All about Turntables!

speedfreak01 · 29th October 2007, 22:22

Hey there..need a help from you guys.Although I know that 95% of the people over here wont be even knowing what a turntable is.Actually its a thing on which a dj lays down his magic on the gigs and events or on which he spins n scratches.Okay,so basically im in 12th std presently and next year I wanna go in professional djing after my 12th.So I thought I should buy a turntable before that..so that I get to know little about the whole djing thing.Okay,so the dj's over here(if any)pleeeeassssseeeeee help me.Well,according to my knowledge I think that a beginner should go in for pioneer cdj 1000.So,I would like to know the price of all the dj equipment for beginner and where can I get them from in Delhi & NCR

Rehaan · 30th October 2007, 00:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak01

Although I know that 95% of the people over here wont be even knowing what a turntable is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak01

I think that a beginner should go in for pioneer cdj 1000.

Are you one of those 95% ?

Are you looking to buy an actual turntable (ie for vinyl) or do you want a more modern approach (as you mentioned CDJs - which play cds) or do you want something in between (ie virtual vinyl etc - reads timecodes off vinyl and plays mp3s accordingly off the comp)

cya
R

dadu · 30th October 2007, 10:31

Go to lajpat rai market and scout the narrow lanes for the equipment you need, you wont find it cheaper anywhere.

Its opposite to Red fort, chandni chowk (starts from the right, if you face the Chandni Chowk main road).

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak01

pleeeeassssseeeeee help me.Well,according to my knowledge I think that a beginner should go in for pioneer cdj 1000.So,I would like to know the price of all the dj equipment for beginner and where can I get them from in Delhi & NCR

shuvd · 30th October 2007, 10:42

If you are looking for a feel of the good old vinyl but most of your tunes are in mp3/cd format, go for something like the Final Scratch.
:: Stanton ::

Or the Denon 5000 series are pretty good and reliable.

IMHO for a beginner, a simple pair of CD Decks and a 2 channel mixer is the best option.
:: Stanton ::

low_bass_makker · 30th October 2007, 10:50

I have this console which might be of some use to you.

DJ console

If you are interested PM me.

iraghava · 30th October 2007, 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by low_bass_makker

I have this console which might be of some use to you.

DJ console

If you are interested PM me.

Abey saala!! LBM you were a DJ???

The Matrix · 30th October 2007, 11:43

I'd suggest you to start learning on a software called virtual Dj. that pretty much helps you learn the tricks. you can download a demo version and play around without using auto bpm and auto mix facilities. Look at traktor also, that's another good software like Virtual

Sam Kapasi · 30th October 2007, 11:48

Hmmm...

If you are looking for a turntable, no matter what you look for, nothing will touch the classic Technics 1200 series.

There are many, like that classic 1200 mk1,2,3 etc and even the new Grandmaster. Of course the newer (relatively) 1210 and even 1220 will be perfect.
There are newer turntables like the Vestax stubby arm and even Stanton.

Using a belt-drive like the cheap gemini is a strict no no. You will never learn anything. Go for a direct drive or not at all.

Of course using a turntable is not easy. Once you get past the novelty of the scratch - something very hard to do right - you will realise that the feel of the perfect groove and beat is more with a turntable, plus the sheer pleasure of being able to physically touch your music makes you feel more like a musician than a DJ.

Choosing a good scratch mixer is also important if using a turntable. Prefer to go in for a mixer that has an Alps Premium (not the usual alps) or (best of all) a Penny+Giles crossfader.
You can also choose competition class slim mixers (slim is preferred for turntable tricks, allowing you to place both decks closer to each other) with kill switches, allowing you to flick a switch and turn wither the mids, highs or lows off.

It is impractical to get music though. Vinyls are impossible to come by in this country and you will for sure need friends in Europe/UK/Singapore to send you the latest cuts. The question of downloading is completely out.

And in this age of Hindi Pop and modern music, vinyls will be completely out of the question. Unless you buy a Vestax vinyl cutter. Exxxxxxpensive hobby.

