Turntable and Rack vibration control


Hi,
I moved from a Nouvelle Platine Verdier to a Loricraft Garrard 301. The big change with this move was that the Verdier comes with a terrific implementation of pneumatic suspension feet which kept the TT almost floating and hence great isolation from vibration. The result was always a noise/grain free playback and super clean backgrounds. With the Garrard, the plinth is typical custom made stacked birch ply with standard steel cones as footers. When placed directly on the rack the background is noisy, the images muddle up and overall music is not well sorted.

I do not expect the Garrard to be as quiet as the Verdier but I know it should not be this noisy either. In fact the Verdier also sounded noisy when I placed it directly on cones bypassing the pneumatic suspension feet. 

I use a Hutter Racktime rack which is not like an overbuilt audiophile rack. It is more like an open frame rack with lightweight supports. It is a bit like a Rega TT, not very damped or controlled. The rack has pointy steel feet which rests on brass spike plates (mine is an wooden floor). I guess this implementation is not sophisticated enough to keep away vibrations and let the TT play quietly. 

I am looking at two levels of solutions:
1. Replace the existing steel feet and brass plate with a quality vibration control footer below the rack
2. Replace the stock steel cone below the TT plinth with a better footer/platform.

I have tried Sorbothane, Squash balls kind of tweaks, while they reduce noise they slow down the music too.
I have also tried Stillpoints and Finite Elemente footers under the rack. They make the sound thin and metallic IMO. Platforms like Minus-K are too expensive so I have not considered them yet.

I am looking suggestions here, probably footers and vibration control devices that are more musically oriented yet well engineered like Shun Mook, Harmonix, SSC or something like an HRS platform ?
pani
Completely agree with that, Bruce. Do you feel that using a 300 rpm vs 600 rpm motor and/or an independent flywheel between motor and platter are effective as methods to reduce unwanted motor vibrations from reaching the stylus?

How about thread drive vs rubber belts? My experience is that replacing rubber belts with a single thread is a big improvement, so I am surprised/confused by the recent trend toward two or three rubber belts between motor and platter from one TT manufacturer's tweakers...

Dave
Completely agree. Multiple motors, multiple belts etc. often compounds noise.  Many manufacturers bearings produce so much friction they need either large or multiple motors to operate properly. A single AC motor operated with  reduced voltage ( only possible with low friction platter bearing) solves many issues with no loss of dynamics. Alternately motors can be isolated enough to prevent most transfer although the belt is still a conduit. Generally the more rigid the belt the more potential for noise to get to the stylus albeit at a higher frequency which is easier to nullify. Often however sound quality improves enough ( micro dynamics/shading/transient Fidelity)with thread type belts that I would still prefer this method. A good heavy platter and oil well bearing will help swamp any noise as will the platter matt. 
Also, I'm not a fan of flywheels. They add unnecessary cost and complexity and add a second often poorly designed bearing. Much better to just add more weight to the platter. Don't get too caught up in the noise issue. Its not that hard to deal with in a GOOD all around design. I would take the 300 rpm motor because I like the larger surface area and grip that a larger pulley provides.

Hope this helps


As I just posted on another thread about vibration the usual damping techniques, especially those employing soft rubbery materials, often fail to accomplish the mission. What is really needed for these stubborn cases is a method that allows the mechanical energy to exit the system rapidly, rather than stick around and reverberate inside the system. So, instead of attempting to muffle the vibration or control it with rubbery materials like Sorbothane it’s usually much more effective to employ either constrained layer damping or relatively simple devices like audio cones especially DH Cones, very hard materials, even crystals can be very effected in this regard. Or even, as suggested by the OP, Shun Mook Mpingo discs. Those devices provide a *path of least resistance," a mechanical diode, for the energy to exit stage right, as it were. 💃