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Best cheapest turntables

Alright people i'm limited here on money and I can't find a job so help me out and give me your advice on the best and cheapest turntables that could get. Thank you

Techs. Save up if you don't have money. Or just get decent DIRECT drive decks...belts are BLAH...never used em but I heard horror stories...

Dude, try to buy on ebay, thats what Im doing. Trust me, you dont want to buy turntables just to have SOMETHING. Just save up money if its out of reach right now. Good turntables that arent expensive, my opinion is Stanton STR8-80 or STR8-90... I have a friend who uses them, and she loves them. You can get the STR8-90's on ebay brand new for $219.00 each. Heres the current item numbers #2536743784 and #2536214785, check them out, the seller has awesome rating.

the answer all depends on how much you wanna spend. if you have 600 lying around get the gemini pdt-6000...i've spun on techs b4 and these are just as nice if not nicer and they have more features.

if you don't have that money Belt drives suck but you can learn on them...hell i did for 1.7 years and now that i spin on DDs i can beatmatch in like 2 seconds cuz my ears are so tuned to the beats being on target. i dunno if you really know why belt drives suck so i will just tell you. they don't keep the same pitch(speed) so when you match the beats within a few seconds your gonna have to fuck with the pitch fader or push the record around to get the record back on beat. they also have no torque what so ever to when your beatmatching your gonna have to "send" the records off a bit harder then you would on a DD cuz the platter on the BD might just stop or move backwords with the record your touching.

i know the feeling you have all to well..you can't fucking wait so your gonna buy whatever you can afford at the time and worry about upgrading later....it's actually not a bad idea though because then when you do decide to upgrade you can look for the equipment that will best suit your needs and be more comfortable. this was how i did it and i am definitely glad i did...either way sorry for rambling on and good luck on whatever path you choose



*not looking for an argument from anybody about what is better either! this is just my opinion

Please dont buy belt, please please please... dont waist your money on that garbage.

Indeed, Don't even THINK about buy belt driven TT's. They're not good for beginning dj's AT ALL

A few weeks ago i'd have suggested the JB Q20 or the Q30.

The Q20
This one costs 220�
*Weak motor


The Q30
A slightly better TT, with a little more torque than the first one but still, a weak motor.

But, then came an alternative.
Reloop TT's


Reloop RP-2000 MKIII Chrome LTD
This one costs 209� and has alot more torque than the q20 or Q30

quote:

Starting torque: > 1000 g/cm

My personal choice would be this one:

Reloop RP-4000 MKIII Chrome LTD
249� and a very decent motor for that price.

quote:

Starting torque: > 1600 g/cm

I'd go for this one.

Well, here it comes again, as long as people keep asking this question without searching, i'll keep on busting out my whytogettechs.txt file:

Here is the reason that you should get technics 1200SL decks:

one of two things is going to happen when you get your technics. Either:

a) you will love them, and decided that you are loving DJ and you never want to stop. In this case, you are in a great position. You have the same deck as almost every club in the world, and every DJ in the world. You will never need to upgrade your decks, and you know that they will last literally DECADES if you take care of them.

OR

b) you will decided DJing is not for you, and decide to sell your decks. In this case, you will probabally be able to sell them for about as much as you bought them for, and maybe even more. Just take a look on www.ebay.com and watch how many bidders are after a set of tech12s, and you will quickly realize how valuable these decks are.

So, there is is, get technics, it's win-win situation.

Then, there is another option. You can get cheaper, lower quality decks. in that case, the same two things can happen:

a) you love DJing, but are frustrated that your decks don't hold pitch, have no torque, skip like a schoolgirl, have as many breakdowns as a set of oakenfolds from '99, vibrate near any sound source, or whatever else. or even just that they don't feel the same as the decks at clubs and raves, so you learn on yours at home, then try to beatmatch on techs in front of a crowd and get tomatoes thrown at you. in anycase, you'll be wanting to sell these decks. problem being, nobody is going to want to buy them. if you can sell them, i can almost guarantee you won't get what you paid for them. most likely, they will collect dust in your attic or basement, or be sold for a pittance to some wannabe DJ who doesn't know any better.

OR

b) you hate DJing. In this case, you will want to sell your tables, and will encounter the same problems as in point a. It could even be that you hate DJing just cuz you had crappy tables. (don't give up till you try a pair of tech12s, for me that was the closer, i just loved the feeling)

so, crappy decks, it's a lose-lose situation.

now, there are a few more things to think of. everything that is not a tech12 is not neccesarily a crappy deck! there are others that have just as high torque, low wow and flutter, good insulation from vibration etc. these include the Numark TTX-1 (and NUMARK TT-200, the same motor and build, but without the fancy display), the stanton STR-100 and STR8-100, and higher end gemini and vestax models.

However, NONE of these tables can boast the reputation of techs for longtime durability, simply because they haven't been around that long. and most cost almost as much as technics anyway.

overall, in choosing a DJ deck, i think technics are your best bet. Numark TTX1 is a close second, but i won't be buying one for another 3 or more years, when i start hearing about their reliability. Stanton are pretty good too.

Above all don't even CONSIDER buying belt drive decks.

Re: Best cheapest turntables

quote:

Originally posted by DjFable Alright people i'm limited here on money and I can't find a job so help me out and give me your advice on the best and cheapest turntables that could get. Thank you

well i gave up on tt's like last year, i have one left and i wanna get rid of it. i dont think ill be able to sell it to u because u live in the us and im in canada and its far. but if anyone else here is looking for cheap turntables just let me know if u want mine. i have a stanton str8-50 belt drive. ill give it to someone for about 100 buks cdn. if anyone is interested please email me at [email protected] . thanks

i had chep decks to start with and now i've had good ones for a while i see how much the crap ones held me back just save up and get technics its worth it by far in the long run

My god these threads/posts make me sick. Always the same questions (cheap turntables) and always the same answers (technics).

quote:

Originally posted by gibbo i had chep decks to start with and now i've had good ones for a while i see how much the crap ones held me back just save up and get technics its worth it by far in the long run

Amen to that!!! shitty, cheap t-tables are used for home audio playing records 1 record at a time. Good turntables like Technics or Numarks TTX1 are used for DJing, mixing, scratching, turntabalism, recording, etc.. Catch our drift.
And just to Clarify, and Mister_Michel please correct me if I am wrong,

quote:

by Mister_Michel My god these threads/posts make me sick. Always the same questions (cheap turntables) and always the same answers (technics).

that is, technics themselves aren't cheap, every thread with same question gets TAs to respond the same way, don't buy the shitty cheappies, get the Technics.

agreed, I've made the mestake to buy cheap tt's, and I'm annoyed with them 'cuz they ain't worth nutin...

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Tranz Amen to that!!! shitty, cheap t-tables are used for home audio playing records 1 record at a time. Good turntables like Technics or Numarks TTX1 are used for DJing, mixing, scratching, turntabalism, recording, etc.. Catch our drift. And just to Clarify, and Mister_Michel please correct me if I am wrong, that is, technics themselves aren't cheap, every thread with same question gets TAs to respond the same way, don't buy the shitty cheappies, get the Technics.

thanks for backing me up on that because people seem not to get the message that we're not trying to say get technics for cheap we're saying don't waste ur time with cheap turntables coz u'll end up costing yourself more money in the long run by upgrading. At the end of the day technics are still the industry standard so if u want to play out anywhere in future it is probable that u will have to learn how to use them at some point.

quote:

Originally posted by gibbo thanks for backing me up on that because people seem not to get the message that we're not trying to say get technics for cheap we're saying don't waste ur time with cheap turntables coz u'll end up costing yourself more money in the long run by upgrading. At the end of the day technics are still the industry standard so if u want to play out anywhere in future it is probable that u will have to learn how to use them at some point.

its tru
for the time being if you're going to play in a club you have to get aquainted with a tech 12. However once you do, how many more times do you have to? Whatever
Just get a good quality TT. If Tranz' prices are too high (PM him for price quotes), then look on ebay for used good quality TTs.

The reason I don't like threads like these is not because the responce is always the same, it's not because it's a stupid question because there is no awesome TT for cheap, and it's not even because no one can use the search button. The thing that I hate about these threads is that they never provide those who wish to respond with any useful information.

You say that you want the best cheapest turntables. Well, nowhere in your post do you ever give us a budget. Cheap for me is under $1000. Cheap for others that are still in high school is under $400. I have no clue what cheap for you means. And this goes for all the people who ask information from the people in this forum--BE SPECIFIC. If you want a TT, and you are looking to stay in a certain price range, then fine, there isn't really much else you have to give other than the price range--but at least do that much! If you are looking for a mixer, then how many things do you want to attach to it, how upgradeable do you want it to be, how much do you have to spend and what equipment do you have now. Etc. Etc. Etc.

So even after this thread has been here for several days or so, not once did the original poster come back to provide any more personal info on the many replies. Bunk!

