The Mike New Technics bearing

[StanleyB]

Would there be anything wrong with highly polishing the copper and placing the record directly
on it and making a mat optional ?

It may or may not be. I have the CU-180 copper mat for my Micro Seiki DDX-1000. Many owners of the CU-180 will tell you that they have had great results with that mat, but I have not been so lucky. It might be due to the combination of the system setup I have, but I don't harbour any immediate desire to swap around amps and speakers just to get the mat to sound right.

[Marco]

Hi Mark,

I'm not sure, as I haven't tried it. Experience, however, suggests that hard metal surfaces don't make the best interfaces between the record and platter.

However, when I obtain a copper mat to assess, I will revisit this and report my findings

Marco.

[Pete]

Dammit, I'm really tempted now since you have a MN platter.

dew eet

[DSJR]

Hi Mark,

I'm not sure, as I haven't tried it. Experience, however, suggests that hard metal surfaces don't make the best interfaces between the record and platter.

However, when I obtain a copper mat to assess, I will revisit this and report my findings

Marco.

When I bought my mentor deck from Tom, I was given the choice of two top-platters to try. The first was what I remember to be a thick aluminium one (or non-magnetic steel, I can't remember) and the second, the now standard graphite type.

The metallic platter sounded ringy and over-bright. Perfect for rejuvenating dull sounding magnetic cartridges and older mc types, but to me, being one colouration balancing out another.

The graphite platter by comparison sounded far more neutral when compared to the copy-masters I had, the record appearing to be well terminated, but the effect on many cartridges of the time wasn't always good, as measurable treble dullness in the cartridge sounded just that. The Decca was in its element though and modern mc types are too

[markf]

So the copper doesn't really help other than look good, so perhaps a platter with a
graphite top plate would be better. (probably look great too)

I guess I should ask Marco, what was your reason for selecting copper for your custom platter ?

[colinB]

Ive read that the copper reduces eddy currents.

[Marco]

Colin's got it in one, Mark

Both the PSU (when the original one is used), and the motor unit under the platter, generate eddy currents detrimental to the sonic performance of the cartridge above, which the copper mat, due to its material properties, helps reduce.

Therefore from the bottom, we have Mike's superb bespoke platter, which adds both structural rigidity and controls resonance, and above it the bonded copper mat reducing the effect of eddy currents, and topping it all, the superb Achromat, providing the ideal (impedance matching) interface for the record - all of which should combine to allow maximum information retrieval from recordings with minimum coloration....

That's the theory (and goal). We'll soon see whether it translates into this in practice!

Marco.

[Rare Bird]

Wouldnt a series of slots in the copper have a better effect on Eddies!

[DSJR]

Colin's got it in one, Mark

Both the PSU (when the original one is used), and the motor unit under the platter, generate eddy currents detrimental to the sonic performance of the cartridge above, which the copper mat, due to its material properties, helps reduce.

That's the theory (and goal). We'll soon see whether it translates into this in practice!

Marco.

A serious question, how do you know that there are eddy currents in the supplied techie platter and, if they are, do they really affect the performance of the cartridge used? Have you been given proof of this, or is it just hearsay by others?

I've heard too many times the mantra of people inventing a problem and then marketing an expensive cure for it.

Just to keep you questioning what you think is the obvious from what you've been told, that's all

[Marco]

Wouldnt a series of slots in the copper have a better effect on Eddies!

Possibly, mate (I can see where you're coming from), but you could go on forever with these things, and it's Mike doing all the work!

I'm pretty confident the above combo will be shweeeeeeet!



Marco.