How do you build your own turntable isolation platform

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Raphael Maltais, May 28, 2021.

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  1. tryitfirst

    tryitfirst supatrac.com

    Location:
    UK
    Brilliant! Wish I had thought of that. Your medal is in the post. ;-)
     
    bever70 likes this.
  2. mkane

    mkane Strictly Analog

    Location:
    Auburn CA
    Our gear is in a different room that the speakers. 2 decks are wall mount, the 3rd on a heavy, very stable platform. Zero feedback issues.
     
  3. AP1

    AP1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    TX
    Real isolation platform is not cheap. But it is not known if you really need one.

    If you want to try something that does indeed work - look at devices made by Minus K ( Minus K Vibration Isolation Platforms, Tables & Systems )
     
  4. Sam

    Sam Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Search Barry Diamont in these forums. Your answer lies there for DIY isolation. Period.
     
    doctor fuse likes this.
  5. Hanglow

    Hanglow Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saratoga New York
    I tried the inner tube thingy......believe me it was a PITA....depending on what component you are trying to isolate
    the inner tube ends up being bigger than the platform/rack dimensions....also you have to fiddle around getting the
    right amount of inflation...too much and it defeats the purpose.Just enough air to keep the weight of the valve...plus
    I found there was to much movement going on and no real + results I could hear.I went with 3 rollerblocks for my loudspeakers....placed in a measured equal triangle underneath to get the best movement/isolation.Improved lower distortion, more air and detail, improved soundstaging, tighter bass, and a more natural midrange.
     
    Shawn likes this.
  6. tryitfirst

    tryitfirst supatrac.com

    Location:
    UK
    I use 12" or 10" inner tubes for children's bikes. They are about the same size as a record, and therefore fit comfortably under my turntables. I'm currently using them under Technics SL-1210 and Garrard 301. They are not generally visible, and they seem to hold air for a very long time. I don't fuss about how much air - as you say, enough to clear the valve will do. I think they provide quite good isolation from vibrations and they are very cheap. That's what they were designed for, don't forget.

    BTW, to get the decks level on the inner tubes I just lift them and move them a bit towards the highest corner. They seem to stay level too.
     
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  7. The Pinhead

    The Pinhead KING OF BOOM AND SIZZLE IN HELL

    Mine is a Pioneer PL-3000
     
  8. Jacob29

    Jacob29 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kansas City
    If was going to build one which at some point (I likely will) I've always been interested in the sandbox platforms the idea seems like it would be effective to me the downside would be you have to have sand(if I did it silica beads) close to a tt

    Custom DIY Isolation Platform Table : aka sandbox
     
  9. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    I just tried 4 small blocks of these under my platforms. They are thick, dense and heavy foam sheets, consisting of multi-coloured bits of foam pressed together and they are used under floors (in soundproof studios) for damping vibrations.
    When I tap on the platform and put my ear to the cabinet nothing gets through. Same when I tap the cabinet and put my ear on the platform, total silence. They are a bit springy, vertical and sideways so they should isolate in all directions. A lot easier than faffing about with the inner tyre (which I also tried in the past) and cheap to buy (local hardware stores over here sell them). They come in large sheets, so you can cut as much smaller blocks as you want.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. tryitfirst

    tryitfirst supatrac.com

    Location:
    UK

    That's a very good tip, and it looks like you could tune it for turntable weight by using larger or smaller areas of it. Do you find that it collapses somewhat over time? By that I mean after a few years does it still spring back to full thickness? I used to use squash balls but I found that they decay quite quickly and that's when I switched to inner tubes.

    When you look at the very expensive solutions to this problem on display at high-end audio shows, it's amazing how much foo is devoted to the last 3% of the problem. In fact, I sometimes wonder if these low tech methods don't work as well, if not better, than some of the expensive stands, isolators and what-have-you.
     
    bever70 likes this.
  11. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    I have had them under my bedroom all-in-one system for years now. They are still springy. I just installed them in my main system now. Even if they would loose some of their flexibility over time you can just cut some new pieces.
    And yes you can tune according to weight. My amp for example is heavier in the front where the transformer is so I just use 3 blocks in front under the platform and 2 in the back. But you could cut bigger and smaller blocks to compensate for weight differences.
     
