Qualities of a DJ Turntable
Today's version of a turntable is nowhere near its predecessor, which is the gramophone. A gramophone is a device that produces sounds through large, trombone-like equipment. In this modern time and age, a turntable can produce any kind of music that a DJ decides to play using high-end equipment.
A turntable is the most important tool that every disc jockey must have. Such equipment is used for beat mixing, which involves pitch adjustment to match the tempo of two identical tracks. The DJ listens to another track on his headphones and compares it to the one that is currently playing.
There are many brands to choose from and knowing the qualities of a reliable turntable can make all the difference in the world.
Basically, there are two types of turntables: the direct drive and the belt drive. Direct drives are far superior to belt drives, but are more expensive than the latter. Torque is the strength of the platter's drive. The more torque in the turntable, the better, as it makes start-ups faster, while allowing more precise changes in the mix. Once the DJ reaches a certain level of torque, the limiting factor becomes his skill at mixing. Most turntables allow the DJ to adjust track tempos through the speed of the platter. Straight tone arms are better than others when it comes to scratching as its needles tend to jump less. However, there are S-shaped tone arms that do not jump when you place superior-condition needles on them.
