Technics SL-1200GAE or VPI HW-40 or …?

Wow…super impressed by the wealth of knowledge being shared here!  Thanks to everyone for contributing.

Now…opening another Pandora’s Box:  Record/Table weights/clamps?  My experience has been clamping devices:  KAB’s record clamp which used friction to hold tight onto the spindle (used on my SL-1200 MKII and Denon VL-12), and most recently, the Pro-Ject clamp that came with my Ortofon Century ‘table.  However, reading here and elsewhere, there is thinking that Technics never meant for the SL-1200’s to use a weight or clamp.  What say you all?  None, get a weighted device or use a clamp?

Arvin

Referencing weights / Clamps, I have used all Three Turntable Motor Drives and found BD the most reactive to weight, so can see how a Clamp may prove to be a decent method.

I have not used a Clamp it has always been weight, used at differing grams, materials and composite materials on ID and DD Motor Drives.

Weights have been used regularly as a differing configuration with Platter Mats.

All my Platter Mat Trials have been carried out using different materials / weights to see how the permutation impacts on sound being produced from using the entire assembly of Mat - Vinyl - Spindle Weight.

Today I view using a weight, from my own personal perspective, as the weight  having an impact on the finest of details from the recording being enabled to be presented. 

The weight can have a subtle effect on the removal of smearing and when correctly chosen with the correct platter mat, will eke out the detail to be a little more resolved.

The weight I am most impressed by on my system in my listening environment is a 1Kg Composite design. I am soon to take this composite design little further and substitute one material with Panzerholz.

A Panzerholz only weight not at 1Kg, will also be available to compare.

The design I have in mind, which seemingly works already, as a result of one material in the composite being under load, will be to have P'holz under load.

Nothing Ventured - Nothing Gained

    

@arvincastro get G/GAE 1200 Technics TT, and you’ll be free to move to “main dish” such as records and cartridges!

At the  very least for any setup-a clamp with rubber washer to dish the LP flat to the platter. 

Nothing more disturbing than seeing arm moving up/down on a warped LP.  

 

 

I think to @pindac point, some do work…. and listening and experiment is how you reached your conclusions….. 

@tomic601 A friend of mine (who now works at ARC and has been there 25 years or so) worked for about 10 years on a platter pad project. His ultimate product was excellent, but not cheap- the last one I saw for sale about 10 years ago went for about $1200.00. But it was the most effective platter pad out there, years before anyone else seemed to pay attention to the product.  He told me many times that the platter pad had to be the same durometer and the vinyl in order for it to damp vibration properly at all frequencies.

The difference is very easy to hear. But that pad hasn't been made since sometime in the 1990s. So we went on a quest for a platter pad to support our model 208 turntable. I have LPs i recorded and so have the master tapes- very useful as a reference. The Oracle is the best we've seen so far and in most cases by a wide margin.