With a rubber mat I used to flip the record without stopping the turntable. It’s a belt drive with an on/off switch and it takes a few seconds to get back up to speed. There’s probably something wrong with that idea but nothing bad really happened. With the acrylic I tried that and the record slipped on the mat for a second and I thought about all of the possible dust and debris scraping between the surfaces for that time, even if I cleaned both surfaces. I have changed my ways. Now I turn off the motor before flipping. Once it’s rotating there’s no worry of slipping.
My turntable came with a felt mat. Right away, I bought cork and acrylic mats. For a few months, I swapped out mats whenever I felt like it. Eventually, the acrylic mat stayed on the turntable. Sound was my only criteria.
Oh yeah, acrylic all the way for me. Rotation stability, tighter bass response and less surface noise. This is the kind of surface a lot of high end turntables use due to it's dense foundation which also has very similar properties to vinyl itself. Ditch the felt, cork is ok but long live acrylic.
I had the same dilemma. I now have an acrylic mat below and a leather mat above. It gets rid of the pesky static and, especially in the bass, a warmer sound.
Oh yeah, acrylic really is top notch when it comes to platter mat material. There are also new companies that seem to be getting on board with the production of acrylic mats for turntables.
I use a thin cork mat on my u-Turn just to protect the platter itself from scratches. But I rarely use that TT and when I get the mancave setup done (It takes up about 1/3 of my new 20 x 60 shop building and I'm still adding outlets, insulation, etc.), I'll get more serious about the whole setup and how it looks.
I know Rick's brother is a big fan of his LP60X. I actually replaced the felt mat on mine and placed a blue acrylic mat on the platter. I also swapped out the conical needle in the 60X with an elliptical. Your brother should try these modifications Rick, it's a fantastic enhancement to what is already one of the top beginner's turntables.
Much to my horror.....I went back and looked at what I paid for my mat in 2010.. I bought it from Herbie's Audio lab. $80 with shipping. Not sure if I got talked into that one...lol. Been a great mat though, still looks new, no degrading that I can tell. Because my Thorens motor isn't shielded, I glued a perfectly cut piece(cut exactly like a record) of HVAC galvanized metal to my outer platter assembly. It still allows me to take off the outside platter. Crazy mod I know, but well thought out and researched on Vinyl Asylum. Probably removed 85-90% of the hum due to the unshielded motor. On these old Thorens TT's, you have a machined piece in the inner platter that you flip over for 45's. The Herbie mat has this cut out, but gluing on the full HVAV piece of metal covered all that. So the mat has a useless 1.57 hole cut out in it. I just checked Herbie price for a 'standard' mat, 3mm thick...$65 before shipping. I really think these Herbie mats do everything they claim them to do.....within reason.
I upgraded to an acrylic platter on my main turntable and I doubt I will ever go back to anything else. Mainly because I can dust it with a carbon fiber brush and it helps with static.
The last few years I've been flying or (during covid) driving all over the country for various personal reasons. Everywhere I went I would visit the local record stores. When available I'd buy a store branded record mat. I have about 30 of them now. From Amoeba on Sunset to Electric Fetus in Minneapolis to Waterloo in Austin to Hi Voltage in Tacoma, etc. I'm using them as a decorative display in the ceiling of my music room. They are all felt except the one from Grimeys in Nashville is cork. For my turntables I just use heavy rubber on two (the one each came with), and cork on the other two.
I'm experimenting with the small adhesive bumpers that you may find on kitchen cupboards to dampen the door as it shuts. It seems to be OK. No problems with static as yet and I can't hear any discernible change in sound from my felt mat. Just got to work out the minimum I can get away with as they can accentuate a warp.
I would suggest a cork/rubber mat, as it has the best of both in one. I use a rubber mat, because I have an Ortofon 2m cartridge on my turntable. Ortofon cartridges are notoriously bright sounding, and the rubber mat helps boost the bass sound. I tried a cork mat, but it didn’t help the bass or lower sound as much as the rubber mat does. This is why I suggest the combo mat. If you’re not sure if your cartridge sounds brighter or warmer, the combo mat should be a good workaround. Also, I tried a green lit acrylic mat. It looks really cool (especially with my Audio Technica AT 140XP turntable that has a blue strobe light), and it had good sound. But the rubber still beats it in the bass response.
I recently switched to the cork/rubber mat when I purchased my Thorens turntable. So far I have no complaints. It's a tad bit more prone to static than the acrylic, but it can be overcome.
What about the acrylic platter? Project advises users to use clean acrylic platter for vinyls without any mat. Can you tell me what you think about it???
My favorite platter was an acrylic platter. Absolutely loved it. My current turntable is a Thorens and I have a rubberized cork platter. Another great solution. But acrylic platters are wonderful.
Thank you for this as I just got a P2 and these heavier mats seem like they would interfere with how the motor, belt, and platter are designed to operate.
To be honest, all of the mats mentioned are designed to keep your record safe and free from scratches. I've tried them all at one time or another. While my preference recently has been acrylic, I'm picking up a custom-built Thorens model next week with a cork mat.
Hi! Yes. It is great that you are aware of the need to try to match your mat’s thickness. If you can’t find a cork mat that matches 2.5, the 3mm won’t make a noticeable difference on that turntable. If you can find a match that’s always best.
Quote from vinyl engine forum: "When rotating platter, by the combination of the vinyl gravity force, friction force between wool mat & vinyl and centrifugal force from rotation, deck grips vinyl tightly".@@TheJoyofVinylRecords
I bet it’s even more like 85%. The only one that truly jumps out at me is felt. I was an acrylic advocate for years. I have a cork/rubber mat on my Thorens and glad I do.
Me too rubber mats dampen the ring of aluminum platters etc, and big brand high dollar factory tables came with them for decades so there must be a reason. My Harman Kardon T40 and others came with a specific kind of dense rubber described by HK back then and I feel like HK should know what theyre doing. Also I just cant see "scratch" as an "art", im 62 and it goes against all established record care principles - it just seems like a childish way to get a non-sound from turntables that engineers have spent decades trying to improve and get right. JMO
@@TheJoyofVinylRecordswould be verry interested 😁 But i like also the Combination of thin leather and acrylic on top. Im interested whats your favorite now 🤙🏻
I remember your brother being a big fan of his LP60X. If he hasn't already, two upgrades he could make to it is to change it's felt mat to an acrylic and swap out the conical stylus to an elliptical. These are two modifications I have made to my LP60X Rick, and I can tell you, it's very worth it. It actually takes one of the top beginner's turntables to another level.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords oh wow lol. I live in a river valley, and there's an old graveyard hidden away up on the hill above my house. Very few people know it's even there.
I'm sorry but there's no way the mat itself can effect the sound of an album. If you think about how vinyl records actually work on a purely mechanical level, the type of mat only matters on the basis of Static, Stability, and most of all, looks.
I think Rick may just have enough knowledge to argue the toss with that one. I myself have also identified the differences in platter mats, particularly between felt and acrylic. Having recently upgraded the felt mat on the LP60X with an acrylic, I can concur with Rick's preference for acrylic mats. Rotation stability, tighter bass response and less surface noise has been more evident with the use of an acrylic mat in my experience. It's also Rick's favourite surface due to it's dense foundation and it's similar properties to vinyl itself, and a lot of high end turntables use it.
With a rubber mat I used to flip the record without stopping the turntable. It’s a belt drive with an on/off switch and it takes a few seconds to get back up to speed. There’s probably something wrong with that idea but nothing bad really happened. With the acrylic I tried that and the record slipped on the mat for a second and I thought about all of the possible dust and debris scraping between the surfaces for that time, even if I cleaned both surfaces. I have changed my ways. Now I turn off the motor before flipping. Once it’s rotating there’s no worry of slipping.
My turntable came with a felt mat. Right away, I bought cork and acrylic mats. For a few months, I swapped out mats whenever I felt like it. Eventually, the acrylic mat stayed on the turntable.
Sound was my only criteria.
Oh yeah, acrylic all the way for me. Rotation stability, tighter bass response and less surface noise. This is the kind of surface a lot of high end turntables use due to it's dense foundation which also has very similar properties to vinyl itself. Ditch the felt, cork is ok but long live acrylic.
Dude, you have nailed the sound mix on this TH-cam video. It’s nearly perfect. 🎉 And I also appreciate your content. 😊
Thanks @Bill Lollar. Much appreciated!
Very good, simple, analytic and to the point video. Ty mate 👍
I had the same dilemma. I now have an acrylic mat below and a leather mat above. It gets rid of the pesky static and, especially in the bass, a warmer sound.
Oh yeah, acrylic really is top notch when it comes to platter mat material. There are also new companies that seem to be getting on board with the production of acrylic mats for turntables.
I use a thin cork mat on my u-Turn just to protect the platter itself from scratches. But I rarely use that TT and when I get the mancave setup done (It takes up about 1/3 of my new 20 x 60 shop building and I'm still adding outlets, insulation, etc.), I'll get more serious about the whole setup and how it looks.
@Robs OnBass - My "vinyl room" is't large but it's a great space. Good luck with yours!
I know Rick's brother is a big fan of his LP60X. I actually replaced the felt mat on mine and placed a blue acrylic mat on the platter. I also swapped out the conical needle in the 60X with an elliptical. Your brother should try these modifications Rick, it's a fantastic enhancement to what is already one of the top beginner's turntables.
Much to my horror.....I went back and looked at what I paid for my mat in 2010.. I bought it from Herbie's Audio lab. $80 with shipping. Not sure if I got talked into that one...lol. Been a great mat though, still looks new, no degrading that I can tell. Because my Thorens motor isn't shielded, I glued a perfectly cut piece(cut exactly like a record) of HVAC galvanized metal to my outer platter assembly. It still allows me to take off the outside platter. Crazy mod I know, but well thought out and researched on Vinyl Asylum. Probably removed 85-90% of the hum due to the unshielded motor.
On these old Thorens TT's, you have a machined piece in the inner platter that you flip over for 45's. The Herbie mat has this cut out, but gluing on the full HVAV piece of metal covered all that. So the mat has a useless 1.57 hole cut out in it. I just checked Herbie price for a 'standard' mat, 3mm thick...$65 before shipping. I really think these Herbie mats do everything they claim them to do.....within reason.
I wasn't familiar with Herbie's. Just checked it out. Thanks!
I like my Funk Firm Acromat. It works very well with my turntable.
I have been using the rubber mat that came with my Technics 1200 turn table for 29 years
Rubber mat for me👍😊
I upgraded to an acrylic platter on my main turntable and I doubt I will ever go back to anything else. Mainly because I can dust it with a carbon fiber brush and it helps with static.
i dropped 150$ on one and its currently in transit. i hope to god you are right cus that was a painful purchase.
@@wayfarin let me know how it works out for you.
The last few years I've been flying or (during covid) driving all over the country for various personal reasons. Everywhere I went I would visit the local record stores. When available I'd buy a store branded record mat. I have about 30 of them now. From Amoeba on Sunset to Electric Fetus in Minneapolis to Waterloo in Austin to Hi Voltage in Tacoma, etc. I'm using them as a decorative display in the ceiling of my music room. They are all felt except the one from Grimeys in Nashville is cork. For my turntables I just use heavy rubber on two (the one each came with), and cork on the other two.
That’s a cool collection!
I'm experimenting with the small adhesive bumpers that you may find on kitchen cupboards to dampen the door as it shuts. It seems to be OK. No problems with static as yet and I can't hear any discernible change in sound from my felt mat. Just got to work out the minimum I can get away with as they can accentuate a warp.
I would suggest a cork/rubber mat, as it has the best of both in one.
I use a rubber mat, because I have an Ortofon 2m cartridge on my turntable. Ortofon cartridges are notoriously bright sounding, and the rubber mat helps boost the bass sound. I tried a cork mat, but it didn’t help the bass or lower sound as much as the rubber mat does. This is why I suggest the combo mat. If you’re not sure if your cartridge sounds brighter or warmer, the combo mat should be a good workaround.
Also, I tried a green lit acrylic mat. It looks really cool (especially with my Audio Technica AT 140XP turntable that has a blue strobe light), and it had good sound. But the rubber still beats it in the bass response.
I recently switched to the cork/rubber mat when I purchased my Thorens turntable. So far I have no complaints. It's a tad bit more prone to static than the acrylic, but it can be overcome.
What about the acrylic platter? Project advises users to use clean acrylic platter for vinyls without any mat. Can you tell me what you think about it???
My favorite platter was an acrylic platter. Absolutely loved it. My current turntable is a Thorens and I have a rubberized cork platter. Another great solution. But acrylic platters are wonderful.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords So I can use it without mat? Put the record directly on it?
@@nikolapavlovicsova5010 Yes. One of my previous turntables is a U-Turn Custom Orbit with an acrylic platter. You do not need a mat :)
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords Thanks a lot. Have a great one!
Depends on the turntable. rega advise felt on all of their turntables.
Thank you for this as I just got a P2 and these heavier mats seem like they would interfere with how the motor, belt, and platter are designed to operate.
I want the weight and needle height the same as stock so rubber is the way for me.
Platter mat from Origin Live, biggest upgrade for the cost no question.
I want to protect the downside/non-playing side of a record, which material is best?
