Soundfield
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
I'd worry too - looks like a good way of wearing out the bearing!
Vinyl record clamp (weight)
- Thread starter GOS
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I have a Music Hall MMF-7. It has a threaded spindle and clamp. As others have said it is to secure the record to the large platter. I primarily use this unit for pristine new heavy vinyl. I have 6 working turntables in the house and have had others through the years. Is a clamp necessary? Probably not, unless you have a warped LP, and if I ran onto such a record, I would not play it on this turntable anyway. I play older records from the 70's that are in questionable condition on a Technics SL BD22, which is set up downstairs in our rec room. I did have a new album that came with a slight cup in the center. It laid flat on one side but raised on the other. That is the only time I can recall that the clamp was needed. As has been said I would be wary of using a weight if the turntable was not designed for it. I have seen light weight plastic clamps that simply grip the spindle. Those would be fine in my opinion.
markshan
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
I use a cheap, heavy weight similar to this one...
Black color LP Player Vinyl Turntable Disc Stabilizer Record Weight Clamp Metal | eBay
Unlike many respondents here, I absolutely believe it makes an audible difference. As a matter of fact, I was so surprised at the difference that I was questioning myself and did a double blind experiment with a few internet friends whose ears I trusted. I sent two files of needledrops of the same song, only labeled A and B. I told them one was with the weight and the other without. I asked them to tell me which they preferred and why. Out of almost two dozen respondents literally every one of them chose the file recorded with the weight. Many said the thing that I noticed, that the backgrounds seemed to get "blacker" and the bass tightened up. A couple of people who were pre disposed to thinking weights were bad picked the file with the weight but told me they were convinced it was the one without the weight because it sounded "quicker" or the other one sounded "loggy" and they were sure it was the weight causing a problem, when it was the file without the weight.
On a belt drive I would probably favor a clamp, but the motors on direct drive tables like ours have enough torque to make a Margarita. Get a weight and don't look back. Or, you can do the first thing that I did to convince myself to put a crowbar in my wallet. I found a heavy shot glass in my cabinet and inverted it over the spindle, carefully centering it to see if I heard a difference. I did.
Black color LP Player Vinyl Turntable Disc Stabilizer Record Weight Clamp Metal | eBay
Unlike many respondents here, I absolutely believe it makes an audible difference. As a matter of fact, I was so surprised at the difference that I was questioning myself and did a double blind experiment with a few internet friends whose ears I trusted. I sent two files of needledrops of the same song, only labeled A and B. I told them one was with the weight and the other without. I asked them to tell me which they preferred and why. Out of almost two dozen respondents literally every one of them chose the file recorded with the weight. Many said the thing that I noticed, that the backgrounds seemed to get "blacker" and the bass tightened up. A couple of people who were pre disposed to thinking weights were bad picked the file with the weight but told me they were convinced it was the one without the weight because it sounded "quicker" or the other one sounded "loggy" and they were sure it was the weight causing a problem, when it was the file without the weight.
On a belt drive I would probably favor a clamp, but the motors on direct drive tables like ours have enough torque to make a Margarita. Get a weight and don't look back. Or, you can do the first thing that I did to convince myself to put a crowbar in my wallet. I found a heavy shot glass in my cabinet and inverted it over the spindle, carefully centering it to see if I heard a difference. I did.
furui_suterioo
Quad & 70s Enthusiast
Only this super expensive weight can give the "ultimate" performance 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233644701337couldn't resist posting..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233644701337couldn't resist posting..
Soundfield
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
Only this super expensive weight can give the "ultimate" performance
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233644701337couldn't resist posting..
Which I guess means you can increase the grinding noises coming from the bearing by increasing the weight!
Only this super expensive weight can give the "ultimate" performance
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233644701337couldn't resist posting..
I love things that create a synergistic effect. I bet Larry Fast has one.
Kal Rubinson
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
I have one of these at the bottom of my parts bin. Anyone interested?
markshan
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
Is that hole drilled through both sides? How does he keep it centered? The weight of the unit as a whole doesn't concern me but any amount of off balanced weight could wear down the bearings very prematurely.
I used to have a proper Mitchell record clamp, and it was great, but it 'went Missing' while moving house. I then bought a cheap weight type but this caused the platter of my Pioneer PL115D to sag on it's springs and rub on the housing. I opened it up and adjusted the springs underneath until the platter was level and able to bear the weight, but I very rarely use it now, I really would like another Mitchell but they seem to command a relatively high price, I don't remember my original being that expensive!
MidiMagic
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
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Since I use a record changer, that has no application. The spindle is long and it does not rotate.
But I discovered the hard way how to get rid of record warps.
I bought a 45 that had been left in the sun at a garage sale to use as a test record for arm and cartridge trackability. It had half-inch warps.
The problem was that I stored the record vertically with the other records in a bookshelf as you are supposed to. The proper storage flattened out the record. It is no longer warped.
But I discovered the hard way how to get rid of record warps.
I bought a 45 that had been left in the sun at a garage sale to use as a test record for arm and cartridge trackability. It had half-inch warps.
The problem was that I stored the record vertically with the other records in a bookshelf as you are supposed to. The proper storage flattened out the record. It is no longer warped.
Soundfield
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
kap'n krunch
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Methinks that all this extra (unnecessary) weight will wear out your precious TT way before its (notice the CORRECT SPELLING of the possessive term for those of you ENGLISH SPEAKERS who do not use it correctly! ...end of rant.. of course, done with all the love and caring to all QQers who flunked ENGLISH classes) time...
Soundfield
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
Joke? How dare you? It's a national institution. By law dating back to Magna Carta all hotel rooms have to have a least one fitted. Essential for keeping pizza warm overnight.its a real thing!
I thought it was a joke.
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So My ProJect RPM 5 Carbon came with a clamp that actually spins down to the platter like a screw.
But I also purchased a Record happy weight (1.0 lb) for about $29. It says it is a clamp but it really just slips over the spindle with no locking.
https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Record...rds=record+happy+weight&qid=1616515144&sr=8-2
I can use it on either TT i have and it does a nice job of tightening things down but doesn't see to cause any problems. The Pro-Ject is a belt drive and seems to work just fine. I have seen weights that go for $160-$175 but 1 pound is 1 pound.
But I also purchased a Record happy weight (1.0 lb) for about $29. It says it is a clamp but it really just slips over the spindle with no locking.
https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Record...rds=record+happy+weight&qid=1616515144&sr=8-2
I can use it on either TT i have and it does a nice job of tightening things down but doesn't see to cause any problems. The Pro-Ject is a belt drive and seems to work just fine. I have seen weights that go for $160-$175 but 1 pound is 1 pound.
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