RECORD CLEANING: VACUUM v HUMMINGURU v BOTH?  

Excellent video Dave, very informative, many thanks. I agree and would definitely think a video on the history of your various record players would be a big hit with your viewers and the VC, one for the future if you ever find some time. All the best.

Totally agree with you about noise and crackles at classical music, and also about vacuum cleaner and HumminGuru results.

One of the most thoughtful, informative videos on RU-vid on the subject of record cleaning. I use twin SpinCleans for records I sell in my store, rising the really grubby ones off in the sink first, then the first SpinClean with the cleaning solution, the second with just distilled water, dry with the supplied cloth, then in a rack to dry. For my own collection and higher priced records, I use a contraption I built myself that works pretty much like an OkiNoki, using a motorized platter, Turgiclean solution, vacuum wand, and a repeat rinse and vacuum. It works a treat, but I'm now considering ordering a Humminguru as a final step. Good tip on returning it to the vacuum system for drying instead of the lengthy and apparently, somewhat ineffective drying cycle.

Brilliant job, thank you for the video! I use the vinyl styl bath with the vinyl vac attachment and a battery powered Milwaukee vacuum. The total cost of approximately 200 Usd. Is it pretty?, no, but I can do a dirty (or more often static plagued album) in about 2 minutes. The looks aren't to much an issue as my music system is in an adjacent room and only the speakers are seen. I am holding off on the humming guru as I'm hoping they either improve or other companies introduce an affordable, higher quality product to add to my current record cleaning regiment. Spin on you crazy diamonds!

I have the Okki Nokki since 10 years and has worked fine but I’m interested in getting the Humminguru. Your video answered all the questions I had but that no one answered. Thanks!! //Jonas

Nice video, David. I have an Okki Nokki vacuum system and I'm very pleased with the results but have been intrigued by the ultrasonic too. I'd be interested in a follow up after you've cleaned 100 or so pieces to get your take on the durability. You're right about the noise the vacuum system makes; I put on a movie that I know and just watch the parts when the machine is not vacuuming. Cheers from Central California!

Great video! Like you I kept my vinyl when CDs attempted to replace LPS. I bought CDs, but continued to by vinyl especially from thrift stores, etc. So I have about 2000 LPS since buying from the 1970s compared to about 600-800 CDs. I didn't get into wet record cleaning until the 2000s, and only then by devising various DIY methods to save money. After further research I eventually came up with a basic 2 step process using the Vinyl Styl record cleaner in combination with the Record Doctor record cleaning machine. This is a wet to vacuum process. The Vinyl Styl is very similar to the Spin Clean most people are familiar with. Instead of filling the tank with cleaning fluid (I use Audio Intelligent products) I spray my fluid on both sides of the record, spin the record several times, apply more fluid to saturate the record, let it sit a few minutes, give one final spin then put the record on the Record Doctor to such off the muck. The advantage of using the Vinyl Styl is that it has a set of goat hair brushes that get the fluid into the grooves to loosen the dirt. After I sucked off the initial cleaning fluid I use a rinse with a dedicated goat hair brush as a follow-up final stage, then I suck that off with the Record Doctor. This gives amazing results. It remves dirt, dust and contamination from the grooves. A distinction should be made between surface noise and noise from dirt, dust, static, and other contaminants in the record grooves. Surface noise comes from the physical contact between the stylus and the record grooves. This noise will always be there. The only thing that can reduce it is proper cartridge alignment and a cartridge that has an excellent ability at reducing these types of resonances. Noise from dirt, dust, static, and other contaminants is what the wet record cleaning process will get rid of.

Good video. Subscribed! I have a Humminguru as well and the phrase "icing on the cake" hits the nail on the head to combine cliché phrases. I have seen other reviews of folks who have contacted Humminguru with mechanical problems, and the company has good communication for DIY repairs as well as other options. Personally, as I am treating the machine with care, it is giving me fine service and has saved some records that had a lot of surface noise. It isn;t a miracle worker, but usually I am surprised with the results. Cheers!

Hi David ..Thanks for this video because it has helped to convince me that buying the Guru has been the best investment I have made in listening to and looking after my vinyl..I think its more of a Squeakingguru than a Humming to be fair..I am curious now to get the Moth to replace my Project vaccum ..I like the idea of having all that extra drying power..Again thanks for a very down to earth honest review..

New subscriber here! Great video, I recently got the Humminguru. I use distilled water and the Humminguru record cleaning solution (2 drops per 400ml of water) 50 records through with great results so far, by the way, I change out the water and clean the filter after every 10 records. It is leaps and bounds above my old spin clean.

Been listening to records for 40 years and i do simple clean with cloth,brush.etc,the basic quick clean then play them...living with some static is all part of it to me..

My initial cleaning begins with the Spin-Clean using their cleaner. I then transfer it over to my Nitty Gritty wet/dry vacuum cleaner. I then pump-up distilled water and give it a good soak/rinse before I turn on the vacuum. I'm not sure how much more I can get out of an LP by adding an ultrasonic cleaning. Thanks for the video.

Good evening David. This might well be the Best video regarding record cleaning i´ve seen all year and then some.. :) I think you cleared up a question i´ve had for quite some time, but i´ll get to that. Firstly, my first record was The Police Outlandos d´amour bought in 1979 at age 8, in Flensburg, Germany when visiting my grandparents - I´m from Denmark btw - ,but when we came back from shopping i saw that the record had Side 2 labels on both sides :D The record still plays without a skip, so i´m thoroughly looking foreward to giving it a proper ultrasonic clean when i get to buy a Vevor machine.. So back to the question i´ve been having. In Every single video regarding record cleaning, people talk about how they buy destilled water at their local shop for near pennies, whereas here in Denmark i can get demineralised water - might be what you showed being de-ionised water - at almost any shop for £1 pr. liter, but actual destilled water i can only order from farmaceutical companies for £3 pr. liter. Sorry about this lengthy rant, but i´ve been rather confused about this issue.. Maybe you have a word to add to this. Thanks and best regards, Carsten.

