Turntable Mats?
- Thread starter MichaelJ
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I haven't tried any mats but always thought that the None Felt TT mat looked like the shelf liner you can get at local hardware stores or Walmart. I haven't had the courage to try it.
http://www.musicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=AEXTPHMATS
http://www.musicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=AEXTPHMATS
rulerboyz
AK Member
My DIY mat.
I cut to size PVC mesh shelf liner and used a wood glue to fix it to the platter. I cut out a 4 inch circle in the center because the label is a bit thicker than the record itself, so that the record lies flat on the mat. I then glued on a layer latex rubber, same as the kind that surgical gloves are made out of. Obviously I wouldn't recommend doing this on an expensive turntable.
I cut to size PVC mesh shelf liner and used a wood glue to fix it to the platter. I cut out a 4 inch circle in the center because the label is a bit thicker than the record itself, so that the record lies flat on the mat. I then glued on a layer latex rubber, same as the kind that surgical gloves are made out of. Obviously I wouldn't recommend doing this on an expensive turntable.
fdrennen
Organist in Residence
I have read in some forum somewhere an idea for a diy mat that I want to try. It involves usining drummer practice pads that are available in any music store. The purpose of these mats is to alow a drummer to practice silently. This is one of the audio projects I plan for the new year.
www.records
Quality over Quantity
I would be curious how those practice pads worked as a TT mat. It might be really good, or it might deaden the sound. Interesting idea.
Can you remember where these were discussed?
The only materials I have played around with for DIY mats is shelf liner and cork. On my table (Thorens) the cork was an improvement over the stock mat and the shelf stuff.
Can you remember where these were discussed?
The only materials I have played around with for DIY mats is shelf liner and cork. On my table (Thorens) the cork was an improvement over the stock mat and the shelf stuff.
BULLWINKLE
Super Member
I tried the drummer practice mats but the spindle on my Thorens was too short. Look at the spindle on your TT first before you invest a few bucks.
Brian4561
Active Member
Tonedeaf said:
I tried the shelf liner thing on my Thorens and it seemed to work pretty well. I ended up putting the rubber mat back though, because the shelf liner was a lot thinner than my original mat and it goofed up the geometry too much.
Next try is a cork mat--I've heard good things.
hakaplan
Needs professional help
I have actually heard all praise and no negative comments about Herbie's Way Excellent mat. At between $50-60 it's not real cheap, but there's a 90 day no questions asked return policy and apparently not too many people return them. Comes in three thicknesses to accomodate different spindle heights/geometry, etc. It's something I've kept putting off, but I think I'm going to try it.
http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/ttmat.htm
http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/ttmat.htm
I've used a couple of Platter Matter sticky mats and thought they were a definite improvement over normal mats, and I have a very heavy Osawa mat on a Kenwood KD 500 that is very nice, since it adds to the rotational inertia of the platter, which some have claimed is too light on its own.
Some mats work best in conjunction with a record weight or clamp. A cheap experiment can be done with the rubber reel holders from RtR tape decks.
A fun way to waste time, and possibly improve your stereo.
Some mats work best in conjunction with a record weight or clamp. A cheap experiment can be done with the rubber reel holders from RtR tape decks.
A fun way to waste time, and possibly improve your stereo.
Some argue that there should be nothing under the record at all & many decks have been designed that way with minimum support for the record .. the Yamamura Churchill deck being one of them
I posted this on another thread which is a very cheap experiment to do ....
I have always been a little dubious about people's claims on tweaks & changing mats is one of them .. especially when the cost of things like mats can be so prohibitively expensive.
I did an experiment on the BD1
I replaced the BD1 mat with a 100mm diam disc of 3mm cork so that the record stood clear of the platter by the thickness of the mat.. that's it.
The result was immediate improvement, more open, improved soundstage & greater clarity .. & I heard extra intonations on the recording .. piano notes were more sustained in decay for instance .. truly a surprising experience.
I have yet to try a full size cork mat to see how that compares
& if I stick to the 100 diam disc (size of Label) I think I may get even more improvement with a clamp or weight (Recommendations for BD1 clamping welcome here)
I guess the smaller 10" platter is of benefit
The 3mm cork disc was easily cut with a pair of scissors & just given a light sanding to tidy up. Thickness is within a fraction of a millimeter of the original rubber mat.
The tweak does not improve the look of the platter though (when the record is taken off).. so if for nothing else I will be covering the platter with some thin material to maintain the gap .. maybe just with some coloured paper or a thin rubber material I can get hold of.
