You may think that when looking across the information on the site that technology has taken over the DJ scene completely. While this may be true for the most part, as DJ’s we need to remember our roots. The most basic DJ setup, and one that still functions well to this day, is the classic turntable and mixer setup.
It can’t be argued that a classic vinyl record will always have a sound quality which is a notch up from anything an MP3 player or CD can ever provide. The DJ revolution started on vinyl turntables and to this day it is still a functional way to play a rocking DJ set.
The anatomy of a turntable is simple. A spinning platter in the center provides a constant speed for a record to spin upon. The turntable arm extends out, holding the needle on the end. This needle is placed upon the record and as the record spins, the audio is routed out through RCA cables.
Turntables are being phased out. In 2010 the king of DJ turntables died as Technics stopped production on the beloved SL-1200 direct drive turntable which it began manufacturing in 1972. You can still buy modern turntables and with the introduction of timecoded vinyl you can control your favorite DJ software and maintain the classic feel of mixing records.
