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Preview: Spin-Clean Record Washing System

Preview: Spin-Clean Record Washing System

I suppose I’m a lot like a great many vinyl fanciers. I don’t own an archival collection but it’s a good assortment with a mix of personal faves and nostalgia, and occasional killer super-discs. While it would be cool to have a full, honking automated-record cleaning machine, I don’t have the extra space to dedicate to it and I wouldn’t use it often enough to justify the expense. What I need is something light, efficient, and easy-to-store–not another noisy appliance.

Meet my new best friend, Spin-Clean. This record washing system is a bare-bones, manual design. Note, it’s a system not a machine-the human body does the “heavy lifting”  here. Sublimely easy, there’s nothing to plug in– just fill the unit with distilled water up to the indicated fill-line and add a capful of the cleaning solution (a non-alcohol based liquid), slide the record between the opposing micro-brushes in the tub with the records edges just resting against the adjustable rollers (for 12”, 10” and 7” records) and give it  three full rotations. (In fact one of the reasons that the unit is bright yellow is to make it easier to see the dirt collecting at the tub’s bottom.) Remove the record, let the residual solution drip down into the tub and apply a few circular passes with the supplied lint free cotton cloths. The air in the room does the rest of the work. The result is a disc that is suddenly as black and shiny as the day you brought it home–maybe more so in the case of a pre-owned purchase.Preview: Spin-Clean Record Washing System

Does it work? Does it ever. On a prized direct-to-disc recording like the Atlanta Brass Ensemble’s Sonic Fireworks [Crystal Clear] which to my knowledge has never been cleaned (although well cared for overall) in over thirty years the difference was marked by an overall reduction in background noise, a removal of most tiny snaps and crackles from the lead-in groove right through to the end.  Quieter surfaces translate to improved dynamic range and low level resolution. Is it as convenient as the fully robotic machines? Maybe not, but on balance I frankly feel a bit better about myself in kind of the same way I do when I polish my car on a spring morning. I could take it in for “detailing” but I just wouldn’t have the same feeling of satisfaction. That, and the fact that this is a truly “Green” product, all the energy expended is totally off the grid. Look for my full review in an upcoming issue of TAS. The basic kit includes cleaning solution and cloths but replacement supplies are readily available. Price: $59.99 store.acousticsound.com or see the demo at garage-a-records.com.

Tags: RECORD CLEANING VINYL

Neil Gader

By Neil Gader

My love of music largely predates my enthusiasm for audio. I grew up Los Angeles in a house where music was constantly playing on the stereo (Altecs, if you’re interested). It ranged from my mom listening to hit Broadway musicals to my sister’s early Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Beatles, and Stones LPs, and dad’s constant companions, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. With the British Invasion, I immediately picked up a guitar and took piano lessons and have been playing ever since. Following graduation from UCLA I became a writing member of the Lehman Engel’s BMI Musical Theater Workshops in New York–working in advertising to pay the bills. I’ve co-written bunches of songs, some published, some recorded. In 1995 I co-produced an award-winning short fiction movie that did well on the international film-festival circuit. I was introduced to Harry Pearson in the early 70s by a mutual friend. At that time Harry was still working full-time for Long Island’s Newsday even as he was writing Issue 1 of TAS during his off hours. We struck up a decades-long friendship that ultimately turned into a writing gig that has proved both stimulating and rewarding. In terms of music reproduction, I find myself listening more than ever for the “little” things. Low-level resolving power, dynamic gradients, shadings, timbral color and contrasts. Listening to a lot of vocals and solo piano has always helped me recalibrate and nail down what I’m hearing. Tonal neutrality and presence are important to me but small deviations are not disqualifying. But I am quite sensitive to treble over-reach, and find dry, hyper-detailed systems intriguing but inauthentic compared with the concert-going experience. For me, true musicality conveys the cozy warmth of a room with a fireplace not the icy cold of an igloo. Currently I split my time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Studio City, California with my wife Judi Dickerson, an acting, voice, and dialect coach, along with border collies Ivy and Alfie.

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