I have since tried a home made weight of around 125gram and I have still to make my mind up whether it is worthwhile
I posted this on another thread which is a very cheap experiment to do ....
I have always been a little dubious about people's claims on tweaks & changing mats is one of them .. especially when the cost of things like mats can be so prohibitively expensive.
I did an experiment on the BD1
I replaced the BD1 mat with a 100mm diam disc of 3mm cork so that the record stood clear of the platter by the thickness of the mat.. that's it.
The result was immediate improvement, more open, improved soundstage & greater clarity .. & I heard extra intonations on the recording .. piano notes were more sustained in decay for instance .. truly a surprising experience.
I have yet to try a full size cork mat to see how that compares
& if I stick to the 100 diam disc (size of Label) I think I may get even more improvement with a clamp or weight (Recommendations for BD1 clamping welcome here)
I guess the smaller 10" platter is of benefit
The 3mm cork disc was easily cut with a pair of scissors & just given a light sanding to tidy up. Thickness is within a fraction of a millimeter of the original rubber mat.
The tweak does not improve the look of the platter though (when the record is taken off).. so if for nothing else I will be covering the platter with some thin material to maintain the gap .. maybe just with some coloured paper or a thin rubber material I can get hold of.
I have since tried a home made weight of around 125gram and I have still to make my mind up whether it is worthwhile
stuckinthe70s
Active Member
Today I received the Herbie's mat in the mail, it's replacing the stock rubber mat on my Technics SL1300MK2. The main reason I ordered it is because of lately I'm having some severe static issues and Herbie's claims their mat draws static away from the record. Plus if it is sonically better, great. Here are my initial thoughts, however I need to wait about a week and then switch back to the old one to make sure I'm not hearing my $50 imagination.
Improvements:
1. The sound seems flatter, and more acoustically dead. This is good.
2. The sound is overall tighter and instruments have better separation.
3. The soundstage is improved, again with better separation and placement.
Disappointments:
1. This mat has made exactly zero difference in my static problems, in fact, when I removed it from the mounting material(don't know what that is) it was shipped on, it immediately started crackling from static.
2. Upon removing the mat from the package and realizing I just paid $50+ for this, it seems ridiculous. A thin piece of foam with a thin piece of rubber on top for $50? Ouch. I know there are many factors in having something like this made, that we the consumers don't know about, and they probably aren't selling these things by the tens-of-thousands. But I couldn't help but have the initial impression of being slightly ripped off when I first saw it. Such as it is with many purchases today, as much as I don't like it, what are ya gonna do?
So there's my first review of Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat, you may do with it what you like. On a final note, I will say that for whatever reason, today my sytem was sounding particularly sweet. Whether or not the new mat was responsible for that is yet to be determined, however I have a hunch it was, at least partially. We'll see, tomorrow's another day and it could very possibly sound like crap.
Improvements:
1. The sound seems flatter, and more acoustically dead. This is good.
2. The sound is overall tighter and instruments have better separation.
3. The soundstage is improved, again with better separation and placement.
Disappointments:
1. This mat has made exactly zero difference in my static problems, in fact, when I removed it from the mounting material(don't know what that is) it was shipped on, it immediately started crackling from static.
2. Upon removing the mat from the package and realizing I just paid $50+ for this, it seems ridiculous. A thin piece of foam with a thin piece of rubber on top for $50? Ouch. I know there are many factors in having something like this made, that we the consumers don't know about, and they probably aren't selling these things by the tens-of-thousands. But I couldn't help but have the initial impression of being slightly ripped off when I first saw it. Such as it is with many purchases today, as much as I don't like it, what are ya gonna do?
So there's my first review of Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat, you may do with it what you like. On a final note, I will say that for whatever reason, today my sytem was sounding particularly sweet. Whether or not the new mat was responsible for that is yet to be determined, however I have a hunch it was, at least partially. We'll see, tomorrow's another day and it could very possibly sound like crap.
stuckinthe70s
Active Member
Yep, that's the scene, gotta love it! I have to watch that silly movie at least twice a year, I never get tired of it.shacky said:
goldear
Certifiable Audio Junkie
I've got one of these mounted on a Thorens TD-126. I really like mine. Now, if I knew where to source the exact materials that he used, I probably would have made one for myself. But as is, even though it is a little spendy for what it is, I feel that it is worth the money. And it is a true bargain compared to many high-end matts. :yes:hakaplan said:
