Thoughts On Turntable Clamps And Weights

Screw on clamp, light weight and it can be attached with variable tightness.  I always use the oem clamp on my VPI Hw19 mk4 just enough to flatten the record.

I use the Analog Disk Light from HRS. It has nothing to do with flattening records though, but it sound betters with it on to my ears on my Clearaudio Performance DC TT.

@boxcarman Agreed. No weight, no clamp, (no mat even!)

Using a clamp seems to stifle a lively sounding recording.  I know not everyone will be in my corner on this, but I prefer the livelier unclamped sound. 

I would not get too hung up on weight being a concern.

Multiple Bearings Assemblies are produced using almost identical designs, which also share identical / almost identical materials. 

These designs are seen to support in some cases Platters that have a substantial weight, and some of these platters with Substantial Weight are transferring the weight as a point loading onto a materials such as Sapphire that has a concerning fragility, especially as a material shattering is a risk that has to be calculated for.

I have a improved design bearing in use and a new design bearing to be put in place on a owned TT.

The New Design Bearing has Sapphire included for the certain roles, the Engineer who is to produce the design has made known that it is transportation of the TT, that poses the concerning risks not the typical usage. As I take equipment to other abodes or events, flagging up the concern about transportation is relevant to my own circumstances.

To be used in conjunction on a TT with the Original Bearing, Improved Bearing Design and New Design Bearing are a variety of Platters.

There is the Original Platter, a Phosphor Bronze Platter ( produced for another TT, but with a modification that makes it compatible for use on this TT), a machined replica of the Original Platter in Stainless Steel. The two non-original Platter are both close to be 3 x increased in weight over the original.

Additionally to be used are Machined Delrin Top Plates of a 20mm and 40mm thickness, which are to be mechanically fastened to all three platter types.

The friend who has the Stock Delrin and a CNC Machine is also to produce a part to be used for the extension Spindle. This might be a made from differing materials, being homogenous, as is the Platters and Delrin Top Plates. It is most likely to be used as a composite such a Panzerholz as well.

The point of interest to me is to see how the experienced individuals go through the motion to balance these assemblies.

I also use Spindle Weights where the Maximum Weight used belongs to a composite spindle weight @ 1Kg.  

These additional loadings on the differing bearing assemblies are of no concern to the Engineer who is to produce the New Bearing Design, their own historical investigations on the subject and their own trials undertaken leave them with no concerns about the weights being proposed to be added.

The above is a version of a work already pioneered by another, this is a revisit to the work already done on a different Continent. If the Mountain is not coming to Mohammed, then there is foot work to be done. 

The above is a uncommon approach, and a extension of other experiences been created, it is made known to show the OP that added weight is not to be concerned about.

More in alignment with the OP, I have used multiple Weights on Platters, I have even used a Stacked Platter.

These variants are able to impact on a sonic to the point there is a noticeable change.

I class this type of investigation as seeking out a interface that best creates a environment that is most suited to the Styli/Armature. When a optimised interface is discovered, a systems produced sound can sound quite attractive and is wanted to be maintained.   

I agree with @mulveling that weights in general can be quite subtle in how they impact on a produced sonic, but when investigating and attempting to fine tune a interface, these subtle changes can be the ones that produce the sonic that is most attractive to the end user, even if just limited to how a Bass Line is perceived to decay.

The place where there are real-world changes to be found, using my experiences, is through the exchanges of a Platter Mat.

Trying out different materials and thickness of a material can really effect the sonic. The broadening of experiences with differing materials as a platter mat can end up with there not being a ubiquitous mat for a system.

I have as a result of my investigations four 'go to' mats, that are produced from four different types of materials.

Tenuto Phosphor Bronze (Lean in Sonic),  AT-677 Duralumin ( Tint of Richness) , AT-600 Ceramic ( Perceived Richness),  5mm Forex Foam - this is a very cheap to purchase material ( competes equally with the former three mats, where the preservation of detail, dynamics and envelope are compared, it is Rich in Tone compared to all the others), Forex Foam as a 3mm thickness was a not to my liking.

Different weights in use can tweak the sonic a little when used in conjunction with the above mats, but I am most contented with the 1Kg composite weight (main weight Stainless Steel) adorning the Album.  

           

 

I digested all of your information and bought a lightweight clamp.  It arrived yesterday and I did the "with" and "without" test on a few albums and noticed improved sound quality on all of them.  Instrument separation improved, lower frequency sounds became fuller and highs were clearer.  And some of the background muzziness went away. 

In the evening I played a few more albums and my wife, who is a passive bordering on indifferent listener, even noticed the improvement with the clamp.  She said she could hear each instrument more clearly. 

So the clamp was money well spent.  Thank you for your advice and observations.