Can an old Thorens Table be "Over Dampend" to the point where sound is adversely effected?

Dear @bdp24 and friends: """ 

"Over-damped" implies there is an optimal amount of damping....-...............

But as a mechanical transducer, why would one want the table itself to add vibrations or resonances of it's own to the tiny vibrations contained in the LP groove?  """

I posted same statements several times in this and other forums but audiophiles/we are accustom to the distortions generated for those kind of micro-vibrations and when the vibrations " disappears " then we are talking of dull sound and no verve but in reality there is nothing dull or with out verve, what exist are distortions we are accustom to and things are that we like it ! ! ! ! but I ca't agree more with you.

Regards and enjoy the music,

R.

Dear @lewm : Massive TT/platters are not innert just because weigths 300kgs or more. Are inert for you or me but not for the extremely senstive microphone that's a cartridge with that so low output that as you know could be only 0.01 mv!!!!!

A massive structure is inert in rest but things are that TT are for spining and in that spining job exist a dynamic mass that resonate and cause micro vibrations that a human been can't detect but certainly your Ortofon MC 2000 can and does that.

Things are not so easy as many of us can think or a TT massive designers presents to us. Look " outside "  those behemonts TTs with really heavy weigths in the hundred of kgs. where the ignorant level of we customers are buying and paying higher prices than ever over 150K+ for each and every one could think that are inert by definition but it's not.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear @atmasphere : """  not using damping materials on the arm in such a way that the performance is compromised. For the most part, common sense. """

it's clear that we can't overdamp a TT plinth, as you said maybe only change its frequency resonance.

The key word in all this critical main analog audio damping subject is: " compromised ".

If the damping impede the " free " horizontal/vertical tonearm motion or increment its friction movements then we are in serious trouble but if damping in a tonearm does not contribute against its task then we can't overdamp it.

Same for a cartridge, we can't overdamp as a fact we need and want an innert cartridge other than the stylus/cantilever precise movements ridding the LP grooves.

The arm board mated to the tonearm is of vital importance and here what we need is " serious " coupling in between.

A TT platter can't be overdamped neither, what we can have here is a bad damping but can't overdamp it. We need here an innert TT platter with out compromising its function.

All these damping theories and facts move on according to quality performance at each single link in the audio system chain and what the owner is accustom to or according his music/sound priorities and knowledge levels.

For many of us maybe to much damping could means words as: dull, reduced stage, lower transparency and the like but for other of us this is what we are looking fr because could be nearer to the live event in a near field listen  scenario.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.