Advances In Turntable Technology? 12
WogboTheFrogGod asks: "I've seen numerous postings regarding DVD, CD-R, MP3, devices, drivers, softwares, etc. No one has talked much about the old-school technology. I suspect that I'm not the only slash-dotter with a healthy collection of vinyl. What's the latest and greatest with turntables? To get you started, here is a turntable that uses a cd-style laser to read the vinyl grooves. Trouble is that it costs
$20,500! I'm looking for equipment that will integrate with the newer
higher-end stuff, and that will (possibly) facilitate vinyl ripping." Turntables and vinyl I still prefer over CDs in some situations. I would love to be able to grab a laser-based turntable, but unfortunately, I don't think any of us would like to deal with that price tag.
But has it got tubes? (Score:1)
(getting the chills just thinking about a tube-driven laser...)
DJs (Score:2)
Old Skool Turntables are still the best (Score:2)
Why? It's all about the interface. All of the trick routines and techniques are built around this interface. I've seen several programs that allow one to "scratch" the music they are listening to, but they usually leave out one important part: the crossfader. The crossfader is just as important to mixing and scratching as the turntable is. There's no way one could do a Transformer, much less a Crab or a Flare without a crossfader.
Now, a CD-based system might be able to replicate this. The problem then comes with record selection. Since most real DJs still use turntables, no one makes CDs that are full of breakbeats and scratch sentences. The best battle records are still on, well, records.
To a lesser extent, it also has to do with needle dropping. I don't know of a single CD player on the market that will let one start playing the CD, anywhere on the CD, instantly. I don't mean just cueing up a song or fast forward. Vinyl gives one the opportunity to look at a record, see where the break is on the record, drop the needle, and play, almost instanteously. If one is in the middle of a battle routine, this is imperative, because the clock is ticking, and no one wants to watch you sit there and find the part you're looking for.
Also, don't think that new advances aren't being made in vinyl turntable technology. At the most recent NAMM show, Vestax unveiled their vinyl cutter for personal use, and it can create 12" records that last just as long as professionally-mastered records, giving the DJ the freedom to combine his/her favorite breaks, samples, loops, sentences, etc. into one record. Most modern mixers also have a crossfader curve adjustment. The crossfader curve is a key part to any complex scratch pattern. The latest mixers from Vestax also feature a setting which can automatically double and triple up one's crossfader clicks. This means that new DJs can fake doing Crab Scratches, but those of us who can already do them naturally will probably be able to exploit the feature to make a new sound.
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nondistrutive playing of rare or one only vinyl (Score:3)
Re:Old Skool Turntables are still the best (Score:2)
Basically you have a window for you to select your mp3s. Another window where the active mp3s are displayed in "scope form", right click at that point it starts playing forwards from that point, left click it's backwards
That leaves the keyboard free for tons of fun stuff
Cheerio,
Link.
Re:But has it got tubes? (Score:1)
okay, so I think your point is in how the laser light is interpreted, right? is it digital sampling of the light scatter patterns? this is okay if your sample rate is high enough. a good read head and a good DAP will capture nearly everything the vinyl has to offer. These curators almost certainly have access to endless amounts of high end gear. and it would be better to have the info digitally, anyway, as you can compress it (losslessly) all to hell for archival purposes. I think the analogue qualities you are referring to are better suited for playback equipment (and for some of the _really_ snobby purists, the media as well).
Re:Old Skool Turntables are still the best (Score:1)
technics SL1200 (Score:1)
Re:Old Skool Turntables are still the best (Score:2)
I've heard rumors of Pioneer and Technics making "CD Turntables" that will let you "scratch" your CDs back and forth and make it sound close to a vinyl table. Haven't used or seen these, but a DJ friend of mine told me about them... Here [hard-to-find.co.uk] is a page selling them.
OT, but I was thinking, how cool would it be to have your own custom vinyl cutter? Then you can combine your mp3 collection with your vinyl collection... :)
And thats not that new (Score:1)
Hell, the display on that thing reminds me of my grandfather's Epson printer.
I'm also surprised at the lack of innovation in turntables, but I'm sure there isn't a big market for them. Only long-time audiophiles collect vinyl, and most people don't see the point in a high-end record player.
However, it strikes me as strange that Technics manages to hold such a monopoly on the DJ market, both for music entertainment and for hip-hop mixing/scratching. The brand name has become synonymous with "turntable" in those fields; I don't even think they have a competitor in that area. It's possible I guess that they've nailed the best possible design, but I find it hard to believe.
Try Rega or Linn (Score:1)
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$which weed
Re:Old Skool Turntables are still the best (Score:1)