MasterSounds Collaborates With The Paradise Garage & GMHC For Its New Turntable Weights

Boutique UK audio manufacturer, MasterSounds, has unveiled a new addition to its line of custom turntable weights. Designed in collaboration with iconic golden-era New York clubbing institution, the Paradise Garage, and its long-standing charity partner, the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC).

Hugely popular for a decade from the late 1970s, the Paradise Garage is credited for influencing the development of modern dance clubs, placing the DJ at the centre of the venue, and focusing on dancing rather than verbal interaction. With resident DJ and leading experimental producer, Larry Levan, at the helm, the venue has left a legacy that is truly unique in clubbing history.

Paradise Garage NYC

Paradise Garage supported the early activities of the charity, GMHC, a New York City–based non-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based AIDS service organisation. The charity now owns the Paradise Garage brand, which continues to promote men’s health three decades after closing its doors.

“We are immensely proud to not only be associated with such an iconic clubbing institution as the Paradise Garage but also be endorsing an incredibly worthy cause in the GMHC,” comments MasterSounds’ founder, Ryan Shaw.

Gay Men’s Health Crisis

The new edition is limited to a release of 100 units for the world, and a donation from every purchase will go directly to supporting the GMHC charity.

MasterSounds Turntable Weights

MasterSounds turntable weights are designed to reduce a turntable’s noise floor and thus improve the musical soundstage. Simply pop a record on the turntable and place the turntable weight over the spindle. MasterSounds say that users enjoy “improved bass response, tighter mids and controlled highs as the turntable weight reduces unwanted resonance when placed via the spindle on top of a record”. Each turntable weight weighs just over 400 grams (+/- 14oz), light enough to not cause damage to a turntable’s bearing system, but heavy enough to give sonic improvement. MasterSounds have tested their turntable weights on a large variety of non-suspended belt and direct drive turntables.

Pressing plants try to achieve quality control on every record made, however, there are intrinsic issues such as dished and warped records. MasterSounds turntable weights help to combat this too. DJs love this, as it aids cueing a problematic record prior to mixing and eliminates needle skip.

Anti-Slip Base

“We have also developed an anti-slip base for our turntable weights, and thus each turntable weight has been designed to grip the record, which is fantastic for DJ’ing as it really stabilises records in the mix. I always ask DJs to use my turntable weights for a couple of weeks then remove to realise what a difference they make. Our turntable weights can be used with 12” and 7” records, plus 45’s with the addition of a dink,” adds Shaw.