Everything you need to know about mastersounds weights

[russell]

If you collect vinyl, you want it to sound as good as possible. that’s plain fact. of course, decent decks, needles, carts, speakers and speaker wire all play a part in that, but now there’s another way you can improve your listening experience – with mastersounds weights.

each one weighs 390 grams and when placed on your spinning record helps stop them skipping, improves low end fidelity and somehow makes everything sound that bit fuller and richer. this might sound like folly, and i was sceptical myself until i got one, but as soon as i dropped it on there was no denying the sonic improvements. what’s more, each hand made and limited run of mastersounds weights looks great, feels great, comes in a nice drawstring storage pouch and has been made by an independent with a close attention to detail who simply loves sound. that man is leeds based dj and electric avenue records manager ryan shaw. i’m so bowled over by these things i hunted him down to find out more in the hope you will read it and try one for yourself.

they cost £40 each and are available from mastersounds.co.uk, as are a bunch of other products with new ones on the way. you can also keep up with developments at twitter.com/mastersoundsuk, facebook.com/master.sounds.9 or on instagram @mastersounds and learn all you need to know below…

when did you first hear about the concept of turntable weights?

i was 1st introduced to the concept by my friend bonar bradberry many moons ago when we worked in playmusic record store in leeds. we did some research on available products back then but was so busy djing i didn’t get on it.

and why/when did you decide to create your own?

it was a good few years back now, i have always been involved in design engineering and metalwork so i had the machinery and knowledge for manufacture so i set about creating a product which was both aesthetically pleasing and did the job it was intended for. the main drive for manufacturing my own was that i was seeing the art of playing vinyl records in a club dwindling due to the digital revolution, decks were almost an after thought and thus quality in sound was being compromised.

what advantages do they offer and how do they actually work?

the advantages include improved bass response plus mid range and highs are improved. the way turntable weights work is that they locate on the spindle of the turntable and place weight on the vinyl record, this reduces vibration and thus improved sound quality. they also do a fabulous job of improving needle skips and also improve confidence when djing as they steady everything up in the mix. once you get used to the extra weight on the turntable (about 10 minutes of playing) you can operate as you would normally, even scratching is easy. they work fine on belt driven hifi turntables too, so all bases are covered.

what were the challenges of making your own, find manufacturers etc?

i am lucky as i have been involved in metalworking all my life so i have the tools at hand and the expertise to be able to conceptualise and idea, produce technical drawings and understand the manufacturing and finishing processes. it’s a constant work in progress as each batch is slightly different in colour and finish, i kind of like that though.

how long did it take from planning to realisation stage?

it took about a year i think, i was making samples and testing them at my gigs, then trying to improve and get to where i was happy. i was testing them on various hifi setups too including my own to get an overall picture of the performance.

what makes a good weight vs a bad one, what were your ideals when setting out to make them?

well i had a goal to produce the number one turntable weight for djs and audio enthusiasts. a lot of my research was via hi-fi weights and i found that they were constrictive in many ways, some on the shape and some on the weight and some on both. i found them to actually be too heavy, extra weight is ok when you are just listening to a record and not touching the platter but you need dexterity when djing, plus size is a factor as i wanted my weights to fit nicely into a record bag and also not to be an issue when travelling. i also wanted to make a product people would be proud to own, so each turntable weight is limited to 100 ‘editions’ for the world.

you’ve had pretty decent support for them, right? which djs have used them and what are their comments?

yes i am extremely happy with the feedback and support i am getting. when i started out i asked my friend mr. c to test them and give me feedback and he has been a huge help. also darshan jesrani over in nyc has been influential in the feedback process. their testimonials on the product can be found on my website on the users tab. i guess i could list a whole host of dj’s who are on them, in most spheres of electronic music. i was super happy as dj harvey and jamie jones are using the weights now. it makes me really proud that people are buying my product and diggin’ them.

you say you’ve kept the business in your local area, can you expand a bit?

well all my manufacturing, anodising and engraving is done within a 15 mile radius of me, i like to build relationships with suppliers and be on hand if any issues occur (which they do, a lot). plus it’s cool going into a manufacturing environment; i could never send something away and get it back without knowing the person.

have you any more products or plans for new weights?

well i have just produced a special edition range of 30 weights for r&s records 30th anniversary which was pretty cool and i am currently looking at working to produce some more special editions…

i have lots of ideas for other products, which as my strap line says are ‘audio accessories for the vinyl enthusiast’ including 7″ mini versions of the turntable weights that fill the large hole on some 45s. i have also perfected my vinyl spray solution, plus loads more interesting things, watch this space! it’s a slow burner, i want make sure the products are totally fit for purpose and of the best quality before i sell them. the money i make from producing products goes straight back in to the r&d side of things.

source: teshno.com