What Record Clamp for LP12?

Is the SOTA Reflex clamp considered too heavy?

no clamp

I have never heard a table sound better with no clamp and it makes no sense to me that tables are used without a clamp of any kind.

I don't see a viable solution to your idea.

I would not recommend using a clamp such as the Michell. You have to physically push down on the clamp very hard, and then lock it into place. Doing that on an LP12 you risk bending something. On the Gyro, there are felt pads and the plinth is designed to bottom out on these pads so you don't bend anything or put the springs out of whack.

Only clamp that comes into mind that may work would be one of the old monster cable clamps. This clamp is clasp activated, so it forces itself down onto the record when you release the spring tention. It is a bit heavy however.

The best clamp would be a VPI HW19 clamp, but of course you'd have to get your spindle machined to accept a nut.

"I have never heard a table sound better with no clamp and it makes no sense to me that tables are used without a clamp of any kind."

Of course there are designs that should not use a clamp. Those that use a felt mat (Linn, Rega) to decouple the record should be unclamped.