Turntable mats

[Rust]

So I've made a few turntable mats over the years and every one has had an effect (some dubious, some deleterious) on the sound. One thing I'm trying to do is come up with a mat that is a few thousandths thinner in the area of the LP label. It would seem to me that one of the things record weight do when used in conjunction with a mat is press the label a little deeper so that the information bearing section of the LP is in more intimate contact with the mat. Well, that and insure the record is firmly in lock step with thee platter.

So what I'm attempting to do is create a mat that is about 0.002" thinner than the rest of the mat in the label area, which is the approximate thickness of the label. The other thing to watch out for is that a lot of older/thinner LPs are thicker at the edges, a leftover from record changer days which was supposed to protect the grooves when the changer dropped the record onto a rotating platter.

My thoughts are a record should be as flat as possible, any dishing could cause slight miss-tracking of the stylus in the groove. Additionally better contact of the LP with the mat could absorb micro vibrations that could otherwise be directed back to the stylus.

I've made several such mats but the materials that I've tried that work dimensionally are probably not the best choices sonically.

Comments?

[Guest]

My TT uses a screw down clamp on top of a compressible washer but no mat; the platter is magnesium with a 'special' coating on it. There's actually three washers of different durometer for different record thickness. Regardless of pressure, the record does not contact the platter at the spindle hole area where the washer is and I suppose you could call that 'dishing'. But the grooved area does contact the platter fully and the system seems to work well. Ever so slightly better than a Stillpoints LPI and no washer and no dish. The amount of pressure from the clamp can make an audible difference.

I know everything or anything can make a difference in sonics. But based on text alone I can't help wonder if 0.0508mm less mat in the label area would make a positive sonic difference more than the difference in atmospheric pressure on any given day. Maybe you could take a sacrificial duplicate record, remove its labels, and compare with the labeled copy. Not a perfect test, but ...

Interesting idea anyway - and two thumbs up for flat records!

[MylesBAstor]

So I've made a few turntable mats over the years and every one has had an effect (some dubious, some deleterious) on the sound. One thing I'm trying to do is come up with a mat that is a few thousandths thinner in the area of the LP label. It would seem to me that one of the things record weight do when used in conjunction with a mat is press the label a little deeper so that the information bearing section of the LP is in more intimate contact with the mat. Well, that and insure the record is firmly in lock step with thee platter.

So what I'm attempting to do is create a mat that is about 0.002" thinner than the rest of the mat in the label area, which is the approximate thickness of the label. The other thing to watch out for is that a lot of older/thinner LPs are thicker at the edges, a leftover from record changer days which was supposed to protect the grooves when the changer dropped the record onto a rotating platter.

My thoughts are a record should be as flat as possible, any dishing could cause slight miss-tracking of the stylus in the groove. Additionally better contact of the LP with the mat could absorb micro vibrations that could otherwise be directed back to the stylus.

I've made several such mats but the materials that I've tried that work dimensionally are probably not the best choices sonically.

Comments?

I'm not sure how much of difference that makes when you consider the record, by design, isn't exactly flat across the whole album. If you remember, that was one of the benefits of Classic Records Clarity vinyl. I wish I could remember how much the album varies from outside to inside.

[david k]

Oyaide makes a tapered mat BR-12 & a tapered metal turntable plate MJ-12 that works very well in coupling the record to the platter. The concept isn't new and has been done in the past, its an alternative to suction.



david

So I've made a few turntable mats over the years and every one has had an effect (some dubious, some deleterious) on the sound. One thing I'm trying to do is come up with a mat that is a few thousandths thinner in the area of the LP label. It would seem to me that one of the things record weight do when used in conjunction with a mat is press the label a little deeper so that the information bearing section of the LP is in more intimate contact with the mat. Well, that and insure the record is firmly in lock step with thee platter.

So what I'm attempting to do is create a mat that is about 0.002" thinner than the rest of the mat in the label area, which is the approximate thickness of the label. The other thing to watch out for is that a lot of older/thinner LPs are thicker at the edges, a leftover from record changer days which was supposed to protect the grooves when the changer dropped the record onto a rotating platter.

My thoughts are a record should be as flat as possible, any dishing could cause slight miss-tracking of the stylus in the groove. Additionally better contact of the LP with the mat could absorb micro vibrations that could otherwise be directed back to the stylus.

I've made several such mats but the materials that I've tried that work dimensionally are probably not the best choices sonically.

Comments?

[1morerecord2clean]

Oyaide makes a tapered mat BR-12 & a tapered metal turntable plate MJ-12 that works very well in coupling the record to the platter. The concept isn't new and has been done in the past, its an alternative to suction.

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david

Bravo David! I have written about the Oyaide BR-12 rubber mat many times. Additionally they make two weights with removable pillars coupled to a top and bottom disc for use with the the BR-12. The discs unscrew allowing the pillars to be removed one at a time allowing the user to determine the amount of downward pressure that sounds best in their analog system. They make two weights, a light one and a heavy one. I think the light one tops out at a pound or less with all pillars inserted. The heavy one tops out at 1.75 lbs with all pillars inserted. I use 4 pillars at 1.2 lbs in my system if I use one at all. On top of that the Oyaide mat costs less than $100. Talk about a high end bargain.

[Tunes]

I was intrigued by the oyaide approach but then started thinking through cart azimuth and anti-skate setup and effect of the oyaide and i got mired in overthinking it.
I may revisit the idea. Sounds like an interesting approach.

[jam]

Have you compared the mat with any other mats. I take it is that mat is hard rubber impregnated with metal? and does it get rid of the majority of warps?

[david k]

Have you compared the mat with any other mats. I take it is that mat is hard rubber impregnated with metal? and does it get rid of the majority of warps?

It's not about fixing warps Jam but how the record couples with the platter.
david

[jam]

I knew Darth Karmeli would be here to get my priorities right.......I am not worthy!