Electronic music has become increasingly popular as time has gone by. The DJ is usually the center of the concert and, in recent years, there has been greater interest in becoming a DJ. A DJ’s turntable is one of the most important parts of their equipment.
The turntable is not a new phenomenon but it is still used by most DJ’s. So, to get you started, you need to get a turntable. In this guide, I will tell you everything you need to look for when buying a DJ turntable.
Top 5 Best DJ Turntables
We have tested over 40 DJ turntables and we will now show you our 5 test winners. The test winners are in different price ranges so we will show you both cheap and expensive products. They are all, however, excellent quality.
Best DJ turntable for beginners
Best DJ turntable for intermediate and advanced
Best DJ turntables under 300
What is a DJ Turntable?
The DJ turntable dates back to the hip hop scene of the 1990s. Here, for the first time, turntables took over and ‘scratching’ began to be used. Scratching is a technique where you move an LP/vinyl record back and forth to create a special sound effect. In addition to this, you also would have had two turntables running at one time, which made it possible to switch from one song to another.
Since the 1990s, however, much has happened within the DJ world and with turntables. Many have now switched from analogue to digital turntables, or use a mix of both at the same time. This means that music is nowadays recorded in advance as „tracks” digitally on a computer or directly on the turntables. Previously, it was, of course, an LP that the music was recorded on. With digital turntables, the turntable has a round plate that acts as a dummy LP; a DJ can scratch on this as if there was a real LP.
Over the years, several other functions have been added. One of these functions is how you can now switch between tempo on the songs on the actual turntable. Also, sound level, treble and bass and much more can be controlled directly from the turntable. It is also often the case that the DJ has recorded his mix in advance in a program from a computer connected to the turntable. In this case, the DJ uses only the turntable as a mix station and to scratch, and not to be creative with the number design. The possibilities are many and it is up to the artist himself how to make it work best and in the most artistic way. None of these ways are more accurate or wrong.
Well-known DJ brands
It is important to buy a turntable from a proper brand. This way you are assured of high quality. We can recommend Reloop, Pioneer, Denon, Numark and Technics.
Technics turntable
Technics is the most well-known DJ record player brand. The Technics 1200 series has been the world’s most popular DJ turntable since the 1970s. Over the years, it has been further developed and now costs around 1300 dollars new. In recent years, Technics has been exposed to competition from other brands such as Reloop, Pioneer, Denon and Numark, who make very good turntables that are much cheaper.
Reloop Turntable
Reloop is also a well-known Dj brand. Our biggest recommendation goes to Reloop, because their turntables do not cost the tip of a jet hunter. And at the same time you get an extremely high quality.
DJ Turntable buying guide
The best turntables, as well as the original analogs that are becoming more and more popular again, can cost well over 1200 dollars. There are few who can afford or actually need a set-up like that and, at the same time, there are many good and cheaper alternatives around today. Of course, many of them are not as hardy and of the same quality, but you get what you pay for. First, it is important to focus on some of the aspects that are vital to a DJ.
2 types of engines
There are two types of engines. There is the one that is connected directly to the plate. This ensures that it spins quickly and painlessly. The other is the „belt” engine. It is not directly connected to the plate, but they are connected by a belt from the motor and the plate. This means that the revolutions are slower and the tempo may change. So no matter what the company sells it says, never go for a turntable where the engine is connected by a belt. A belt engine can mean, as I said, a loss of rotation speed. Having reliable rotation is absolutely essential for a DJ and, in the worst case, it would mean that your entire performance is destroyed. In addition (if we’re talking about an analogue record player) you can move the LP backwards without destroying the turntable, when you’re using a turntable where the motor is directly connected.
Manual or automatic pickup
Another small thing is, if you choose an old-fashioned turntable, which is quite popular at the moment, you have to choose whether you want a turntable that has a manual or automatic pickup system.
The manual function ensures that you can control where you want to start the piece of music/song. The downside, however, is that you have to spend time changing, which may be time you don’t have when playing a hectic gig.
The automatic function, on the other hand, is smart when it, as its name suggests, automatically changes. The problem here is that you need to set where and when it should change. This can, of course, be done in advance but it takes time. There’s another problem in how you can’t be spontaneous with this kind of turntable, which makes it harder to use it creatively in the moment. Therefore, we recommend using a manual instead.
Other advice when buying a DJ turntable
Many people want to give DJing a go. It’s super cool! Fortunately, turntables are so cheap nowadays, and you can easily try it out without making a big loss financially.
The best advice I can give is that you should not be so afraid of getting started; especially with digital turntables as it all works digitally. If you choose analog instead, you have to make sure that the entire machinery works optimally and this can be harder to determine if you are novice/beginner. Therefore, it is recommended as a beginner to embark on a digital turntable – both because it is cheaper, easier to go to and more reliable. Here you can typically find many good turntables in the price range $150 to $750. They become a little more expensive if you want it to work directly with your computer, but it is entirely up to you, as you can easily do without. However, it is clear that there are several options with a computer connected, and so much more expensive it is not.
Looking at used equipment is also a great option, as many DJs often change to get the latest. This means that you can often get a turntable at a fraction of the original price, as it not brand new. It is the same concept as with all electronics, which we also know, for example, from the price of computers.
If you’re going to be a DJ, you also need some good DJ headphones. A good headset is a prerequisite for good results.
