Problems w/ Nitty Gritty RCM?


I was having a lot of trouble with surface noise on new vinyl. Before first playing my new LPs I was giving them a wash with my Nitty Gritty 1.5Fi, but I was still getting a lot of pops and clicks. In an attempt to discover the source of the problem, I stopped washing new records and just giving them a dry brush before first playing. This has reduced the surface noise quite a bit.

I'm wondering, is there something wrong with my Nitty Gritty, possibly something abrasive in the brush? Has anyone else experienced this?
gradys

Showing 3 responses by dopogue

I've used Nitty Gritty machines since 1982 and NEVER experienced the issue you
described. I've used them on new records and used ones. I now clean them
with Last brushes and AIVS fluids (a three step process winding up with a rinse),
but even when I used one-step solutions there was never a case where the
cleaned record sounded worse than before it had been cleaned.
Gradys, as noted,I use the 3-step AIVS products (Enzymatic Formula followed by Super Cleaner Formula followed by Ultra-Pure Water) although I've been experimenting with Aquafina, as recommended by Michael Fremer of Stereophile, instead of the Ultra-Pure Water, and can't tell any difference.

This is with a completely manual RCM, by the way.

I prefer Last cleaning brushes, available many places at 10 for $30, and keep a separate one for each fluid. When they get dirty -- they're white, so it's easy to tell -- I just pitch them. I put a bead of fluid down each one before a cleaning session.

That's about it. I don't flood the records with fluid, for the simple reason that I don't want them to drip when flipping them over on the Nitty Gritty (actually, currently a Record Doctor III clone from Audio Advisor). Oh, and I reverse directions on the RCM with each fluid; it makes the velvet "lips" last a lot longer. Anything I've left out? Dave
Actually, It lasts years and years. I can't remember when I bought the current batch and tend mostly to replace only the first brush (for use with the Enzymatic Formula) rather than 3 at a time. I use a wire brush to remove contaminant from the Last brushes after they dry. I tend not to buy really filthy records although I do buy a lot of used ones.