An ultrasonic cleaner can clean record grooves by making them vibrate. In this device, the sound waves cause particles in the grooves to vibrate and move out of the way for the new groove to come into focus. This makes those areas easier for your stylus to read and allows for better sound reproduction.
How does an ultrasonic cleaning machine work?
An ultrasonic cleaning machine operates on the same principle as an ultrasound thermometer. In an ultrasound thermometer, a probe is placed inside a liquid and then sound waves are sent from an outside source. The sound waves pass through the liquid, vibrate at certain frequencies and cause the liquid molecules to move in response. These movements result in the formation of small bubbles or droplets which appear as visible light lines on the surface of the liquid. These visible light lines or stripes are called “ultrasonic bands”. An ultrasonic cleaner works in a similar manner but does not require any outside sources of energy like batteries or electricity to operate. When you hear a low frequency sound, it produces lower pitched sounds known as bass notes and higher pitched sounds known as treble notes. In an ultrasonic cleaner, a fixed metal diaphragm is used with high frequency oscillating transducer that sends vibrations across it which causes it to vibrate at its resonant frequency (resonant frequency determines how fast a device vibrates at its resonant frequency). This makes these metal diaphragms vibrate at their resonant frequencies under the action of low-frequency sound waves generated by another device known as an oscillator. Consequently, they produce vibrations much faster than they normally would because of their increased movement.
Does an ultrasonic cleaner machine remove scratches on a record?
No.
Can an ultrasonic cleaner machine remove dirt from a record groove?
An ultrasonic cleaner actually does not have any effect on the record groove at all but, yes, it can and does remove dirt from even the dirtiest records.
How long does it take an ultrasonic machine to clean a record?
The amount of time it takes an ultrasonic cleaner to clean a record depends on the size and type of the record. The larger and heavier the record, the longer it will take to clean. A good general rule to follow when using an ultrasonic cleaner is that each record will need approximately 20 minutes of cleaning time.
How do ultrasonic cleaning machines compare to other record cleaning methods?
An ultrasonic cleaning machine is among the most expensive methods of record cleaning but it is also among the best.
Hear the difference now.
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