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Single plinth for multiple table/motors

I recently saw a picture in another thread about a Sony TTS-8000 which got me thinking. Would it be possible and/or reasonable to build a single plinth (in the manner of CLD a la Lenco "Home Despot" tables or similar to the construct of Alberporter's recent Technics SP-10 Mk2 and Mk3 efforts) which would accept a "top plate", to which the table/motor was affixed, similar to the way some of these tables have armboards to switch arms.

I have a couple of table/motors that I would like to re-plinth, and a couple of arms which I would like to use. If I could affix the table to the "plinth top plate", and then seat the "plinth top plate" within a larger "outer plinth", my thought is that a slight change in material construction between the top plate and the larger outer plinth would have the effect of reducing overall plinth resonance. It would also allow me to build a single large "outer plinth" and cheaper sub-plinths for each table so that I could play around with several others. Theoretically, once I build a basic plinth, I could add more TTs/motors, or simply change from one TT to another at some point in the future, building only the sub-plinth in order to make it work. I would not need to build (or get built) a whole new plinth with sets of armboards each time I wanted to change things.

Any thoughts as to whether this is a stupid idea? Or any thoughts about methods of attaching the sub-plinth (the one carrying the table) to a larger "outer plinth" would be helpful. I was almost thinking that using something like bicycle wheel quick-release assemblies which would clamp on the bottom would be one way to be able to change them quickly and efficiently, and to allow a little bit of flexibility in how hard one clamps down (when I tested headshell screw tightness, I was surprised to discover some changes are audible).
t_bone
hiho
451 posts
 
I think it easy to design a plinth or multiple plinths that allows for interchanging tonearms, that is, to make all the plinths to be able to accept the same armboard or mounting mechanism. And that is a better idea to experiment or to play with different sound than to have a fixed plinth. A plinth might work well for one table but not for a different one. But keeping the tonearm and cartridge the constant can tell you a lot about turntable genres. People like to mess with plinths and platters, I prefer to swap out motors - in a belt-drive (or to a lesser extend, idler drive) turntable of course.

Have fun!

t_bone OP
1,182 posts
 
Hiho,
I thought about that, but frankly, figured that was more of a hassle, and more expense than what I am thinking of. That said, I am still wondering what the right way to do this is. The idea is still more for fun than anything else. It is of dubious utility unless one has multiple tables to plinth and one only wants to use one motor at a time. It is a tinkerer's toy, not a music machine.

johnbrown
195 posts
 
Your idea would not allow each table to sound it's best due to compromises in design necessary for it to work, but even if it were practical, it would be more work for only two decks than simply building two plinths. i.e., if you had ten TT's to plinth, maybe (though I wouldn't), but for two, why bother?

Not to be unkind, but this seems like one of those ideas that might deserve a moment or two of internal dialogue, and then immediately dropped.
weisselk
48 posts
 
Everything we have done at OMA with slate plinths has been aimed at mitigating or eliminating the top plate in plinth designs, so its ironic that you would like to revisit the top plate, though I understand the seeming advantages in convenience and economy.

Unfortunately, if you care about the sound, its not a very good idea.

Jonathan
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