Need some advice please: which turntable do you use?

[PHeMoX]

Being a software guy going to hardware there's a few things I don't have. One of them is a good turntable. Perhaps someone here can give me some good advice?

I heard the Numark cheaper ones are pretty decent, right?

Anyone here familiar with the Numark TTUSB? It's a more modern version, still cheap, comes with USB and it seems like a pretty good one.

Downside is that on some webpages where you can buy it they say it's 'used in conjunction with Audacity software to get rid of noise and other unwanted sounds'.

What exactly does that mean??

Anyways, opinions on this are much appreciated.

[Euclid Ov Oåklånd]

The pt-01, is all you'll need for sampling and digging. TTUSB is fresh because you can easily convert your vinyl collection to high quality lossless audio files. But you can still digitize your records with any turntable by getting a y-adapter and recording through your soundcard/interface. What they mean by removing noise and static in audacity is that unless you go buy brand new represses most vinyl you dig for will have what dj's sometimes call cooking the bacon 'cause the sizzles and pops can sound just like making bacon in a cast iron skillet. I usually like the sound and so do others hence the vinyl sim on our machines.

[drewzle]

i got a Numark TTX and it's absolutely wicked

check this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=564

[blast1]

i have a Numark TT500 which a strip down version of the TTX... the TT500 is Kool, it can be pitched to +-50% & has a reverse button nice table for post production, luckily i got mines for cheap... but the "PT-01" is good enough, cheap, small, portable & you can spin on them...

check this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-R1aNrIq5A

Damu is nice on the PT-01's & his Beats are Boom-Bap...

[Dj Frantic]

i have a Numark TT500 which a strip down version of the TTX... the TT500 is Kool, it can be pitched to +-50% & has a reverse button nice table for post production, luckily i got mines for cheap... but the "PT-01" is good enough, cheap, small, portable & you can spin on them...

check this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-R1aNrIq5A

Damu is nice on the PT-01's & his Beats are Boom-Bap...

that is one of the illest videos I have ever seen in my life...lol ! I have a pt-01 and 2 numark TTXs for Djn. If you want alot of crazy features out of your turntable(times stretch, extreme pitch options, reverse play, USB out, built in preamp) The TTX is a surefire table. But if your just recording vinyl into your sampler PT-01 will do the job...plus its portable and battery powered so u can listen to junk while your at the record store.

[drewzle]

that's a dope video

i'd really like to take some gear and a small amp out like this
that's one of my missions once summer starts

[606man]

Isn't there already a turntable thread?

[Euclid Ov Oåklånd]

Fuck what Nas said Hip Hop ain't dead and this video is proof. Back to the days when NYC lightposts got hacked for Dj's in the park. Plus dude was scratching on two pt-01's, I'm on kizack to say the least.

[teardropcity]

the PT01 is dope. I actually bought mine because it was battery powered so I could rock vinyl out on my front porch, and found that it actually works nice for scratching. It hooks up nicely to the 404, and to my usb interface for ripping mp3's out of one dollar ohio players records and shit

[PHeMoX]

Thanks a lot for the advice.

Nice vid too by the way, doin' the old school way out on the street haha!

That Numark PT-01, I've seen those youtube movies with ppl scratching on it, but what's needed in a turntable to be able to scratch nicely? Direct-drive or is belt-driven fine too? It was mentioned that a direct-drive is more suited for Dj-ing .. why?

Does the TTX (or TT200) require anything else for it to work 'out-of-the-box' or is the PT-01 the only one working straight out of the box? I hear things about people having to buy separate preamps and stuff... Remember that I'm mainly going to use this together with my SP 555.

(
@606man: yeah, my bad.. still those threads didn't quite answer my questions just yet. It did put me on track of Numark's PT-01 though. )

[Huph]

To scratch you absolutely need a direct drive turntable with a high torque rating. I wouldn't go for anything less than a Technics 1200 for scratching. Actually, that's just my old school mind, there are several other turntables that are good for scratching, I just don't use them. They're all about the same price, though. Well, you can find used Technics pretty cheap and they're not that hard to fix up like new.

Direct drive/high torque means that the platter won't stop spinning when you touch the record, thus when you release it, it immediately starts playing at the proper speed. Essential for scratches.

You'd also need a mixer. Or at least some way to cut the sound in and out (you can actually do this with a 303/404 I'll explain if anyone is curious). In this area there are cheaper options that are good for beginners.

[606man]

PHeMoX - I'm just being a stirrer, just ignore me..

[Euclid Ov Oåklånd]

I've done some scratching on belt drive turntables, it just takes a lot more precision and timing because you have to take into account the lag from the lower torque and physically put it back on the beat which is hard but it's possible. Not everyone can afford technics 1200 so you have to get creative, plus most hip hop DJ's that started scratching back in the late 70's early 80's didn't have access to direct drive tables and still came up with good routines.

[drewzle]

You'd also need a mixer. Or at least some way to cut the sound in and out (you can actually do this with a 303/404 I'll explain if anyone is curious).

I do this by routing my turntable through the 404 and then pressing the Ext Source pad on and off to gate the sound,
or sometimes just use the volume knob for less abrupt fades.

is that how you're doing it?

[Euclid Ov Oåklånd]

Yeah, I do that too with my 303.