Re: (idm) turntables

From rbc3
Sent Sun, Apr 26th 1998, 01:13

Britton-James wrote:
> 
> I'm looking for a Technics or a Gemini turntable. Anyone know the
> cheapest sources for these?

I'd stay away from the Gemini turntables.  The last time I used them,
they worked like shit.  I apologize for offending any devote Gemini
users, but they were complete trash.  They had no torque which caused
them to be EXTREMELY sensitive to your hand when touching them.  This is
extremely bad during a mix as you can hear the records spinning up or
down even when barely touching them.

I've recently fiddled with a pair of Vestax tables.  They were actually
not bad.  If you're looking for an inexpensive replacement of the
Technics, then I'd suggest these (even though it pains me to think
anyone would use anything but Technics for DJing).  If you're planning
on doing any tricks like scratching, or like the classic spindown effect
you get from hitting the start/stop button on the Technics tables, they
are irreplaceable!

On that note.  Look in your local free trade paper.  In San Diego we
have the Reader which comes out every Thursday and is free.  It's a
pretty cool local free weekly paper and it contains classified adds. 
That's the BEST way to find DJ equipment for a reasonable price.  It
takes some time and persistence to get what you want if you're as picky
as I am, but with patience you can find a pretty good deal.  Make sure
you check out the tables THOROUGHLY when buying used.  Check the
start/stop button for flaky behavior.  Make sure the pitch adjust works
well.  Make sure the Quartz lock is working.  Check the tone arm and
make sure it hasn't been abused.  Check all the cables to make sure they
work properly (esp. the ground cable).  Don't worry about the needle. 
You should ALWAYS buy a NEW stylus and cartridge if buying a used
table.  You never know what kind of use the table has had.

One last comment: ORTOFON!  Wouldn't buy ANY other cartridge! Even the
Stanton rep. told my best friend (a DJ and record store owner) that the
Ortofon cartridges were better than theirs (Stanton's).

So there you have it.  Oh, and expect to pay around $250-$300 for a used
Technics in good shape, unless you get lucky.

good luck

-rbcIII robot