Does A Dj Need A Turntable Or Is It Just A Load Of Crap Used To Promote Sales

The universe of the DJ like all else has shifted with progress. In early DJ history a DJ would make his presence known at a gig with several turntables, mixing board, a stack of of vinyl disks and a sound system. It took lots of ability to cue up the tunes to just the correct spot and set everything to grove together in just the right fashion. Now a DJ can show up with a basic set up like a laptop and an amplifier and speakers. All the tunes are located on the disk drive and you can make playlists on the software of your choosing. So why would a DJ use a turntable in this day and age anyway?

Believe it or not, a turntable is indispensible for several of reasons. First the new USB turntables allow you to take all your aged vinyl and maintain it eternally (all most) on compact disk. Second, there is a certain sound to old vinyl that is really cool. CD's just don't make that sound. Third, the modern USB tuntables let you to route the turntable through your computer and apply all manner of cool digital effects to change your vinyl in real time.



There are many good companies that make turntables fit for DJ productions. One of the more valued is Audio Technica. Like many modern USB turntables, the Audio Technica AT-LP120 is especially useful. Here's why. The Audio-Technica AT-LP120 is a high quality turntable produced with DJ's and music enthusiasts in mind. It comes with a built in stereo preamp that makes a specialized audio tuner unnecessary. This makes the AT-LP120 ideal for routing directly into a mixing console or the computer. Stereo line level set-ups (such as a computer) do need an RCA y-connector (included). The unit may of course be patched into a higher quality external phono preamp for a higher fidelity sound. The AT-LP120's tone arm includes settings for height, weight, and antishake. It also fastens for safety during transport making it easy to take on the road. Precise rotating rpml is regulated by a DC servo mechanism which operates at 33-1/3, 45, or 78 rpm. This is topped off by quartz maintained pitch lock. All this adds up to a sound that is noticably better than you have ever detected from your vinyl records. DJ's will appreciate the pitch control function and the stylus aiming beam for queuing. Get truely original with the forward and reverse play. Remote start and stop lets you to incorporate the AT-LP120 with multiple DJ toys. And it retails for a great price. You can usually obtain them for around $200. Most modern USB turntables offer similar features with differences according to price. More information on the Audio-Technica AT-LP120 and other products can be found here.