JohnSmith,

I've seen your reply to this type of thread several times, and while I agree to the point that you should get quality equipment right off the bat, the reality is that is not what this person asked for and probably because he can't afford it. Once/If we get a budget from DjFable here, then let us direct him to a decent pair of tables in that price. Belt driven ones do suck, but hey, obviously there is a market for them or companies wouldn't sell them--and if that is absolutely the only thing that he can afford, then well...

Another point is that not everyone that wants to dj wants to dj for the same reasons that I do/most of those here do. I do it because I am addicted to trance. My fiance is quickly starting to hate it because that is all I ever listen to. I can listen to good tracks endlessly and love trance more in the end. I want to share those tracks that I find that wow me and share them with others, hence the progression from raver/dancer to Dj.

Some people want to dj to be popular, others to get chicks, others to make some spare cash and so on. My point is that if your not looking to do it for the long term, or aren't sure that you want to do it for the long term, and for those who don't want to spend 6 months or more saving for a decent set of tables, top-of-the-line tables are not, in fact, the way to go. Don't get me wrong, I would never suggest that someone get a belt-drive to dj, but then again, if they did research (ie search button :haha, they would know that themselves. There are some middle and low-end tables that are a good choice for beginers. If they decide to keep with it, then they can save for 6 more months etc and still have equipment to play with in the meantime. Sure it may be "wasting" money, but that is like saying, don't bother getting a home that you can afford. Just save until you can afford to buy the million dollar house that you really want.

In this same analogy, you can build equity in your earlier homes so that you can later on figure out WHY you want that million dollar home, and so that you will appreciate the value in it when you get it. You build equity in your dj equipment too. I'm not reffering to monetary equity--people expect used equipment, not matter what brand, to be discounted unless there is a supply problem. The equity I am reffering to is the knowledge of what goes into making a good dj system good. If you started out with the best, then how would you know that mixers that don't have individual channel volume LEDs make it much harder to dj with and volume match. If you started out with the best, then how would you know that a table with x g/cm of torque isn't enough--unless you have used it before.

Would it make sense to buy crappy tables after you get all of your top-of-the-line equipment? No. So on your way up there, use as much equipment as you can afford to get experienced and know what you really want in your next mixer, TT, CD deck, heaphones, cartrige, etc. And as always, unless you are going with something increadible wide-spread, like a technics table or pretty much anything from Pioneer, then make sure that you test it out to feel if it is quality enough to spend your money on.

quote:

Originally posted by Dj Flesch Another point is that not everyone that wants to dj wants to dj for the same reasons that I do/most of those here do. I do it because I am addicted to trance. My fiance is quickly starting to hate it because that is all I ever listen to. I can listen to good tracks endlessly and love trance more in the end. I want to share those tracks that I find that wow me and share them with others, hence the progression from raver/dancer to Dj. Some people want to dj to be popular, others to get chicks, others to make some spare cash and so on. My point is that if your not looking to do it for the long term, or aren't sure that you want to do it for the long term, and for those who don't want to spend 6 months or more saving for a decent set of tables, top-of-the-line tables are not, in fact, the way to go. Don't get me wrong, I would never suggest that someone get a belt-drive to dj, but then again, if they did research (ie search button :haha, they would know that themselves. There are some middle and low-end tables that are a good choice for beginers. If they decide to keep with it, then they can save for 6 more months etc and still have equipment to play with in the meantime. Sure it may be "wasting" money, but that is like saying, don't bother getting a home that you can afford. Just save until you can afford to buy the million dollar house that you really want.

i wanted to be popular, but i dont think ill make it, if i do lucky me then i guess.

quote:

Originally posted by Dj Flesch JohnSmith, I've seen your reply to this type of thread several times, and while I agree to the point that you should get quality equipment right off the bat, the reality is that is not what this person asked for and probably because he can't afford it. Once/If we get a budget from DjFable here, then let us direct him to a decent pair of tables in that price. Belt driven ones do suck, but hey, obviously there is a market for them or companies wouldn't sell them--and if that is absolutely the only thing that he can afford, then well...

well, not sure if the whole thing was directed at me, or just this paragraph but i will answer to it.

i think i have structured my "whytogettechs.txt" file quite nicely. I lay out the reasons that getting technics, while expensive, actually ends up more economical in the end.

the simple fact of the matter is, if you can't afford to get technics, then that's all the more reason to keep saving them. because if you don't you'll end up losing your money either way.

i also point out that there are other options besides technics, but to NEVER get belt drive tables for DJing with. Yes, there is a market out there, it's for SUCKERS who fall for marketing hype. And i like to try to educate people so they won't be suckers.

