Record clamp mod

[pjug]

How does that work? Don't think I've ever seen such a clamp.

I don't know of any lightweight ones that you can buy. I made my own using wide elastic bands around the platter, then eight 3D printed clips that clipped to the record edge and coupled to the band. It kind of worked, applied enough force to flatten some slightly warped records, but not as much force as I would really like and it was a pain to use. So I was wondering if there is some better way.

There are vacuum solutions that clamp the whole record surface, but I don't know if there are aftermarket conversions for that. I would prefer that to a peripheral clamp. Just a quick evacuation with a hand vacuum pump is what I am thinking.

 

[Leiker535]

Even if I had saved the results, there'd have been a bunch of caveats, such as whether tapping the record is the best way to gauge the effects of the clamp, and even if it were, how to go about making a "standardized tap"!

My neighbors would be none too keen about my gauging the effects of sound coming from the speakers feeding back in to the turntable, as I think I'd need to crank sound level up quite a bit for that to become an issue. A more neighbor-friendly idea I came up with was simply to clap my hands directly over the turntable (stationary platter, with stylus lowered onto it's surface). And IIRC I scarcely saw a blip on the RTA display as I did so. Perhaps I'd have seen a much bigger effect if I had the dust cover installed at the time.

It appears to me that main sources of unwanted energy in my vinyl playback system comes from subsonic environmental noise not filtered out by the rubber isolation feet of the turntable, and perhaps energy generated by the stylus itself as it tracks the groove.

I also noticed these while using speakers on the same table as the TT. The ultimate solution is presented to us by these gurus:

https://vimeo.com/25761812#t=218s

 

[JeffS7444]

I also noticed these while using speakers on the same table as the TT. The ultimate solution is presented to us by these gurus:

https://vimeo.com/25761812#t=218s

Thank you, that made my appreciate my Raspberry Pi even more.

 

[Godataloss]

No, it IS a clamp. I assume the price is too high, so the OP is looking for an alternate and would like it to be light also.

I realize they are called clamps. OP is after something that mechanically grips the record to the platter, not just weigh it down.

 

[spiral scratch]

This is a record player tweak I have always been sceptical of and of the exhobitant prices people will pay for what to me seems like a pecision machined paper weight.

People claim to hear an improvement, it seems like introducing more main bearing noise into the record would be a bad idea. I can understand it to flatten a warped record, but I don't think this is what most people are using it for. I also understand that when people pay a lot of money for something they will think it's better.

I guess this might be the place to ask the pertenant question, other than to flatten a warped record, "what is the point of record clamping?" and "Is there any audible benefit to record clamping?"

 

[spiral scratch]

apoloies to the OP for my previous post as it's not relevant to his thread.

 

[DVDdoug]

The only test equipment I have is a multimeter I don’t think that would be sufficient correct me if I wrong. I am also not competent to design a test method, let alone interpret the results to me that’s the whole idea of belonging to Audiosciencereview to listen to those that have the equipment and the knowledge carry out the experiments. I note from your testing that you thought there was some merit in clamping unless I have misinterpreted what you said. Sorry if I have.

If you have a regular soundcard* or audio interface you can digitize the recording with & without a clamp (or weight).

Then you can do a blind ABX test to determine if you can reliably hear any difference.

Of course this isn't going to fix the real problems with vinyl which are noise, and sometime distortion and frequency response variations.


* Most laptops only have a mono-microphone input. You need a line-input.

 

[MCH]

Well i would say if your platter is one of those acrylic ones with no matt, I don't think some sort of clamp hurts, without it the record moves freely on top of the platter... No idea if this has any detrimental effect on the sound, but seems common sense to fix the record somehow to the surface that moves it, at the end of the day the stylus is producing some drag and vibration...
No idea, maybe someone more knowledgeable can chime in, from my side this is more a question than a statement....

 

[dr0ss]

lightweight peripheral clamp

Clearaudio makes a couple; an expensive one for audiophiles, and a cheaper one ("clever clamp") for those of us who just want to flatten that Edith Piaf boxed set with the records made of high-warp plastic. (Not for the periphery, it clamps on the spindle; you need a long spindle for it to get a grip. )

Other than that, the usual budget solution is to buy a hockey puck for 50 cents and drill a hole in the middle. Glue a brilliant pebble to the top if you want to deflect some mystical energy.

 

[steve f]

Oracle Audio introduced an integral clamp on their Delphi line of turntables probably about forty years ago. It flattened out warped records and coupled the record to the mat and platter.
Ive since seen a lot of clamps and weights that don’t seem to do anything to improve performance. There have even been vacuum hold down systems.

 

[TBone]

Arghhh ... vinylphiles ... even the best of em (esp myles and fremer) seem to not have a handle on the pros & cons of clamping. Very rarely, if ever, is the correct methodology applied to achieve optimal SQ. In fact, the very way that the vast majority of clampers clamp or advise ... (my experience on testing level on other peoples clamped turntables) the lp was rarily parallel to stylus ... almost insuring incorrect azimuth over the entire side, an unknown variable on every lp you play.

You may debate the pros & cons of why, and how to couple LP to platter ... but either way imo controlling azimuth should remain your #1 priority.

I posted my method a long while ago (puck type heavy clamps are near useless in my book, only grip type clamps need apply).

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/clamping-lps-the-tbone-way.3353/

 

[Tom C]

Arghhh ... vinylphiles ... even the best of em (esp myles and fremer) seem to not have a handle on the pros & cons of clamping. Very rarely, if ever, is the correct methodology applied to achieve optimal SQ. In fact, the very way that the vast majority of clampers clamp or advise ... (my experience on testing level on other peoples clamped turntables) the lp was rarily parallel to stylus ... almost insuring incorrect azimuth over the entire side, an unknown variable on every lp you play.

You may debate the pros & cons of why, and how to couple LP to platter ... but either way imo controlling azimuth should remain your #1 priority.

I posted my method a long while ago (puck type heavy clamps are near useless in book, only grip type clamps need apply).

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/clamping-lps-the-tbone-way.3353/

Hey, TBone, long time no see!

 

[Tom C]

I also noticed these while using speakers on the same table as the TT. The ultimate solution is presented to us by these gurus:

https://vimeo.com/25761812#t=218s

That was pretty entertaining. You could physically see that guy‘s suspended system oscillate!

 

[TBone]

Hey, TBone, long time no see!

Hi ... may i add another tb1 saga: about a decade ago, toronto long being a haven for high end audio analog playback, i visited all the expensive high-end stores to examine the "pros" method of clamping LPs. In every case, nobody talked azimuth, and in every case, azimuth remained an uncontrolled variable.

WHAT!!!!

These stores advise you spend a ton on tt/ arm & cart in order to get optimal playback, they then sell u a fosmeter (? results those) to align azimuth, but at no point did they check proper LP level to the stylus ... almost guaranteed compromised results.

I just dont understand why such basic geometry is not understood and/or communicated, hence my frustration with the so called "guru's" of this hobby.