Amplifier Isolation platform DIY?

[Thunderbird]

Hi guys I am thinking about making an isolation pad a bit like the Auralex gramma pads (which are out of my price range) as my cab really vibrates my floorboards no matter how low I have the volume I have put a couple of acoustic tiles under the cab and they help a bit but I am looking for a better solution that is makeable any ideas or advice chaps?

[MrDaveTheBass]

Buy 4 of these and put them underneath your cab's feet. £6.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/6030-Sports-Ice-Hockey-Puck-Black/dp/B01ERRJR4Q/ref=sr_1_2/257-8636340-0319504?ie=UTF8&qid=1526297260&sr=8-2&keywords=ice+hockey+pucks&dpID=418690QQ2SL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

[jazzmanb]

Never looked at the real thing but i have a mechanics mat i cut in two to use between cabs and on the floor occasionally

http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode=ViewProduct&method=mViewProduct&productid=10064&productdescription=eva&productcode=&category=6&catgroup=&catmicrogroup=&analysiscode=&requiredresults=16

 

[Gottastopbuyinggear]

I use a piece of plywood with four Sorbothane Hemispheres as feet.  You'll need to pick a size/Durometer rating that suits your situation - these are the specific ones I use for my amp + 2 cabs stack which weighs about 34Kg: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003IMODW8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use them to reduce the vibration being transmitted through a wooden floor/stage and they work really well - cured the problem I had of the drummers snare wires rattling on a couple of songs where I play the intro on bass.  The material is quite sticky, so I've covered mine in clingfilm to stop all the crud from the floor sticking to them.  Edit: If you mean the floorboards in your house then the stickiness might not be an issue, as I assume your floors are cleaner than those in the places I play gigs!

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by Gottastopbuyinggear

[Thunderbird]

Nice replies lads thanks 

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 26, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Take a look on youtube for the videos about DIY drum isolation platforms - basic low tech solution that uses tennis balls sandwiched between two boards. Take the idea and then scale down, and maybe substitue the tennis balls with something a bit softer (squash balls, foam dog balls) - a lot depends on how heavy your amp is.

[Thunderbird]

4 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

'Scuse the mess, but here are a couple of shots of one I made. A little over engineered perhaps, but it does seem effective. It's a sandwich consisting of yoga mat, 18mm MDF, 20mm rubber mat sold for washing machine isolation, 18mm MDF, yoga mat, and stood on 20mm hard rubber feet attached with T-nuts. It's heavy for what it is! I also have a slightly smaller one with a thick block of stiff foam in place of the rubber mat which appears just as effective, but doesn't take so much weight.

I do have a Gramma Pad too. I've not used it in anger yet as unlike mine with the solid, wipe clean feet, it just places the unprotected foam straight onto a filthy stage (or beer, chips, and dogshit encrusted carpet in a pub). I'm still deciding whether to add another layer to the Gramma, or perhaps carry a splinter/muck-proof mat to place under it. By comparison to mine it is very light, but also seems quite resonant, strangely.

That looks great I see a project coming on thanks

[Thunderbird]

2 hours ago, SubsonicSimpleton said:

Take a look on youtube for the videos about DIY drum isolation platforms - basic low tech solution that uses tennis balls sandwiched between two boards. Take the idea and then scale down, and maybe substitue the tennis balls with something a bit softer (squash balls, foam dog balls) - a lot depends on how heavy your amp is.

Great thanks 

[TheGreek]

My dog has some good thick heavy rubber balls which I now know have a greater value as Isolation platforms....now all I need to do is explain that to her.

[taunton-hobbit]

Cheap car floor mats are good dog sh*t preventers...........

[Happy Jack]

I'm waiting for this to turn up on Blue Peter, with Peter Purves creating one from washing up bottles and sticky-backed plastic.

[only4]

I made mine from 3/4” mdf with a carpet tile on the top and dense packing foam on the bottom. It does make quite a difference when we play anywhere that has a stage or wooden floor.

[Christine]

An alternative approach is 2 MDF boards, with a partially pumped up bicycle inner tube folded up between them. You can tidy it up with a bit of edging around the bottom one to hide the tube as long as the top board fits inside without touching it.

[Rich]

I've got a 4ft length of Auralex Platfoam (as used on the original Gramma pads) that is just taking up space at home. Free to anyone who wants to pick it up from me either at home nr Bristol or at work in Chippenham. Ideal for a DIY platform.

[goingdownslow]

I made one for my combo using a piece of mdf, a carpet tile and some feet cut from 4" pipe lagging from B&Q. Really makes a difference on hollow wooden stages.

[Gottastopbuyinggear]

Thought I'd chime back in with a photo of my solution:

It's a bit "Class D" compared to some - it certainly doesn't have any heft! 

Took about half an hour to make with a left over bit of 6mm ply and a mini circular saw.  The feet are self-adhesive.  Weighs next to nothing, and the hole in the middle means I can carry it on top of one of my cabs.  Total cost about £20.  And if I'm feeling particularly juvenile I can tell people I have Sorbothane balls!

Edited May 18, 2018 by Gottastopbuyinggear

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 27, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[MrDaveTheBass]

On 14/05/2018 at 18:03, TheGreek said:

My dog has some good thick heavy rubber balls which I now know have a greater value as Isolation platforms...

I'm calling the RSPA!

[Dood]

B&Q do mats designed for kneeling on (gardening DIY etc) and they will be big enough for most 1x12 size cabinets or smaller. 

[AlliPlatt]

Hi.... DIY is the lowest cost option by far, and depending on how handy you are, and how much effort you want to put into it you can come up with a very attractive and effective stand with minimal cost. I made some using butcher blocks from TJ Max ($20 each for the block). Depending on what kind of footer you put on it they'll cost less than $30 each, and probably no more assembly time than $100+ stands. You can use other material for the platform too, such as a simple MDF, granite, etc.

medical pcb assembly

Edited May 22, 2020 by AlliPlatt

[Reggaebass]

my bass room has bare floorboards , so I made one quite easily for my markbass 15s, from 2 layers of dense foam, then a layer of white rock plastic on top to give it a firm base , and then a carpet tile top ,all glued together with spray adhesive, it works very well , and cheap 🙂

[stewblack]

This has been fascinating! Thanks for sharing your cunning solutions. 

However I can't help thinking that @MrDaveTheBasscame up with simplest, cheapest solution in the very first reply. 

[BigRedX]

Whatever you do make sure it's stable with the rig in place on it. I stopped using my Gramma Pad after watching a video of the band playing at the venue where it was most needed and being horrified to see that my rig was swaying all over the place in response to any other movement on stage. When we next played and I didn't use it there was a slight extra roominess to the bass sound, but I could live with that in exchange for not having to worry that my rig could topple over at any minute.

[basexperience]

On 14/05/2018 at 12:31, MrDaveTheBass said:

Buy 4 of these and put them underneath your cab's feet. £6.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/6030-Sports-Ice-Hockey-Puck-Black/dp/B01ERRJR4Q/ref=sr_1_2/257-8636340-0319504?ie=UTF8&qid=1526297260&sr=8-2&keywords=ice+hockey+pucks&dpID=418690QQ2SL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

Late to the party here, but I really like this idea. Portable, small and should get the job done. I’d be tempted to enhance the pucks with maybe a little Velcro or some other kind of temporary fixing to ensure the amp doesn’t manage to bounce itself off - a bouncy stage and a pogoing bassist could do that…