Ok, I used to spin on vestax way back in the early 2000's. I had a pioneer mixer and everything. Used to spin on vinyl. Back in 2009 all my gear was stolen and I haven't even touched a dj turntable since then

Before they were stolen, I had actually lost a lot of interest in mixing. I just found it boring and too easy, so really, the only use I had for them was for incorporating scratching into my productions *which you can hear an example of in this track:




Now, I want to eventually mix again for fun but PRIMARILY scratch. My big question is, are there any digital turntables even worth scratching with or should I stick with analogue? I still have a bunch of scratch records sitting in storage so that won't be a problem if I end up picking up a vestax or tech1200.

Also, what would you consider the best turntable for your buck? I don't want to spend any more than 500$ on one and maybe $300 on a 2 channel mixer.

Any ideas?

 

Q-Bert and Craze still use analogue. I've used the new Stanton and Vestax decks in the club and still think the 1210's are the best. Technics are supposedly starting them up again, but u can't go wrong with a serviced 2nd hand pair

 

Ya, I figured that would be the best investment.

 

I was a part of the petition which provoked Technics to put the 1200s back into production. We had nearly 30k signers. There will be a limited edition model based on the SL1210 later this year model SL1200G/GAE. Price is fucking insane $4k. HOWEVER!!! Word is there will be a non limited edition model with a much more affordable price tag released later on in the year. The design looks amazing. Newly engineered motor with better torque, finer mechanical precision. the works, stuff you'd expect from Technics. Here's a link to the Facebook page documenting all of the updates, public exhibitions & whatnots https://www.facebook.com/TechnicsPetition/?fref=ts ... And here's the product page for the upcoming Techs http://www.technics.com/us/introduction/hifi-direct-drive-turntable-system-sl-1200gae/

 

http://www.thevinylfactory.com/viny...bles-that-prove-there-is-life-after-technics/

Personally I use Technics 1210's but think I could live with any of the others on that list.

Mixer I use for scratching is a DJ Tech dif-1s which is dirt cheap and has an excellent mini innofader built in. Mine was version one which developed a bleed issue pretty quickly but I've just replaced it with v2 and it feels better than when I got the mixer new. I would highly recommend the mixer as the cut in is unbelievable for scratching and far, far cheaper option than a Traktor Z2 or Rane option. Its also built like a tank.

I use Tracktor software with Audio 6 I believe, very happy with it but I also like the look an fell of Serato just never used with a turntable though.

I've used digital decks (Denon) and they are good but dont compare to vinyl but are good for general practice to save you wearing out your decks and vinyl. Might want to look at getting the old M-audio torq on the cheap with vinyl as that is also excellent but no longer supported but cheap on ebay. It works just as well as Traktor imo.

Long term I dont know how long those innofaders last but they are affordable and I've used nothing else compareable at that price point. You can do all the latest scratches (with practice) on them. Personally I'm getting back into hiphop scratching for fun from being very old skool scratch DJ in the 80s and have got back to my previous level no problem and learnt at least half the new tricks even without regular practice. Still addictive as ever!

Good luck.

 

For scratching I don't think you can beat the Technics and they hold value ridiculously well. Second hand pairs still go for what I paid for mine in 1998! Hook that up with Serato or Traktor and you're good to go. Best of both worlds.

If you've not had a dabble with some dj software and a decent controller though, maybe demo that before you pay out all that money for something you got bored of before. I came up with Vinyl, and was scratching with serrate but got a traktor s4 for smaller gigs at places that didn't have turntables. It frustrated me because the platters are shit for scratching, same as I never got on with CDJ's for scratching, you can do a few zigga-ziggas but nothing else. But then i realised that there were so many other things I could do with that set up that i couldn't do with vinyl. I'm not really play out much these days but if i did i think my set up would be an s2 like control but without the platters...& 1 turntable for scratching.

 

Dj Yoda setup

 

What do you see as a "digital turntable"?

 

Something like this:

@ T-double-U: you should be able to pick up a second hand Technics 1200 under $500. The new models are so expensive because their (deservedly so) cult status.

 

If i had to start from scratch get rid of my Custom Black/White Technics w/M44-7h (Pair) & Rane Sixty-Two Mixer
i also have a Rodec Scratchbox

1st Choice would be Reloop RP-7000 Silver (Pair) Shure M44-7 (Pair) + Mixars Duo Serato DJ Mixer - $2350 (for everything)
2nd Used Technics + Rodec Scratchbox + Pair Shure M44-7's $2500-3000 (for everything) make sure the used TT's are clean, cables are good grounds etc.

$1000-$2000 for the Mixer:
Mixars Duo Serato DJ Mixer
Rodec Scratchbox
Rane TTM-56S
Rane Sixty-One
Rane Sixty Two (the rodec and the rane both sound better than vestax)
$150-$180 for the M44-7's industry standard cartridges (Pair)
Reloop RP-7000 Silver $1200 (Pair)

if you want to use Serato
Rane Sixty-Two
Rane Sixty-One
or the NEW Mixtars Duo Serato DJ Mixer (Coming Soon for $999 looks dope) at a grand less than the Rane Sixty-Two it's hard to beat with many of the same features innofader sounds good)
Rane TM-56S - $850
Rodec Scratchbox for $899 and you can pick up an Rane Serato SL-3 for $699 or SL-2 for $499

Either way plan on $1000 for a Decent Mixer
Reloop Turntables are Decent if you had Technics you'll feel at home on the 7000's the silver ones even look a little like the 1200's i've used Technics for almost 20 years since i was 13 with my 1st pair i growing up in the projects South Bronx (i still live in in BX but things have changed i had a job after school i paid $1000 for a Pair of 1200's and $300 for a Mixer - $1300 Total including the baby blue Shure carts ... like i said times have changed but technics became the industry standard for a reason now you can barely buy a good mixer for $1300 the cost of my whole set up back then after that i bought new ones had em' customized i still use vinyl i'll always use real vinyl but serato allows you to do things in the studio (like taking cuts from the song youre recording + scratching your own stuff that back in the day you'd need dub plates for
and if you have clean enough files it's cool to mess with. If you want Brand New Technics ... 3 Grand each if you can find a good source

an old school rig now would be around 4-5 grand Depending on the Mixer

so like i said i'd go with the Reloop RP-7000 Silver (Pair) + Shure M44-7 - (Pair) + Mixars Duo Serato DJ Mixer for around $2500 - on a budget that's the way i'd go. eBay is a crap shoot but they have some solid custom sellers and a few reliable used gear sellers so it's possible to rebuild for $1600 but serato is nice when it first came out i was like hell no even a few years after ... now it's a studio tool you need if you add cuts to beats, also
Pioneer DJ DJM-S9 $1700 + Pioneer DJ PLX-1000 $1400 (Pair) + Shure M44-7's - $3250
or Limited Edition Gold Rig $3400 + $150 for M44-7's for Limited Edition Gold Rig with Carts Slipmats etc. - $3600
you could get just the Turntables for $1400 and find a decent Used Mixer I know a DJ who has a Pair he likes them a lot. you might find a whole rig for $1600 if you know where to look, but i would say a pair of Turntables a decent mixer & carts for less than $1600 is almost impossible

i said decent by the way not a rusty busted gemini mixer and some funky broken Technics


sounds like your Max budget is $1300 exactly what i bought my 1st rig for 20 years ago can't be done even used. but add 300 to that and yes you may.



Good Luck - Mayzio

 

Last edited: Mar 18, 2016

Numark X5 for $350 New they sound good the faders are dope for $350 it's good to good and you can add a Rane Serato box later -

Reloop sells mixers also


check out
planetdj
turntable Lab
djdeals.com
eBay
one of these places has what you're looking for at the right price

P: Mayzio

 

Last edited: Mar 18, 2016

The thing is - cheap players and mixers will only frustrate you. Save up, get a pair of 1210s and a pioneer djm 600 (or better) or an allen&heath xone mixer.