What I would recommend is a CD turntable, allowing you both the feel you need and the easy access to music (both to buy and download)
If you need Denon DJ in India, you would, well - call my company. Shrug.

Cheers and don't hesitate to ask any questions with regards to DJing etc.

Sam Kapasi · 30th October 2007, 11:50

I forgot - do a search for the DN-HD2500. This is a hard disk based DJ console. A twin DJ unit with a built in 40 Gig HDD. Also has USB input to connect an external HDD.

It might be what you need.

Bass&Trouble · 30th October 2007, 13:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Are you one of those 95% ?

I think he sure is. He wants a turntable and thinks that the CDJ 1000 is a good one for beginners.

speedfreak01: Turntable refers to a LP player. The CDJ 1000 is a virtual turntable in that it accepts a cd but has a platter which can be braked, accelerated, scratched etc and the player will simulate the effect that all the actions would have on a record playing on the turntable. Like Sam mentions, vinyls are hard to come by. Plus, all clubs are not equipped with turntables. Vinyls are not the easiest to maintain. And lastly, you better be a very well built bloke, cos if you plan to lug around a vast variety of music you'll be carrying huge bagloads.

99% of all DJs in India use only cds, and the balance 1% use cds 99% of the time.

I would recommend that you go in for a basic cd player and a mixer, even a used one until you are comfortable. Some kids invest in the most expensive setups and then lose interest in the hobby after a little while. You could wait a while and then buy the top of the line machines. Also, after a certain amount of time, if you do start playing well and start playing at clubs etc, your own setup is hardly of any use.

speedfreak01 · 30th October 2007, 21:28

Hey thanks to everyone who replied.Okay and now I know that I knew very little about the whole turntable thingy.Okay so im basically looking for a cd mixer and not the vinyl one's because all of my music is in mp3 formatt.Well last night I spoke to DJ Jitesh(the winner of the War of the Dj's 2007)and he told me that I should go in for the training classes first and then later on think about buying any equipment.Okay so now I also wanna know that should I go in for the classes or should I learn the whole thing on my own?

Well I'm now thinking of buying a used one because I think the new one's are really veryy expensive to buy.
@LBM, please can you post a pic of your console over here because your link is asking for a password and id.
@Matrix, I have tried virtual dj and many other mixing softwares.I actually wanna learn mixing on a turntable and not with the help of any computer softwares.Though,I use many other softwares like Acoustica n Ableton 5.0 for making remixes or for editing music for my school functions and all.But still I would prefer hardware's for learning rather than softwares.
@Sam, can you please tell me the approx price of a denon turntable for beginners.Also that DN-HD2500 sounds interesting,is it good for beginners?And also are denon's better then pioneer's?
@B&T, even im now thinking of buying a used cd turntable which would fit in my budget and also help me in learning the thing.

Also I would like to know that does a club provide you with the equipment or do we have to take our own equipment and go spin.Also could you guys tell me the price difference between a new cd turntable and a used one.And once again thanks to all those who replied...

speedfreak01 · 30th October 2007, 21:37

Also I would like to know that can we use the same turntable to spin as well as scratch or do we need two different turntables for that.I know that I should learn to spin first and then learn other advanced techniques but still just wanted to know.

Bass&Trouble · 31st October 2007, 12:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak01

DJ Jitesh(the winner of the War of the Dj's 2007)and he told me that I should go in for the training classes first and then later on think about buying any equipment.Okay so now I also wanna know that should I go in for the classes or should I learn the whole thing on my own?

I started off by playing on Mixvibes Pro 4 to get the basics right until I started playing at clubs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak01

@LBM, please can you post a pic of your console over here because your link is asking for a password and id.

I think LBM's console is a controller for a software DJing program. The cheapest way to get a feel of a real console without buying the whole deal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak01

@Matrix, I have tried virtual dj and many other mixing softwares.I actually wanna learn mixing on a turntable and not with the help of any computer softwares.Though,I use many other softwares like Acoustica n Ableton 5.0 for making remixes or for editing music for my school functions and all.But still I would prefer hardware's for learning rather than softwares.

