Custom Laser Etched Cork Turn Table Mats
When it comes to spinning vinyl, audiophiles tend to obsess over even the littlest details.
One of the least expensive ways to improve vinyl contact and reduce resonance is through the use of cork turntable mats. In addition to lessening static buildup and dampening unwanted vibrations, cork offers a pleasant frequency profile well suited to vinyl playback. The lightweight nature of cork allows the platter to rotate as designed without strain on the mechanics driving the record.
Etch Tailor is now offering custom laser engraved cork turntable mats so your hi-fi setup can look as good as it sounds.
We like cork because it can be sustainably hand harvested from Mediterranean montado forests by generational craftsmen before being processed using only water, heat, and pressure ensuring the manufacturing process remains as eco-friendly as possible. While the largest concentration of cork oaks are in Portugal, the tree can also be found in Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. These coastal Mediterranean regions are able to provide plenty of sunshine, low rainfall, and high humidity to the cork oak and in return the tree helps to reduce desertification. Surprisingly, the thick layer of cork bark makes the oak resilient to forest fires. In addition to providing a sustainable economic lifeline to many workers in these regions, the protected forests serve as a home to thousands of unique wildlife species including a few endangered species like the Iberian Lynx. The dead cork bark is carefully separated from the living trees using only traditional hand tools in 9 year cycles to ensure the montado remains unharmed.
Laser engraving of client designs happen in our Los Angeles work shop.
So ditch your stock felt or rubber mat and design your own custom cork turn table mat today!
End of blog post. Now here is an unrelated gif of Mr. Bean: