With the appearance of many new DJ turntables on the market and a constant flow of used gear, it can be difficult to decide what set of decks are worth hunting down. We got 2015 DMC World Champion Vekked to share his thoughts on DJ turntables and to break down the current state of the market, both new and used. Keep reading for the juicy details.
There’s been an influx of new turntables being released in the past few years. There’s been a lot of misinformation online as well as strongly worded endorsements by people associated with different companies, so I was inspired to do this breakdown to help guide people through this minefield of opinions. For those who don’t know me, I’m the 2015 DMC World Champion, and turntables are my weapon of choice:
I’ve owned most of the major brands out there and I like to think that I’ve put them through more rigorous testing than most DJs will ever need to. So I’m going to try to be as objective as I can, however it’s always best to try to get a few hours in on a particular turntable you are interested in before buying one.
I’m going to lead off out the gate with my current opinion on the new turntable market:
NO NEW TURNTABLE IS WORTH BUYING
As many know, almost every new turntable being release is a clone of the Hanpin Super OEM models. Hanpins are good turntables, and for all-around use the turntables I prefer are Super OEMs. But from a value perspective the used market is saturated with so many cheaper turntables that are just as good, so I can’t justify recommending any new turntable out there. The fact that major brands are putting out the same re-branded Super OEM for more money seems like price-gouging to me. There are a ton of used Super OEMs from brands like Stanton and Audio Technica which sell for cheap on the used market, and older turntables from Numark and Vestax that are every bit as good. Not to mention you can still find Technics SL-1200s used for decent prices that make them a better buy as well.
So if you’re starting out, definitely skip to the used section in this article and I’ll try to give you guidelines for used shopping. I’ve bought a lot of used turntables over the years, and I’ve had almost exclusively good experiences (turntables last!).
NEW TURNTABLE COMPARISON
If for some reason I had to buy a new turntable, my current favorite turntable is the Stanton Str8-150. It’s a Super OEM turntable like the rest of the market, and there’s nothing special about it outside of having the most features for the lowest cost that I’ve found. Super OEMs share the same great torque, and a nice platter that feels similar to a 1200. So, if you can find another Super OEM with the following features at the same price or lower, it’s probably a good buy.
Here are the key features for me:
- Straight arm: This is the different between the Str8-150 and ST-150 models. In my experience, straight arms are superior for general DJ use and performance. They give you more room to move your hand on the record, and they skip less. The only deal breaker for a straight arm is that you can’t use elliptical needles due to the angle, and they’re quite a bit harder on your vinyl. So if you’re still spinning real vinyl often, or archiving vinyl, go for the S-arm. Nowadays most DJs either use DVS records or scratch records, both of which are easy to replace, so record burn isn’t a big downside.
- Independent start/brake time adjustment knobs: Some of the other Super OEM models don’t have this, and they stop really quickly before you get the classic vinyl brake sound, making them almost into a mute button. So for me this is important.
- Two brakes: Most turntables only have the brake on the right side. Having two brakes makes it so you have a brake handy no matter which side of the turntable your hand is. This is more important if you’re doing turntablist routines or something more performance intensive, but it’s handy nonetheless. The downside is if you still use Dicers, you can’t put them in the 45 adapter slot because there is none.
- Specific playback controls: reverse, pitch lock (reset). 78 RPM. All features that you may not use every day but many other Super OEMs left one or more of them out.
Here are the downsides:
- They are the heaviest turntables I’ve ever felt. If you’re gigging or constantly moving them, that can be a bit of a pain. However, some argue that the weight causes better isolation from vibration, so maybe this is a good thing. Just something to be aware of.
- The buttons are cheap and break down. This isn’t a Str8-150 specific issue, many Super OEMs have the same buttons, but I own three of these turntables and the buttons are becoming less responsive on all three of them, namely the 33/45 buttons but they’re all identical.
So in short, out of all the Super OEMs the Stanton Str8-150s are near the bottom in price, and near the top in amount of features. Given that they all have the same parts inside, this is the only thing that matters. But note that there are many brands that have put out Super OEMs, so if you find one with straight arm, start/brake time controls, 2 brakes, and the other playback controls, you can probably assume it’s just as good.
These are the most unique Super OEMs on the market because of the built-in MIDI controls. These are the only Super OEM turntables I might suggest outside of the Stanton Str8-150s, only if you need the extra features. If you already have a Rane Sixty Two, 57, Pioneer S9, or a Z2, you might not benefit from MIDI controls on your turntables. Here are the benefits of this specific model:
- MIDI controls: Cue point, loop, roll, slice all from the turntable. It’s basically like a built-in Dicer but more features. The buttons aren’t ideal for finger drumming. Your main consideration whether to buy this turntable over any other is whether you need this. If you don’t, they’re a lot more expensive for a model that other Super OEMs match in features.
- Torque adjust: I like the idea of this feature, but I haven’t found it to make a ton of difference on some turntables. Make sure you get to try the specific turntable with torque adjust and see whether you can actually feel the difference. I personally use max torque 100% of the time so I can’t comment on how well it is implemented on this specific turntable.
- Button quality for basic features: The start/stop, 33/45, etc, seem better quality than the Stanton buttons. But I haven’t put in years on the Reloops as I have with the Stantons, so it’s possible that they will fail after heavy use as well
- Pitch display: It shows the current pitch digitally. Kind of cool, but definitely not a necessary features.
Downsides:
- No independent start/brake control: This was a big oversight: the start and brake controls are the same knob. If you want a slower brake time, the motor also starts slower. I’ve never wanted the record to start up slower, so I just leave it at fastest. But then the brake is almost instant and might as well be a mute button. They may as well not have even included the features.
- Power: The on/off switch does a weird speed up thing when you power down, making things worse for power down tricks and transitions.
- Price: They’re expensive because they’re like a turntable + midi controller in one. If you don’t need the midi controller, they’re a waste of extra money. As a pure turntable, they are marginally worse than the Stanton Str8-150s for more money.
Everyone has been talking about these since they dropped. Pioneer finally came out with a turntable. But it’s basically another re-branded Super OEM. These are the most expensive Super OEMs on the market, even more than the RP-8000s with MIDI controls. But they’re popular so I’ll review them anyways.
Positives:
- Design: They look really cool. They’re the best looking Super OEMs.
- The platter is sunk: This is more a design thing than a real advantage – it makes them look and feel marginally closer to Technics 1200s.
Downsides:
- They’re missing: start/brake adjustment, straight arm, reverse, 78rpm, only 1 start/stop button, and no torque adjust. They’re basically just a more basic version of the Stanton or Reloop turntables, for more money.
I will say that I do use these at home right now, and I still like them, because all Super OEM turntables are still at worst a solid 8 out of 10 turntable, and if they were $200 less maybe I’d recommend them. But at the current price, there’s not much reason to buy them aside from aesthetics.
Used/No Longer in Production:
These are one of the last truly new/unique turntables released. They feel and perform differently than any other turntable, so there are real subjective reasons behind choosing them (unlike Super OEM clones, which all feel identical and the only distinctions are features and price).
For pure scratching and creative stuff, these are my favorite turntables. I hate them for basic beat juggling, basic mixing, and routines. If you’re not using the features, they can be pretty weird because they function fundamentally different than most other turntables. Here are some key points:
- MIDI-Controlled Pitch: THE COOLEST FEATURE EVER. There’s a MIDI input on the turntable that allows you to change the pitch range by semi-tones with a MIDI keyboard instead of using the pitch fader. This allows you to transpose songs/samples on the fly in true musical increments, even when using real vinyl. Check out the last 2 minutes of my DMC Online video (below) for an example of how it can be done in a melodic turntables context. This feature came out before DJs became really diligent about harmonic mixing, so the feature never really got attention, but it’s a hidden gem.
- 2 Pitch Faders: Which are dependent on each other, so you always have to be conscious where the other one is. This allows for more specific pitch/speed tricks but makes mixing and changing things on the fly trickier.
- The controls are pretty tiny across the board. The extra pitch fader, the start/stop/the power off, they’re all small and more sunken than other turntables, which makes them tough to use for intensive performance DJing. If there was ever a turntable you were going to miss a control on while you’re doing something quickly, it would be these.
- The lightest turntables I’ve ever used. Often if I’m going somewhere and just need one turntable, I grab these because they feel about half the weight of any other turntable out there.
All of the Vestax PDX models from 2000 on function pretty much like these, with slight differences, except the MIDI input feature. That’s PDX 3000 exclusive – but if you find a Vestax PDX-X000 of any sort used, you can feel safe knowing it’s a great turntable, albeit a bit weird.
If you get a working pair, keep them. If you find a cheap pair and can risk them dying after a year, buy them. If you know how to fix them (apparently not all that hard or expensive for their common issues), then buy them and feel good about it. I sold mine a few years ago, but I used them for about 4-5 years straight (had to fix them twice in that time), so I’ve put some miles on them. Here’s what you need to know:
- Feature rich: They have all the features of the Stanton Str8-150, with the LED pitch display of the RP-8000. All implemented pretty well.
- Two arms: A straight arm AND S-arm. You can unscrew the tone-arm and screw in the other one. This is a double-edged sword, as I found that both of the tonearms were a bit shakier than the straight-arm and S-arms of other turntables, probably because they were removable.
- You can move the pitch fader: It unscrews and you can swap the other pitch controls so that it runs vertical instead of horizontal, or vice-versa. If you use your turntables “battle style” it makes more sense.
- Surprisingly durable, outside of the motor/electronics issues. Everything that seems to break on them is internal. I never had a button on them break or become less responsive.
- Unique feel. The platter isn’t flat/smooth like a 1200 so I find it doesn’t backspin as quickly as a result. It might bring the record up to speed slightly quicker though too. Not a positive or a negative, just a difference.
- Tend to break down, but not every model of them. Numark has released a few versions of the turntables over the years, and the more recent ones fixed some of the issues. It’s difficult to tell which are which at a glance, so if you’re considering buying one, do some research to figure out what to look for.
Technics SL-1200s + Used DJ Turntables In General
Used turntables vary a lot in price depending on where you are in the world. Different models are more or less common in different places, which affects price as well. In general I think that roughly $275 ($350 Canadian,€250 Euro) or less is a good price for Super OEMs, Vestax PDX-X000s, or Technics SL-1200s. If you find any of those turntables for that price or less, you should be feeling good. All of them are professional turntables. The Numark turntables are great bargain turntables to look out for because their reputation for breaking down usually means you can find them for $100 or less, which is a steal whether you’re beginner or a pro.
Also, there are so many brands putting out Super OEM turntables that aren’t known for their turntable quality, the prices are generally pretty good on the used market. Stanton, Audio Technica, Epsilon, DJ Tech, and many other companies that focus mainly on entry to mid-level DJ gear often end up going for cheap on the used market just because the name isn’t as trusted as Pioneer/Technics/Vestax.
Technics SL-1200s are still my go-to recommendation for DJs looking to buy one set of decks to last them for a while, despite them being behind the times as far as features. None of these other turntables have proven to be as durable, and it’s much easier to find someone to repair 1200s even with problems that would put most other turntable out of commission for ever. Plus, they hold their value, so they’re a better investment than these other decks. That said, I haven’t used Technics 1200s outside of gigs and competitions for many years now, so if your life doesn’t depend on your turntables being immortal, try to find one of the other decks.
Make sure you do your due diligence when buying used turntables. Read Xonetacular’s guide to buying used Technics! Get the seller to let you play a record on it that you’re familiar with, using your own needle. At the very least, plug it in without sound, check all the buttons to make sure they do what they should, and keep an eye on the motor. You can use the dots on the side of the platter to check if there’s something wrong internally that might not be obvious from the aesthetic condition. Scratches and scrapes on a turntable usually won’t hurt it, but if you see any damage on or around the tonearm, be very careful because that’s when repairs get expensive (or impossible).
DJ Turntables, The TL;DR
Here are the cliff notes for those who don’t want to read all that:
- Don’t waste your money on brand new turntables. All of the ones on the market are the same Super OEM turntables with different paint jobs, and slightly different feature sets, but they’re all over-priced.
- Don’t fall for any DJ, no matter how popular, saying that X new turntable is way better than Y new turntable. I’ve tried them all, the differences are subtle. Give them a try yourself to see what differences matter most to you.
- All of the turntables I recommended are more than capable of performing anything you need to do. None of these are basic/entry-level turntables.
Until companies start making entirely different turntables again, I recommend buying the cheapest one of these you can find, and saving your money for mixers, where the difference between models is actually substantial.
Watch more of Vekked’s amazing routines by clicking here, or follow him on Facebook here.
This article was adapted by Vekked from an initial shorter post on Reddit’s /r/DJs community.
Sadly the prices people are charging for a used set of Technics is absolutely ridiculous right now. If you want a set in good shape you are gonna have to break out the wallet.
Hy guys! I whant to buy a pair of TT’s for mixing/beatmatching house techno whatever. But im on a buget so i cant aford technics or plx 1000. So what do you recomend me for beatmatching at around 500 dolars/euro. Obviously im looking for somthing with a stable pitch, whell calibrated without speed variations.
my dude Vekked, I remember you from the Skratchlounge days of Skratchworx! Nice article brother, I have to admit, I bit on the Pioneer PLX and I’m sending it back straight way! POS and overpriced at that…it feels…well….cheap. Tone arm is a huge issue on this one.DO NOT BUY THE PIONEER!
My man Vekked! Skratchlounge vet!! Miss you my dude, sadly I fell prey to the hype of the PLX1000 and am trying to quickly sell them so I can get a Reloop RP7000 or a good used SL1200. Good to see you’re out there doing things like this, it’s good to know the author isn’t just spewing some BS!
Had my ttx’s for about 7-8 years. Birdy nam nam and C2C were my reasoning for buying them, plus they weren’t too expensive. Had to fix the platter once early on but that was the only issue. One fell off my table onto the cement and it barely scratched the rubber casing. Dust storms, rain and tons of beer thrown at them and they still work perfectly. They just need a good wipe down. Torq on those bad boys is insane. I love my TTX’s and they’ll always have a special place in my heart.
so happy to have finally stumbled upon a pair of pdx 3000s…life=complete
Great review,by a great turntablist
To add, you can find new super OEMs on eBay for under 400. I did. I got new str8s a few years ago from two different sellers who sold them brand new for good prices. The first was 369.00, and I found the second deal a week later for 385.00.
Yes they’re not exactly cheap like Audio Technicas, but if you like the 150 decks like I do, they can be found new for a lot cheaper than whatever usual retailers are demanding. A little patience and research goes a long way.
Thanks for all the useful info. Went ahead and pulled the trigger on the STR8-150. I’m pretty new to tablism and trying to find out the right equipment to get. Are the M44-7’s practical for the straight tone arm on the STR8-150 or do I need to look into something else?
The M44-7’s will serve you well on straight arms decks (and just as well on S arm too). They are one if not the most legendary scratch needle of all time. If you do lots of mixing (as opposed to just straight scratching and turntablism) then I’d recommend the M44-G’s over the 447’s. Still excellent for scratching but have better sound.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the ST 150s. The only problem is that they are heavy, but I’m a man so I don’t have a problem with the 60 lbs(including the case). The buttons do NOT break and stop working. I’ve had the 150s for years and they are the ones I take on the road with me. They still work perfect. I have 1200s as well. If anyone can’t rock a party with anything other than a set of 1200s, then they don’t need to call themselves a “dj”. If someone prefers 100s, it’s fine, but people need to stop feeding the buying public this nonsense about how the super oem turntables are inferior to 1200s. It’s crazy. I have an xl 500 from almost 20 years ago that works perfect. I have 2 cdt 05s from over 10 years ago that are fine. 1200s break down too(as with any piece of equipment that is used over time). Ball bearings in the tone arm go bad, the power switch gets loose, the platter wobbles, and sometimes the pitch needs to be calibrated. You’re right though, people should try turntables out themselves and not rely on other reviews. What works for one person may not work well for others. I love the 150s, you love the 1200s, Babu loves the vestax. I just feel paying over 6 or 7 hundred for a used 1200(which more than likely will have problems) is a ripoff.
My children were looking for DD 2962 last year and were made aware of a great service with a lot of sample forms . If others are wanting DD 2962 too , here’s
http://goo.gl/DQZUGn
Check out the Omnitronic DD-5250 and DD-5220. I got me a pair of these super oems a few years ago as I knew they were all the same but with different paintjobs & features but these are actually the cheapest ones on the market (also look at Synq XTRM-1). Furthermore, the DD-5250 (along with the Pioneer PLX) are the only ones where the audio routing from the cartridge through the tonearm to the RCA outputs doesn’t travel through a PCB board. I have a pair of Technics MK5 and while I prefer them, these omnitronic super oem are super value for money.
[…] won the DMC World DJ Championships in October. He has since been back to talk to DJTT about buying turntables in 2016, but now he is back with a golden set that continues to show DJs what it takes to make a world […]
@Vekked : Little question for you and the stanton owners.. I read the nice guide and I was hesitating in buying the ST150 over the STR8 150, I use vinyl quite often but also serato, my main use is for scratching and sampling so giving the fact that straight arm is wearing wax a bit more than an s shaped arm… I was more confident taking the ST150, did someone try the 2 turntables (ST150 and str8 150) and had the time to compare scratching between the 2? thanks!
For Vekked : I read the nice guide and I was hesitating in buying the ST150 over the STR8 150, I use vinyl quite often but also serato, my main use is for scratching and sampling so giving the fact that straight arm is wearing wax a bit more than an s shaped arm… I was more confident taking the ST150, did someone try the 2 turntables (ST150 and str8 150) and had the time to compare scratching between the 2? thanks!
I’m a previous owner of sets of Sl-1200’s, MKII’s Vestax PDX 2000’s. As the new year a happy owner of Reloop RP- 7000 LTD’s. I bought the 7000’s over the 8000’s & Stanton 150’s and couldn’t be happier. Things are rock SOLID as are all of the decks in this article.
Yo, there’s a inconsistency and an oversight regarding your reporting of the RP8000… for one you stated “the start and brake controls are the same knob. If you want a slower brake time, the motor also starts slower.” The 8000 start speed does not seem to be affected by the brake knob. In fact… the Torq knob is actually the clearest indicator of the start speed, so technically speaking… they ARE actually separate controls for start and stop speed.
Also… you should note that the latest firmware update for the RP8000 lets the LCD screen display the current track tempo direct from Serato instead of just the pitch percentage.
As far as the motor down/motor off effect you mention also in the cons… if you turn the brake speed all the way down, you get a 6 second brake… so basically it sounds just like a motor down effect. Can’t argue on price though.
does knowing these things, move it up to the top for anyone else besides me?
If you will just be using turntables for controlling a DVS, then okay, these “super” OEMS will be fine (not much super about them in reality).
But if you want to actually listen to records, avoid these turntables like the fucking plague. They are terrible in all aspects and most of the functions/features they have are in reality just silly gimmicks.
If bored and interested in this stuff, do some research. The DD-system, plinth/damping, tonearm and so on is massively inferior to the 1200/1210. I wish it wasn’t, it would be amazing to have a proper alternative to Technics. But these Hanpin decks are pure shite.
You graphic says “gude” instead of “guide” 🙂
[…] be $4000, there was widespread shock in the DJ community. DMC World Champion Vekked even wrote a long editorial on the state of the DJ turntable market, used and new, identifying reasonable, smart buys for […]
Very good review by the champ!
I believe that the Reloop RP-8000 straight no longer has “start/stop”button, but only a “brake” button, as said in this video by Mojaxx (at 5:15). And i’ve hearded that’s the same thing for the RP-7000 silver ( but not sure).
He also said that the issue with the speed up when turning off the platter is fixed (at 9:30).
Moreover, the screen display either the pitch or the BPM, which is more usefull but not essential.
As in europe they cost less than the Stanton, and above all the price of the used mk2 is irrational (more than the price they cost new before panasonic stopped the production) I think it’s a pretty good sloution here.
I never tried this turntable so i don’t know how it feel but as it’s a super OEM, i think it is about the same than the other.
I prefer the 7000’s over technics, stantaon and vestax decks. I’ve owned all besides stantons.
I dunno, on a hunch I just realized I can spin timecode vinyl by plugging my Stanton USB table into my laptop and configuring it in VDJ. I already had a mixer with a sound card (Xone:23C) but I didn’t feel like opening it up to drop in the patch cables required for it to support DVS. That’s my argument for buying a new tt.
Thanks for the article. I had 1200s throughout the 90s before serato but sold late 90s. So much of this super oem stuff has been confusing. And after you’ve had 1200s everything else is hard to swallow especially at high prices.
I’ve no idea why all these super oem turntables are so overpriced and why it seems nobody is attempting to win on price.
Also the Audio Techica LP120 looks just like a 1200 but lacks the torque while i’ve heard the LP2400 is their super oem. It perplexes me why they don’t take the looks of the LP120 (a virtual 1200 clone) and give it the internals of LP2400. That and sell it at a decent price but i’m not holding my breath on the price thing. lol.
what do you think about the reloop rp2000 I have the z2 mixer and I’m getting offered a pair cheep but one has a fault with the neddle (stylus) to me is this a common problem with the rp2000 ?would be grateful for any information
what do you think about the reloop rp2000 I have the z2 mixer and I’m getting offered a pair cheep but one has a fault with the neddle (stylus) to me is this a common problem with the rp2000 ?would be grateful for any information
Respect! An honest article on a DJ related Website? I never thought I’d see the day!
There is so much religious war about TT these days.
I myself had St.150s aswell as 1210s. As i don’t have enough space to
keep them both, i sold the 150s. Actually overall i prefered the 150s
but the problem is, if you have to use your gear for throwing parties,
havig other DJs playing on it, anything else than the 1200 is not
“ryder”-compatible. Especially for electronic music DJ’s. Even DJ’s that
dont actually beatmatch (Rock’n’Roll etc.) cry if you bring them
something else than a 1200.
There is so much ignorance out there about the technical aspects of these tables. A lot of the DJ’s (that Beatmatch) won’t be able to tell you what the quarz does for example.
Having non calibrated pitchfaders and still claiming how superior their decks are.
I have to admit i really like the Pitchfader on the techs it’s smoother
than on the OEM’s, and the quarz aswell as the zeroclick can be
disabled. And it’s an traditional piece of industrial design.
On the other hand i prefer the torque of the OEM especially if you work with nudging an not always with pitchriding.
So, thanks a lot for that article to have at least new buyers to make a
real comparison, and not being influenced by the biased opinion of many
of the surrounding users.
Respect! An honest article on a DJ related Website? I never thought I’d see the day!
There is so much religious war about TT these days.
I
myself had St.150s aswell as 1210s. As i don’t have enough space to
keep them both, i sold the 150s. Actually overall i prefered the 150s
but the problem is, if you have to use your gear for throwing parties,
havig other DJs playing on it, anything else than the 1200 is not
“ryder”-compatible. Especially for electronic music DJ’s. Even DJ’s that
dont actually beatmatch (Rock’n’Roll etc.) cry if you bring them
something else than a 1200.
There is so much ignorance out there about the technical aspects of these tables. A lot of the DJ’s (that Beatmatch) won’t be able to tell you what the quarz does for example.
Having non calibrated pitchfaders and still claiming how superior their decks are.
I
have to admit i really like the Pitchfader on the techs it’s smoother
than on the OEM’s, and the quarz aswell as the zeroclick can be
disabled. And it’s an traditional piece of industrial design.
On the other hand i prefer the torque of the OEM especially if you work with nudging an not always with pitchriding.
So
thanks a lot for that article to have at least new buyers to make a
real comparison, and not being influenced by the biased opinion of many
of the surrounding users.
Nice one Vekked
A bit curious to know why the vestax PDX 3000 is considered bad for juggling and mixing? I just bought one for getting into analog turntablism more, and while I haven’t really gotten many hours on it, it seems to hold pitch adequately for mixing?
Ugh…point of article being…just buy used techs.
hahaha, almost… buy anything, just try not to buy re-branded Super OEMs that have been out for like 10 years already with tons of cheaper ones available. Hopefully manufacturers make more original turntables so I can make a more interesting article next time 😛
Wow Vekked…Great Article….I truly Respect,as we all do your skills and opinions…However..I was Surprised how you took the Rob Swift Dissing you laying down….I Understand your approach of basically telling the World that his Time is pretty much over and doesnt wanna let go,or embrace the Future like Jazzy Jeff and Cash Money have,etc…..But Homies Roid Problem has gotten outta Hand…From Basic Human interaction to not understanding what it means when a woman say ‘NO’….Now that you and the whole World is seeing this side of Rob…Perhaps you will Finally believe what I reported what he did to my friends sister 3 yrs ago….and while you’re at it…ask yourself? ‘What did I have to Gain? I Never Blackmailed him..I became thee most hated DJ in just a few months…and I would do it all again….Truth is Trump Jake..We,You and I have had our Tiny Beef’s..Then you wrote me a very Gentleman’s Apology,and we moved on…Did I continue or invent any stories about you?..No…Yet you speak with Elliot Marx,my Pal and Sponsor,and actually still think that I made all that up?….Anyway…the Reason why this is here is because according to Mr.Swift,Unless you Learned on 1200’s,with real Vinyl,you are not a DJ…I was curious how you feel about that statement.-BTW..I Loved Rob Swift before all this…been to more of his shows than you have been to battles…this Broke my heart man..Bottom line is that this Guy is Dangerous…I knew it then…Now,thanks to DV and FB, DJTT’S and Twitter..Homie fell on his own sword…and as happy as that makes me..Keisha will NEVER Forget what he did to her.-So,do you agree with Rob about how if you arent from Queens and started on 1200’s and never used Skratch records you are a better,super,smarter,Ultimate DJ?-Inquiring Minds wanna Know?.Great Work by the Way,,Always love your Videos and Post…
Truly,
Free Agent Rasp Haunt
MSTRMND TRNTBLSM
Keeper of The Flame
true in a sense but i think it’s also good to compare and inform people so they can evaluate a bargain. Like What if you find used super oem’s for a decent price
audio technica lp1240 all day!
agreed
I prefer the Controller One for creating Scratch-Music,
the TTX for Beat-Juggling,
the PDX for Scratching
and the MKII for listening purposes
Word…I hear in Heaven all tablist get a complimentary Controller One if they were True to the Skratch Gods..LOL..Kinda like the Holy Grail of Turntables..Too Bad the World wasnt ready for such a great new technology for Turntablism…
Everybody was being Distracted by 9-11 and Oil Wars,..So we will be kicking ourselves for that until phase 2…any day now I Hope.
Great List BTW-
Free Agent Rasp Haunt
MSTRMND TRNTBLSM
So what you think of the Reloop Rp7000?
Good question, I haven’t actually tried it, I only have the 8000. From what I understand, it’s the same turntable without the midi controls? If so, it should be pretty dope. Like I said, all of these Super OEM turntables are good, but there are so many that almost the only consideration is how cheap you can get them… There are very minimal differences between them. Stanton and Audio Technica seem to have the most features, and the new Mixar ones.
That’s what i hear too and i was wondering the same question. Especially since you essentially pointed out that many might not need them. Me i feel like i’ll hit the midi controls on accident all the time. but when i do buy it’s likely used 1200s again.
I tried the ReLoops with the Buttons…Pretty dope except the Platter was very very Big and Heavier than most..So most Tricks or kuts done with the power off,are to be re-learned due to the weight of the Mothership Platter..lol…Still Like u said,for the Price..Dicers would be cheaper,and also cheaper to replace if the MIDI buttons break…and you wouldn’t have to send it away to get it fixed….Ive been doing this Skratch Thing for 20 plus yrs..Luckily,I have a few PDX 3000’s…A Silver QFO,My Baby,LOL…However..The PDX 2300 MKII Pro,in my opinion,is Trump for Kutting,Platter,weight.etc…all the Perverts have them as well as the Groove of Satyre Guys..TigerStyle,etc…Who Truly seem to be carrying the Torch of Turntable creativity,Even DJ Woody and what He and Only he does with the Controller One..also not Mentioned….Making the PDX 2300 MKII Pro into MIDI would take less than an Hour if one so wanted..anyway,Only the C1,the Silver QFO,and the PDX 2300 MKII Pro have thee best tone Arm ever Created for our Art form…I was Truly Surprised that this was again never mentioned…Anyway..I have seen the Future and MIDI is back,Not just for Cue-points but for C1 type playing as well…Im still Kicking myself I sold mine…But besides it being thee first MIDI deck,and the perfect tone arm…Playing it from a small 25 key keyboard is actually more intuitive and has more range..aka Chords than from the C1 itself..unless you’re Woody..Ricci Rucker Taught me to Angle the C1 so one could use the Thumb easier and without Cramping…Still…sorry,I Took Piano for 12 Yrs..its just isn’t easier…Great Article Again..Just Curious why certain things..important things,were left out….Journalism…Still DJTT’S does great Work.One of Thee Only Sites I visit-Real Talk…Ean Golden,The Actual Future of DJing..not Tablism…DJing…A Master Controllerist and a True Gentleman.
Free Agent Rasp Haunt
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Keeper of the Flame
If anyone in NYC knows how to fix a TTX table – let me know!
Hello,I would send it to Henray Morales….He refurbishes and fixes pretty much all decks…he truly is an Artist-
hope this helps.
Thank you for everything you do for our Culture Mrs Christie Z-Pabon…Truly.
Rasp Haunt
Great article. Still keeping my techs as always but that was a good read.
Superb article. Thank you so much for putting this together Vekked. Very informative and comprehensive.
I don’t mean to be rude, but I do find it weird that you claim that no one should ‘waste their money on new turntables’. And also are pretty pretentious in your reviews, but then admit to using Pioneer turntables at home?
So are you basically saying everyone should follow your advice but yourself? Or did you get the PLX’s for free or??
Yes I got the PLX’s for free. That’s what I’m able to say “I wouldn’t buy them because they’re too expensive” + “I use them”. Like I said they’re still good turntables and I would definitely use them if you get them for free haha.
Why is it weird to say that all new turntables are over-priced at the moment? Should I recommend that new DJs spend $1500+ for new turntables when they can get identical ones for for $500-600 used?
I don’t think there’s anything pretentious about sticking up for DJs over companies that are being kind of exploitive.
With all the new Super OEM tables out there, I’m waiting to see what the build and price on the Denon VL12 is like. If they are still not what I’m looking for I think I’ll hunt down a used pair of Tech1200 MKII and rebuild. Big shout out from the 519.
Fair enough.
I still think saying blanket statements like, NO NEW TURNTABLE IS WORTH BUYING, comes off as pretentious and a bit aarogant.
So in no circumstance ever would anyone ever need or want to buy a new turntable? No reason whatsoever?
I can respect saying something like, you can get just as good value out of a used turntable, as a new turntable. But saying blanket statements like, NO NEW TURNTABLE IS WORTH BUYING is silly. It’s like saying, no new car is worth buying. Or no new CDJ is worth buying. Or no new clothes are worth buying… We could go on and on here.
TLDR, I respect your opinion that you think the value you get for a used TT is greater. Just didn’t like the blanket statements or the pretentious tone of the article.
it did sound pretentious…. he also mentioned “if they hold up” for a few models… If you buy them brand new the manufacturer is more likely to cover the repair/replacement within a warranty period…. there’s plenty of reasons to buy them new, but in terms of sheer value, ya you save more getting them used.
some reasons to buy new:
-ability to return to the store
-manufacturer’s warranty
-tax write off
-personal preference
I’m not against the idea of buying ANY new turntables. I just can’t recommend that anyone buys CURRENT new turntables, because they’re all clones, and they’ve been gradually increasing in price above the ones that are already out with the same features. If you want to support that, then fine, I don’t. I don’t care if it sounds pretentious, I just can’t look someone in the eye and honestly tell them I would buy any turntable out right now, because I would not.
WORD’-
I’ll be honest, i didn’t read it as pretentious.
Most DJ Equipment I hadda return to get fixed either took forever to get customer support,then forever to get them fixed,meanwhile.,I had NOTHING to use while I waited…So thats why its best to get either a Time Tested Model,New or Old…if any doubts..check this site,or ask an OLDER DJ.-Great Point by the way-
Free Agent Rasp Haunt
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“So in no circumstance ever would anyone ever need or want to buy a new turntable? No reason whatsoever?”
This is a direct quote from the article:
If for some reason I had to buy a new turntable, my current favorite turntable is the Stanton Str8-150.
😉
Wow,Strange Kat…especially since Mixers are $999 and up,Homie didn’t mention that…I wish people dissected sentences in books like they do on-line,lol…Bottom line is that the learning curve for DJing is very High…So start on whatever tables you can get..maybe they were 1200’s given to you by someone who tried and quit cuz it was too hard…or maybe they were belt-drives like I did because i grew up in South America mad poor…Then,as you realize whether or not you like it,or are good at it…then up your gear..Mow Lawns,Deliver Pizza’s…unless you have a trust fund or rich parents,Most kids get a Mongoose before they get a GT or a Red Line BMX…Depending if you are gonna stick with it or not…InnoFader has had thee best business plan ever by making a $200 mixer compete with a $2000 one…a Plan like that has yet to exist for Turntables…yet I learned Juggling and Mad Kuts onna Sears Belt Drive Deck..and Crabs onna 4mm cut in Realistic mixer…DJing doesn’t have to be like Golf,or Nascar..yet it is…its up to us to learn whatever we are using so well,that it doesn’t matter…A good DJ can rock a show with gear bought at Best Buy,’If you can Find a Best Buy these days,LOL” ,or at Turntable Lab…its all about having Fun,Knowing what to play,When to Play it,Reading the Crowd..and Keeping your head down and doing your OWN THING…So that one day,Kats will be Copying You…instead of being caught in the coat-tails of A-List DJ’s ‘Who BTW Obviously get most of their gear for free’,lol….which in my opinion they have Earned since sacrificing Life and love and Social connections to just Practice,Practice,Practice..all you real Tablist know what I Mean…One last thing to remember though..Great gear does’nt make you a great DJ…I see kids with $15000 set ups that not only cant rock a room…but do not even know how to use have of the gear..Yo Vekked..I didn’t hear fuck all in any Pretentiousness… Its just who you are Now,and what you have Become..a World Champ…So They just wanna knock you down so they can feel smart themselves..Smarter than a World Champ even…Anyway…Stay the Same Kid…I’d be the First to call you Out- You already know that,LOL…
Free Agent Rasp Haunt
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Keeper of the Flame
Truth hurts, thanks for being so honest, haven’t read anything that real for ages…if anything. I’ll kept my 1210’s and build a DVS/vinyl system with them, I need something spinning (real as well) now after all of those platters that are there but they don’t turn… That feels quite sad these days to me 🙂
this is one of the releast techtool articles ever posted
Awesome article! Very helpful for DJ community to have words of wisdom from a DMC champ. I would like to hear thoughts about comparing Stanton ST150 with Audio Technica ATLP 1240 USB. Seems to be the same Super OEM Hanpin model but more features for about half the price.
I haven’t personally tried the ATLP 1240 but I have heard good things about it so that’s why I mentioned Audio Technica as an option in my article. I’m sure that it’s a great turntable and if you can get it for cheap it’ll be worth it.
Looking around here it’s the same price as the Stanton new (both around $650 CAD) but like I mentioned I really prefer the straight arm, which the AT-LP1240 doesn’t have, so I still recommend the Str8-150 by default. On paper they look to have the same features as the Stanton I think, does it have any that the Stanton doesn’t have?
Tecnica has an usb audio output instead the spdif and….a 45 puck!!
Everything else is the same
Nice article, thanks Vekked 🙂
I bought a pair of Numark TTX’s about 3 years ago used from a pawn shop. After having used 1200’s only prior to that I can say that I honestly like the Numark’s better. The ability to have the pitch fader in an up and down position when in battle style is awesome. It almost makes me feel like I’m using a CDJ.
yup! if your Numarks hold up, they’re great decks. If they have lasted 3 years you beat most of the issues that will happen with them I think 🙂
WORD THAT’….People and their Nostalgia….if it isn’t this or that its Shit or Vomit….I too had the Numark tt200’s cuz thats all I could afford after a divorce….Made 2 Albums with those decks and they still work…Great Point Ken.Truly the essence of the article…Props-
Free Agent Rasp Haunt
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If I would be able to find a second hand SL-1200 anywhere in my country (Finland) for 250€ I would buy it faster than you can blink. People are routinely asking 400-500€ for 1200s that look like they’ve been through a war. I managed to purchase a fairly good condition M3D for 375€ which felt like a steal.
Yea for sure, used prices are definitely regional, that’s why I included some other options, because different turntables are a lot more common or less common depending where you are in the world
Same in the netherlands 🙁
I’d be interested to know his thoughts on the new Denon tt’s – I’m sure they’re not available just yet but he seems ot have given an honest opinion here and the Denon claims their new tt is not a Hanpin – so how does it stack up?
I’m pretty sure his reply would be the same as his opinion in the article suggests. “Don’t buy a brand NEW turntable,” that includes the Denon one that hasn’t even been released yet. Unless it’s under $3-400 per deck(highly unlikely) then it would probably be a good buy. But for the most part, you can find perfectly functioning turntables in the used market.
I’m interested in them as well. I haven’t heard of any unique features on them yet, and the prices I’ve heard floating around aren’t that appealing, so my hopes are super high.
BUT it’s nice to at least have a non-Super OEM option, because sometimes turntables just *feel* different and it’s nice to have turntables that perform slightly different even with the same features. The Super OEM craze has killed that, because even with the minor differences all the insides are the same so they feel/perform virtually identical.
word,
People dont even realize that Hanpin and YAHORNG make almost all the decks out today…A Great Point that was forgot to also be mentioned..thats like Coke and Pepsi Making ALL Soft-Drinks and Suddenly,Beer…The Only reason I personally wouldn’t recommend the new Denons / Mixars ,etc or any New Deck is only because,being so new…they haven’t been Time Tested….So far,all we know is that 1200’s last like Cockroaches…Mine are from 1972…had them re-wired with monster cables…and they still work…however,all this new crazy Star Trek DJ shit that exists..we have yet to know,I mean,REALLY Know..’.Yet,..if it will Last..”in My Best Captain Kirk Voice,LOL’….even the new Pioneer Mixer,the DJSM 9,had 26 people break the cross fader stem clean off the first day…The Red Bull Demo showing all the top kats using it had 50 of thee Worlds best working it,so of course they arent heavy handed…but just like that,out the box,it had a 3mm cut in,which I was blown away by..since the fader was supposed to be the Illest ever…but then they sent some Firmware and fixed it..But the example is simply this…Without mad use,Packing,Unpacking,Vibrations and Time…How can one Truly recommend anything Unless its been around for a good minute?…..unless…..UNLESS…..Ahhh,…UNLESS Because they Paid you to say it…well..Vekked has kept it pretty 21 and stuck to his guns this whole article..and Im beyond sure ANY Company would pay Vekked whatever amount just to say he uses their fucking Chap-Stick…yet he Doesnt say anything,but what you see him use..and is Kind and generous enough,to even explain why…
Back in my day DJ’s didnt tell each other shit and covered their labels and you hadda know super secret Masonic Handshakes to even get the Name of the Needles…Its Sites like this…Kats like Vekked…that do not feel treated that you may or may not become better than them one day if they tell you..in fact..they would love it if you one day did…Imagine a World like that…Ok?…Now Open your Eyes,cuz its here.Secrets are for the Few Homosexuals that still live in the South..Nobody with any kind of intellect has to Lie anymore…Please…its 2016-
Free Agent Rasp Haunt
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Props to the champ, Vekked for writing this & also for speaking up his mind about Super OEMs. It was about time somebody spoke some common sense.
This. It is just sad how little these revamped models have offer for their inflated prices.
Great read, solid opinions from an expert in the field. A classic article, more of that please.
thanks guys! I had to speak on it because it has to be super confusing for a DJ going to buy their first set of turntables right now, and there seems like a lot of brand loyalty and marketing happening at the moment that I don’t really like
I could only hope more people spoke their minds, like you did on this article. Although, I do foresee those PLXs to disappear from your room asap, lol!
Thank you.This write up helped a lot. I’ve got a long way to go before I can even consider buying a pair. But it’s helped clear through all the bull and told be to be frugal with my wallet, which helps seeing as how I’m as broke as a first gen 360.
Hey man..
If you are serious about truly doing this…all you need to get started is one deck…one Mixer..one needle,and an I-Pod or CD’s whatever..a couple thrift store records..and a boombox with a line out..you dont need M-Audio monitors and a Hover-Board and a Mouth full of Gold to get started…over half the shit is already in your parents or grandparents house…..All im saying is Start with the One and the Mixer,no matter what it is..just get it…if You are as serious as you sound to be…you will kick down whatever door you gotta kick down to start…later,as you progress and save,upgrade,etc.
Name chasing and I gotta have this or that dont mean Fuck all if you Practiced enough and you actually know what youre doing….Good Luck Yo’,,,and this shit is Hard to learn yo’,thats why so many kats give up.or play wack shit for big money…cuz Nobody would play that fuck-shit for Free,Hence why David Guetta has his own Bentley and im inna wheelchair,seriously…so stick with it,and NEVER GIVE UP-..Practicing is actually the funnest part…in the zone,your Time.
Free Agent Rasp Haunt
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great guide! very interesting, always wondered if these new TTs were just hype
Lol, hyped is an understatement. Other than the Reloop there hasn’t been much change with the newer turntables.
Ummm,- Not True Acts_One….arent we Kinda Splitting hairs here Gentlemen?,
Mixers are even more expensive and people arent complaining about that at all.Plus,Hello? the Denon DNS 3700 and 3900 cost the same as 95% of the new decks and are mad fresh with usb’s that you can put a memory stick in and have your entire collection on.Fully MIDI,Moving Platters..,pretty much a computer inside a turntable…built in effects…watch the Ken-One Demo on YouTube with the DNS 3700,or DJ Switch doing the demo for the 3900,also JFB….these are some of thee best Tablist in the World…No more needles to buy,I have the 3700,and you dont even need DVS really cuz it does almost 75% of all the same things,computer free..Loop Grab,cue-points,effects,one can even be played as if it were 2…etc…Controllers with no Spinning Platters are IMO wack,but thats a personal thing because i skratch,the NS7? ,Shit,Its got everything,Mixer,Sample Pads,and now even built in screens…all for the Price of a complete set up,one of the cheaper set ups at that..,without having to buy needles or records…so Yeah,its cool to hear from an analog tablist and 5 time champion on what he uses or recommends…but lots of cool new shit has dropped and its been tested by the industries best,and holds its own…I still like my records,my needles,etc…but I think Mixers are ridiculously priced,most all do the same thing…question is? do i want Buttons on my mixer to control the software?,or a modular component right next to my all analog mixer to control the software?…or do I even want to use software?…I build frettless faders,a device first introduced by John Beez almost 9 yrs ago…John Never sold any to anybody…so I spent 3 months on-line learning about MIDI and Arduino Technology…This allows DJ’s to play actual notes,like the C1 with super powers…it is a limited edition device..Hand-Made by Tablist,for Tablist…and People dont wanna pay what a RANE 62 cost?…yet it does what no mixer does…here is a Picture,-Bottom line is…I see Turntables becoming more like the new denon controllers with the moving platters…and this whole ‘Portable Trend’, will Never be taken seriously…unless you are a Competing DJ,and have to Practice all the time..its pretty lame and pointless..we used to keep old broken faders in our pockets to practice our clicks in school.My Point is,There has been a lot of new changes as far as turntables…I think the Future will be more like those Denon DNS 3700 or 3900’s then the old ones…believe me,I want them to stay as closed to a Victrola as possible….just to show that we are playing a non-instrument…but Technology is again,getting more and more like Star Trek,and Eventually,yes,DJing will look like a scene from Minority Report,and all DJ’s will look like Tom Cruise…Not me Though…Not Ever-
Just thought you should check out those new moving Platter CDJ’s…You Might actually Like what you touch-Mad Respect to you and all DJ’-
Free Agent Rasp Haunt
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