some cheap direct drive turntables... help please

so im thinking about getting a (cheap) turntable 100-250 range

and a cheap mixer like the numark 950dmusb
so i dont need a preamp and my records will still have bass!

and if i got this usb mixer i would be able to record the samples from the turntabe to my computer wouldent i?

so i can scratch some samples on and put them on my mpc.
(would i have to scratch them, then make them .wav's then put them in my mpc like that or can you live scratch them somehow?)

and i looked a musicians friend and saw the numark pt01 portable turntable and it says its direct drive, but i saw somewhere else that it wasnt. can you scratch on this thing?

i was also looking at the numark tt1650 (150$)
(what is a dual start stop control?)

and a stanton t.80 digital direct drive turntable
with a 500b cartridge (whats this cartridge for)

the t.80 is 249$ and it looks better than the t.60 because it has a "key lock" so you can change the tempo without affecting the pitch.

i understand that this means you can make it go slow or faster and keep the pitch, but what about changing the pitch and keeping the tempo?

what does 33/45/78 rpms mean? i know its rotations per minute, but does one of them give it a fuller sound or something? the stanton has 78 and the numark doesnt.

also, would i have to buy new "scratch needles" or will the stock ones work? i dont wana fuk up my records. do you guys know any good needles. ones that produce clean sound and are good for scratching?

i also stumbled across this crazy thing
the vestax contoller one. its a midi controller turntable, i think, the technology was kind of over my head. if i got this, would i still be able to spin records on it like a normal table?

i also saw these things, the numark total controll, and the vestax vci 100.
theyre like midi controllers with two scratch pads that you can use for live djing on your computer with programs like tracktor, but i wouldnet be djing, i just wana put scratches in my beats i make. could i do that with these crazy things?

is there anything major that im missing???

any input would be really appreciated
thank you guys

damien907 wrote:so im thinking about getting a (cheap) turntable 100-250 range

If u wanna scratch u wanna get a decent table

damien907 wrote:and a cheap mixer like the numark 950dmusb
so i dont need a preamp and my records will still have bass!

If u wanna scratch then stear clear of cheap mixers u gonna need a scratch / battle mixer with decent fader

damien907 wrote:and if i got this usb mixer i would be able to record the samples from the turntabe to my computer wouldent i?

Yeah but why do that when u could sample direct into ur mpc (because thats what its for) with the audio ins?

damien907 wrote:so i can scratch some samples on and put them on my mpc.
(would i have to scratch them, then make them .wav's then put them in my mpc like that or can you live scratch them somehow?)

Usually ud record scratches on a daw or multi track, not into an mpc

damien907 wrote:and i looked a musicians friend and saw the numark pt01 portable turntable and it says its direct drive, but i saw somewhere else that it wasnt. can you scratch on this thing?

nah not really u cant

damien907 wrote:i was also looking at the numark tt1650 (150$)
(what is a dual start stop control?)

This is just a guess, but i think it might be 2 start / stop buttons at diff ends of the turntables dependin if u gonna rock them vertically (turntablist style) or horizontaly (dj mixing style)

damien907 wrote:and a stanton t.80 digital direct drive turntable
with a 500b cartridge (whats this cartridge for)

Cartridges come on every turntable.. its the bit that the stylus (needle) connects to, its the type of needle basictly

damien907 wrote:the t.80 is 249$ and it looks better than the t.60 because it has a "key lock" so you can change the tempo without affecting the pitch.

Yeah with the digital out

damien907 wrote:i understand that this means you can make it go slow or faster and keep the pitch, but what about changing the pitch and keeping the tempo?

U would do this via chopping the sample and pitching the individual chops

damien907 wrote:what does 33/45/78 rpms mean? i know its rotations per minute, but does one of them give it a fuller sound or something? the stanton has 78 and the numark doesnt.

Diff records can be diff speeds, usually 7inch records are 45's, old old old records are 78... the faster the speed of the record the more info (if u wanna put it that way) is contained in the same distance of the grooves, so they have better sound.. alot of music like drum and bass which is real big and heavy is usually pressed to 45 for the needle to be able to track the grooves without jumpin...

damien907 wrote:also, would i have to buy new "scratch needles" or will the stock ones work? i dont wana fuk up my records. do you guys know any good needles. ones that produce clean sound and are good for scratching?

shure m447's are good.. but it comes down to the table more then the records, and as for propa cuttin and scratchin u gonna need a good mixer as well not just some cheap thing.

damien907 wrote:i also stumbled across this crazy thing
the vestax contoller one. its a midi controller turntable, i think, the technology was kind of over my head. if i got this, would i still be able to spin records on it like a normal table?