  12. tryitfirst

    tryitfirst supatrac.com

    Location:
    UK
    Yes, the point about this is that you want a system that resonates well under the 20Hz minimum of the audio band. As long as you don't produce resonance between the turntable and the cartridge at say, 5Hz, then the damping should work well.
     
  13. Have any of you done before/after needle drops? If so please post them as I’d be very interested in hearing them!
     
  14. tryitfirst

    tryitfirst supatrac.com

    Location:
    UK
    Resonance in the 5Hz band is probably euphonic. There's a chance people will prefer it over accuracy under deceptive test conditions. Seville choirs are legendary.
     
  15. Lord Hawthorne

    Lord Hawthorne Currently Untitled

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    I haven't tried those, but they're probably about the same results as foam rubber, which I have had the best results with so far, more than all the hard-surface materials people here prefer. I think I'll give that a try.
     
  16. Sterling1

    Sterling1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisville, KY
    Many years ago, when I recorded vinyl to cassettes, I would set my amp to a low volume. The thought was my cassettes would sound better and indeed they did.
     
  17. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    I built a sand box trap once. I had hoped that it might have made a big impact, but it really wasn't necessary in my system. These are very effective for certain turntables or on certain stands when vibration gets into them.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Like this.
    -Bill
     
  18. Geordiepete

    Geordiepete Tippet tyer

    Location:
    Japan
    Do you put a board between the inner tube and turntable or just put the 'table directly on the tube?
     
  19. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Last edited: Jan 13, 2022
    Dafox likes this.
  20. ghost rider

    ghost rider Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bentonville AR
    Let me ask are you having problems with your TT setup? The reason I ask in another house we recently moved from years back after I bought my 1st good TT a VPI Scout. In the beginning I was hearing hum mostly when I was working the needledrop I had recorded earlier with the headphones and the software I could see as well as hear the hum. Turns out it was mainly motor hum traveling through the belt. It took me time and lots of tweaking including building a sand box. I thought if I could isolate the motor it could solve my issue. To be honest I don't really remember what actually made the difference. I kinda gave up and some time later I realized I wasn't hearing it anymore. FF a bit last year I got a VPI Prime a similar design to the Scout but with a larger footprint and my old sandbox barely fit, but I still used it. Today we moved to a new location I was forced into a completely different setup and I constructed just a outrigger shelves using solid white oak legs supporting the one side. I posted a thread asking if sand boxes are worth it. One person was strongly for them in fact he constructed a rack where every component was in it's own sandbox. One was strongly against saying they zap the life out of the record. I set it up here without the sandbox and it sounds wonderful. At first I was sure the sandbox had been zapping the life out of the Prime. In the end they probably sound the same. The different houses have different circumstances, here a bigger room and on a concrete slab. In the other house built in 1941 had a framed floor but the equipment including the TTs were in an adjacent room, so no direct vibrations. Now the TTs sit above the speaker and I have no issues what so ever and if anything when I compare new vs old needledrops the new as slightly less resonance that you can see with the software.
    [​IMG]
    The only thing I can add if anyone should build a sandbox beware of the weight mine was 58lbs if I had used it with the Prime both would be close to 90lbs. The other thing I would suggest screw metal angles inside to hold the corners together. It's cheap and easy to install before you put all the sand in, will be a big pain to do after the fact. Its buried in the sand.

    Very nice job looks fantastic.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2022
    FlorentinePogen likes this.
  21. kentucky_slim

    kentucky_slim Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kentucky, USA
    Does anyone know if applying a stain or wax to a bamboo cutting board will diminish its ability to handle vibrations?
     
  22. doctor fuse

    doctor fuse Forum Resident

    What size diameter do you use? I use one under my Technics deck in the bedroom, but want another for a different room, but can't remember what the bet size is. My memory says 14"?
     
  23. doctor fuse

    doctor fuse Forum Resident

    Any chance you could post photos? I have thought about this, but keeping cables and wires neat and orderly and hidden keeps me from trying this approach. Any advice?
     
  24. tryitfirst

    tryitfirst supatrac.com

    Location:
    UK
    It depends on the deck. If it has a fairly flat bottom with no protrusions then I'll set it straight onto the tube, otherwise a board of some kind on top of the tube.
     
  25. tryitfirst

    tryitfirst supatrac.com

    Location:
    UK
    10, 12 or 14 inch depending on size of the deck. I suspect wide is good but you don't want it sticking out.
     
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