Using Maple Butcher Block Under a Turntable

prof wrote,

“But...putting the springs beneath can it seems add a tiny bit more ring-off when the turntable itself is tapped (thinking of turntable born-resonance, rumble here, possibly being slightly amplified by being placed on springs).

So...the best approach I could come up with is: use springs, but holding up fairly heavy materials above. If the object held by the springs is too light then you get some feedback if the turntable is pinged sitting on the springs. But the more weight you place between the turntable and the springs. the lower the feedback to the springs.

Once you have a heavy base atop the springs it seems to be the best of both worlds: tap or stomp beneath the bass and the springs do a great job of isolating vibration to the turntable above them. But tap the turntable or the maple block above the springs, and that too produces even less vibration (measurable with the ipad app) than the turntable sitting on just a shelf or on just the maple block.”

>>>>>>>Wow! I didn’t think it was possible but your research into vibration isolation completely failed to turn up an explanation of mass-on-spring isolation. Should I be flabbergasted? 😮 Quick tutorial : You have to match the spring rate to the mass! The total spring rate equals the spring rate per spring x no. of springs. You want to obtain the lowest possible resonant frequency for the iso stand which is inversely proportion to square root of total mass and proportional to square root of total spring rate? It’s not rocket science. 🚀

nuttin'honey....just butcher block on a table.   Surely you can try whatever you care to, but VPI designed solid suspension works with the block.  Rid yourself of the damper feet and replace them with Bearpaws (very large brass cones...returnable if not wanted) Suspended chasis work best with lightweight tables.  I tried Vibrapods....just muddied up the sound.  Experimentation is fun however

My listening room is up on the second floor so I had to come with a mounting scheme to isolate my turntable (Technics SP10 MKII/ Basis Vector IV arm in Technics Obsidian plinth). I got the large Target wall mount shelf..I removed the standard MDF shelf and spikes...Replaced the spikes with these threaded rubber/cork blocks from Mapleshade that screw into the target shelf. I got a 3" maple butcher block shelf from "Dawn's Platforms" here on Agon that sits on top of those Mapleshade
blocks...I removed the crap feet from the Technical Obsidian plinth and replace with Stillpoints...that sit between the plinth and the maple shelf. It works well for me.

It will depend on your home construction.

@stringreen Great thought and common sense overlooked!  The table currently sits on a robust set of shelves on which also rests some electronics and hold around 1,000 records.  Maybe not the best place to place a turntable.  

My listening area in a finished basement room.  I can spike a rack to the basement floor, spike the (new) Chop Block board to the rack and use original StillPoint cones on which to mount the Aries Extended.  Hadn't thought to remove the Aries "feet" but they are not in use, that's a no-brainer with this config.  

All I'm REALLY trying to do is get rid of some warmth that seems to be coming from the table (vinyl chain).  I know it's not the electronics (all Herron Audio) and have pretty much isolated it to the arm (JMW Memorial 12) or table itself.  

At the amplification used for mc carts, it's easy to pick up very tiny signals or resonances outside of the music.