Currently, I use the felt one that came with my turntable (a Rega). Are there any advantages to switching to cork or some other material? Is it even necessary to use a slipmat?

My only complaint with the felt slipmat is that it comes off when I’m removing a record. Since I’ve never simply put the record right on the platter, I don’t know whether the felt affects static or anything else. I’ve just assumed that it’s useful for vinyl protection.

Wood Goblin wrote: Sat Oct 09, 2021 10:33 am Currently, I use the felt one that came with my turntable (a Rega). Are there any advantages to switching to cork or some other material? Is it even necessary to use a slipmat?

My only complaint with the felt slipmat is that it comes off when I’m removing a record. Since I’ve never simply put the record right on the platter, I don’t know whether the felt affects static or anything else. I’ve just assumed that it’s useful for vinyl protection.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a turntable made after 1990, so mine are always rubber. I think it dampens noise from the motor too.

When I was still using the glass plater on my Rega P3-24 I got one of these mats as I couldn't stand the felt static stick. Worked great, had to wipe it down every now and again as it dust and dog hair got stuck to it.

https://herbiesaudiolab.com/collections ... 4105919543

I've now got one of the delrin platters from Groovetracer as I went kind of insane with turntable components last year when we first got locked down:

https://groovetracer.com/DelrinPlatter.htm

Tried mat, cork and rubber on my modest project debut carbon and I honestly couldn't tell any difference sound wise.

Thanks, everyone. I’ll probably stick with the felt or maybe try a rubber one.

I can't think of any real reason to use one if you aren't hitt'n the 1's and 2's. I have a Technics 1200 and I just put the records on the rubber.

Wood Goblin wrote: Sat Oct 09, 2021 2:31 pm Thanks, everyone. I’ll probably stick with the felt or maybe try a rubber one.

The Herbies silicone one that was linked above is available in heights to match your original felt, so you won’t need to play with the tracking force. If I was going to change anything it would be to go for that model. Rubber can add static, so coming from felt or cork, you might not like it.

We have a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. At the begging of the pandemic I replaced the platter with an acrylic one from Amazon (clone of the Acryl-It). It changed the overall tone for the better (reduced rumble, tightened the low mids a touch) BUT it seems to have increased static electricity. I've been debating figuring out if there's a super thin rubber or cork mat I could use to reduce that static.

Unrelated: Unsure if it's all DCs, or our stylus, or a connection, but there also seems to be an inordinate amount of noise/hum if you turn up when a record isn't playing or between songs. Anyone else have this issue with their DCs?

tommy wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 11:38 am We have a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. At the begging of the pandemic I replaced the platter with an acrylic one from Amazon (clone of the Acryl-It). It changed the overall tone for the better (reduced rumble, tightened the low mids a touch) BUT it seems to have increased static electricity. I've been debating figuring out if there's a super thin rubber or cork mat I could use to reduce that static.

Unrelated: Unsure if it's all DCs, or our stylus, or a connection, but there also seems to be an inordinate amount of noise/hum if you turn up when a record isn't playing or between songs. Anyone else have this issue with their DCs?

Yeah, I was chasing noise/hum sources in my PJCD for a while. I changed our power sources, the platter to acrylic like you, and got the variable speed power supply - everything seemed to help a little, but between songs was a nightmare.

Eventually I got very heavy gauge copper electrical wire, spliced a long section of that to the hardwired ground wire and attached it to…..something else grounded nearby? Don’t remember what, but will look later. Once that worked I stopped dicking with it.

Start with the power supply. I remember reading that people had success with that as a first step, apparently the one they give you isn’t the greatest.

The debut carbon indeed may show hum and shit.

My previous system showed no traces of hum or noise so it has to be the tt or something related, not the installation.

After tryin stuff, I realised problem were the original Project cables that go from the back of the tt to the Phono source of the receiver. They were too large and probably damaged in some way. With an old pair of standard and not-too-long red and white ones it was fixed.