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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!charm!prk
From: prk@charm.UUCP (Paul Kolodner)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Turntable mats and clamps
Message-ID: <690@charm.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Jul-85 23:24:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: charm.690
Posted: Thu Jul 11 23:24:01 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 10:16:07 EDT
Organization: Physics Research @ AT&T Bell Labs Murray Hill NJ
Lines: 18

Today I had some fun by calling the local hifi stores and asking about
turntable clamps and mats.  The original problem was that, after
having read on this net about this subject, I ran out and bought
a record clamp.  The trouble is that, since I have a manual turntable,
the cartridge can bump into the clamp at the end of the record, unless
I jump up, run across the room, lift the cover, and hit the cuing.
So I called to ask about a low-profile record clamp that would avoid this.
Well, the salesman told me that clamps and damps are out.  Today's 
high-end turntables are made of NON-DAMPING materials, like acrylic.
What say you all to that, eh??  He went on to explain that acrylic has
the same resonant frequency as a record, a statement which shows an
admirable ignorance of simple physics.  Damping takes out the harshness,
but music is sometimes harsh, blah, blah, and the logic started to
fade a little.
So waddaya say, folks?  Do we use rubber mats and C-clamps like
we used to, or do we go to glass?  
By the way, who knows of a record clamp with a low profile and which will
not bump into my tonearm?