Grumpy Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 I use a cork mat on my 401 , but found it a little iffy re- slippage so l use 3 small blobs of blutack between platter and mat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkipEsquire Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 1 hour ago, Full Range said: I was in Bunnings today with my daughter and just by chance I noticed a 30cm round mat made of cork I purchased it and will give a go Not sure if I need to trim it for my platter yet as the Garrard 401 has a raised edge If anyone wants to give something inexpensive a try over a standard rubber mat This is the item link https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?page=1&q=30cm cork mat&sort=BoostOrder&pageSize=60 Someone posted about these cork/rubber pot bases several months ago. I tried it and it sounded fine. But alas I wasn't able to trim it to fit my platter neatly enough so now it's a giant coaster with a hole in the middle because aesthetics matter to me and the rough edge is very off-putting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 1 hour ago, SkipEsquire said: Someone posted about these cork/rubber pot bases several months ago. I tried it and it sounded fine. But alas I wasn't able to trim it to fit my platter neatly enough so now it's a giant coaster with a hole in the middle because aesthetics matter to me and the rough edge is very off-putting. Let’s hope I can do a better job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 16 hours ago, SkipEsquire said: I tried it and it sounded fine. But alas I wasn't able to trim it to fit my platter neatly enough OK - DIY instructions - For the Bunnings cork platter mat 1) Use your current mat as a template- and mark its circumference and centre point 2) Cut - sand or grind a small section of the edge to the cut line 3) Set up a jig saw with the circle cutting attachment 4) Start cutting by moving the platter mat in a circular motion until it’s done 3a/4a) This can be also done without the circle cutting attachment but more care and attention to detail is needed 5) Drill or punch in the centre hole 6) A finishing sand around the edge 7) Finished —————————————— 1) Image 3&4) Image Finished image 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 (edited) The construction of the Bunnings platter mat is 2 layer One being Cork the other a medium / soft density plastic Listening test - on a record I use for testing ** Plastic side down on the platter ** High end not muffled ( as a lot of mats can do this ) Midrange is forward Low end - Not much on this record but what I heard was in its place Observation - Stringed instruments like violins twinkle Horns are uniquely heard in full htz spectrum Overall The sound is sharp and precise and nothing to complain about this mat so far So DIY with confidence it’s worth every bit of its $6.90 purchase price Edit Mat link again https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?page=1&q=30cm cork mat&sort=BoostOrder&pageSize=60 Edited October 11, 2020 by Full Range 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDM Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 (edited) You can also use a small trim router attached to a radius arm to do the same thing. I have a number of home made turntable mats made this way from various "found" materials, which I've posted on another thread, but I'll show them here as well. Left to right and top to bottom they were: IKEA place mat & cork combination, and leather & cork combination. Bamboo ply, and LP & self adhesive skid protectors Leather & bamboo ply combination, and lead cloth & cork combination. After extensive testing my slight preference was for the leather & bamboo ply, or the LP & self adhesive skid protector combinations. The differences for me were very subtle, and did vary depending on the music being played. None of them seemed to stand consistently head and shoulders above the rest. Edited October 11, 2020 by RDM 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_mike Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 This is my favourite turntable mat. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 Using the above method I posted on a couple of posts above Made another mat with some industrial rubberised cork It’s Amorim NP50 This mat is 2 times thicker than than the last one I made on Sunday Have wanted to use the Amorim NP50 material for yonks now, and while the tools were set up it presented the opportune time to make another mat to try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussievintage Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 On 13/10/2020 at 3:29 PM, Full Range said: Have wanted to use the Amorim NP50 material for yonks now, and while the tools were set up it presented the opportune time to make another mat to try My best cork mats are made from gasket cork like this (not as thick though). It works well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 On 13/10/2020 at 3:29 PM, Full Range said: Made another mat with some industrial rubberised cork It’s Amorim NP50 A listening review First up is that I had to make adjustments to the tonearm height to compensate for the extra thickness of the Amorim NP50 After a few trial adjustment runs I’m happy to give this mat a review Albums used - Observation - Extremely neutral on all instruments and very good on quiet passages Stringed instruments like the jazz bass are not muted but have generated a life of their own Horns magically come to life as if in a live room Similarly the piano is very sharp Overall The quietness this mat brings is amplified in bringing all sounds of the instruments to the fore without any washing out Everything is extremely precise Conclusion I am keeping this mat on - my ears have given it 2 thumbs up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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