Wahey....Slatedeck Equipment Stand

[Greg.]

Hi Rich,

Hmmm, well a bit (not much) funny. Be very sure, Slatedeck is nothing like plywood and certainly it's the opposite of muddy bass.

I know you were trying to be light hearted and funny but think about the impact of your post before you submit it. It's easy to spoil and then much harder to recover. If you've not played with Slatedeck maybe you should not comment. Realise that until you can prove otherwise, there are several of us here who seriously advocate Slatedeck as a real way to the best analogue sound. Thereafter, I'm more than happy to be proved wrong, but until you've done it, you have no grounds to comment in this vein. If you want to call it Plymud so beit, just be prepared to realise it is in my view the best option for applying a quality old deck into a place that trounces anything currently available.

Until you or anyone else has experienced Slatedeck, you should keep your own counsel. Be sure, Slatedeck is a significant contribution to the analogue playback system.

Best wishes,

Greg

[Paul Barker]

Yes i haven't heard a plinth made of laminated any other material which comes close on a 301 or 401 to slate.

When I first mounted my 301 on it just before that eggfest where it was first heard I was dumfounded. I just rang Darren and said "it's very good".

It was a shame that due to my busy life I didn't take more time and set up the arm properly, because although it sounded really good at eggfest as many people said at the time, someone was distracted by cartridge alignment which took his eye off the ball, and nobody dared comment even after Peter asked for views.

However slate deck was excellent then as it is now, and the truth cannot fail to surface in the end.

[Darren D]

Well describing slate as mud is just a local generalisation. It's really mainly composed of quartz and muscovite or illite, often along with biotite, chlorite, hematite, and pyrite along with, less frequently, apatite, graphite, kaolin, magnetite, tourmaline, or zircon as well as feldspar.

Not the components most people asociate with the ingredients of a stone.

[Darren D]

What fascinates me after 30 years of visiting and exploring quarries around my area, is the fact that all this estuary sediment that became buried under the sea at great depth is now being dug out of the top of very high mountains.

Very little slate is found in low lying areas, and even then it's usually a lesser quality.

How the heck did it get right up there !!!

As I said it fascinates me. In 500 million years since these sediments were laid, this wonderful planet has gone through an awful lot of changes.

[Darren D]

Here's a facinating site http://www.penmorfa.com/Slate/

On the home page there is a picture with a lake in it. I spent much of my childhood exploring this quarry. Looking back it makes me feel old !!!

Nice informative site for those that may be interested.

[vitalstates]

Brilliant site Darren, even if one is not a slate junkie.

btw Greg, slate comes from mudstone, its official, says so on the site Darren linked to. So it wasn't such a bad joke after all.


Ed

[NickG]

Until you or anyone else has experienced Slatedeck, you should keep your own council.

Hey Greg, why not ask Peter if you can become a moderator, and change the forum to allow you to audit all the posts before they become public.

If the slate is as good as it seems to be, I don't think it needs protecting from every off hand joke, it will succeed on its own merits.

If you want to see the end result of this sort of thing, go to audio asylum and ask if Magnaquest transformers are worth the money.

and nobody dared comment even after Peter asked for views

Not true Paul, I passed comment at the time.

and the truth cannot fail to surface in the end

Agreed, then nobody needs to be heavy handed about it then do they?

[Greg.]

Hi Guys and of course Rich (Hardy),

OK, I acknowledge (at a sensible hour...did you see the time I originally posted ) my response to a light-hearted post was probably over the top. I had no intention to offend. Basically I wanted to make it clear that the use of Slate for hanging quality TT's and sinking their vibrations etc is excellently achieved in this way. I have no interest in 'controlling' peoples opinions or views on this or any other topic. I don't want to be a moderator. Moderators potentially generate more flack than I seem to get without trying too hard anyway

Frankly, I'm passionate about the impact Slate brings in combination with other products to the analogue sound. In my opinion it is a very significant step forward and beyond what has been previously achieved using other materials even when their performance can be judged as good. I'm not a secretive person and my wish is that all who love their analogue sound, particularly those who use old DD and ID turntables, should make every effort to try or sample by listening what Slate brings to the equation. I believe it has a very impactive influence and it would be a shame not to promote the very positive effects it has on music listening within the domestic environment. It has been a revolution for me (within a system that has previously been judged by members here as well balanced and good sounding) and consequently I evangelically desire that everyone who patronises quality turntables should explore the option for themselves. Sorry to be so strong, but my ears are pretty reliable and inherently, I feel it would be a shame for others not to explore or benefit accordingly.

Best wishes,

Greg

[Paul Barker]

Originally Posted by NickG

Not true Paul, I passed comment at the time.

Yes I know you did at Eggfest Nick and Jonothan and James, and there were many others apreciating the sound, and now it transpires Mark too and one of his visitors, who liked it enough to order a plinth. What I meant was, that when Peter asked for views nobody spoke up. I don't think it would have been heavy handed to have said a single word.

[Hardy]

Mmmm seems Greg has not got my sense of humour.....Sorry!

The comments were very much tongue in cheek....Maybe in future I'll just be boring and act my age...............

I thought I'd find real friends here but once again it seems I've been rejected..........

Oh well time to find another site that accepts my differences and sense of humour.........

Seriously though I think anything that moves the black-art or pseudo science of music reproduction in one's home onwards has to be applauded and I very much look forward to hearing what this material does for our hobby.....which after all is the best hobby in the world isn't it?!?!?!?

As I said in the serious part of my remarks I believe that material structure even down to colour (which is atomic resonance!) has some bearing on sound reproduction....maybe you all think I'm crazy but I know what I hear and what I've witnessed over the last 20 odd years!!!!

Chill out guys.....

PS: I have heard Welsh slate used under equipment including turntables and I have some idea what it does when used as a shelf....so you could argue I have "played" with slate as you call it.

Sorry If I caused anyone offence, I'm honestly not that kind of guy and it upsets me to think that others think I am!

This is one problem with typed messages - you don't get to see the expressions on one's face to know when it's only a silly remark....I thought that's what the "smiles" are for......

Rich.