 

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all this crazy tech stuff. 1200 m3ds. vestax pmc05 or 07. dusted fader.

 

I dj'ed back in the 90 and early 2ks, even ran an online record shop for some time before the mp3 craze hit. My set up back then was similar to yours.. two Technics MK2's and a small pioneer mixer.

It wasnt until the pandemic hit that I decided to get back into djing. I do it more for fun than anything else but when I started doing my research I quickly began to realize just how fucking expensive dj gear has gotten. Its even worse than a synth addiction

I knew I didnt want to have to continue throwing money at this buying records, especially since I sold all of my records years ago, so I decided to buy a Rane Twelve MK2 and Rane Seventy:




Here are my reasons why I chose this set up. While this mixer and digital turntable are by no means cheap, they mitigate the need to buy anything else if you just want a solid dj set up. You don't need records, you don't need needles, you don't even need a second turntable (unless maybe youre doing trick scratching). I don't scratch and I use mine simply to mix tunes but you can run up to 4 separate virtual decks just off that one deck.

The build quality is phenomenal and everything is very stable. Everything works with Serato perfectly and is essentially the same exact workflow I used when I dj'ed with analog gear. It feels like what dj'ing to me is supposed to feel like. I grew up dj'ng on turntables and this feels the same, with the exception that I don't have to worry about needle skips, ground loop hum, or dragging a bunch of record crates around. I just load up my mp3s and start mixing. Plus the ability to organize your entire library in Serato is awesome.

There is a smaller all in one set up called Rane One that is less expensive as well which has great reviews and is essentially a more compact version of the Seventy/Twelve set up:




Personally Im very happy with my set up and at some point I'll buy an additional Twelve once I have the money and space for it but for right now Im very pleased with my decision.

Hope that helps

 

Had my 1200's since 1989 and they still work, The best. I now use Phase controllers with a Rane 72 MK2 mixer, Really easy dope setup.

A nice chuck of change if you are buying all new at same time. The Stem tech is cool but not perfected yet on the Rane mixer, but future updates will improve quality if they use the UVR settings.

 

that question interests me too I also old school I have a ROLAND mixer DJ1000 I think at Thomann there s the American Audio TTD 2400 USB MKII I didnt see many comments Oh I have an Old Akai from thr 70s /80s I will go get the ref But I wanted a Pair of similar turntables
what dyo think ? I m no DJ Im former singer and want To experiment
edit I dont want no controllers want to play real vinyls ;))

 

REAL DJs DO IT WITH 12 INCHES

If you are old school, and want to play real vinyls my advice is to go and get what old school Djs use. Get a pair of Technics 1200 mkii or 1200mkv if you dont want to deal with the pitch reset. They are expensive. Be ready to pay over $2000 for a decent pair. Other manufacturers have copied the Techs 1200 so do some research if you want to save some $$. Good sounding cartridges will cost anywhere from $300-$600 a pair. Now to the mixer. It comes down to whether you want faders or rotary knobs, and the music you plan to play. In the 70's and 80s two mixers ruled the discos. The Bozak and the UREI 1620. Both are rotaty mixers costing today $3000-$6000. Later in the 90's, the Rane 2016 came along offering both rotary knobs, and a fader if you purchased the XP2016 expander. You can find a decent MP2016 + the XP2016 for $2500-3000. Sound-wise the Rane does not come close to the UREi, and it is light years away from the sound of a Bozak specially if you are going to be playing old 70s and 80s disco. The Rane will sound "decent" with newer tracks.
As you can see, going old school is very expensive. And, that is without factoring in the cost of vinyl. Vinyl is not cheap.
Good luck

Edit: I forgot the tone isolator. Be ready to pay anywhere form $600- $1000+

 

Last edited: Aug 12, 2023