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Belt or Direct drive? (pg. 2)
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| Dj Flesch |
this is an excert from an old post of mine:
In short direct-drive (dd) is better for djing over belt-drive (bd).
Direct Drive works via a motor sitting directly underneath the spindle and spins the platter. The motor uses magnets to turn the platter and because of this, you don't have any parts of the motor directly touching the platter. You'll see dd TTs advertising brushless motors, which is what the magnetic "brushes" are all about--not brushing up against the platter. This results in lower amounts of background noise friction and slipping, compared to bd. One con of a dd system is that it costs much more to manufacture and because of this, all dd systems will be considerably more than even the best bd TTs (if there is such a thing!). More pros of a dd TT is that it provides better wow and flutter. Wow is the slow variation in the pitch of a sound reproduction resulting from variations in the speed of the TT platter. Flutter is the rapid variation in the pitch of a sound, again resulting from the variable speed of the turntable. The lower these number the better, in general. The root of the reason dd motors are better at maintaining a constant velocity is because they are not physically attached to the platter. A platter that is connected to the motor via a belt, hence belt-driven, has to deal with the materials of the belt stretching, compressing and wearing out in some places faster than others. A dd doesn't have to deal with any of this because it regulated electricity to provide an incredibly constant magnetic field, which turns the platter. There is no wear, no stretching, no compression, because there is no contact! The greater % of pitch adjust available on the table will increase the wow and flutter also. The Numark TTX1 for instance, has a higher wow and flutter rating over the Technics 1200, but the TTX1 can have a pitch adjustment of up to +/- 50%, where as the 1200 has +/- 8% (or up to 10%, I think, if you modify the internal set screw). The more versatile motor isn't quite as constant because it has to be able to maintain accuracy at a much much higher range of velocities.
Since the dd motors are made with better parts and more power, they also come with more torque. Torque is the force that is applied to you axle in your car from the rotation of your engine. This force turns the axle and hence the wheels, which results in horsepower. This is basically the same with a TT, though since there is no forward motion, there is only torque and not HP. The greater the torque, the quicker and more accurate your motor can start up and maintain its velocity, and hence the platter and your record! Note that torque is only important in maintaining a constant velocity and not keep a platter at a constant velocity. I know this statement is confusing, so for further clarity, think of it this way: Torque is very important in getting the platter back to its intended velocity when changes in velocity occur. Once it is at the intended velocity, there is much less torque applied to the motor to keep it there versus having to accelerate the platter. Torque is a good thing because you don't want to release your record on a particular beat and then have to wait for your TT to come up to speed. You want it to come up to speed very very quickly so that your two records are very close to being beatmatched as soon as you release your record! These are the main benefits of a dd TT, and they definitely warrant spending the extra money if you will be using the TTs for djing.
Bd TTs do have one main advantage over dd tables. That advantage is price! If you want a decent table to use to record all of your vinyl onto your computer and then transfer all of those tracks to CD, then bd isn't a bad choice if you are on a budget. Dd is still better due to the wow and flutter rating, though this eliminates the need for more torque because you will let the table come up to speed before the track actually starts playing and you won't be adjusting the speed during playback. Budget constraints should be the only reason you get a bd TT though, unless you don't plan on Djing with it or using it for HIFI recording--the most consistently piece of advice that I've seen from those who have bought bd TTs for djing, is that they regret buying them due to their inability to maintain a constant speed--hence you can't beatmatch effectively. If you are sure that you want to DJ, then save up for good tables. You can even go with a really cheap mixer to start, then upgrade that later, though I'm sure you'll find that it will be hard to save money once you get addicted to buying vinyl--everyone does Decent dd TTs are a must if you want to stick with Djing, otherwise you will just get frustrated in your investment and the inability of your investment to give a good return. |
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| DJ Mil0 |
| yawn what he said^^ |
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| Vero |
seriously, why do they still make belt drive tables? technics still makes one. WTF?
P.S. I love my technics 1200s |
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| `pr0digy |
| quote: | Originally posted by Vero
seriously, why do they still make belt drive tables? technics still makes one. WTF?
P.S. I love my technics 1200s |
Not everyone who buys a deck wants to be a DJ... /me points at all the old guys playing their records. |
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| T:REBEL |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJ1MK
The 1200s are arguably the best decks. However, it all comes down to a matter of preference. The Numark TTX1 and the Technics 1200 are the top tables available and some like the techs, others like the numarks. |
I second that. |
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| T:REBEL |
Basically, it comes down to this:
[ BELT-DRIVE vs. DIRECT-DRIVE ]
BELT DRIVE decks have a rubberband connected to the motor. Direct turntables have a motor fixed directly under the platter. The motor drives the platter directly; there is no need for a belt. The main advantage of direct drive is that the pick up time or the speed required is much faster. The increase in response when changing the pitch is another advantage; it is quite essential for beat matching.
The bottom line is this:
Everyone is always saying, you gotta get the best stuff. It's true, but if you're on a budget and aspiring to become a DJ, just get what you can. You gotta appreciate what you have. Practice and get the feel for it. Later on, you can upgrade and show off what you've learned. |
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| razzi |
| quote: | Originally posted by T:REBEL
Everyone is always saying, you gotta get the best stuff. It's true, but if you're on a budget and aspiring to become a DJ, just get what you can. You gotta appreciate what you have. Practice and get the feel for it. Later on, you can upgrade and show off what you've learned. |
totally agree, but seriously dont get belt drive. stanton offers great packages for new djs if you dont have the $$$. thats what i did, started with the platinum pak. they have the new titanium pak, and that is a great deal for the equip you get. if you have to start on a budget, then do it with some decent tables at least. DD all the way, EVEN for just listening to records. |
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| vaes |
| I use 2 belt drives and when i'm doing a backspin sometimes when I push to hard on my record you can hear the belt protesting and making an awfull noise. you can hear this noise also on your mix then . so whatch out with those backspins |
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| Tiger777 |
| Power is one reason not to go for belt driven tt's. The main reason is that their pitch isn't solid AT ALL. There is no discution about belt driven TT's or direct driven TT's. Belt's aren't suitable for dj'ing. |
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| DJ Kibon |
| quote: | Originally posted by `pr0digy
Not everyone who buys a deck wants to be a DJ... /me points at all the old guys playing their records. |
I walked into a Sony store a couple of weeks ago, and noticed that they had a turntable on display.
I took one look at it and started laughing, it was a crummy piece of compared to the Technics that I am now used to. Of course, the Sony was also approx $200. |
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| Dj_Psygnosis |
What a stupid question IMO...
Direct is obviously better quality..
They don't even make Belt anymore do they??? |
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| djjasonb |
Depends what budget youre on really.
After starting off in 98 on belt driven ones and fidning it aboslute murder I'd say no matter how cheap and tempting the belt drive ones look don't give in to them! get directd rives from the off.
Altho if you can get good on belt drives dierct drives will be a piece of p compared. |
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