Medical Isolation Platforms


Decided to open a discussion on Vibraplane, Halcyonics, Minus-K type tables. What are the merits of active vs passive and industrial vs medical? Is the fuss of setting up compressors and tubing worth the benefits of active and is the only difference with industrial vs medical the mass load? Would a cheap passive platform be an upgrade over say a Symposium or BDR Shelf?
ducatirider
 
Sdlevene - could you speak to reasons for choosing the particular Minus-k model that you did, versus, say, the BM-6 or BM-10? Thanks in advance.
 
Jtimothya,

The BM-8 is their highest-performance isolator for loads in the 100-lb range and has the additional advantage of a low profile (about 4 in. high). I replaced the standard top plate with a 28x20x0.75-in slab of polished granite to support my VPI TNT 'table. The sum of these masses (minus the mass of the original top plate) comes just within the maximum load rating of the BM-8.
Is resonant frequency an indicator of superior sound quality and why? If the table has a natural resonance (a rarely published spec) and the platform has a resonace that was a fundamental then I can see all modal hell breaking loose. Do these platform manufacturers publish resonance amplitudes? I would think amplitude would have more bearing than frequency. or not?
1. Resonance frequency is the frequency in which a material vibrates the most. Isolation (decoupling) will typically worsen vibrations at and near the resonance frequency, but higher frequencies will improve. That's why you want the resonance to be as low as possible, preferably outside the audible range.

2. All tables (and everything) has a natural frequency; and maybe even more than one, if the table is made of different parts or materials. I've only seen some manufacturers publish this, and it is always dependant on the load or mass on top of it. Every system has an optimal load, and if it's less than that, the resonant frequency will be too high and might make the problem worse. If the spring is overloaded, it will become useless.

3. Don't quote me on this, but I believe amplitude absorption depends on deflection of the spring and the damping factor. Usually audiophile products don't publish these (maybe they don't have the equipment to test). But, for instance, the Minus-K mentioned above pushlishes their transmissibility curve, so do products like Green Glue, and manufacturers of springs, mounts, and dashpots, used in HVAC or auto applications.