Thanks for the detailed review, Sandy. I have a huge amount of RD fluid left, and think it provides good results. My workflow is similar to yours. But, I'll certainly give LdS a try.
I have both and prefer LDS. Mind you I’ve found nothing WRONG with the AI16 I just prefer results from LDS. Can’t say why specifically just a feeling I have about the sound of records clesned with it and I paid for both. Something about the LDS...
For the various methods mentioned here, what is your time spent per record cleaned and, assuming no mishaps, do you find yourselves recleaning the same records multiple times?
Never cleaned more than once. 2 rotations with the vacuum and away we go. Nothing I've tried yet has ever made a difference so I save solution, time, and effort by playing LPs quicker.
Interesting review @action pact. I’ve kept using the RDV solution after mine ran out, premixed in the larger bottle. It’s readily available and in a great dispenser bottle, and has cleansed a few hundred LPs for me. I think the two passes is invaluable for the RDV to get a good clean out of used LPs. I also have that sleeve city pad, which I used in a prior cleaning method for a crude wipe and clean. Do you find the results to be better when using the pad to apply vs lightly applying fluid and rotating the record around the RDV before the vac round?
I've always found it awkward to scrub the disc on the RDV. I prefer a more stable platform, especially because I like to scrub the disc back'n'forth.
Yeah, it’s inceeibly annoying. And squeaky / wobbly haha. I’ve just never thought to combined the two. Thanks for the idea!
It might be that you are letting the solution dry before the rinse. I'm just relaying what I know from my own experience using Disc Doctor and VPI machine. Your are supposed to use the solution but not totally dry, then rinse while the record is still damp. Not sure if you have that kind of control with your machine.
I use this in my homemade Ultrasonic cleaner, followed with a wipe over with distilled water and vacuuming off. ALways been impressed with the L'art Du Son, it really is worth the money and has really cleaned up my records.
I've not tried L'Art Du Son due to concerns with degradation. I have tried TTVJ Vinyl Zyme Gold, which I swear by. It's better than AI #6 in my experience. I have a friend who just finished up a bottle of L'Art Du Son and he tried the TTVJ. He's sticking with TTVJ.
I've used two different Okki models with L'Art Du Son and never experienced anything like you describe. Have you tried using the Okki Nokki with a different fluid? That would be an easy first step to check. If the Okki isn't working properly then you should get the same results with different fluid. You Okki Nokki could be failing e.g. the vacuum has lost suction power. But if something like that was the case you'd notice it since it take longer to suck the liquid off the lp. Perhaps the velvet strips are worn out? You could also be making a solution that too strong and harder to rinse off, leaving residue or perhaps not rinsing enough in general. Just some idea to consider.
I disagree. I had a Track UK Axis pressing that had so much dust on it, it was unlistenable. But I clean sorted that out and it played close enough to NM. What it can't do, and this is where I agree with you, is turn a VG (worn out) record into a NM record. But if it's just dealing with the removal of dirt it's doable.
Well its not exactly hard to use it. Ive already tried several times but I can do it again as fast as possible to see if it helps.
Thanks, Ive only ever tried Lart Du Son but I could always try with just distilled water. The suction seems to be working because it only takes 1 rotation for any visible fluid to be sucked up, even though 2 is recommended by most, which I normally did. The solution amount I tried was 2ml LDS and 48ml water. Ive tried rinsing after with just distilled water and the wetting + static removing chemical with water. Neither seemed to have made a difference on my now noisier records. One thing Im also a little concerned about is that I used up the whole 50ml batch but nothing wants to come out of the machine no matter how much I tilt it. I tried blowing into the tube and even sucking manually, not a drop. Is it just that the left overs evaporate?
Do not leave it to evaporate. I had the same problem once and when I opened it up I noticed there was sold mould blocking the drainage hose. You could have an issue with a blockage of some sort. I wouldn't have thought that it would be mould considering how long you've had the unit. Could be that the drainage hose is bent inside. It's easy to open it up yourself (not sure how this affects warranty). Or you can wait till you take it to the dealer and they can open it up for you and check. What I started doing was after each batch of cleaning I rinsed out the tank and never had the issue again. The mix ration they recommend is 1:50 so you should be using about 2ml per 100ml of water but it's ok if you use a little more. In their info sheet they say 18-26ml per litre is ok. I use about 3ml per 100ml of distilled water, yours is technically just a 1ml more than mine. I don't know if that would make a huge difference with your cleaning in terms of being harder to remove.
Well I just tried to force drain a bit by pouring some water in and seeing what happens, it seems to drain ok with some tilting now actually. Aiming a flaslight down the hole I can see some rather ominous black spots down there. I gave it another warm water rinse but nothing substantial other than water came out. Ill have to see with my dealer asap about this. Do you think its mold from the previous owner and do you think that somehow ruins my records? Others mentioned that 2ml was fine for them and I would also imagine that rinsing would help a lot if there was leftovers. I dont want to overlook any potential problems however, so Ill try 1ml next time for sure.
If it's previously owned then probably from the previous owner. I don't think it'll ruin your records but you should clean it out. It's actually quite easy. Once you have the bottom opened the tank it pretty easy to remove. They actually use a modified Lock N Lock tupperware container for the tank. At least they did. I removed mine to clean it out when it first happened to me. A bit of vinegar can also help keep the tank clean as well. I put some vinegar in with the water I use to rinse the tank. Let it sit for a bit, then rinse some more. I do it every so often and not every time I do a wash. I also keep the drainage tube unplugged for a bit to help the insides dry. No one suggested that to me, I just do it for the heck of it Yes I think the difference in your ratio and the suggested is quite minimal so I don't think it'll make a difference but you might as well try it even if it's just to eliminate it as a possibility. There has to be an answer for what's going on. I hope you work it out soon.
I had both at one point but stuck with the L'Art Du Son. I didn't notice any difference between the two in terms of well they cleaned my records. There weren't any excessively dirty records e.g. with mouldy spots or anything difficult to remove like that. So I'd say for "regular" dirty records they both work as well as each other in terms of clean. However, I preferred working with the L'Art Du Son. Also, obtaining the AIVS solutions here in Canada was difficult. No one would sell to me in the US and the only distributor here in Canada is in Winnipeg. No e-store so you call it in. Nice guys, no issues with the transaction but it's expensive. Not sure if the distribution issue has changed.
I have a warehouse where US goods I buy are sent to. Then, I drive across the border every once in a while to pick up things. I save tons of money this way.
I have experienced some increase in noise with this fluid. Contrary to others claims I believe a small film is left. Answer is to rinse with purified water or even an alcohol based fluid that has good evaporation properties. I found 'Right One' fluid superior for normal cleaning which is available in UK from MCRU. You don't need to keep the L'Art Du Son mixture in tinted bottles. I did keep it in the fridge but found it keeps just as well at normal room temp.
Well I suppose Ill be trying more with rinsing in the future but the difference was very noticable for me so I cant imagine its within reason. Ill have my unit checked by a dealer anyway. Thanks for your input anyway. What RCM do you use?
Stands for Todd The Vinyl Junky TTVJAudio Vinyl Zyme Record Cleaner 2 oz Concentrate I believe the original owner/brand was Buggtussel Vinyl-Zyme. TTVJ either bought them out or it was a rebrand. It's an enzyme based cleaner, no alcohol. I use it in a more concentrated mix as a pre clean for excessively dirty records. But you can use a lower concentration as an everyday cleaner as well.
