Should I Buy A USB Turntable? Turntabling Reader Questions

Turntabling gets reader questions about vinyl, turntables, DJ gear and more, so it seems only right to answer them for all to see to spread the knowledge–or in this case, opinions–to help other people with the same issues.

One recent reader question came in asking about USB turntables. As in, “Should I buy a USB turntable?”

Transparency alert–I own nothing but USB turntables except for one or two consumer models like the one you see here to the left.

My current turntable of choice based on price, purpose, and performance is the Audio Technica AT-LP-120-USB. It’s got a pre-amp for DJing (which adds to the overall weight and heft of the damn thing), switchable output, variable tone control and other things I like.

Is it the BEST turntable out there? No, but it’s the one I currently own three of and I have no complaints. But back to the question. Why a USB turntable?

Well, for no other reason than that’s the way the industry is going. Yes, you certainly could avoid going USB if you reallllly wanted to, but most people seem ready and willing to digitize at least some portion of the vinyl collection and USB is the way to go for that, unless you really want to use those RCA plugs into an analog-in interface to your Mac or PC. Some desktops do have such interfaces built into the sound card…

I’m naturally biased in favor of the USB-in because let’s face it, if you’re going to MP3 anyway there’s a certain amount of audio loss you’re going to live with and if you’re really into audio fidelity, perhaps you should stick with listening to the vinyl records themselves.

There’s a lot to be said in favor of music portability.

SHOULD you buy a USB turntable? It depends, really. Is your old gear on its last legs? Or is your current gear functioning well? Are you happy with your current setup? If so, you could simply purchase a USB interface like the ones Numark makes to run RCA cable into a converter box with a USB out. These start at about $35-$50 and would be more cost effective than buying a new USB turntable in many cases.

Here’s one such Numark product

There’s a stereo line in plus a dedicated phono line in. You can also use this as a line OUT from your computer into a mixing board to run audio into a mix.

So if you are happy with your current setup, consider adding the converter box instead–there’s no need to shell out for another turntable unless you simply want one that will plug into a laptop or desktop PC apart from your stereo setup.

That’s my preferred method of converting–if I didn’t already own six turntables I’d purchase a separate one strictly for converting vinyl to MP3.

–Joe Wallace

PS. Ask YOUR question by leaving a comment or by e-mail: editor (at) turntabling (dot) net

Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol X1 USB DJ Controller

by Joe Wallace

I use Traktor in my studio as a sort of hybrid recording tool as well as DJ mixer. I like to pull samples from my own music, mash them up, resample and resequence them to create freakish new music out of my back catalog of weirdness.

I have a Numark Total DJ USB controller that I could use in all this, but I’m lazy and just mash the buttons on the Mac instead. But this Traktor controller could get me back off the laptop keyboard. I don’t own one…yet.

The Traktor Kontrol X1 USB DJ controller is right up my alley for one important reason–there are NO SCRATCHING CONTROLS on this thing. It’s purely for controlling the effects, the settings, the triggers, volume, etc.

This is bewildering to some of my DJ friends. But I cut my DJ teeth in FM radio where controls set up like this were in wide use–it’s a familiar configuration that has the linear approach the Numark Total DJ setup doesn’t.

Maybe it’s MY DAMAGE–I just like that vertical configuration better. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Numark…but it doesn’t make sense to my FM radio-trained DJ hands the way this one would.

Call me a wingnut. After all, you can get used to any gear setup if you play with it long enough. This just appeals to my aesthetics more, that’s all. I will say this though—I still don’t DJ exclusively in the digital realm. That’s one of the reasons why I like this configuration–I’m using three technologies at once, and the setup on the Traktor Kontrol conforms to the other stuff in my setup. When I buy this, rest assured there will be a test-drive here…

Numark Total Control MIDI DJ Mixer

I purchased the Numark Total Control MIDI DJ mixer to see whether MIDI would work for me in my studio setup. Turntabling is all about the vinyl, but I had some ideas for some bizarre dub experiments with high quality MP3s and lots of echo/reverb effects…and I must say, in spite of my early reservations, the Numark Total Control mixer did the trick, and then some.

According to the Numark hype for this DJ control surface, the unit’s 31 buttons, 20 knobs and 5 faders, “send MIDI data from the controller to your DJ software of choice” which in my case was an upgraded version of the included Numark Cue LE. If you purchase the Numark Total Control DJ mixer, I strongly suggest getting the CUE upgrade or better yet, paying for the upgraded Traktor software (a lite version comes with the Numark Total Control).

For new DJs, the most valuable thing about the Numark, aside from the tricks you can pull with the effects that are found in the upgraded versions of Traktor or Numark Cue software packages, is the fact that this DJ mixer is USB powered.

No, you can’t plug your iPhone into it, and you need the laptop and software to make the mixer work. But if you have a collection of high-quality MP3s (hopefully that you ripped from your vinyl collection, heh) encoded at good rates, this makes for a nice compact setup.

In the studio, I personally prefer a combination of vinyl, CD, and digital files, plus the hardware to run in case my computer setup chooses to crap out on me that day. I don’t gig with the Numark Total Control–there’s nothing at all wrong with it, just my personal preference. I’m a bit more old-school, I suppose, and I like the reliability of hardware….but if you want to go all-digital on a budget you could do a HELL of a lot worse than this. It’s a great starter kit for new DJs learning the ins and outs of spinning and earning money from it.

Mackie D4 Mixer

Once upon a time I edited and wrote features for a website called Gearwire.com. One of those features was on the Mackie D4 DJ production console. I talked on camera with Mackie rep Ronnal Ives, AKA DJ Buttnaked, about the Mackie D4 at a music industry trade show, NAMM 2007. Revisiting that video now (where the D4 was featured in a demo of  Mackie’s Traktion3 software),  I am tempted to pick up the D4 to integrate into my setup for Paisley Babylon, which goes back and forth between straight music production/performance and DJ sets.

The D4 connects to your Mac or PC via firewire, features Onyx mic pres, XLR outs, and sports four stereo program channels for your CD player, turntable, and FireWire inputs. The turntable inputs have Mackie-designed pres. It also comes with Traktion 3 software.

I’d love to hear from anyone who owns and uses the Mackie D4–drop a comment and let me know how you like it.
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DJ Skills: Mixing and Scratching

As much as I believe you can’t really impart what it takes to be a good DJ from a book, there are some people who insist that books like DJ Skils: Mixing and Scratching are helpful and useful to beginners. So while I can recommend a book like this to newcomers, I do so with the caveat that you really need to get some time behind the decks to learn the basics in practice, not just theory.

With that in mind, this book IS getting rave reviews. You have to recognize the ambition of a book that starts off discussing the earliest record player including the 1857 French invention of the phonoautograph and Edison’s 1877 invention of the wax cylinder phonograph.
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Numark Total Computer DJ in a Box

Aspiring latop DJs, take note…here’s a complete solution from controller to soundsystem interface--AND it’s priced to move. This starter kit is simple to learn–the Numark Total Control mixer is simple to learn. It uses Traktor LE, which is really all you need to get started learning the ropes. That said, be prepared to fork over the cash to upgrade to a full version of Traktor, as you’ll want the extra tools once you’ve mastered the basics.

I can’t vouch for the quality or lack thereof when it comes to the headphones–I only use Sony or Sennheisers. The DJ i/o box is designed to get your signal from the laptop or desktop (shudder) to a mixing board or PA system.

Your signal is run through RCA jacks into the soundboard…don’t expect XLRs out of this package, but again for those getting their feet wet in the DJ world (or DJ podcasting ) this is a nice compact package.

I strongly recommend you use a backup system including CDs and vinyl in case your computer setup tanks for any reason—including system crashes, hard drive failure and other gremlins that can jack up a gig. The Numark Total Computer DJ in a Box itself is quite reliable from my experience with the gear, but your computer’s hard drive may be another story. Don’t rely only on MP3s to get the job done, new DJs…you’ll live to regret it.