Yes it does.. and it also has pitch buttons so u can play a continuos locked tone which u would find on alot of scratch records, but use the buttons to play it kinda like a keyboard etc

damien907 wrote:i also saw these things, the numark total controll, and the vestax vci 100.
theyre like midi controllers with two scratch pads that you can use for live djing on your computer with programs like tracktor, but i wouldnet be djing, i just wana put scratches in my beats i make. could i do that with these crazy things?

Maybe, but i wouldnt trust things like that myself ur better just gettin turntable and mixer and learning properly

damien907 wrote:is there anything major that im missing???

any input would be really appreciated
thank you guys

Its gonna take practice pratice and more practice, the cheaper the equipment the harder it will make it for u and the less time the equipment will last, when it comes to scratchin cheap tables will break on u, cheap faders in cheap mixers will not only be kinda wack and make it difficult to get those cuts, but they'd wear out quick especially while learnin

thanks alot complex!

i live in a place where i have to order all this stuff online, so its really hard to talk to people in person about it!

your information was very helpful

would you reccomend the stanton table or that vestax thing?

and maybe ill look at a few better mixers.. do you know any in perticular that work good? maybe 200 max?

and then if i scratched in my daw, i would just leave it on there and plug in my mpc (500) to my computer and arange my songs using that as a midi controller?


thanks again

damien907 wrote:thanks alot complex!

i live in a place where i have to order all this stuff online, so its really hard to talk to people in person about it!

your information was very helpful

would you reccomend the stanton table or that vestax thing?

and maybe ill look at a few better mixers.. do you know any in perticular that work good? maybe 200 max?

and then if i scratched in my daw, i would just leave it on there and plug in my mpc (500) to my computer and arange my songs using that as a midi controller?


thanks again

Check the numark tt500 turntables, theyd def be cool for scratchin.. also any vestax although alot of people are choosin the numark tt500's over the vestax these days..

and look at maybe the 'stanton sa' mixer series they quite good and cheap, and some of them come with penny and giles faders which are real dope.

In regards to recordin the scratchin, ud record ur beat from ur audio outs on the mpc into ur daw audio ins (its called tracking).. then u would record the scratches into the daw the same way

c0mplex wrote:

damien907 wrote:so im thinking about getting a (cheap) turntable 100-250 range

If u wanna scratch u wanna get a decent table

damien907 wrote:and a cheap mixer like the numark 950dmusb
so i dont need a preamp and my records will still have bass!

If u wanna scratch then stear clear of cheap mixers u gonna need a scratch / battle mixer with decent fader

damien907 wrote:and if i got this usb mixer i would be able to record the samples from the turntabe to my computer wouldent i?

Yeah but why do that when u could sample direct into ur mpc (because thats what its for) with the audio ins?

damien907 wrote:so i can scratch some samples on and put them on my mpc.
(would i have to scratch them, then make them .wav's then put them in my mpc like that or can you live scratch them somehow?)

Usually ud record scratches on a daw or multi track, not into an mpc

damien907 wrote:and i looked a musicians friend and saw the numark pt01 portable turntable and it says its direct drive, but i saw somewhere else that it wasnt. can you scratch on this thing?

nah not really u cant

damien907 wrote:i was also looking at the numark tt1650 (150$)
(what is a dual start stop control?)

This is just a guess, but i think it might be 2 start / stop buttons at diff ends of the turntables dependin if u gonna rock them vertically (turntablist style) or horizontaly (dj mixing style)

damien907 wrote:and a stanton t.80 digital direct drive turntable
with a 500b cartridge (whats this cartridge for)

Cartridges come on every turntable.. its the bit that the stylus (needle) connects to, its the type of needle basictly

damien907 wrote:the t.80 is 249$ and it looks better than the t.60 because it has a "key lock" so you can change the tempo without affecting the pitch.