The way things are going, I think PC DJ-ing programs with hardware controllers are going to pretty much be the future. The flexibility is just crazy. New gear is supposed to come very close to the real thing, and the convenience is just incomparable. You dont need to carry a single cd. You can find tracks just by typing in the first few alphabets of the song/ artist you are looking for. It can cue automatically. Tons of other such stuff that can make life simpler and let the DJ just focus on the music. I am really surprised that on the club circuit this isn't already a rage. Just imagine, someone comes to you and asks you for a song that you don't have or not carrying and you immediately download it and play it next!

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak01

And also are denon's better then pioneer's?

Debatable. I have no problem playing with both. I used to hate the older Denons which had a tray based CD loading. The new ones have slots.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak01

@B&T, even im now thinking of buying a used cd turntable which would fit in my budget and also help me in learning the thing.

The Pioneer CDJ 1000 has become like the industry standard. I have personally found the Denon 3000s and 5000s a little unreliable. The newer ones must be better though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedfreak01

Also I would like to know that does a club provide you with the equipment or do we have to take our own equipment and go spin.

All the big DJs would get equipment of their preference at the club if it isn't the default. If you are comfortable using what already exists, there is no need to carry your own.

sk456 · 31st October 2007, 13:17

AAH the LP record.. nuthign beats a vinyl.. Unfortunately market economics have given way to CD's...
A well pressed record ( for those who do not know the lingo..a record is what plays on a turntable ) can beat the livign daylightrs out of any CD in terms of SQ.
And yes the Technics 1200 series with a Shure or Grado cartridge was king.

Bass&Trouble · 31st October 2007, 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk456

AAH the LP record.. nuthign beats a vinyl.. Unfortunately market economics have given way to CD's...
A well pressed record can beat the livign daylightrs out of any CD in terms of SQ.

You're just being nostalgic or you really mean all those things?

29th October 2007, 22:22	#1
speedfreak01 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: gurgaon Posts: 198 Thanked: 442 Times	All about Turntables! Hey there..need a help from you guys.Although I know that 95% of the people over here wont be even knowing what a turntable is.Actually its a thing on which a dj lays down his magic on the gigs and events or on which he spins n scratches.Okay,so basically im in 12th std presently and next year I wanna go in professional djing after my 12th.So I thought I should buy a turntable before that..so that I get to know little about the whole djing thing.Okay,so the dj's over here(if any)pleeeeassssseeeeee help me.Well,according to my knowledge I think that a beginner should go in for pioneer cdj 1000.So,I would like to know the price of all the dj equipment for beginner and where can I get them from in Delhi & NCR
	() Thanks

30th October 2007, 10:42	#4
shuvd Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Calcutta Posts: 1,081 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	If you are looking for a feel of the good old vinyl but most of your tunes are in mp3/cd format, go for something like the Final Scratch. :: Stanton :: Or the Denon 5000 series are pretty good and reliable. IMHO for a beginner, a simple pair of CD Decks and a 2 channel mixer is the best option. :: Stanton ::
	() Thanks

30th October 2007, 10:50	#5
low_bass_makker Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Faridabad Posts: 6,815 Thanked: 305 Times View My Garage	I have this console which might be of some use to you. DJ console If you are interested PM me.
	() Thanks

30th October 2007, 11:43	#7
The Matrix BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 112 Thanked: 2 Times	I'd suggest you to start learning on a software called virtual Dj. that pretty much helps you learn the tricks. you can download a demo version and play around without using auto bpm and auto mix facilities. Look at traktor also, that's another good software like Virtual
	() Thanks