To be honest, all of the mats mentioned are designed to keep your record safe and free from scratches. I've tried them all at one time or another. While my preference recently has been acrylic, I'm picking up a custom-built Thorens model next week with a cork mat.
I have the 6mm rubber mat from a technics, it pretty much deadens any platter
Technics knew what they were doing.
Rubber deadens the record itself too.
@@forwardsdrawkcab it sure does
Is ok to switch the stock felt mat on ATLP60x which is 2,5mm for a cork one that is 3mm in thickness? Thanks
Hi! Yes. It is great that you are aware of the need to try to match your mat’s thickness. If you can’t find a cork mat that matches 2.5, the 3mm won’t make a noticeable difference on that turntable. If you can find a match that’s always best.
Spoke to a chap from Rega who said they all have pros and cons, except wool ones, which only have pros.
I honestly have never come across a wool mat. Now I need to look into that. Thanks!
Quote from vinyl engine forum: "When rotating platter, by the combination of the vinyl gravity force, friction force between wool mat & vinyl
and centrifugal force from rotation, deck grips vinyl tightly".@@TheJoyofVinylRecords
Rega sell their own, but they're widely available. I just picked up one for £15.@@TheJoyofVinylRecords
Good vid. Thanks
Thank you!! I need to do an update.
Two old LPs taped together with lots of double sided tape straight onto the platter - Sounds Great Costs 0 - Job Done !
Now that's innovative!
Instead of buying acrylic mats why not use another older LP?
😂
it seems you have an acrylic platter. you don't need a mat for an acrylic platter.
That’s absolutely true @M D. My acrylic mat went on the AT-LP5. The U-Turn, as you noted, has an acrylic platter.
I am guessing that 70% of audiophiles really couldn't tell the difference in sound with the different mats.
I bet it’s even more like 85%. The only one that truly jumps out at me is felt. I was an acrylic advocate for years. I have a cork/rubber mat on my Thorens and glad I do.
I still prefer the rubber mats.
Me too rubber mats dampen the ring of aluminum platters etc, and big brand high dollar factory tables came with them for decades so there must be a reason. My Harman Kardon T40 and others came with a specific kind of dense rubber described by HK back then and I feel like HK should know what theyre doing. Also I just cant see "scratch" as an "art", im 62 and it goes against all established record care principles - it just seems like a childish way to get a non-sound from turntables that engineers have spent decades trying to improve and get right. JMO
Overall you rated the rubber mat better than your chosen one acrylic 😅
I did. Also need to update that video at some point - things have changed. 🍺
@@TheJoyofVinylRecordswould be verry interested 😁 But i like also the Combination of thin leather and acrylic on top. Im interested whats your favorite now 🤙🏻
@@Taran-d.B.23 I've been using a rubber/cork hybrid (came with my new turntable), but recently switched back to acrylic - battled too much static
I remember your brother being a big fan of his LP60X. If he hasn't already, two upgrades he could make to it is to change it's felt mat to an acrylic and swap out the conical stylus to an elliptical. These are two modifications I have made to my LP60X Rick, and I can tell you, it's very worth it. It actually takes one of the top beginner's turntables to another level.
rubber rulezz on my technics 1200gr
It greatly reduces any vibrations doesn't it?
Acrylic slips......
Totally off subject, but i've been meaning to ask: is that a little graveyard out behind you? 💀
Very observant! Yes. It's a 200 year old graveyard in my backyard :). Quiet neighbors
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords oh wow lol. I live in a river valley, and there's an old graveyard hidden away up on the hill above my house. Very few people know it's even there.
The best turntable mat is no mat. Buy a turntable that has a quarter of an inch of pure vinyl that is cemented to the platter .
The U-Turn Orbit (and a few other manufacturers) do make an acrylic platter. It's what I opted for when I switched a few months ago.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords + No, not acrylic. VINYL.
Nice. I read that wrong. Thanks @Aussie Rob
I'm sorry but there's no way the mat itself can effect the sound of an album. If you think about how vinyl records actually work on a purely mechanical level, the type of mat only matters on the basis of Static, Stability, and most of all, looks.
I think Rick may just have enough knowledge to argue the toss with that one. I myself have also identified the differences in platter mats, particularly between felt and acrylic. Having recently upgraded the felt mat on the LP60X with an acrylic, I can concur with Rick's preference for acrylic mats. Rotation stability, tighter bass response and less surface noise has been more evident with the use of an acrylic mat in my experience. It's also Rick's favourite surface due to it's dense foundation and it's similar properties to vinyl itself, and a lot of high end turntables use it.
Rubber.