USB Turntable

[antoeknee]

Anyone got one of these?

 

Considering getting one and would like to hear of any users experience re ease of use etc.

 

Info on make/model would be helpful

[Sylv3r]

Not quite a USB turntable but a mate of mine has one of these DJ Store | DJ Equipment | Numark Total Control USB Controller :: £158.00 Which he rates - a pity his mixing ain't up to much!

[ninja-lewis]

Bought my dad one last Christmas. Just a basic model out of Costco but it seems alright.

 

PC Pro did a pair of articles since covering getting the music from the Vinyl to your computer and encoding it with Audacity. Worth a look.

 

My knowledge of AV kit is pretty limited but I understand you don't even need a USB turntable - any decent soundcard should be able to use line in from a normal turntable.

[Guest Guest]

any decent soundcard should be able to use line in from a normal turntable.

 

Only if it has line outs. The vast majority dont so you will need a pre amp. But still worth the effort using a real TT imo. The only USB TTs ive seen are from really cheap brands such as ION, which are the Lada of the music world.

[SpuffMonkey]

I just used the cassette tape deck I had on my set up - recorded the strange vinyl to decent tapes, then plugged the tape deck into the sound card and recorded using Audacity - not too much hassle as you only do it all once.

[Andrew_C]

@Spuff

 

I'd really have to try hard to think of a worse way to do this! On top of a crackly old record, no RIAA bias correction, and you add the hiss from a cassette tape? Wow, hifi it ain't!

 

Proper options:-

 

1) Connect turntable to HiFi amp with a phono input, and connect the PC to the "Tape Out" terminals.

 

2) Buy a phono pre-amp. CPC or Maplins for not much cash.

 

3) Buy the USB thing, although calling them the "Lada of turntables" could wind up with a law suit, from Lada.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Andrew_C
splng

[Guest Guest]

^ lmao

[Pyroman]

i seem to remember doing this a few years ago i got an old technics turntable (a proper one not one of these new fangled ones you can "scratch" with) and a 3.5mm jack to red and white phono's cable and just plugged the phono's into the turntable and the jack into the "mic in" on my soundcard, record with audacity and serve...voila!

 

pretty sure that worked alright

[SpuffMonkey]

@Spuff

 

I'd really have to try hard to think of a worse way to do this! On top of a crackly old record, no RIAA bias correction, and you add the hiss from a cassette tape? Wow, hifi it ain't!

 

 

CAn't define the truth of that - but then I'm only converting to mp3 to listen in the car.

[Domino]

the usb turntables tend to be quite gimmicky and low quality.

 

A decent deck and a half decent sound card/preamp would be much better

[Friez]

To be honest, I'm not that much impressed by any of the PC DJ setups due to synch issues and whatnot. I would recommend a pair of Pioneer CDJ's with a couple of burned CD's.

 

It's really easy to hook up a real mixer (and you can get them pretty cheap) into a PC line-in, and the CDJ's into the mixer.

 

Most clubs are also kitted with the same CDJ's (Pioneer CDJ 800 are the most common), although some clubs kit cheaper (and worse quality -- CD's skip e.t.c.) stuff.

 

As for Vinyl Turntables (Which I don't think they want, sounds like they want to play/mix mp3s?) Nothing beats Technics SL's. NOTHING. If they're out of your budget, get anything that is *DIRECT DRIVE* because belt drives are horrendus for mixing with, and generally sloppy at keeping their pitch (you will know this if you try mixing with them).

 

Don't forget the other essentials for Vinyl turntables: The Stylus and Slipmatts!

 

I've messed around with a few other decks and they all have their different quirks. If you plan to do *scratching* you're pretty much gonna need something that has the Torque of an SL or better, plus a very sleek mixer to boot (generally with a replaceable crossfader and adjustable crossfade curve). In terms of CDJ Scratching, the Pioneer CDJ's have incredible vinyl emulation that I've just NOT seen in ANY PC package (it doesn't sound quite right when you speed it up / slow it down during scratching, IF it can keep up at all).

 

As for those people suggesting to plug in a turntable STRAIGHT into a PC: Don't do it!

