You can isolate a turntable from vibrations by using a heavier design made of metal, getting a turntable with isolating feet, using an isolation platform or pads, using a cork slip mat, or just placing the turntable on a heavy piece of furniture.
I’m Donovan, a vinyl enthusiast with a record collection that keeps growing. I also like to write and record music all the time and have worked in the music industry as a musician and producer. I know through first-hand experience how to isolate a turntable from vibrations.
This post will show you how to isolate a turntable from vibration. I’ll provide several solutions to this problem and give you a step-by-step guide to eliminating as many vibrations as possible. The goal is to help you get better sound quality from your turntable.
Let’s get after it.
Key Takeaways
- Using a turntable built with metal construction rather than plastic parts will help eliminate vibrations.
- You can also use an isolation platform or pads to help keep a turntable stable during playback.
- A cork slip mat is another option that will help reduce vibrations better than a silicone mat.
- You can combine vibration-reducing methods for an amplified effect that should improve sound quality.
How to Isolate Turntable from Vibration
You can try several different things to isolate your turntable from vibrations. Unwanted vibrations can drastically affect the overall sound quality of your records and prevent skipping and other issues during playback.
Vibrations can appear from many sources, including music from speakers, footsteps when walking around a listening room, and any other electric or moving parts located near a turntable setup.
You can try any or all of the vibrations isolating methods below to help you achieve better sound quality. Keeping these in mind as you set up your turntable and stereo can allow you to reduce the chance of vibrations before they even appear.
1. Use a Mostly Metal Turntable
One of the first considerations to remember when attempting to isolate vibrations from your turntable is the construction of your turntable itself. Choose a mostly metal construction with heavier components rather than cheaper plastic options.
Turntables with a mostly metal construction will do a better job removing vibrations. This is because heavier parts won’t move around as much when they are close to sound waves. A cheaper plastic turntable will vibrate more.
Part of the reason why higher-end audiophile turntables are more expensive is because of the higher quality materials used in their construction. If ideal sound quality is one of your priorities, you’ll need to spend a little more money on your turntable.
If you buy a really cheap turntable made of mostly plastic parts, you are creating an uphill battle when it comes to sound vibration issues. You can still isolate vibrations to a degree, but you won’t be able to fix any rattles or vibrations that come from the cheap turntable itself.
2. Get a Turntable With Isolation Feet
Most turntables come with feet or pads on the bottom of the unit. Any of these pads will provide at least a little bit of vibration reduction, but isolation feet will give you better performance than simply using smaller rubber pads.
Look for feet made of sturdy rubber or silicone that elevate your turntable from the surface it is resting on. There isn’t one best model or style of isolation feet that works the best, but choosing a turntable with these feet is an excellent idea for improved audio.
Some turntables have feet mounting holes, allowing you to interchange what type of feet you use. You can upgrade to better isolation feet if your turntable has this. It’s an easy way to quickly improve your turntable’s initial vibration-dampening effects.
3. Placement Considerations
Another way to quickly reduce vibrations on your turntable is by considering where you place it in your stereo setup. You always want the turntable to be on a solid surface that is up off the ground.
Heavier furniture like a table, shelf, or platform is a great start. If you place your turntable on a lightweight table, it will move around whenever someone walks around the room or even when the speakers are playing really loudly.
A shelf that isn’t directly connected to the floor is another option that can go a long way toward reducing vibrations. Since the shelf is elevated and not connected to the floor, it won’t pick up as many vibrations when you or someone else walks around the stereo room.
You also don’t want to place your turntable right next to or in front of your speakers. The sound waves from the speakers can easily bounce your turntable around and cause playback issues. Don’t place your turntable on top of a subwoofer, either.
4. Turntable Isolation Platform
A turntable isolation platform is another great solution for vibration reduction. These are commonly used in many music recording situations, and getting one for your stereo setup is an affordable way to boost performance.
You can make an isolation platform or purchase one online or at a turntable shop. The platforms typically have a foam bottom with a particle board platform to rest the turntable on top of. Just make sure to get one large enough to hold your turntable.
These isolation mats work best when you use them alongside the isolation tips I already mentioned. When you use a platform on a sturdy source with a well-made turntable that has isolation feet, you are on the fast track to great sound.
An isolation platform won’t automatically reduce every vibration, but getting the turntable off the ground will eliminate many issues you might be dealing with. And if you buy one, you can also use it for other recording purposes.
5. Cork Slip Mat
Using a cork slip mat will help reduce vibrations as well. The slip mat is a mat placed directly on the turntable platter. Many turntables come with a mat, but it’s usually made of rubber or silicone. These materials help reduce vibrations a bit, but cork does a better job.
Cork slip mats are more expensive than standard mats, but they do a solid job of eliminating unwanted vibrations. If you are still dealing with some noise issues after trying the other tips mentioned here, a cork mat might solve the problem.
Felt mats are a more affordable alternative if you don’t have the budget for a cork one. These do a pretty solid job of reducing vibrations. And you should still use the rubber mat on your turntable if that’s all you have access to.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some of the most commonly asked questions related to how to isolate a turntable from vibration.
How do I stop my turntable from vibrating?
You can try several different methods to stop a turntable from vibrating. Using an isolation pad or mat is a great idea, especially when you also place the turntable on top of a heavy table or shelf. You can also use a cork mat to help reduce vibrations during playback.
Do I need a turntable isolation platform?
You don’t absolutely need a turntable isolation platform to limit the vibrations, but they are an easy solution to this problem. You can also get better legs for your turntable or use a cork mat, but an isolation platform can do a great job of eliminating many vibrations.
What should I put under my turntable?
You should put an isolation platform or pad underneath your turntable to reduce vibrations better. You at least want to ensure that your turntable is on a very sturdy table, shelf, or other piece of furniture to reduce as many vibrations as possible.
Do turntable isolation feet work?
Turntable isolation feet do work and can be a great simple solution for many vinyl listeners. These feet can do a solid job of eliminating, or at least reducing, surrounding vibrations. These can be especially effective when paired with other vibration-reducing tactics.
What is the best material to isolate a turntable?
Combining acoustic foam and a fiberboard platform can be an awesome option for isolating a turntable to reduce vibrations. You can also use a cork or felt slip mat to help isolate the record being played rather than the entire turntable.
Do felt pads reduce vibrations?
Felt slip mats, also called pads, can help reduce vibrations better than rubber mats. But cork mats are an even better solution to help you better isolate the sound from your turntable. You should also keep your pad on solid ground and use isolation feet.
Final Thoughts
The best way to reduce as many vibrations as possible from your turntable setup is to follow all the tips mentioned here. Combined with one another, these will give you the best isolation from sound waves and other vibrations that can appear in your listening room.
A cheap setup will almost always have more vibrations than a more expensive one. That’s something to remember as you set up your turntable and stereo. Spending a little more money on a higher-quality turntable will deliver better sound in the long run.
Do you know of any turntable vibration isolation techniques I didn’t mention here? Let me know in the comments below.
