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How to isolate turntable from footstep shake or vibration

Even while the Oracle turnable that I use has a built-in springs suspension by design there is a low or even sub-low frequency boom every time someone walks in a room. This becomes really bad with the subwoofer’s volume set high as the low frequency footsteps make straight to subwoofer where they are amplified shaking everything around. It seems the cartridge is picking up the footsteps very efficiently as even a lightest foot down becomes audioable. What can be done to attempt to isolate the turntable from the low frequency vibrations? Interesting, that the lower the volume of the subwoofer, the less the footstep shake is evident and with the subwoofer turned off it is a barely a problem at all. 
esputnix
antigrunge2
1,477 posts
 
@millercarbon,

not sure I agree with you on arm boards: they should have maximum dimensional and warp stability relative to the platter and ideally be free of resonance: Brass, acrylic blocks or panzerwood are way preferable to mdf or papp. Listen and learn.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Mass does not solve everything. There is loads of environmental rumble that will transmit through anything. When it gets bad enough buildings fall over. Church bells weight tons and they ring like crazy. The only way to isolate a turntable is to suspend it. 
ps
769 posts
 
A pair of heavy duty shelf brackets I found at a local hardware store, attached to a couple of studs with four lag bolts and a shelf made from a few pieces of pre-finished bamboo flooring did wonders for my Linn LP 12. An outside wall is best for this implementation. This proved to be a splendid, economical solution.

There is no need to spend silly money on various other fix-it schemes. The brackets and lag bolts cost about $15.00. I already had the bamboo. A small piece of 3/8" or 1/2" plywood likely would work just as well.

But, of course YMMV, to use the cliche.’
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,128 posts
 
they should have maximum dimensional and warp stability relative to the platter and ideally be free of resonance: Brass, acrylic blocks or panzerwood are way preferable to mdf or papp.
Off topic, but the arm board should be composed of the same material as the plinth and ideal be the plinth itself, so that any vibration present at the bearing of the platter will be in the same plane at the base of the arm, such that the arm simply can't pick it up. This does assume a rigid and dead plinth...
Mass does not solve everything. There is loads of environmental rumble that will transmit through anything. When it gets bad enough buildings fall over. Church bells weight tons and they ring like crazy. The only way to isolate a turntable is to suspend it. 
I guess that depends on what is meant by 'suspend'. My platforms are isomerically isolated from my equipment stand- does that count?

mads1's avatar
mads1
88 posts
 
I had same situation in 2nd story of our house. It was built in 1929 and we still have the original hardwood flooring. The best approach is wall a mounted turntable platform. You can get them on Amazon. I've also read people here having success with Sorbothane feet from this site,  Turntable Phonograph Vinyl Record Player lsolation Feet – Mnpctech
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