 

All Vinyl is actually recorded with the bass EQ'd low this is because with bass heavy tracks if the bass was recorded straight into a record the grooves would become so large that the needle would jump from groove to groove messing up the song.

 

Therefore a Turntable will always output the bass several dB lower than normal. When you route it through a mixer or a hi-fi's Phono, they make up for this bass loss by bringing up the bass by the same amount of dB. If you record a vinyl turntable straight into a PC it will sound VERY bass-lacking. Put it through a mixer first.

 

Overall though, if all you want to do is mix CD Audio or Mp3's, a couple of Pioneer CDJ's WILL be the most reliable piece of kit money can buy today.

 

In my spare time I produce dance music and I mix myself, my setup consists of 2x Technics SL Mk2's, 2x Pioneer CDJ 800's and a Vestax mixer: Pretty much an industry standard DJ Setup.

 

But then, you haven't really specified your purpose for the turntables, but at least you now know what the best of the best is

Edited July 2, 2008 by Friez

[Guest Guest]

Well id say any scratch DJ would disagree with you there, 1210s are only industry standard in the UK and only because they have proven themselves, not because they are still the best.

If you look at the US you will find alot of Vestax and Stanton 150s. I have the 150s and you really have to use them to believe how good they are

[Domino]

Seconded, the 150s are awesome. and as for nothing beating technics, I'd say look at the numark ttx1's - they're awesome. and from numark? unbelievable

[Friez]

Seconded, the 150s are awesome. and as for nothing beating technics, I'd say look at the numark ttx1's - they're awesome. and from numark? unbelievable

 

I've used Numark TTX1's and they randomly sped up / slowed down the records when I used them (like as if I had moved the pitch slider waaaay up and back down again). This happened to me in the middle of a mix and threw me into a major clang, never used them again.

 

I did say that anything with the torque of Technics or better can be used for scratch DJing, I didn't say they're the be all and end all. But as far as reliability goes I have yet to find a pair of turntables that are more solid than Technics. That said, I've not tried Vestax 150's so will reserve judgement on them!

Edited July 2, 2008 by Friez

[Guest Guest]

I've used Numark TTX1's and they randomly sped up / slowed down the records when I used them (like as if I had moved the pitch slider waaaay up and back down again). This happened to me in the middle of a mix and threw me into a major clang, never used them again.

 

I did say that anything with the torque of Technics or better can be used for scratch DJing, I didn't say they're the be all and end all. But as far as reliability goes I have yet to find a pair of turntables that are more solid than Technics. That said, I've not tried Vestax 150's so will reserve judgement on them!

 

Yep, agreed one the TTX1s thing. My mate has, well had, some. At first they seemed great but like the TT1s which came before them they just cant keep time. Wave anything electrical around my Numark TT1s and prepare for a trainwreck! lol

 

 

Ive had my stantons for what, 4 years now and they are still perfect. Obviously there are people who have had their 1210s for 15years+ so only time will tell if the 150s hold up.

 

I didnt go down the CDJ route, i went for this ScratchLIVE.net About Scratch LIVE and have never looked back. All the advantages of CDJs, without the disadvantage of less feel, and at less than half the price tag

 

Next up is a new mixer as my Pio 707 is pants. Why oh why cant pioneer make mixers with good sound quality? Well they can now but ill be dambed if im spending going on a grand on a mixer! Any recommendations?>>

Edited July 2, 2008 by Guest

[Friez]

I got myself CDJ's and the Technics, mainly because it is far cheaper for me to burn a CD of my own stuff and mix with it than pressing a vinyl / getting a dubplate cut. I can mix reasonably well with both although they both have their different feel.

 

The real advantage of using CDJ's (beyond being able to copy your own music) is portability. It's far easier to smuggle two CD's onto a plane for a 'quick' gig in Japan than a bag full of 12"

 

I've not used any Pioneer mixers, use vestax ones myself. Depends what you want out of a mixer, do you do a lot of scratching? Do you need effects? What are your requirements?

 

Anyway, still don't know what they're trying to acheive, they might not even be wanting to mix at all

Edited July 2, 2008 by Friez