@atmasphere,
WRT to platter mats, the concept that materials cannot absorb/attenuate vibration is not correct. Very thin viscoelastic materials can absorb surprising amounts of vibration - the energy is converted to heat. This article is an excellent example - https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/36723450.pdf. Note that just about any thin material that can stretch such as a PVC film that protects a metal plate can act like a viscoelastic material.
Also, materials - metals while known to have different vibration damping characteristics, is actually well documented - download a report from this site: https://apps.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0640465. Aluminum while being cheap has good damping characteristics and cast aluminum (i.e. ATP-5) can be better than extruded (i.e. 6061), but cladding improves it and magnesium beats all - but magnesium has that small issue of being able to burn quite vigorously. But, some tonearms such as those from SME are manufactured from magnesium and for good reason.
I have personally had excellent results from a piece of very thin leather (sourced from a craft store) about 1-mm thickness with skin side down to a VPI aluminum platter and suede side to the record. The suede side is very dense - much closer to a felt-type material so that the record mates to the record with little or no air gap, but does not produce lint. A similar type mat (but pig-skin) was once available and very well reviewed -https://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/hiraga/mat.html.
Also, as far as the triboelectric effect leather can vary based on type and moisture (which it can absorb) with the following being the latest (2015) triboelectric series (download from this site) - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09461-x.
Just some thoughts,
Neil
WRT to platter mats, the concept that materials cannot absorb/attenuate vibration is not correct. Very thin viscoelastic materials can absorb surprising amounts of vibration - the energy is converted to heat. This article is an excellent example - https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/36723450.pdf. Note that just about any thin material that can stretch such as a PVC film that protects a metal plate can act like a viscoelastic material.
Also, materials - metals while known to have different vibration damping characteristics, is actually well documented - download a report from this site: https://apps.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0640465. Aluminum while being cheap has good damping characteristics and cast aluminum (i.e. ATP-5) can be better than extruded (i.e. 6061), but cladding improves it and magnesium beats all - but magnesium has that small issue of being able to burn quite vigorously. But, some tonearms such as those from SME are manufactured from magnesium and for good reason.
I have personally had excellent results from a piece of very thin leather (sourced from a craft store) about 1-mm thickness with skin side down to a VPI aluminum platter and suede side to the record. The suede side is very dense - much closer to a felt-type material so that the record mates to the record with little or no air gap, but does not produce lint. A similar type mat (but pig-skin) was once available and very well reviewed -https://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/hiraga/mat.html.
Also, as far as the triboelectric effect leather can vary based on type and moisture (which it can absorb) with the following being the latest (2015) triboelectric series (download from this site) - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09461-x.
Just some thoughts,
Neil