Audio Technica AT-637 - Ultrasonic Stylus Cleaner

[kondo]

hi,i cut a bit of antiseptic wipe and sit that on top,but going to get some liquid,also have a tight hair brush which I sit on deck put arm and cart on it and pull it,saves pulling brush over stylus which is tricky,sometimes it needs a small tap for full affect,

 

[Mike Reed]

... Could do with a jewellers' loupe though!

An essential tool for stylus management. I've two, both old and hand made by the look of them and different magnifications.

 

[awkwardbydesign]

I still have mine (and a Zerostat!), but won't use it with my Decca!
I do wish I still had my AT auto arm lift device; it leaked silicone fluid so I sent it back to AT for repair, and they just refunded me instead! If I'd known I would have sorted it myself.

 

[JimmyB]

I've got a similar device to the AT but it's by Goldring and is triangular in shape, pretty sure it does the same thing.

On the AT auto-lift, for only £200 you get get one of these...http://www.littlefwend.com/ or what seems to be a Chinese copy of an i-qual here: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=282737162012

but myself, I reckon this can be made to work, and a lot more fun, for pennies....https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2098491

 

[Natara]

Just gave my Benz Micro Ace it's first clean with the AT and then gave my Analogue Productions copy of Muddy Waters - Folk Singer a spin and I have to say it has made a very noticable difference I had also given the record a clean too and there is a crispness to the acoustic guitar especially the fret work that I haven't heard before and I would recommend one of these little gizmo's to anybody who is serious about playing records.
I know I probably paid too much but for me it was £25 well spent.

 

[Natara]

By the way I got an email back from Stephen at Benz and he said they themselves have used the AT to clean stylus's.

 

[Natara]

PS
+1 for the jewellers loop they are pretty cheap on eBay.

 

[awkwardbydesign]

I've got a similar device to the AT but it's by Goldring and is triangular in shape, pretty sure it does the same thing.

On the AT auto-lift, for only £200 you get get one of these...http://www.littlefwend.com/ or what seems to be a Chinese copy of an i-qual here: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=282737162012

but myself, I reckon this can be made to work, and a lot more fun, for pennies....https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2098491

I have a magnetic arm lifter, which works well enough, but I still miss the AT one.

 

[k90tour]

I've just found my old AT637. It still has the original battery in it and it is working. Problem is, my AT OC9 on a SME IV is too low to set the AT637 on the platter and lower the arm. And I have no finger lift to raise and lower the arm back down. Deck is a Gyro SE. Any tips please?

 

[JimmyB]

It doesn't have to sit on the platter, just get a bit of wood or something marginally thinner for the AT to sit on next to the platter. That should allow you to lower the cartridge onto it and let it rattle away merrily. I take the platter off mine to get the space to do this.

 

[k90tour]

Well that wasn't fun. I made a platform next to the platter and lower the arm. The cartridge bottomed out on the pad. Can't imagine why that would be when it doesn't whilst playing a record. In fact, just played a track and the cartridge bottom is very close to the record. (< 1.0mm). Is that normal for an OC9?

 

[Mike Reed]

Jimmy's reply was what I've done; made a block of wood to sit beside the platter but with top just below platter top. However, you must either have a lift/lower device or INCREDIBLY steady hands! I s'pose the lower VTA could add a bit to the VTF, but I wouldn't have thought it enough to bottom out a cart. Maybe the suspension is softer than it should be? If the cart. body touches the grooves, you know something is wrong.

 

[k90tour]

Just spent the last 90 minutes messing about . I have an old Shure SFG-2 Force Guage and according to that, I was well over 2g. I've just reset it using the Shure rather than the SME IV's own. Still tracks low but the line of the bottom edge of the cartridge is parallel with the disc.
No wonder some people prefer digital.
I spent two hours listening to Bruckner on the turntable and when I went over to CD, it all sounded a bit of a mess.
So I want to get this right!

 

[Guinnless]

Just gave my Benz Micro Ace it's first clean with the AT and then gave my Analogue Productions copy of Muddy Waters - Folk Singer a spin

The AT is a great device, I bought mine new way back in the 90s.
Muddy Waters - Folk Singer is a great LP.

