Pro-ject debuts $399 vacuum RCM

I'm sure the market would at least double if they were more affordable. When you can buy a top-of-the-line Dyson that can clean your entire house without losing suction for right around $450, there's no reason that a 12"x 12" box vacuum whose sole purpose in the universe is sucking water off of a plastic circle should cost any more than $300.

Back in the day more than half the people I knew had some kind of CD scratch repair device... because the were CHEAP. Build a cheap RCM and you'll sell a lot.

 

...but is it available in green?

 

...that would rock.

 

Seems like when I read about RCMs, people tend to talk about Spin-Clean and then jump to VPI 16.5.

This seems like it might be a good compromise for $200 - Record Doctor V.

http://www.analogplanet.com/content...s-your-fingers-do-walking#8OkDGhlbMGmp2IUg.97

 

Surprised nobody's created the vinyl buffer for scratched records. There's CD & DVDs buffers that you put on liquid ,clamp down,spin clean. Admittedly a 12 inch sized vinyl buffer( 7 inch puck for 45s)would be large. But in theory the same principle, right? Assuming it worked..wonder how it would affect the sale ability on the collectors market? Be neat to play that pesky track that skipped. Just a thought on a snowy day.

 

Ah!

 

The RCM they exhibited (see link in first post) doesn't look like the Opera-Consonance RCM though. It has a different platter, arm and base design. It looks more like an Okki Nokki or VPI to me.

 

The word on these is that they get hot and have a poor build quality. I think they work fine if you only clean a couple at a time. I do prefer how it cleans from the bottom and doesn't of the cork platter.

 

I have the Record Doctor III, and it does get hot when the vacuum is on, but then, most of the time spent per LP is in hand cranking for cleaning, so the intervals of on vs off allow for it to cool to acceptable levels.

I only do LPs in batches of 5 for a typical extended lazy day of listening, so the heat is not an issue for me.

I do like how in the newer versions the design uses a flat bearing for easier turning.

 

I have one and maybe do about 10 records at a time and it doesn't get any hotter than the VPI 16.5 I was using. I've not heard of anyone complain of poor build quality. It is a pretty simple device. Not a lot of engineering or building going on here. As far as RCMs go, until and if I ever get ready to go to an ultrasonic machine, the Record Doctor is the one that makes sense. Cleans just as well as the VPI and the Okki and the records come off drier with fewer rotations (no wet or damp spot under the wand). Just doesn't make sense to me to spend more unless im getting the uber convenience of an Ultrasonic. That Audio Desk machine is amazing but 4 grand is a lot for the convince and maybe a tiny bit cleaner record.

 

I have a question. How many times a year do you vacuum your records? Coming up on a year of RCM use and I find that I vacuum a record when I first get it then maybe every 10 to 15 plays or so. I do keep my records in MoFi sleeves and in a cabinet that closes to minimize dust.

 

I am vacuuming records every day. I would only vacuum a record a second time if needed, which is pretty sporadic. I run a table that doesn't have a dust cover so if it gets played often or sits out due to neglect on my part, I would clean it again if I can see any thing on it. 20 plays sounds about right if not a little high on average for me. I don't like the brush or microfibers for "dusting". After they are used once, they are only exposing more dirt unless it is cleaned. The RCM that spins itself does make that a little less effort.

 

I've got the RDV and normally do 5-10 records per session, and it gets hot, but honestly my arm tires out before the machine gets too hot most of the time.

But my backlog is too big... I've gotten to where I just put bought-new records through a spin-clean wash, and save the RDV for used records that definitely need it. Which is why I'm interested in this: save my right arm, Pro-ject, and give me automatic rotation! I've been eyeing a VPI, but I'd love to save a few hundred bucks if this is a good machine.

 

I clean an lp once. If it's still noisy I give it another cleaning but that's it.

 

The vid doesnt show much. Is it motorized? Or manual?

 

Yeah it's a shame they don't show the machine in action. But my guess is that it's motorised.

 

I RCM my records and put them in rice paper sleeves then into the cover which goes into a resealable mylar sleeve upon which I put a small circular sticker to signify that it has been cleaned on the RCM. I use a carbon fiber brush right before playing, just in case, and use my turntable dust cover.

Unless there is a noise problem that warrants further RCM cleanings, I only use the RCM once per record.

 

I have a VPI 16.5 that I bought back in 1990. For years, I would do cleaning marathons when I was in that kind of mood. I did not have a problem, cleaning until I got tired of doing it, maybe 30 LPs in a sitting sometimes. I did these marathons for years without incident.

At some point, during a cleaning marathon my vacuum stopped. I left it and when I went back it worked fine. This happened a second time and I realized that there was some heat sensor type cutoff for the vacuum which reset itself after it cooled down. I thought that it was probably a bad idea to keep doing this and experimented with how many records I could clean before this happened. It was usually about 15 records but it varied. I found that I could always do 12 records. So I made a rule to stop after 10 records and let it cool down, just to be on the safe side. I don't see this as a problem considering how much use this machine has seen and still works like a champ. I just had to make an adjustment to how I use.

I guess this sort of thing is why the VPI HW-17 has a cooling fan.

 

I'd say it would be a different principle. The CD/DVD buffers remove a (small) layer of material from the playing surface. That does not seem like a good idea nor seem like it would do any good with vinyl.

Sort of a laser reading pits and lands vs stylus tracing a groove kind of difference.

 

The DVDs look brand new once buffed/clean, and play faultlessly.I only have one buffed CD, again plays with no skips. If the Vinly buffer could analyse individual tracks, it could then just buff the track/song that required it.

 

The question that comes to my mind is whether or not a $400 vacuum record cleaner will out clean my augmented $80 (current price) Spin Clean system-- Spin Clean Record Washer plus few extra drying clothes and a record-safe rack the holds the discs edge-facing a low speed fan. Works great and leaves me more cash to buy records.

 

Economics play into it.
I guess if you can afford it and it does the required job. That all you can ask for. A bit more info and reviews would be appreciated.

 

I had an epiphany this morning. In the past two years I've probably purchased 800 "good"LPs for 50 cents to $1 each (I've had some amazing luck at jumble sales and the like), so why am I putting off buying a RCM? If those 800 albums had been $5 each they still would have been bargains.

With this in mind I've ordered a VPI Cyclone and will have it next week. I still hope that the Pro-Ject is a good machine but I cannot justify waiting six months for it when I have so many good albums that I want to play but need to clean first.

 

Record Doctor V....200 bucks....cleans my records just fine!

 

Wet/VAC $50..point nozzle...
kills dirt dead on my records