The way i look at it, if you don't have $400 each to drop on turntables then you can't afford to be DJing. keep saving, practice on your computer, use your buddies decks, whatever, just don't blow what little resources you have on decks that are gonna either get sold when you outgrow them cuz they suck, or when you outgrow them cuz you hate DJing. either way, your losing your money.

but anyway, just my opinion, and i want to say, i respect your posts, and they way you put things flesch. I DJ for the same reasons as you, and my girlfriend likes the trance even more now!

The Stanton ST-100's are actually prety nice. That's what I have. I tried them next to some Tec 12's and they have just as much torque, and they have more features. If you're on a budget and dont ever plan on spending a lot for 1200's, i recomend the ST-100's. The ST-100's have an "S" shaped tone arm like the 1200's, or you can get the Stanton STR8-100's which have a straight tone arm.

Yo Man., technics all the way..

quote:

Originally posted by JohnSmith well, not sure if the whole thing was directed at me, or just this paragraph but i will answer to it. i think i have structured my "whytogettechs.txt" file quite nicely. I lay out the reasons that getting technics, while expensive, actually ends up more economical in the end. the simple fact of the matter is, if you can't afford to get technics, then that's all the more reason to keep saving them. because if you don't you'll end up losing your money either way. i also point out that there are other options besides technics, but to NEVER get belt drive tables for DJing with. Yes, there is a market out there, it's for SUCKERS who fall for marketing hype. And i like to try to educate people so they won't be suckers. The way i look at it, if you don't have $400 each to drop on turntables then you can't afford to be DJing. keep saving, practice on your computer, use your buddies decks, whatever, just don't blow what little resources you have on decks that are gonna either get sold when you outgrow them cuz they suck, or when you outgrow them cuz you hate DJing. either way, your losing your money. but anyway, just my opinion, and i want to say, i respect your posts, and they way you put things flesch. I DJ for the same reasons as you, and my girlfriend likes the trance even more now!

John, I only directed part of that post at you because you have the most sound arguement out of any of the posts on why to buy the best from the get go. Don't get me wrong, I agree with you (and didn't mean to offend), but then again, I also don't have a problem saving for this stuff and buying crap loads of music too

My whole point though, is that if you can arrive to the decision that you don't want to be a dj quicker and cheaper, then for those who really aren't sure if they will like it, I think that is a more practical way to go about it. Well, actually, I think that going the vinyl route isn't practical unless you are pretty sure that you want to stick with it. Of course you can see where this is leading...the cost of music.

Buying vinyl will fairly quickly outpace the cost of your equipment. I currently have 97 vinyls and at the average cost of $12 each, I've spend $1164 on vinyl--all in about a year's or less time. Compare this to the $1850 or so that I spent on my setup, at the time (depreciation has brought the current price down to about $1600) and the vinyl collection that I've got will very soon outprice the equipment that I have.

I do agree with your statement, if you can't afford good equipment, then you can't afford to dj, as long as you are refering to vinyl djs. CD Djs can buy cds that contain a LOT of unmixed tracks. Even with trance, the ZYX label has a ton of unmixed compilations, several of which I own. There are even a number of tracks on there that are pretty decent. Also, most clubs have their own collection of cds from which the resident djs construct their sets. And if you don't need tracks that are "unmixed", then you can use any cd that you have, mixed or unmixed if you use the "cut" style of mixing that most non-4/4 pop requires that you do.

Anyway, my whole point was that there are some situations which do require advice other than "buy techs, the rUlE mAn!!" (not intended at your arguement ). He asked for advise, you did a good job of giving him ADVISE, I ment most of the post towards those who state no advise at all and just say "Yo Man., technics all the way..."

How does that help to inform him WHY he should by techs?

i agree, i get annoyed at noobs saying "yo techs all the way" too, which is why i wrote my whytogettechs.txt file.

as for cost of music, i agree on that too. but, i think a lot of CDJs are simply stealing their music too.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnSmith i think a lot of CDJs are simply stealing their music too.

they do, tho generally less than mp3 djs

quote:

Originally posted by JohnSmith i agree, i get annoyed at noobs saying "yo techs all the way" too, which is why i wrote my whytogettechs.txt file. as for cost of music, i agree on that too. but, i think a lot of CDJs are simply stealing their music too.

i dont, i buy mine. i have some mp3's, but most of my cd's ive brought them.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnSmith i think a lot of CDJs are simply stealing their music too.

That's a pretty generalized, non-fact based comment. I buy a lot of cd's, sure i've got some mp3's on cd, but I will never play them outside my room (I play vinyl too by the way)

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