30th October 2007, 11:48	#8
Sam Kapasi Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai (but wat Posts: 7,000 Thanked: 2,460 Times View My Garage	Hmmm... If you are looking for a turntable, no matter what you look for, nothing will touch the classic Technics 1200 series. There are many, like that classic 1200 mk1,2,3 etc and even the new Grandmaster. Of course the newer (relatively) 1210 and even 1220 will be perfect. There are newer turntables like the Vestax stubby arm and even Stanton. Using a belt-drive like the cheap gemini is a strict no no. You will never learn anything. Go for a direct drive or not at all. Of course using a turntable is not easy. Once you get past the novelty of the scratch - something very hard to do right - you will realise that the feel of the perfect groove and beat is more with a turntable, plus the sheer pleasure of being able to physically touch your music makes you feel more like a musician than a DJ. Choosing a good scratch mixer is also important if using a turntable. Prefer to go in for a mixer that has an Alps Premium (not the usual alps) or (best of all) a Penny+Giles crossfader. You can also choose competition class slim mixers (slim is preferred for turntable tricks, allowing you to place both decks closer to each other) with kill switches, allowing you to flick a switch and turn wither the mids, highs or lows off. It is impractical to get music though. Vinyls are impossible to come by in this country and you will for sure need friends in Europe/UK/Singapore to send you the latest cuts. The question of downloading is completely out. And in this age of Hindi Pop and modern music, vinyls will be completely out of the question. Unless you buy a Vestax vinyl cutter. Exxxxxxpensive hobby. What I would recommend is a CD turntable, allowing you both the feel you need and the easy access to music (both to buy and download) If you need Denon DJ in India, you would, well - call my company. Shrug. Cheers and don't hesitate to ask any questions with regards to DJing etc.
	() Thanks

30th October 2007, 11:50	#9
Sam Kapasi Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai (but wat Posts: 7,000 Thanked: 2,460 Times View My Garage	I forgot - do a search for the DN-HD2500. This is a hard disk based DJ console. A twin DJ unit with a built in 40 Gig HDD. Also has USB input to connect an external HDD. It might be what you need.
	() Thanks

30th October 2007, 21:28	#11
speedfreak01 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: gurgaon Posts: 198 Thanked: 442 Times	Hey thanks to everyone who replied.Okay and now I know that I knew very little about the whole turntable thingy.Okay so im basically looking for a cd mixer and not the vinyl one's because all of my music is in mp3 formatt.Well last night I spoke to DJ Jitesh(the winner of the War of the Dj's 2007)and he told me that I should go in for the training classes first and then later on think about buying any equipment.Okay so now I also wanna know that should I go in for the classes or should I learn the whole thing on my own? Well I'm now thinking of buying a used one because I think the new one's are really veryy expensive to buy. @LBM, please can you post a pic of your console over here because your link is asking for a password and id. @Matrix, I have tried virtual dj and many other mixing softwares.I actually wanna learn mixing on a turntable and not with the help of any computer softwares.Though,I use many other softwares like Acoustica n Ableton 5.0 for making remixes or for editing music for my school functions and all.But still I would prefer hardware's for learning rather than softwares. @Sam, can you please tell me the approx price of a denon turntable for beginners.Also that DN-HD2500 sounds interesting,is it good for beginners?And also are denon's better then pioneer's? @B&T, even im now thinking of buying a used cd turntable which would fit in my budget and also help me in learning the thing. Also I would like to know that does a club provide you with the equipment or do we have to take our own equipment and go spin.Also could you guys tell me the price difference between a new cd turntable and a used one.And once again thanks to all those who replied...
	() Thanks

30th October 2007, 21:37	#12
speedfreak01 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: gurgaon Posts: 198 Thanked: 442 Times	Also I would like to know that can we use the same turntable to spin as well as scratch or do we need two different turntables for that.I know that I should learn to spin first and then learn other advanced techniques but still just wanted to know.
	() Thanks

31st October 2007, 13:17	#14
sk456 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: @Noida/Gurgaon Posts: 570 Thanked: 7 Times	AAH the LP record.. nuthign beats a vinyl.. Unfortunately market economics have given way to CD's... A well pressed record ( for those who do not know the lingo..a record is what plays on a turntable ) can beat the livign daylightrs out of any CD in terms of SQ. And yes the Technics 1200 series with a Shure or Grado cartridge was king.
	() Thanks