The Mike New ETP Platter

[MartinT]

Especially with the ole 'detail retrieval daddy' 2M Black

LOL! The Shelter isn't too shabby in that area, either.

[prestonchipfryer]

Especially with the ole 'detail retrieval daddy' 2M Black on board too eh John! lol

So true Rob, so true!

[Mike_New]

No worries, dude. It's important that credit goes to where it's due, and Rob and you were the first ones on AoS to use and recommend the ETP platter

Marco.

Hi Folks
I feel that I should correct one point concerning who was first.
If you all remember; the first ETP Platter which I produced was in off white (cream) which everyone opined was not aesthetic for the SL
I then switched to black. However this Platter was purchased by a fellow in Melbourne OZ, at the beginning of 2010, about three months or more before John purchased his, (he was going to come out to OZ to collect it.)
He did not want to become involved in any forums as an active contributer so I published his evaluation under my name credited to him
which many folks read including John and many others.

[Marco]

Nice one, Mike. Thanks for the clarification. I think it's good that word is getting out now more about how excellent your ETP platter is

Quite simply, Martin or I couldn't comment on it before because we hadn't used one. In that respect, I look forward to having a listen and reporting my findings when my own sample arrives.

Incidentally, have you ever thought about producing Delrin turntable mats (or basically some from the same material from which you currently make the ETP platter)?

I think those could be prove to be very effective and an excellent (and potentially popular) addition to your product portfolio (and also that of David's)

Marco.

[Mike_New]

The big problem of producing mats from the matterial I use is that you idealy need a vacuum chuck to hold it whilst machining. It is too thin to hold in a conventional chuck, or to clamp onto a face plate with bolts as I do with my platters.
The sheets, in any thickness of this matterial are not totally flat, when making the Platters I have to carefully mahcine both sides and leave them to relax for 24Hrs before completing the detail finish machining.
I have some ideas on the subject, but again how many people are going to commit to getting one??? for the amount of effort that may be involved in solving the problem. always the eternal commercial equation!!

What I am investigating is the provision of a 1mm dished surface across the 300mm diameter to accomodate warped records.
I will report on this next week.

[Marco]

Thanks for the info, Mike, which is noted. The material is obviously a ball-ache to work with...!

My thinking behind this, however, is that if Delrin (or exactly whatever material the ETP is made from) is as sonically ideal as has been reported, and indeed as many users of the ETP are finding, when fitted with a label recess, few aftermarket mats used in conjunction with the platter provide a discernible upgrade, then it should follow that the material would make an excellent mat in its own right.

This would give people who can't afford a full platter a 'taste' of the effectiveness of the ETP, by combining the mat with their own platter (stock Technics, Vantage, Funk or whatever), which may tempt them to upgrade to a full ETP platter at a later date. I would suggest that if it's commercially viable to produce such mats, I can't see the exercise being anything else but a success in the long term, especially as there is always a demand for high-quality T/T mats amongst vinyl lovers, and not just from users of Technics T/Ts either - think about it!

Therefore, why not cost it up, chat with David, and come back to us with a rough price of what the mats would retail for, when sold through MCRU? I'm sure we could get one reviewed in the magazines, as well as on AoS. I honestly feel that there is a good business opportunity here, which could introduce your products to a whole new range of customers, whilst increasing awareness of your existing Technics T/T modifications to a much wider audience

Marco.

[RobbieGong]

Hi Mike,

I think the point Marco was making here was not really about giving credit to who was exactly 'first' as such but more so with regard to who on this forum he was aware had initially made the right noises about your ETP, hence that definately being myself and John. I observed your ETP from your very first thread introducing it, white one and all and have on a number of occassions made reference to your friend and his initial 'review' which you posted, as reference to pointing out that I too found the ETP with 3mm softer stock techie mat giving best sound to my ears, just as he did (As Marco can no doubt vouch). Either way, I felt from the off that the ETP would be pretty good and I most certainly wasnt wrong - It is as good as I could have ever hoped !

Hi Folks
I feel that I should correct one point concerning who was first.
If you all remember; the first ETP Platter which I produced was in off white (cream) which everyone opined was not aesthetic for the SL
I then switched to black. However this Platter was purchased by a fellow in Melbourne OZ, at the beginning of 2010, about three months or more before John purchased his, (he was going to come out to OZ to collect it.)
He did not want to become involved in any forums as an active contributer so I published his evaluation under my name credited to him
which many folks read including John and many others.

[Oldpinkman]

Hi Mike,

I think the point Marco was making here was not really about giving credit to who was exactly 'first' as such but more so with regard to who on this forum he was aware had initially made the right noises about your ETP, hence that definately being myself and John. I observed your ETP from your very first thread introducing it, white one and all and have on a number of occassions made reference to your friend and his initial 'review' which you posted, as reference to pointing out that I too found the ETP with 3mm softer stock techie mat giving best sound to my ears, just as he did (As Marco can no doubt vouch). Either way, I felt from the off that the ETP would be pretty good and I most certainly wasnt wrong - It is as good as I could have ever hoped !

So the ETP material is so good it should have a mat made from it, except it sounds better with a mat made from another material put on it. Have I got that right, or is my wonky eye playing up again?

[Oldpinkman]

The material is obviously a ball-ache to work with...!
Marco.

It's a plastic. Like acrylic. They all stress when machined, and all have to be relaxed. We used to have racks of PT platters waiting for further machining - a bit like bottles of champagne getting turned in "pupitres". It is in the nature of plastics that they are - plastic. A good friend of mine once explained that to the extent they are an impedance match with vinyl they make an ideal record support, and patented the idea (long ago). More recently he discovered that whilst that impedance match was an important criteria for that aspect, in terms of the rigidity of support a rigid, and not plastic material was superior. Of course, ideally it should also be "dead" and not ring (strictly be excited excessively at particular frequencies). His conclusion was that the solution was a non-resonant bond of an impedance match upper surface with a rigid but acoustically "dead" supporting layer. In exploring the idea he discovered an adhesive which actively created that effect (a bit like the green glue I used to acoustically isolate my recording studio walls). I understand he plans to use it on his top of the range Saphire turntable. And I am looking to use it on my PT if certain engineering challenges can be overcome. One of those challenges won't be a bearing able to transmit energy efficiently away from the platter, since I already have an extremely hard machined saphire one on my turntable as it is.

[prestonchipfryer]

So the ETP material is so good it should have a mat made from it, except it sounds better with a mat made from another material put on it. Have I got that right, or is my wonky eye playing up again?

The ETP used by Mike New is indeed excellent for a turntable platter. So why not use a mat made from the same material?

It would be interesting to have the opportunity of trying a mat made of ETP, to compare to other audiophile-type mats that I currently own.