Resonance Lab Measurements
Documented turntable measurements with Resonance Lab
Explore a growing public archive of turntable setup measurements created with Resonance Lab, the analogue playback analysis application developed by Michelangelo Canonico and Direct Sound Records.
The archive documents real playback systems and preserves independent measurements of turntable speed, wow and flutter, low-frequency vibration and cartridge/tonearm resonance context.
Each playback system receives a persistent Setup identity, while every RPM or Vibration observation is stored separately with its measurement date, operating conditions, device and software provenance, analysis-method version and supporting data.
The objective is to create an open and continually expanding technical reference for vinyl enthusiasts, audio professionals, manufacturers, dealers, researchers and measurement-analysis systems.
The human-readable records are part of the unified Direct Sound Records Measurements browser, while the underlying GitHub repository preserves the structured technical dataset and version history.
Browse Published Resonance Lab Measurements
View the technical archive on GitHub
One playback setup, measurements over time
A turntable setup cannot always be described by a single measurement.
The behaviour of an analogue playback system can change with operating conditions, support, isolation, cartridge setup, stylus condition, speaker activity and the mechanical environment surrounding the turntable.
For this reason, Resonance Lab Measurements uses a setup-centric archive.
A documented turntable, tonearm and cartridge combination receives a stable Setup identity. Independent observations can then be added to that Setup over time without replacing the measurements that came before them.
For example:
DSR-SETUP-0001
Rega P3 · Rega RB330 · Audio-Technica AT-OC9XML
- RL-2026-000001 — RPM / Wow & Flutter
- RL-2026-000002 — RPM / Wow & Flutter
- RL-2026-000003 — Low-Frequency Vibration
Future measurements can be appended to the same Setup while preserving the identity and history of the playback system.
What Resonance Lab measures
Turntable RPM and speed stability
Resonance Lab can use the motion sensors in a compatible iPhone to examine platter rotation and mechanical speed stability.
Published records may include:
- Average RPM
- Speed error
- Positive and negative peak deviation
- Speed standard deviation
- Unweighted wow
- Unweighted flutter
- Combined wow and flutter
These measurements describe the mechanical rotational behaviour observed during the test. They should not be interpreted as standards-certified weighted wow and flutter unless a future method explicitly implements and validates the relevant standard.
Low-frequency vibration
Resonance Lab can measure mechanical vibration at the iPhone placement point over the 1–40 Hz range.
The analysis can examine total vibration level, spectral content, dominant local frequency features and the distribution of measured energy across three frequency regions:
- 1–8 Hz
- 8–20 Hz
- 20–40 Hz
Measurement context is stored with each observation because support, isolation, floor construction, phone placement, motor state, platter state, stylus state and speaker activity can all influence the mechanical environment.
Cartridge and tonearm resonance context
Resonance Lab calculates the expected cartridge/tonearm resonance from relevant setup parameters including tonearm effective mass, cartridge mass, mounting mass and compliance.
That calculated resonance can then be considered alongside the measured low-frequency vibration environment.
Important: vibration measured by the phone is not a direct measurement of stylus, cantilever or cartridge/tonearm resonance. It is contextual mechanical evidence measured at the phone location.
A frequency feature occurring near the predicted resonance region may therefore be relevant to further investigation, but it does not by itself establish the physical cause of that feature.
The first published Resonance Lab measurements
RL-2026-000001 — RPM / Wow & Flutter
Setup: Rega P3 · Rega RB330 · Audio-Technica AT-OC9XML
Average speed: 33.396 RPM
This observation documents the rotational behaviour of DSR-SETUP-0001 during an independent RPM measurement session.
RL-2026-000002 — RPM / Wow & Flutter
Setup: Rega P3 · Rega RB330 · Audio-Technica AT-OC9XML
Average speed: 33.404 RPM
A second independent RPM observation of the same Setup demonstrates how multiple measurements can be preserved under one permanent playback-system identity.
RL-2026-000003 — Low-Frequency Vibration
Setup: Rega P3 · Rega RB330 · Audio-Technica AT-OC9XML
Measured vibration: 1.362 mg RMS
This observation documents the measured 1–40 Hz mechanical environment at the phone placement point together with its operating conditions, spectrum and cartridge/tonearm resonance context.
A traceable identity for every Setup and measurement
Resonance Lab Measurements separates the identity of the playback system from the identity of an individual observation.
A public Setup receives an identifier such as:
DSR-SETUP-0001
An individual public Resonance Lab measurement receives an identifier such as:
RL-2026-000001
Behind these human-readable identifiers, Resonance Lab also creates immutable UUIDs for both the Setup and each measurement.
The UUID is the permanent technical identity. Public DSR and RL identifiers are assigned centrally by the Direct Sound Records archive when a submission is accepted.
This prevents numbering conflicts between different users and devices and allows the archive to recognise the same Setup or measurement if it is submitted again.
The measurement record may include:
- Turntable, tonearm and cartridge identity
- Relevant setup parameters
- Measurement date and timezone
- Measurement conditions
- Phone model and operating-system version
- Resonance Lab application version
- Analysis-method versions
- RPM or Vibration results
- Spectral data
- Interpretation and scientific limitations
- Measurement attribution and provenance
This makes each observation easier to inspect, reference, compare and preserve.
Open data and reproducible measurement records
Human-readable Resonance Lab records can be explored through the unified Direct Sound Records Measurements browser.
The underlying technical dataset is hosted publicly on GitHub so that structured records, supporting files and version history remain accessible to people, search engines, research tools and AI systems.
