I can imagine detergent will not harm the places that come in contact with water. I can imagine that a 5% or 10% Isopropyl alcohol with not harm those parts either especially if you finish with a clean water rinse. Isopropyl alcohol might help dissolve some crud or strongly attached dirt specs. Warm water might be an option too. Maybe something you could try. Very interesting video.
What a fascinating device! Makes you really appreciate CDs though :)
I always just used brushes, and such, designed for cleaning vinyl records. This seems like a very interesting machine though.
I doubt you could ever get a perfect record, unless you were in a clean room that had absolutely no static or dust.
You'd be amazed at the results that I have seen.
@@rubiconnn I didn't know they had electricity under bridges
@@grisflyt I swear by a good quality cork mat to address static issues.
@@DaleFrewaldt Cork mat for the win.
I wondered if I put an air filter in the room would be worth it. Might be overkill. I just hand clean anyway.
That is pretty interesting.. I didn't know they made such a thing.. Thank you for sharing!
Great video and unbiased - thanks.
I used to be be a Dj during the vinyl era, I still have thousands of records, lost count after 2,000 as well as 4 DD decks, 2 Technics, 1 Numark, 1 Pioneer. I've always used an air compressor to clean mine, some of which got played hundreds of times, likely far more than any 'normal' person would listen to anything other than their absolute favourites. I don't have one record that won't play and more importantly (given the price for high end ones) they never ruin my cartridges. I haven't bought a new cart in years.
Air compressor, about £70 for a low end one ***edit - Amazon have one for £35 in their basics range and there's a tiny portable one for £50 so even less than I thought*** Time to clean one record, 10 seconds? Ish.
You have the added value of being able to use the air compressor for running tools, pumping tyres etc. There's no need for these ridiculous over-priced gadgets that are fiddly to use and take up space.
It's comments like yours which make UA-cam's comments worthwhile. Thanks for the tip!
So you blow the dirt off/out of the disk with it?
@@joetotale6354 No, he shoots the air wildly in all directions, and the record cleans itself.
@@n0ved504 That was such an asshole reply but I am laughing my ass off anyway.
@@Estorium he sounded like that sarcastic priest from Father Ted.
I agree with your assessment, Mat. Also, I imagine some records were not pressed perfectly.
I do love this channel.
i love vinyl crackling, it adds warmth and charm to the experience.
That brings back memories of the '80s - the last time I used vinyl. Once I got my first CD player in 1984 or so I never looked back. There was that one time where I drove to 'the tip' and threw in my boxes of vinyl and never looked back. I'd love to get excited by vinyl, it'd be something to 'get into', but I can't get motivated to bring back the crackles.
I did the same thing....then I found out some of the releases I wanted for my collection weren't made on CD, very few but still...they were only released on vinyl.
You ever look back?
@@goboslament5535 I started collecting vinyl again last year after 30 years.
One reason I'm personally not interested in switching back to vinyl (or even CD for that matter) is the filler tracks you typically find on any random album I own. Back when I bought physical media I'd rip them to MiniDisc then later to MP3 and I'd ditch the weak songs. On some bad album purchases I might find only two tracks I'd personally rate a 3/5 or higher. Going back to vinyl means going back to listening to songs I don't like. Plus the crackles. For those who don't think like me, I'm sure they're having a good time.
I feel the same about VHS and vinyl , once I went to discs wiether it was CD's or DVD's there was just no going back.
Hey techmoan, why are the comments disabled in the latest video?
Strange... the comments here are so positive and sedate... no idea what happened.
From the video, I was satisfied with the results from the first cleaning.
Hi Mat. A nice review, as always. Is that an Evilution hexputer up on the shelf by the On Air sign? Very colourful.
"Man spends 27:41 messing with two old compact Combat Cassette decks" posted Dec. 4th, has the comments disabled. Why is that?
It's a mistake, I'd say. That said, UA-cam has become a whole series of mistakes as of late, so it's par for the course, really.
@@BlokeOzzie i'd dislike this comment but no one will see it 😅
Usually he'd put a reason in the description, but there is none. Only thing I can imagine is a flood of comments saying "it's 27:42 not 27:41!!!!1!" Don't know why Techmoan's comments are always filled with people trying to correct him, that's got to get tiring and I know he discusses that a lot but still
Hi, thanks for the review. It’s an interesting device. I noticed that the acting record is a mono recording. If your preamp or receiver has a mono button, this can decrease a lot of surface noise when playing a mono record on a stereo record stylus. Worth a try.
Better still, get a mono cartridge. My life changed in the first twenty minutes of hearing mine. I had no idea the record was even finishing; there was no inner groove distortion whatsoever, even on a record of ten tracks per side.
So, yes, this and the decreased surface noise is an amazing combination.
Very good video!
Thank you from France.
Why are comments turned off on your lates video?
I just wanted to say that I have an old AKAI CS-34D still around. :)
The best record cleaner I ever found was the original Discwasher from the 1970's. It always did a fantastic job and took 10-15 seconds, not 15 minutes.
@@pyeltd.5457 Why are you telling everyone this
Wow! Super device!
I use a regular ultrasonic bath machine with my own homemade "rotisserie " with a small dc motor attached. I have found that adding a few drops of fabric softener to the water (about two gallons) does wonders for reducing the noise floor. The albums smell nice when you're finished too.
Why are the comments disabled on your newest video of the broken cassette deck? :(
I maybe would be interrested what Big clive has to say about it, maybe he could find the faul. But who knows, maybe it would not amount to anything.
Why are comments off on the newest video?
@Blarp blarp no youtube probably detected his face as a minor accidentally. You’re the reason why creators are always punished for no reason cause no one complains about that stuff enough for yt to do anything.
Its a beautiful design, and seems to do what it claims, how well it does it is debatable.