The record pi record flattener. Does it work? Watch our review to find out! (Also, yes it does)
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- Опубліковано 25 вер 2024
- I am not affiliated with record pi or any record products, not for lack of trying though.
I have used the vinyl flat and the orb for years, so I thought I’d better try the Pi to see how it works!
Thanks for watching
And remember, at www.Spatulacityrecords.com all of our records are ultrasonically cleaned with free shipping on orders of $50 or more. AND buy 9 and get the 10th for just one penny!
Great video. Record store owner here. I'm approaching 100 successfully fixed records with the Record Pi since I got it. My successful go-to is 4 hours at 135F. It's gotten so predictable that I stopped using the phone app. I just set my phone timer to four-and-a-half hours to give it time to warm up, and I walk away. I've also learned that the success rate seems to go up if I'm patient enough to wait for the record to come back down to room temperature before I remove it. I use it on a wooden table with a thin top that doesn't hold heat. This speeds up the cooling process instead of using it on stone or something that holds heat. I always use the felt protectors, and I always zip up the case to keep the temperature more consistent from the center to the edges. I'm mostly dealing with vintage records, so I haven't fixed many "modern" records from the last 20-25 years on it. What a great product. It paid for itself after less than ten fixed records. Now it's a profit maker.
Yeah I agree with everything and the cooling time is VERY important.
Wow, 4 hours at 135 is pretty fearless! Glad to hear it works, I'd be somewhat concerned about introducing some minor degree of noise..
@@Matasky2010 there is no middle ground with flattening records. It either works or ruins the record. So there is no concern with ‘a minor degree of noise damage”.
@@spatulacityrecords6263 Welll...your approach is obviously much more aggressive and fearless as a business owner than mine is. I'm much more careful, I haven't even been past 2.5 hrs @126 deg yet lol.
@@spatulacityrecords6263 Any advice for a heavily dished 200g Lp like Classic Records from early 2000s? I'm building up the confidance to put my Led Zeppelin IV inside the Pi...not sure I can ever bring myself to do it lol..
Thanks for this review. I've been eyeing this for a minute and I think at this price point it's the best option for me.
I’ve got a couple of hundred albums from the 70’s up that could use cleaned and restored. I’ve had them in milk crates for at least 30 years. When my turntable needle broke on my B&O .Enough said ! I am thinking of getting a turntable and fixing my albums. I have stacks at 64 , plus I have a friend that still has his old collection and his is more than mine. His like mine are in a garage. He doesn’t even have a stereo anymore ! He has the Beetles White Album ect . Lots of hard to find and we like the same basic music . So lots to listen to. I will be looking into getting something or making my own . Tile should work very well. Thanks you have me thinking.
I've been using the VinylFlat for a couple years now and have learned many tricks. One, if you have a dished record you just can't get flat, use the felt disc with the hole under the record, the solid felt disk on top, and use a small disc, like a 45 adapter, on top of the solid felt disc, under the metal plate, to force the center area of the LP down into the void of the felt disc with the hole.
I stopped using the vinyl flat when I got an orb. I never have a problem nor do I have to adjust the time or temp.
@@spatulacityrecords6263 Oh, yes, I guess what I was saying could be used with the Record Pi, as it's similar to the VinylFlat, in that it uses metal plates and felt insulators. I'm intrigued by the Orb, but it's just not affordable for me right now.
@@spatulacityrecords6263 I also wonder if the felt discs could be used with the Orb, to fill in the slightly lower "play area" to achieve even more flattened record results.
@@TheAgeOfAnalog you can and I have but it’s pretty rare. You don’t need them. What I do is put two small c clamps on the back end of the orb where the buttons are to give a little more pressure, like on the front. Works like a charm.
Thank you very much for the video and share your experiences, I just ordered The Orb precisely because I think the same thing you mention about the cables, I worry about the record you show fried, you mention that you have tricks to make the Orb work better, could help me with that? I would be very grateful and even willing to pay to avoid all the mistakes of beginner, you have a new subscriber here, thank you!
Send me an email and I give you all I know. It’s just too much to write here. Matt@spatulacityrecords.com. Thanks!
Thank you for this review! Trying to figure out whether to get the Record Pi or the Vinyl Flat but this has really convinced me of the Pi!
Thanks for the video but mostly thanks for your business name. Great memories! "Alright kids, let's go!"
Not sure why you thought NOT using the felt mats might be a good idea, but appreciate your honesty lol.
Because I do t use the felt pads for the orb.
Cool info Matt, thanks
Love the video. Very informative. I’ve sent you an email re: tips and tricks. Cheers
@spatulacityrecords6263 Great video and definitely thinking of buying one, could I ask which ultrasonic cleaner you use before Record Pi? tia
@@iandsm1 I’m not as happy with the pi as I was. I’m not sure if it’s developed a hot spot or what, but it’s not regulating heat well imo. The ultrasonic machine is the isonic, but they all work well. I wouldn’t pay the asking for the Kirmuss or other $2k+ models.