Surviving a Marathon DJ Gig

Ever struggled to keep a DJ set tight for six hours? It’s a DJ gig hell-ride, to be sure…but there are a few things you can do to survive a very long set, whether you’re spinning in a club, doing on-air DJ work or playing a party or wedding. I’ve done extended sets in just about every one of these situations–on the air, parties, you name it.

Naturally the setting you’re doing your DJ work in dictates a lot about how you manage a very long night, but there are a few specifics I’ve found apply no matter what. This ain’t a guide to how to make your DJ segues flow or how to keep the club jumping, this is more about keeping your body feeling as close to top form as you can get in hour number four, five and beyond.

Blood Sugar is a huge factor. When you load up with a lot of carbs, sugar or alcohol, the crash is coming, believe it. Your DJ set will be much better if you’ve packed a protein bar or two and keep some kind of carb control snack on hand that’s formulated to level out your blood sugar. You WILL feela difference. The second your energy starts flagging, don’t go for the Red Bull, try eating a small carb control snack or a few bites of a protein bar. Don’t eat the whole thing, try 1/4 of a bar at first and see how you feel.

Foot Fatigue isn’t always a factor in a club or a radio station, but if you’re DJing a wedding, chances are you’re standing on concrete or flimsy tile in those rec halls and reception centers. When I’m on the decks for an extended period, I make sure to pack a small area rug in my DJ equipment box. You can laugh if you want, but it delays the onset of foot fatigue and makes your entire gig much more comfortable.

Hearing Protection seems like a no-brainer to me, but I am shocked by the number of DJs who don’t wear hearing protection during their gigs. If you play longer than two hours you need this more than ever–prolonged exposure to high SPLs is a major occupational hazard for DJs and no club DJ or party spinner should ever play long sets without safeguarding the ears. It saves you in so many ways, but for me personally, a DJ set with hearing protection is much less stressful overall–I find extended high volumes physically draining without the earplugs.

Learn How To DJ With A Little Advice From Steve Albini

I haven’t posted much on the actual art or business of DJing here lately so I thought I’d pass along something to amuse. It started after reading Steve Albini’s rant against digital on an old CD copy of Rich Man’s Eight Track Tape. Albini wrote that in a few years, the compact disc would be unplayable on any equipment considered state-of-the-art and modern. It took a lot longer than Albini thought, but with the iPod and MP3 downloads ruling the market now, it turns out he was right in ways nobody expected. Not even him. But I babble…this was supposed to be a rant about DJing, wasn’t it?

I am constantly amused by all the Learn How to DJ websites I run across. I especially giggle at the sites that tell newcomers that they should invest in two turntables as part of their DJ rig as though that’s still standard, required equipment these days. It’s not that you can’t or shouldn’t expect to play vinyl as a professional DJ but every DJ interview you read these days says the same thing. “Vinyl is too heavy. I held out for a long, long time but finally switched to MacBook Pro and Serato.”

One thing I personally am in favor of is using the turntable to enhance your digital setup. You can go digital all day long, but sometimes you have the urge to whip out that old Laid Back “White Horse” 12 inch and mix it up with some Radioactive Goldfish. So why not buy yourself a Technics SL-1200 MK2 and get crazy with the cheese whiz?

When you learn how to DJ the first thing you discover is the gear isn’t going to make you spin any better. I’ve run four hour broadcasts using two clapped-out old decks with half-dead LED displays and played DJ sets using the most shameful home stereo craptacular setup you can imagine. What really matters is does the music sound good, loud enough and is it mixed well?

But I will say this–there is absolutely no replacement for actual, physical media at a club or party. When your laptop bites the dust at the last minute, or that hard drive crashes, or worse yet–your computer simply stops recognizing the hard drives you stored all your tunes on, you’ll be greatful for vinyl or CDs and the players to run ‘em on. Don’t overestimate your digital gear–one day it will take a nice big dirt nap on you when you need it most. Will you be ready to pick up the slack? Steve Albini is right–the future does belong to analog loyalists, even if only for those who were smart enough to pack some vinyl and a player for when their laptops quit working at the show.