ARTICLE
Best DJ Turntables for Spinning and Scratching
T urntables are the essence of DJ-ing! Although digital media players now reign supreme in the DJ booths of most clubs and festivals, many DJs still maintain their vinyl collection and prefer spinning and scratching on real turntables. Here’s our list of some of the best DJ turntables available today. QUICK FACTS: DJ TURNTABLES DJ turntables are still an important tool for many DJs. But what makes a good DJ turntable? One indispensable feature is pitch control for manipulating the tempo (BPM) of the playing record. In addition to this, the turntable should start and stop very quickly. Furthermore, when “nudging” and slowing down the record (important to keep the beat), you must be able to maintain full control over the vinyl. In DJng, it is very important that the record continues to play smoothly after it is held and then released.
Good DJ turntables are direct-drive (the motor directly drives the shaft) and maintain the selected RPM very accurately. Some models have a curved tonearm, while others feature a straight one. The shape of the tonearm determines which type of cartridge and needle must be used. Mixing DJs usually prefer turntables with curved tonearms, while scratch DJs often swear by straight arms. In order for the needle to sit firmly in the groove, you need to be able to precisely adjust the counterweight on the tonearm. “Antiskating” is also important in this context – a counterforce that depends on the tonearm position. For techniques such as scratching, it’s essential that the needle doesn’t skip! Low frequencies and resonances also shouldn’t affect the needle and the tonearm too much.
Good stability is another requirement for a DJ turntable. The feet should have good shock absorption and ideally be height-adjustable. Some DJ turntables offer a built-in phono preamp and thus directly provide a line-level output signal.
sound press | May 2023
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