Yeah with the digital out

damien907 wrote:i understand that this means you can make it go slow or faster and keep the pitch, but what about changing the pitch and keeping the tempo?

U would do this via chopping the sample and pitching the individual chops

damien907 wrote:what does 33/45/78 rpms mean? i know its rotations per minute, but does one of them give it a fuller sound or something? the stanton has 78 and the numark doesnt.

Diff records can be diff speeds, usually 7inch records are 45's, old old old records are 78... the faster the speed of the record the more info (if u wanna put it that way) is contained in the same distance of the grooves, so they have better sound.. alot of music like drum and bass which is real big and heavy is usually pressed to 45 for the needle to be able to track the grooves without jumpin...

damien907 wrote:also, would i have to buy new "scratch needles" or will the stock ones work? i dont wana fuk up my records. do you guys know any good needles. ones that produce clean sound and are good for scratching?

shure m447's are good.. but it comes down to the table more then the records, and as for propa cuttin and scratchin u gonna need a good mixer as well not just some cheap thing.

damien907 wrote:i also stumbled across this crazy thing
the vestax contoller one. its a midi controller turntable, i think, the technology was kind of over my head. if i got this, would i still be able to spin records on it like a normal table?

Yes it does.. and it also has pitch buttons so u can play a continuos locked tone which u would find on alot of scratch records, but use the buttons to play it kinda like a keyboard etc

damien907 wrote:i also saw these things, the numark total controll, and the vestax vci 100.
theyre like midi controllers with two scratch pads that you can use for live djing on your computer with programs like tracktor, but i wouldnet be djing, i just wana put scratches in my beats i make. could i do that with these crazy things?

Maybe, but i wouldnt trust things like that myself ur better just gettin turntable and mixer and learning properly

damien907 wrote:is there anything major that im missing???

any input would be really appreciated
thank you guys

Its gonna take practice pratice and more practice, the cheaper the equipment the harder it will make it for u and the less time the equipment will last, when it comes to scratchin cheap tables will break on u, cheap faders in cheap mixers will not only be kinda wack and make it difficult to get those cuts, but they'd wear out quick especially while learnin

The dual start/stop control is exactly what cOmplex said.

Cartridges don't come with EVERY turntable. Higher end TT usually don't come with carts because carts are such a personal preference item, plus they raise the price of the TTs. That's one of the issues I had with my 1200s when I first got them..."You mean they cost $500 AND I have to buy needles too?!?"

Chances are you will come across a WHOLE LOT MORE 33 and 45 RPM records than you will 78s, unless its real old stuff.

As far as a MIDI controller turntable, I come from the single purpose school. If you want a turntable, get a good turntable. If you want a MIDI controller, get a good MIDI controller. Trying to short-cut your way by combining units will only get you poorer quality from one of the functions. Plus, if you get a combo unit, and part of it breaks down, you lose ALL of the functions while you are trying to repair it.

Like cOmplex said, practice practice practice. And don't try to cut corners on your equipment. All you will end up doing is buying the more expensive, better working stuff later on anyway. IF you're gonna cut corners, cut them WAY down by trying to find cheap TT at thrift stores, Salvation Army, Good Will, VOA, second hand shops, etc, though you said you don't really have any place near you where they sell this stuff, but check those second hand goods stores if you have them. You can find cheap equipment and usually a ton of vinyl at those places. And there is always eBay for used stuff, but be smart about it, though again you can't try before you buy.

Peace,
KM

Sry to hijack ur thread damien...

I'm in the same situation and I would like to get TTs and a mixer to scratch and do a lil sampling. My plan was to buy a couple numark TT500's a vestax pmc 06 mixer and torq connective to use the timecode vinyl. Basically I would scratch my samples and accapellas from songs I have on my computer. (I dont want to have a bunch of vinyl) Save as .wav and import into Soundforge to chop out the part I'm using and import into Battery 3 to play the sample. Or if I just wanted to strach over my beats I would record scratches directly into my daw. I also wanted to do mixtape DJ type stuff. So my question is do I really need 2 TT's or could I do everything I just mentioned with one?

jikkyboy11 wrote:Sry to hijack ur thread damien...

