See if you have the balls to try it without the feet also touching the shelf. You'll need cups. I used to be a lacrosse goalie, so I know. |
A few years ago, I was visiting a waterjet cutter who was cutting slate for me. He does a lot of work (most of his work) for industry. Around his shop were sheets of very stiff and very light black styrofoam, much higher in quality and structural stability that what we find in soft drink containers, for example. The sheets are 3 to 4 inches thick, and are used to ship very heavy yet fragile materials. He gave me lots of it, and I find it is very effective in isolating my Technics SP10; I put a rectangle of it under each of the three footers, between the footers and the shelf. I believe the stuff is quite analogous to a Neuance shelf, now sadly no longer available. I am always looking for stuff like this; there is no need to spend big bucks for good foundations, IMO. (See elsewhere my tt feet made from cans of Mandarin orange slices in water.) |
Here's the thing, Doug. If the cans didn't work, I could always eat the contents. For $3 per footer, you can't go wrong. But I confess I in a sense spent a little more than $3; I had some truly "audiophile" Black Diamond Racing carbon fiber tiptoes lying around, so using double-sided tape, I fixed a tiptoe to the bottom of each can. Thus the weight is borne by the tiptoe and it transmits force to the bottom of the can but not the rigid edges of the can. The thin slightly flexible tin that comprises the top and bottom of a can provides a touch of springiness with a resonant frequency probably close to 2-3Hz, certainly less than 5Hz. And energy imparted to the bottom of the can is dissipated in the contents of the can, which being heterogenous and "chaotic" will easily dissipate it. I should probably market this, only instead of calling it "Mandarin orange slices in water with a tiptoe glued to the bottom", I would call it.... well, for that I need a PR guy. |
Why would a felt pad do anything? How thick?
Not that someone who uses Mandarin orange slices in water is in any position to criticize. But I do have a little fantasy that goes along with my idea. |
Bifwynne, Mike has a good idea. Essentially Herbie's Audio "Isocups"
with "Supersonic Hardballs" are naught but small "dead"
squash-like balls. And they should work well. The Herbie's part is cheap
enough to consider, and the cup he supplies will keep your balls from rolling off
the shelf, if you will pardon the image.
Phasecorrect, Thanks for your support. Have you tried it? I use Stillpoints feet
with their supplied cups, but I mount each of the 3 feet on a stiff sheet of
plexiglass which sits on a 3-inch thick piece of industrial styrofoam packing
material (3 separate rectangles of the styrofoam, one for each footer). The
plexiglass is a practical necessity; this particular turntable is so heavy (~90 lbs)
that each footer was slowly deforming the "styrofoam", after long
term settling in. This rendered the turntable out of level. The plexiglass just
distributes the mass of the tt over a wider area of the styrofoam and keeps the
level adjustment stable. The whole thing sits on a composite granite Adona
shelf in an Adona rack. (So I guess this system is disqualified from "cheap".
However, the styrofoam packing material was free.) |
Herbie rates his balls according to the load they will tolerate. I think he sells at least two types that differ in differ in size and possibly elasticity, to account for variation in mass. Since his balls are relatively inexpensive and since he has made the determination of appropriate mass for each product for us, I would tend to choose his stuff, rather than some random balls from a sporting goods store or hardware store. Plus, you get the cups that keep the balls and your precious turntable from rolling around. Don't get me wrong; I am as much of a DIY anarchist as anyone, but sometimes buying the commercial product does make sense. |
Geoff, Bunjee cord? Wouldn't that be too hopelessly bouncy, unless one also applied some dampening? |
Mike, Whatever floats your boat is fine. However, it would seem to me that having the feet touch the shelf defeats the purpose of the balls, to a degree at least. The TT feet afford an energy path that bypasses the balls, in both directions, altho a well designed TT foot could ameliorate the problem (in which case maybe you don' need no stinkin' balls).
Geoff, I used to know Dave Hadaway, the proprietor of DB Systems, 30 years ago when he lived near me. He is a very smart and creative guy. It seems to me he suspended his entire turntable from the ceiling using very long springs of some kind. It was quite a sight to see. I have no idea how he could level the turntable or whether he dampened the spring action. But the concept of isolating the turntable was way ahead of its time. |
Willie, I don't think you want your turntable to "rock sideways slightly". That's a problem with noncompliant balls, like marbles. I mean this in a conversational way, not as a mandate. |
Nandric, I went out to buy canned sauer kraut in water and decided, right there in the supermarket, that the Mandarin orange slices would be better, because there was more water in the cans and they are heavier. Turns out, the canned sauer kraut is just barely moist. That would not have been as efficacious. However, on a hot dog, I prefer sauer kraut over Mandarin orange slices. Had I chosen sauer kraut as a footer, what would you have recommended as a musical complement? Would have to be Wagner, I think, a sour kraut if ever there was one. |