What tricks do you use for edge warp? That is what I have the most issues with. Any suggestions or, thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Matt!!!
None that I feel confident enough to share. There are some things that work and some things that don’t but nothing on regularity. I believe in the record pi and I have an idea of what they are working with. Just give them some time. Sorry. Some edge warps are fairly easy with the pi or orb. It has been my experience that if the edge warp is rippled, it’s about impossible to repair. (Although, I have repaired 2 and 1 took me a year of work to get it playable). A lip edge cup, meaning the edge of the record is cupped up can be repaired but the technology for home repair isn’t quite there. It will be soon, I think.
Nice video. I am trying out laying the Record Pi on a sturdy raised flat cooling rack (like one used for cookies) to accelerate the cooling process once the baking is done.
If I’ve learned one thing from the recordpi and the vinyl flat, it is that the slow cooling process is very important. If you try to speed it up, you will have problems.
@@spatulacityrecords6263 Thanks for letting me know that. I only tried this after it got to 86.5 degrees during cooling and that was 2 ½ hours after turning it off. I’m still not sure what would be the correct temp to take it out of the bag. This is my first attempt at flattening.
@@lobo71985 you should be fine after 2 hours. They need time to slowly cool and ‘reset’ after being heated up. I’m not 100% in this but it has been my experience if you rush it, it makes them worse. I don’t know why, just my experience.
Excellent vid. I just recently got a Record Pi myself and thought I'd watch some "best practice" videos before starting. Really glad to hear that it works well with 180 and 200's because I have a Zeppelin IV 180 with a really nasty warp that I'm dying to get out. Do you use the Pi for any lighter records and if so what settings do you typically use?
I rarely use the pi for lighter records. But the guys over at recordpi are great to work with and happy to assist. I believe they have been tracking weights and times.
My Record Pi just arrived, I would appreciate any tips and tricks you want to share. Thanks!
If you’re on IG, talk to them! They are wonderful and very supportive. They have some things coming down the pipe that should be quite helpful! I would start are 120 and work up until you find your sweet spot. Mine is around 130, but I’m high altitude and I don’t know if that affects anything.
Superb
Spatula City Records! Love the name!
I'm thinking of something orange! Do you know what it is?
An orange?
Ding ding ding! You got it! YOU GET TO DRINK FROM THE FIREHOSE!!
So, recently had to buy one of these because my entire record collection got warped due to heatwave and the storage area getting to 97 degrees. Which is important for everyone to note that records WILL WARP without direct heat, even ambient air temps in a dark, dry room will warp records at measly 95 degrees.
Question abt the record flatter - is it more dangerous to increase the time duration or temperature? For example, is it safer to put 6 hours at 120 or 2 hours at 135?
@@papoosee records will NOT warp in indirect heat under 130 degrees. I have videos testing and proving this. If stored improperly with indirect heat they can cup out or warp. But stored vertically in storage units under 130 degrees the will not be damaged. I spent the last 8 years buying records out of storage unit is Palm Springs and Phoenix and I’ve never had an issue. If they were stored against a metal door that was directly in the sunlight, you might see some damage to the first 5-10 records against the door, but even that is a stretch.
If this were true, you’d only have to heat the pi or vinyl flat up to 100 degrees and we both know that won’t do a darn thing.
I don’t use the pi much, so I can’t help you with that. I prefer the orb. It’s much more hands off.
@@spatulacityrecords6263 yeah, I totally get your point, and it makes no sense to me either how it could warp at 100 degrees ambient temps, but my records have definitely developed minor dish/edge warps and it doesn’t make sense to me how. They have been stored properly, upright, etc etc.
@@papoosee where do you live? I have found, but cannot prove because I’m in the desert, that humidity and heat have a much bigger impact than just dry heat.
@@spatulacityrecords6263 I’m also in the desert, so we get low humidity, high, dry heat. Usually the room is temperature controlled, but there were rolling blackouts for 3 days while I wasn’t home.
@@papoosee that’s really baffling to me. How many records? Near a window or under a heat vent?
Looking for a flattener. But not sure if to get this or Vinyl Flat with Groovy Pouch.
If my video didn’t convince you, I can’t help you. The pi is 100 times superior to the vinyl flat.
I have used both, and both 'work'. However, it's the ability of the Record Pi to control the temp with precision is the key.
With a Record Pi, just pre-heat the 'oven' to 133 degrees, put the record inside the pouch correctly, close for 1 hour, then turn off the heater and let the record set a few hours to overnight in the still fully-closed pouch.
...thank The Universe later :) #NotMe
How does this tool fare against the dreaded edge warp?
I can’t really answer that ad there are several different types of edge warps. It works on some and not so much on others. Sorry!
@@spatulacityrecords6263 this has been my experience as well. some edge warps are taken care of for the most part, others, not so much