Record clamps: do they really make a difference.

"It may, but it's also a sonic band-aid that's unlikely to be the optimal mechanical approach."
"Noise is a clue that something is amiss. Masking the noise without identifying and addressing the root cause is not the path of progress."

Exactly.

Dear Elegal: +++++ " Record clamps: do they really make a difference. " +++++

Always.

++++ " I cannot tell a difference. " +++++

but differences exist even that you can't detected yet.

There could be several reasons why you can't be aware of: maybe you can't do it because your system/room has no resolution for it, because a not so good analog rig overall set up, because even that your ears have the resolution you don't know what to look for, because you have no precise reference to compare it, etc, etc, etc.

In the other side, it's not matters if the LP is warped or not, you can hear a clamp for the better or worst.

Could be some reason why we can't detect a clamp " job "?, could be but I don't have the precise answer about.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear Dover: ++++++ " If a record is not flat, do you think it sounds better with half the record not supported, floating in mid air ? " +++++++

what do you think?, I infere that you are against it.

Other than W.Benesh there were at least two other TT proponents precisely to leave wide part of the LP in the air supported by small tiptoes like or something else.

I can't remember the precise opinions about but several years ago I did that kind of excercise and not so bad at all and maybe is time to do it again and see what happen. Sometimes in audio is benefitial to think and try " ideas " out of the box.

Why not?, we have to lose nothing but to have " fun time " testing it.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

The record clamp better couples the vinyl disc to the platter. If the turntable has a bad or noisy bearing, and/or is not well isolated, then expect the sound to be worse with the clamp. All of the external vibrations are going to be efficiently transmitted through the record to the stylus when it is well coupled to the platter.
The analog system starts by creating vibrations- actually recreating the vibrations frozen into the vinyl disc. Any variance from those vibrations in the disc is distortion. The turntable must also accurately recreate the time domain, ie. the correct speed. If the record is not fixed firmly and flat to the platter, then how can there not be added distortion? The record can slip on the platter, or it can buzz being excited by the moving stylus. Any warps causes reaction at the tonearm/stylus and also affects the time domain- as does eccentricty of the disc.

Interesting comment from someone that too much damping as in using a periphial ring sucked the life out of the music. I wonder if it was really that or some incompatibility between the record, mat and platter. I don't see how it could suck the life out of the record since the record is the source of the vibrations- not reflecting them.

Tony, Reproducing or creating "The life" in an LP is often serendipitous, to my way of thinking. Thus if I like the sound from the LP better without the clamp vs with, or without a peripheral ring vs with, I don't go to pieces emotionally, fretting over what is "wrong" with my system. It is entirely possible that doing without a clamp or ring does introduce euphonic distortion; I don't give a shit. Life is short. Plus, I think we all kid ourselves about the degree to which the results of little tweaks actually are predictable.

I know of three examples of commercial products that in fact minimize all contact between LP and platter: the old Transcriptor's turntables, the well known Ringmat, and the new Resomat (I forget who makes that). I don't necessarily endorse that extreme opposite from using a weight or ring, but some do. Those who like them, love them.

No question, LP slipping on a mat is not a good thing. I do worry about that, which is one thing I have in mind when I do use the SOTA clamp, un-clamped.

I think record weights and peripheral rings are like religion or your favorite baseball team; everyone has a right to his or her opinion, and converting people to your own belief system is often futile.