The right turntable

I've been using an old sony turntable from the 70's for playing and sampling records, but I was wondering if there were any, more compact turntables out there today that might bring out more clarity in these records?...

theres nothing wrong with your table, just put a better needle on it ,it will sound better.

plus as i always say,your sound will be as good as what you use.

1200 techs A+
Vestex B
and so on down the line

portables you have :
Vestex- has digital outputs
Numark
and what ever else you can find that will be about 20yrs old or older sometimes you will find older PT that will sound good they have a better amp;ifier on it

Hey its a hometown Homie!

That deck should be fine, like e.d.e said a better needle and better phono Preamp will make much more of a difference then upgrading the turntable itself.

You on the Halifamous board at all? im TEX over there..... Wanna buy a MPC2000XL? hahaha

Haha no thanks man...got all i need for samplers. and Nope, not on the Halifamous board, I'm a little slow in getting my shit together but I should up and goin soon. All I've got is a myspace page... www.myspace.com/freddytense, that's it for now. I think you're right about the preamp..I just have an ancient radioshack mixer...rightt gritty.

dj e.d.e wrote:1200 techs A+
Vestex B

o rly?

What do you mean precisely by portable? Something like Numark's PT-01 or Vestax's "Handy Trax?" I have a Handy Trax and it's great for digging, but I wouldn't bother using it to rip vinyl or sample from really. Surprisingly you can scratch and mix on it . . .

If you want a better turntable but are on a budget look at some of Technics' other 1xxx series turntables. Most of them have the same motor mechanism as the 1200. Some, like the 1100A, are beasts (and I wouldn't mind owning one until this day). The problem? They're all vintage at this point and finding one that's working is hit or miss (more often miss).

The days of the 1200's reign are over. Vestax's PDX-2000 and 3000, along with Stanton's ST-120 and 150 blow the 1200 out of the water. I'm not looking to get into this argument though. Someone will say, "the 1200 is a reliable workhorse." Whatever. If you want to compare specifications and features, you can get more bang for your buck with Stanton's high end decks, or even Vestax's.

If you just need a better table than your Sony, look at any of Stanton's direct drive decks. Numark has had some reliability issues (overheating motors on the TTXs). Vestax is another winner. 1200s are cool if you find one used in good condition at around $200-250. Want to buy something new? Look at the competition, not Technics.

What do you think of Audio Tech's PL120? They coppied the look from the technics 1200 and they added a line level output. That feature right there, along with it being a direct drive TT has really cought my attention. I've been sampling a long time, but I'm just now wanting to mess around with scratching. Would this be a decent table to work with?

wudsiba wrote:What do you think of Audio Tech's PL120? They coppied the look from the technics 1200 and they added a line level output. That feature right there, along with it being a direct drive TT has really cought my attention. I've been sampling a long time, but I'm just now wanting to mess around with scratching. Would this be a decent table to work with?

When you scratch, you need more than just a turntable--you need a DJ mixer too, preferably one with a crossfader that can handle some serious abuse (and really should have an switchable or adjustable crossfade curve, too). Any DJ mixer that you buy to scratch with is gonna take a phono input anyways, so that line level feature is pretty much moot if you're gonna start scratching.

Otherwise tho, that PL120 should be alright, supposed to have plenty of torque. It's hard to get much more in that $250-$300 price range when you're buying new.

BUT there is one good thing about having that built-in preamp with the line level inputs: you could use the turntable immediately plugged straight into your MPC to sample from, and then later on when you can buy a good DJ mixer you can learn to scratch with it.

(And then, when you get serious with scratching, you'll sell it and buy a 1200)

bedouin wrote:What do you mean precisely by portable? Something like Numark's PT-01 or Vestax's "Handy Trax?" I have a Handy Trax and it's great for digging, but I wouldn't bother using it to rip vinyl or sample from really. Surprisingly you can scratch and mix on it . . .

If you want a better turntable but are on a budget look at some of Technics' other 1xxx series turntables. Most of them have the same motor mechanism as the 1200. Some, like the 1100A, are beasts (and I wouldn't mind owning one until this day). The problem? They're all vintage at this point and finding one that's working is hit or miss (more often miss).

The days of the 1200's reign are over. Vestax's PDX-2000 and 3000, along with Stanton's ST-120 and 150 blow the 1200 out of the water. I'm not looking to get into this argument though. Someone will say, "the 1200 is a reliable workhorse." Whatever. If you want to compare specifications and features, you can get more bang for your buck with Stanton's high end decks, or even Vestax's.

If you just need a better table than your Sony, look at any of Stanton's direct drive decks. Numark has had some reliability issues (overheating motors on the TTXs). Vestax is another winner. 1200s are cool if you find one used in good condition at around $200-250. Want to buy something new? Look at the competition, not Technics.

a brick and a feather, i'll take the brick anytime.
these platsic turn table will last you a few yrs then you'll have to buy a new one.
i havent bought a new turn table in 28yrs and they still kick ass. and there has been how many new tables invented?

if you plan to be in it for a while i recoomend the brick(1200) it will take anything you put it up to.

all others are trying to take the reign but they can't
quality is job 1