Dustcover Blues


Most of you probably know that I have always championed the use of dustcovers on turntables even during play, the goal being to protect the record from the environment and shield it from sound. For the first time in my audio career I have stumbled into a problem with this and other than not putting the dustcover down I have not come up with a solution. 

Yesterday I was playing Herbie Hancock's Secrets and I cranked it on my favotite song. After about 30 seconds the room started to rumble. My subs were putting out a remarkably clean 20 Hz as if I were playing a test tone. Feedback! Just turn the volume down a little and it disappears. Turn the volume back up and within 30 seconds it starts up again. Did I screw up my cartridge set up? I veiwed the tonearm during the feedback and it was rock solid. Usually with low frequency feedback you can see the tonearm shaking. I played the resonance tracks on an Ortofon test record and both lateral and vertical resonance were centered on 9 Hz With the feedback going and the house shaking I wanted a better look at the cantilever. On lifting the dustcover the feedback stopped!  The dust cover is attached to the plinth which is isolated from the sub chassis (tonearm and platter mounted on this) by four springs. The resonance frequency of this suspension is 2 Hz. Nothing above 2 Hz can pass directly through to the platter and tonearm. What is going on here? Any of you scientists out there have a clue? My best guess is that I am dealing with a type of Helmholtz resonation. The dust cover is lowered on four hard rubber pads, one at each corner. There is a 1/16" slot all the way around. This combined with the weight and dimensions of the dust cover creates a resonance at 20 Hz. To get it going I have to turn the volume way up. 

Today when I get home I'll play around with it to see if I can figure it out. Any ideas would be appreciated. 

128x128mijostyn

@mijostyn  : No rpoblem and that was many years ago, not any more and as you I'm not anal about LP surrounded dust so my TT has no dust cover and NO I have not any trouble at any SPL.

 

R.

Perhaps aerosolized sawdust leaks from your workshop into your listening room. Or perhaps the workshop IS a listening room. In either case, I do understand the obsession with dust covers.

@lewm  I'm pretty good at keeping the dust out of the house. The workshop is indeed a listening room......of a different sort. It is powered by 4 Mirage speakers and an old Adcom amp that refuses to die. The music is shipped down to the shop by a Sonos connect system. Anything playing on the main system can be sent down. It will also stream Qobuz from my phone. Can't work without music.