Nice one Dave ,what cleaning fluid do you use in the Moth is it home brew if so whats your recipe and do you distilled water rinse when vacuuming (it helps with static) thanks Rick

I ordered a Vevor ultrasonic vinyl cleaner ($161 delivered) a day ago, should be here in a few days. Your video was one of many I looked at to help make up my mind. My plan is to preclean 2 lps with brush and tergitol solution, then while still wet, place in ultrasonic cleaner using only distilled water for about 5 minutes, then finsh on my Nitty Gritty vacuum machine. Based this on what I've learned via the interweb.

I watched this with interest David. I didn’t know you could buy an ultrasonic cleaner that cheap. Being on a tight budget I have a couple of manual machines and after using a carbon brush put my old records through the Knosti disco Antistat machine with the fluid diluted 50/50 with distilled water as it contains alcohol. This uses goats hair brushes that get to the bottom of the groove. Then into the Spincare machine with its dedicated fluid. This uses cleaning pads so removing any fingerprints. When I have cleaned a few I then empty the Knosti and re fill with distilled water for a good rinse then air dry. This works very well and doesn’t cost the earth. Did you know that de ionised water can contain bacteria and distilled water doesn’t. The steam manufacturing process kills bacteria.

I’ve got the moth, had it a few years now, what I like about it is that you can apply fluid while it vacs the other side, thinking of getting a HumminGuru too.

Good video David. I purchased the Loricraft PRC6i last year, and l am really impressed by the results. It is a total game changer for me. Now l don’t play a record unless cleaned first.

Very interesting video

Loving my Humminguru. Had a homemade set up, but somewhat of a faff, so this is so more convenient with as good results. Had the same issue with my Floyd Animals too (haven't most people!?). Another issue I had with the guru though, is my Animals wouldn't rotate. However a look at their website explained to take out the holder and put a temporary, homemade spacer in and this worked a treat. Apparently this is due to the vinyl being slightly less diameter than normal.

Manual disc doctor cleaning using their pads, followed by vacuum is plenty good for me. I've been using it for over 20 years.

Hi David! I enjoyed this! Thanks for mentioning it on my channel. Whereas this video is a few months old and you'd only had the Humminguru for a few days at the time - what are your thoughts on it now?

Nice video David this is exactly what I was looking for. I have a Pro-ject VC-S2 ALU and I’ve cleaned my whole collection over the last 3 years and have found it to be a great machine. I’d been wondering whether an ultrasonic would be an improvement on it and also had been wondering whether a cycle in the ultrasonic flowed by a vacuum clean/dry would be the absolute best solution, so many thanks!

Thank you for this review. Since you have both drying methods, I've read and seen reviews saying the vacuuming process, while great at drying, turns your record into a static, dust magnet. Thereby making the ultrasonic "blow dryer" if you will, process the better drying method. Have you experienced any noticeable increase in static when drying with the vacuum vs running it through the Humminguru dryer until completion?

Good vid and answered my main question, the import duty cost. I've had a Pro-ject cleaner for the last 5 years or so (bought in Lintone Audio btw so I'm in the same part of the world as you). It obviously cleans a dirty record but I've never really liked the fact that a felt pad is pushed hard onto a vinyl surface and worry if it somehow picked up a little fleck of grit that it would score itself onto the record. I could swear I've cleaned some records that looked NM but thought it best to give them a clean and afterwards seen light marks on it. That's my main reason for considering a sonic cleaner and I'm considering the HummingGuru but overseas costs/service issues are my main reason for not purchasing so far. PS I did visit Handyside Arcade in the mid 80s to look in Kard Bar but that was to buy Viz rather than records! My copy of Julian's Treatment LP came from there via a work colleague who purchased it from Kard Bar in the 70s. Regards Nigel

My HG actually never left any water drops on the record, and i use short cycle drying. Distilled water with no additives. But with dusty/dirty records it doesn’t remove all dust specs - this is where pre-cleaning in VPI helps.

In theory, you try to avoid anything that creates mechanical friction on your record surface for maintenance. This includes carbon brushes, cleaning clothes, RCM 'wand' material, etc, etc. Using the Merrill G.E.M. (no affiliation) is just water and cleaning fluid. I would stack its results against any mechanical RCM. That said, the use of a USC AFTER the G.E.M. would be the way to go for the money. If the HumminGuru has any faults, it's that it's not aggressive enough to tackle really dirty records. So it only makes sense to clean it beforehand with something else.

Thank you for this one. Is there a solution for stylus cleaner ?

I just discovered your channel and subbed you up! I talk vinyl on my channel as well, thanks for sharing the great info, Peace!

That's why Japanese C.D.s are the best choice

Has anybody try making oldschool soulotions and use it on the Humminguru

Hey David I’m with you regarding using the Humminguru in unison with another cleaner for best results, I use a larger 5 record ultrasonic cleaner and then I use my Humminguru as a final rinse and dry as you also mentioned the ambient temperature plays a large factor with drying. ru-vid.com5erZtvAJEoo?feature=share

Put some oil on that orange screw.. and also Hummingguru destroy records, try cleaning one record 15 times, sound is destroyed. That machine using 40 kHz ultrasonic ment for carburators, jewelry, watches, or hard metal. Not vinyls.

if you use the vacuum and the humminguru at the SAME TIME while listening to records - you won't hear ANY noise LOL

Nearly $1000 post to NZ. I'm out 😂