Completely new to turntable and DJing... help me out.

Hello everyone. I'm a longtime poster at the effects forum, and that's where I spend most of my time, I build effects and make weird noises with my guitar, but I've been wanting to expand into turntables and that sort of thing and I wanted some advice. From what I've read, the Technics 1200 is sort of the "standard" turntable out there... is that safe to say? What else would I need to get started, provided I have an amplifier and all? Are there any techniques for scratching, and is the 1200 good for that?

Thanks everyone.

-Colin

Yes, it's very safe to say that 1200's are the standard. There are others to consider, espeically if you want to scratch, but you can't go wrong with techs.

Besides the turntables, you need a mixer, headphones, needles, an amp & speakers, and of course a metric {censored}load of records. When you say you've already got an amp, are you talking about a guitar amp, or something like you would use with a home stereo? I don't think I'd want to try to spin through a guitar amp, but I guess it could work depending on what you're trying to do...

There are tons of established techniques for scratching, but there are really no rules so don't feel like you're ever doing something wrong. There are tons of good web pages with guidelines & stuff, but of course I can't remember any of them now.

There is so much gear out there it's pretty hard to narrow it all down unless you have a good idea of what you want to be able to do and what you're willing to pay for.

When I said I have an amp, I mean I can build it OK if what I already have doesn't work... same goes for the mixer, although I already do have a decentone that will do. I want to be able to play records all right and perhaps try my hand at scratching and pretty involved DJ work, IE playing beats on one turntable and scratching on the other, etc. So is the 1200 not enough per se?

-Colin

The 1200 is totally enough for what you're talking about. It's just worth mentioning that there are other turntables that come highly acclaimed as well, especially for the scratch dj. (Numark TTX, Vestax PDX, etc...) The 1200 is very simple and performs its somewhat limited capabilities better than anything else has been proven to do if you ask me. Other turntables might have more features or better specs though, so it's a question of what you need.

What is the mixer you planning on using?

I bet you could probably do some pretty cool crossover type stuff with a big bizarre effects rig and a nice scratch setup.

Just in case the mixer thing hasn't been solved, what style of music would you be playing?

Rap / Hip Hop / Scratch DJ's usually go for the vestax PCM range (faders are nice and loose for scratching), whereas trance / house jocks for go something a bit more sophistical since they do their harmonizing in terms of notes and not scratces, so the Pioneer DJM-600 would be the ultimate thing for house / trance.

I use the 1210 M5G's with a DJM-600, and there's very little that can't be done with just those for a nice set in the trance world.

If you're not willing to spend the money on vinyl in the long term, look into CD decks since they will anable you to use some of music you already have on your PC or something without having to buy expensive vinyl.

About the mixer issue, you probably already know this, but if you want to scratch, anything but a purpose built scratch mixer won't get the job done. Nothing else will stand up to the abuse, has the features you need, or will get you the sound you want.

Just in case you were thinking about using something else...

Other popular scratch mixers are the Rane TTM series, Empath, Allen & Heath Xone 02, and Ecler makes a couple good ones. All expensive, but you get what you pay for.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say that the DJM-600 is the top of the food chain for the house & trance crowd. It's a great mixer and very widely used, but I think there are better. Lots of people who mix that type of music like their technology pure and simple as opposed to the mixers that boast a lot of features. The problem is that most mixers that pack a bunch of bells and whisltes in usually do it at the expense of sound and build quality.

If I had the means and were starting a system from scratch I think I'd get a Bozak or an A&H Xone 92.

LET'Z PUT IT THIS WAY: (in my opinion...)

if you get anything else besides a TECH1200, it'll take you ALOT longer to learn the turntable.

TRUST ME,...I've seen a huge difference when I've originally always had 1200s and then tried to use some other brand at some party.

HUUUGGE DIFFERENCE!

The platter (where the records sits and spins) is STURDY as hell on a Tech1200 whereas you can barely touch the platter on the other brands and it slows down tremendously, making SCRATHCING almost IMPOSSIBLE and BLENDING a pian-in the-ass!!!

hope that helpz!

OVERALL, you'll learn ALOT quicker on a Tech turntable.

i disagree, all you need is a quality direct drive turntable with high torque. I actually prefer my Vestax PDX-2000s to the various 1200's I've used. That said, 1200's are great too. Anything belt drive or on the lower end of the price scale is not going perform as well as the 1200s, PDX's, etc, and without the high torque (so the record starts at the right speed as soon as you take your hand off of it) it will in fact take you a while longer to learn. Another thing, even though i prefer Vestax, if you're going to be lugging your turntables around to gigs eventually, the 1200's are durable as hell.

Funkatron;

YES, with that said. That is TRUE! SOme of the models that they're popping out with NOWADAYZ are actually becoming ALOT better than what they use to.

But I've personally never tried some of the latest models. So I can't say anything on tha part I guess I'm just trying to play it safe and stick to my TECHNICS-1200's.

Afterall, when you go out and play at the clubs/venues, most have Technics on-hand, which would be a drawback if you're use to using a different piece of equipment at home.

I agree man. I actually have a set of Technics on my list of gear for eventually. I record too though, so there are quite a few things more important at the moment. I really like the PDX's a lot more, plus the ultra pitch is setting comes in handy especially for more experimental turntablism as opposed to more rap based stuff. BUT, the bodies are made of plastic, so if ever finally get my whole live idea down i've been planning, i can see those getting broken easy. The 1200's are solid as hell and made for that. Plus, If I ever saw a dj battle or something close enough to me, i'd be all about giving it a shot, but you can bet they'd have 1200's and its not i could be hey do you mind if I set up my vestax's and my own mixer (which a lot my little tricks relay on having my own gear). So i'd like to have some technics too. for somebody that isn't touring, like if somebody just wanted them for a home studio or something, i think you'd be fine with any of the brands as long as it has the specs.

I'm just starting out and I'm somewhat on a budget. I'm thinking about getting 2 Numark Portable Turntables and a Stanton SMX201 2 Channel Mixer. My other thought was getting the Gemini MixMaster 5.0 package.

I'm eventually get a Zoom RT 223 Drum And Bass Rhythm Machine and maybe a microKorg synth/vocoder.

I plan on doing Euro, Rave, Techno and beat making for this guy who raps at my school.

NOOOOOOOOOOO. sike,!... just kidding do as you wish.

my experience, you'll be able to handle and control the record ALOT more easier on a Technic. I can't scratch or juggle worht of sh&* on a Numark. Also, using a Technic will also make you learn the turntable 3x faster.