AudioAficionado.org - Pristine Vinyl ViVac RCS2s record cleaning machine

You gotta applaud anyone coming to market with tools to support the vinyl universe, especially a point-nozzle record cleaner. Cleeds is right, the first viable machine of this type was the Keith Monks circa 1969 and it was the cadillac of record cleaning machines. Monks was followed by Loricraft with a range of product models all based on the point-nozzle vacuum system that came from Monks.

https://www.audioaficionado.org/pict...pictureid=4467 https://audiofederation.com/dealersh...aft-in-ash.jpg https://www.audioaficionado.org/pict...pictureid=4466

An arm with a thread coming out of it mechanically moves across the record surface like a tonearm. A small nozzle on the tip of the arm is the business end of a vacuum; the nozzle rides on the thread and never touches the record surface. The string advances from a spool through the vacuum tube so it is continually clean. The vacuum effect is powerful because it is tightly focused, unlike a wand with a large open slot as found on some of the VPI machines.

Monks went out of business before Keith passed on and has since been restarted by his son. Loricraft is still in business though the became somewhat retrenched back to England because they lost their primary US distributor, Smart Devices. (Maybe they have a new US distributor by now - or say if you know different.)

Now here's a new point-nozzle. I think its safe to declare England the home of the point-nozzle RCM.

These type machines can be very effective and, with enough time, will clean the dirtiest of records. The fancier version of the Pristine Vinyl units has a fluid pump. Whether you put fluid on the record from a pump or squeeze bottle, its all the same. Put on cleaning fluid (eg AIVS) let it sit on the record to do its work while you slightly agitate it to keep dirt suspended in it. Vacuum it off. Possibly put on more fluid and do a second time. Vacuum it off. Then a mandatory rinse step followd by vacuuming and typically a second rinse with vacuum. No matter how machine-like you work, that's still a lot of cleaning time, 10-15 minutes or more. Then comes the big fun - turn the record over and do the B-side. (Careful not to get the A-side wet while cleaning that.) So, 20-30 minutes to clean a record well.

I trust the Pristine Vinyl unit has a) water proof switches and a solid coat of lacquer or polyurethane, b) easy access to the collection jar, and c) easy to change string.

The ability to control each step, use the fluids and water (lab grade?) that you want, along with a strong vacuum makes the point-nozzle cleaner very effective. And messy. And very time consuming. I cleaned records for 7-8 years using a Loricraft PRC-3 (still have it.) Many...hours...cleaning...records.

Of course the ultrasonics, first from inventor Reiner Glass and a period of growing pains for the Audio Desk Systeme unit, then KL Audio, captured a nice chunk of the market over the past 6-7 years. And for all but the dirtiest records they do a pretty decent job. Cleaning both sides at once they caught on quickly. They are totally automated from wash through dry, and deflinitely more expensive. But they've come down in price, last I saw the ADS unit was around $3800. I've owned an Audio Desk for about three years.

The single record desktop ultrasonics will probably dominate for a while because they are small and convenient. The point-nozzle vacuum probably best survives through lower cost - personally I think Pristine Vinyl is taking quite the gamble, but bully for them. If you're really into vinyl (have a lot of records) I've found the optimal automated cleaner is a multi-record ultrasonic machine at a still lower cost (eg. my diy effort here.) If you buy a lot of garage sale and second hand shop records, the point nozzle cleaner has a place. Don't know if the Pristine Vinyl machines are any good, but I hope they are and that the company makes a go of it.