Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to attenuating excitation energy of a rotatable storage medium using one or more plates each having a plurality of parallel channels to buffer fluid flow across an associated medium surface. A preferred embodiment includes a plurality of channels in facing relation to a common surface of a rotatable storage medium. Further included in a preferred embodiment, the plurality of channels are sequentially arranged into a first, second, and third channels with differing sidewall characterizations. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of storage mediums which are axially aligned have a plurality of channels in facing relation to either a top or bottom surface of a rotatable storage medium.