 

[Fuller]

Been using my AT637 more often recently, due to issues of distortion on some records, not all.
I purchased it at least 30 years ago and it's still going strong, I changed the battery earlier as the light was very dim and it also made the pad vibrate more.
Anyway two questions.
I always thought it should be used for a max of 20 seconds as per the original instructions, but a search earlier, including Linn Docs, said 5-7 minutes max. So owners, how long do you leave your stylus on the pad for?
Also is it worth cleaning the pad? I never touched mine in all those years, if yes how do you clean it?
Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Jason P]

You'll prize my 637 from my cold, dead hands! Bought new in maybe 83-84. Can't remember how much, £19.99 is ringing a bell, but boy does it work well. I think I'm on the second battery, and still have 3/4 of the fluid too. Essential.

 

[Tim Jones]

I have just bought a s/h one on a popular internet auction site...

Paid a bit more than £19.99, but suspect given many of the testimonials, eg Tony's, that may be well spent.

 

[Rockmeister]

It's very good
You will hear voices suggesting that cleaner fluid + vibration can dislodge a stylus, but I've had mine for 30 odd years IIRC, and its cleaned 9 different makers stylus so far and done good.

 

[Tony L]

Been using my AT637 more often recently, due to issues of distortion on some records, not all.
I purchased it at least 30 years ago and it's still going strong, I changed the battery earlier as the light was very dim and it also made the pad vibrate more.
Anyway two questions.
I always thought it should be used for a max of 20 seconds as per the original instructions, but a search earlier, including Linn Docs, said 5-7 minutes max. So owners, how long do you leave your stylus on the pad for?
Also is it worth cleaning the pad? I never touched mine in all those years, if yes how do you clean it?
Thanks in anticipation.

I’ve seen no credible evidence it does any harm to the cartridge at all, i.e. you should be able to leave it there all week without issue. Any additional fluid is far more of a concern, e.g. the AT stuff that comes with it, Last etc. That really is a variable and likely depends manufacturer to manufacturer. By saying that I have never had any issue with the AT stuff though since moving to a Nagaoka MP-500 which has a tip glued to a boron cantilever I decided to move to Nagaoka’s own fluid just to be on the safe side. I only use a tiny drop on the pad, I don’t apply anything to the stylus. Checking with a nice loupe will give you a good indication of how clean the stylus is and how long it takes to get there. I tend to leave it for a couple of minutes, no more, I often do it when I’m cleaning a new record.

I’ve never done anything more than give the pad a gentle brush with a stylus brush. That’s all it ever needs IME.

 

[ToTo Man]

I’ve seen no credible evidence it does any harm to the cartridge at all, i.e. you should be able to leave it there all week without issue. Any additional fluid is far more of a concern, e.g. the AT stuff that comes with it, Last etc. That really is a variable and likely depends manufacturer to manufacturer. By saying that I have never had any issue with the AT stuff though since moving to a Nagaoka MP-500 which has a tip glued to a boron cantilever I decided to move to Nagaoka’s own fluid just to be on the safe side. I only use a tiny drop on the pad, I don’t apply anything to the stylus. Checking with a nice loupe will give you a good indication of how clean the stylus is and how long it takes to get there. I tend to leave it for a couple of minutes, no more, I often do it when I’m cleaning a new record.

I’ve never done anything more than give the pad a gentle brush with a stylus brush. That’s all it ever needs IME.

Do you ever have issues getting the unit to remain still in operation? If you look at this guy's video (watch from 13min) the vibration makes the device jump around. Perhaps because he's using a hard TT mat?!

I've often considered buying a cleaner for my ashamedly underused Denon DP-45F but its Fully Automatic DD system and VTF that's only applied to the tonearm when in 'Play' mode poses a challenge... You need to lower the stylus onto the cleaner whilst physically stopping the platter from spinning with your free hand, a small accidental platter movement could therefore be very expensive! It's possible to 'cheat the system' by lowering the tonearm down into the space between the platter and tonearm rest but it doesn't lower all the way down to the surface of the plinth so I'd need to put a platform under the cleaner to raise it up. Also, sometimes when you lower the tonearm into this 'nomansland' it senses that something isn't right and can drag itself back towards its rest. This could be catastrophic especially if using one of those sticky bubble-type cleaners!...