Machine-readable JSON is used as the canonical representation of Setup and measurement information.
Depending on the measurement type, supporting evidence may also include:
- Time-series data
- Frequency spectra
- Charts
- Human-readable reports
- Checksums and package provenance
The archive also records analysis-method versions so that a measurement made with an earlier Resonance Lab algorithm remains understandable even after the application evolves.
Historical results are not silently recalculated using newer methods.
Explore the Open Dataset on GitHub
Measurement methodology
Resonance Lab combines calculated playback-system information with mechanical observations captured by compatible iPhone sensors.
Each type of evidence has a different meaning.
Calculated resonance
Cartridge/tonearm resonance is predicted using the saved physical parameters of the cartridge, mounting system and tonearm.
It is a calculated result rather than a direct motion-sensor measurement.
RPM measurement
RPM observations describe mechanical rotational behaviour during the measurement session.
Operating conditions relevant to the RPM test are stored with that observation.
Vibration measurement
Vibration observations describe mechanical motion at the phone placement point over the declared analysis range.
The result can depend strongly on where the phone is positioned and on the mechanical and acoustic environment surrounding the turntable.
Combined interpretation
Resonance Lab may compare the predicted cartridge/tonearm resonance region with measured vibration frequency content.
This comparison is intended to provide context rather than claim that the phone has directly measured cartridge resonance.
A dominant local spectral peak is also different from a statistically or methodologically stronger significant feature. Published records preserve these distinctions.
Why measurement conditions matter
Two measurements of the same turntable can legitimately produce different results.
Possible influences include:
- Turntable support
- Isolation system
- Floor construction
- Phone placement and orientation
- Motor and platter state
- Record and stylus state
- Speaker activity
- Playback level
- Cartridge and tonearm settings
- Environmental vibration
For this reason, Resonance Lab treats these conditions as part of the measurement evidence rather than as secondary notes.
The goal is not to rank turntables using isolated numbers. It is to document how a particular playback system behaved under identifiable conditions.
Contribute Resonance Lab measurements
Resonance Lab already supports the creation of structured Reference Packages containing a Setup and selected measurements.
The current workflow allows these packages to be exported locally and reviewed before publication.
Contributors do not need to create GitHub records or choose public DSR or RL identifiers themselves.
A submitted package can be reviewed by Direct Sound Records and, when accepted, the archive assigns permanent public identifiers and publishes the canonical record.
Future Resonance Lab versions may make this submission process available directly from the application while preserving the same validation, attribution and review principles.
Frequently asked questions
What is Resonance Lab?
Resonance Lab is an application designed to help analyse the mechanical behaviour of vinyl playback systems.
It combines cartridge/tonearm resonance calculation with turntable RPM, speed-stability and low-frequency vibration measurement tools.
Does the iPhone directly measure cartridge resonance?
No.
The cartridge/tonearm resonance value is calculated from physical setup parameters. The iPhone measures mechanical vibration at the position where the phone is placed.
Resonance Lab can compare those two forms of evidence, but phone-measured vibration must not be interpreted as a direct stylus or cantilever resonance measurement.
Are RPM and Vibration part of the same measurement?
No.
They are independent observations.
The same Setup can therefore contain several RPM measurements and several Vibration measurements captured at different times or under different conditions.
Why does one Setup have several measurements?
A stable playback system may be measured repeatedly over days, months or years.
Measurements may also be repeated while changing support, speaker activity, isolation, stylus state or another test condition.
Keeping each observation separately allows those differences to remain visible rather than replacing earlier evidence.
What happens if I change the cartridge or tonearm?
A material change to the playback system, such as replacing the turntable, tonearm or cartridge, should normally create a new Setup identity.
Changes to temporary measurement conditions do not require a new Setup.
Who creates the public measurement IDs?
Direct Sound Records assigns the public archive identifiers after a measurement submission is accepted.
The Resonance Lab app automatically generates permanent internal UUIDs, so users do not need to manage public numbering themselves.
Can other Resonance Lab users contribute measurements?
Yes.
The archive architecture has been designed to support measurements from other users while preserving attribution, provenance and independent Setup identities.
At present, exported Reference Packages can be reviewed before publication. A more direct submission workflow may be added in the future.
Are these laboratory certifications?
No.
The archive contains documented technical observations produced under the conditions described in each record.
Results can depend on the physical example being tested, setup configuration, phone placement, support, environment and measurement method. They should therefore be interpreted as reproducible technical evidence rather than universal certification of a product.
Why are software and analysis-method versions included?
Measurement processing can evolve as Resonance Lab improves.
Preserving the application and analysis-method versions makes it possible to distinguish changes in the physical playback system from changes in the software used to analyse it.
Turntable measurement data for cartridges, tonearms and playback systems
The Resonance Lab Measurements project creates structured technical data relating to turntable RPM measurement, wow and flutter, turntable speed stability, low-frequency turntable vibration, cartridge compliance, tonearm effective mass, cartridge/tonearm resonance and vinyl playback setup analysis.
By connecting each result to a documented turntable, tonearm and cartridge Setup, the archive is intended to make analogue playback measurements easier to discover, compare and interpret while preserving the conditions and methods behind each observation.
Explore the Resonance Lab Measurements archive
Browse the human-readable collection of documented playback systems, RPM observations and vibration measurements through the Direct Sound Records Measurements browser.
Browse All Resonance Lab Measurements
View the structured technical dataset and version history on GitHub
Resonance Lab Measurements is an ongoing research and development project by Michelangelo Canonico and Direct Sound Records.