I'm in the same situation and I would like to get TTs and a mixer to scratch and do a lil sampling. My plan was to buy a couple numark TT500's a vestax pmc 06 mixer and torq connective to use the timecode vinyl. Basically I would scratch my samples and accapellas from songs I have on my computer. (I dont want to have a bunch of vinyl) Save as .wav and import into Soundforge to chop out the part I'm using and import into Battery 3 to play the sample. Or if I just wanted to strach over my beats I would record scratches directly into my daw. I also wanted to do mixtape DJ type stuff. So my question is do I really need 2 TT's or could I do everything I just mentioned with one?

U could record simple mixtapes with just one tt and a mixer, and record them on multi track..

Althouh u wouldnt be able to juggle if u wanted amongst other things.. u would have more fun and learn more with the 2 tt's.. and it would be much better practice for u to mix etc..

Also if u put mixtape out and peeps wanted to hire u to dj, at least then u can mix on 2 turntables and have the right equipment to dj for them

c0mplex wrote:

damien907 wrote:thanks alot complex!

i live in a place where i have to order all this stuff online, so its really hard to talk to people in person about it!

your information was very helpful

would you reccomend the stanton table or that vestax thing?

and maybe ill look at a few better mixers.. do you know any in perticular that work good? maybe 200 max?

and then if i scratched in my daw, i would just leave it on there and plug in my mpc (500) to my computer and arange my songs using that as a midi controller?


thanks again

Check the numark tt500 turntables, theyd def be cool for scratchin.. also any vestax although alot of people are choosin the numark tt500's over the vestax these days..

and look at maybe the 'stanton sa' mixer series they quite good and cheap, and some of them come with penny and giles faders which are real dope.

In regards to recordin the scratchin, ud record ur beat from ur audio outs on the mpc into ur daw audio ins (its called tracking).. then u would record the scratches into the daw the same way

thanks again man, im gona go check out those tables and look more into "tracking"

i have one more question, wouldent i need a usb cable in my mixer to be able to hook it to the computer? thats why i was looking at that numark mixer in the first place, cuase it has a usb cable cause i want to use my computer to put the final tracks on so i can burn them from there.

damien907 wrote:i have one more question, wouldent i need a usb cable in my mixer to be able to hook it to the computer? thats why i was looking at that numark mixer in the first place, cuase it has a usb cable cause i want to use my computer to put the final tracks on so i can burn them from there.

Nah usually u would use the audio outs from the mixer into the audio in's on the pc. U probably could use the usb, i myself prefer to use audio connections

i know people say stay away from cheap mixers and such, but i feel that if you're just starting out and still need to learn actually how to scratch and use a dj mixer, i say start low and work your way up. I have a numark TT and the numark 950 dj mixer. i actually ordered the USB version but they sent me the wrong one anyway, i kept it and i've been scratching with it. actually, to a beginner like me, it does its job and i actually see no problem with it. i've been learning a lot with just these two items and once im ready, I can move onto bigger and better things.

not to say complex is wrong cause his info was great. this is just my opinion. anyway, good luck

alright, thanks you guys

i think im gona still need a usb mixer, cuase i did plugged in my sp-404 from the outs into the microphone in in my computer and it sounded really low quality. was i plugging it in to the right place? or is there somewhere im missing?

thanks again

Well if you plugging it directly to a standard factory soundcard that came with your computer...don't expect very good sound in terms of quality....

you may want to at some point (sooner then later) invest in a recording soundcard or interface...

I always like to put people on to the delta 1010 its a great quality soundcard with more then enough ins/outs for you at this point but it gives you a lil room for upgrades...and if at some point you want to incorporate midi into your production boooom your covered...I think its a great all around unit..but thats opinion, theres many other alternatives but depends on your needs and budget....but with the delta 1010 you'll be happy and have room to grow...i would look into it...

hope this helped..

yeah, that would be dope, ill look into it, but i have a laptop, will it still work with that? and i was also wondering if i could get a midi port in my laptop, like a usb-midi converter kinda thing or if they have a "midi-to din" port thats what the computer guy called it, but he didnt know if they even made such a thing.

yea pimpin...you cant use the delta 1010 with a laptop but there are plenty of usb/firewire soundcard/interfaces that you can look into...

but thats like a must homie if you want decent sound quality...honestly thats like the first piece of gear i would of went for...so try and put that on your next to get list...

just google "firewire interface" and you'll get loads of stuff to look through.....