I upgraded to these decks from a pair of Numark TT1650s....and wow what a decision!!
The first thing that hits you about these decks is their weight - they are heavy beasts. This certainally makes them feels the part. It might make moving them around a little more difficult, but its a small price to pay. The weight helps to keep them really stable a gives your vinyl a secure base to play on. The weight is mainly due to two reasons, firstly the steel casing which makes the unit really sturdy. Secondly the motor. These decks have the highest torque I've come across. The higher the torque (for those of you that don't know) the higher the force needed to stop the platter (the circular base you put the vinyl on) from turning. This is important when mixing since you are always touching the record, and don't want the base below to stop turning each time you do. This is probably the best feature with the decks, and may take some getting used to if, like me, you are used to a pair with much lower torque.
The decks have loads of other features on board. The start/stop buttons are well made and are responsive to use. There are two of these on top and bottom of the deck.
Just above the start/stop buttons
is a dial. Each one controls either the start up time, or the braking time. These allow you to control how long it takes for the decks to reach speed when starting, or how long it takes for the record to fully stop spinning after pressing stop. This can give good effects at the start of end of a tune.
In between the two start/stop buttons is a deck reverse button, allowing you make the platter spin in the reverse direction.
The platters themselves are made from metal, and have an 'anti-drag' design, helping further the results of the high torque.
At 5 o'clock (if you look at the platter as a clock!) there is the target light. The idea of this is to help you see cue points etc in the dark. The light on this model emitts a blue light which I haven't got on wonderfully well with. I find the light a little dim and can't actually see very much using it. It may be that the light on my previous decks was very bright? This would probably be my first area of improvement for the decks.
Alongside the target light are four buttons. The first two allow you select the speed of the deck - either 33, 45, or by pressing them both together 78.
The next button along is the key lock button. This allows you to lock the key of the music when adjusting the pitch control on the deck, i.e if you speed up the record vocals don't become squeeky or if you slow down the record vocal don't become deep and slury. This makes any mix sound a bit more professional. This feature can only be used when the line output is used.
The final button is the quartz lock button, which allows the pitch to be locked at 0% no matter where the pitch control is.
The pitch fader itself is very well built, and it certainally doesn't feel as though it will break any time soon. It is 'dampened' so doesn't go flying with a small knock. The pitch can be controlled to adjust the speed of the record to anything between +/- 8% to +/- 50%. This is great as it allows you to mix in any tune and genre (as long as your mixing abilities allow you!). The current speed is displayed on the blue lcd screen, which looks great.
The screen shows information such as the current pitch speed, the platter speed (ie 33, 45 or 78), whether key lock is on, and has an outline that spins in relation to the platter telling you which way it is turning and how quickly! This screen is also used to set the start and brake time as mentioned before, on a scale of 1 to 10.
The deck also feature a bmp counter, with the result being shown on the lcd screen. I haven't really used this myself, but it seems to be pretty acurate whenever I've fiddled with it. This could be really useful if you are starting on with mixing, or have been used to one before.
The deck comes with interchangeable tonearms - straight and s shaped. These screw on and are very secure. The whole thing is metal and has a good quality counterweight at the back.
The power light is located at 1 o'clock and has a blue light surrounding it.
Another amazing feature with these decks is that they can also be used in the battle position. This is when the deck is turned 90 degrees anti-clockwise, to help with scratching, or even if you haven't got much room. The pitch fader and row of buttons can be swapped around, and the lcd display rotates too. This is a nice finishing touch.
Underneath the decks at the back are the connections. The area is illuminated by a small light which aids any adjustments should you be making them in the dark! There is no need for an earth cable with these decks since they are already earthed. This is handy and helps simplify connecting them. There is then the choice of using the standard phono out (which will require and extra amplification stage), or the line out. The line out contains an already amped signal, so they could be plugged straight into a speaker etc. This is also the output you need to use if you want to take advantage of the key lock feature.
I have not been anything other than amazed with these decks. The build quality is fantastic, they look amazing, and are packed with features. They are built to a very high standard and I get the impression that it would take a lot to bust them. The blue lighting makes them look the business in the dark, and even switched off they look mean. Believe it or not I have also found my mixing skills to have improved since using them. This is due to the higher torque of the motor, and having a much more precise pitch control fader. Being able to see on the lcd screen what effect the little adjustment you made has makes a world of difference.
If you DJ then I fully recommend you to get these. What about the good old Technics? I personally think these look better, they have a higher torque, and many more features. If that doesn't make your mind up then I don't know what will!!
The only negative side I can think of with these decks is that the target light is quite dim as I said before. But this can always be changed no problem!!
These are the decks to own!
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