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New member Username: A_dam60Post Number: 1 Registered: May-06 | Hi, I have some vinyl that I haven't listened to for years. I want to record it on to my PC and have borrowed a Technics turntable off a friend but I've heard from several people that the sound quality is rubbish compared to other turntables. can anyone tell me if this true? Are the cheaper turntables from Rega and Pro-Ject better than a Technics? How much do I need to spend to get decent sound? I'm recording it through an Arcam Alpha 9 and an MAudio soundcard. Thanks for any advice |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 8470 Registered: May-04 | Like anything else in audio, good sound is all about perception. And far too many people are willing to make assessments of products they've never heard or to lump all products from one manufacturer into the same group. Technic's history of turntables is quite eratic and some of their tables are junk and some offer not bad sound for the money. Somewhat, it depends on what qualities are most important to any one listener. The direct drive tables are excellent for someone with pitch problems. If you are sensitive to the variations of pitch that some tables suffer with, then a Technics might be the answer. However, the tonearms on most Technics tables are poor and can't easily be changed out. Belt drive is the most accepted way to propel a platter today. A Rega or similar table will stand you in good stead for many years. If the choice is between a Rega, new or used, and a Technics, unless you require the more accurate speed control of the Technics, I'd go with the belt drive table. You need to spend as much as a used Rega will cost, if you are serious about vinyl. Otherwise, for the ocassional LP ride, try finding a used AR or Dual. |
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Bronze Member Username: RavbainsMelbourneAustralia Post Number: 71 Registered: Mar-06 | IMHO, the Technics SL1200 is a very good turntable for its price, which has remained pretty much constant down the years. So nowadays I think it represents a great deal of value. Also Origin Live make a armboard for the SL1200, which allows you to fit a Rega arm to the SL1200. But as Jan states, whether you will in fact like the Technics is another matter. How much you need to spend is subjective, some people are happy with a Project Debut, whilst others are still not at ease with a Rockport Sirius III. You need to find a good dealer who can demonstrate different tables at various price points. This is the only way to go. The very best of luck, please let us know how you get on. -cheers Rav |
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New member Username: AnubisBirmingham, West Midlands England Post Number: 2 Registered: May-06 | For what it's worth, I get the impression that Technics make products more suited to the DJ. Correct me if I'm wrong here. To me, many of them look and feel to be very robust - which I guess would be a must if it's being used 4hrs a night every single night for about a decade! I'm not so sure they are the kind of thing a vinyl purist would favour while busy sitting, wearing a hole in the sofa to the intricacies of classical music - but then I'm probably just qouting popular opinions here. Anubis |
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Silver Member Username: RavbainsMelbourneAustralia Post Number: 113 Registered: Mar-06 | Hi Ade, well in fact I think it is the other way round. The now 'iconic' DJ deck the SL-1200 was designed by Technics for home use initially, but was adopted by the DJ crowd due to its robust drive mechanism. IMHO for it's new price the SL1200 is very good value these days, and is a good introduction to someone wanting a pain free start to vinyl listening. I have always had a soft spot for the SL1200, because I have always wanted one since I was a kid (still don't have one!). But I have noticed that now that the Linn/Rega dogma is not as strong as it was in the 80s, very recently people are starting to acknowledge the SL1200 for the fine deck that it is. Some nice reading below: http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/technics_sl1200_e.html http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?ranlg&1093010514&read&3&4& cheers Rav (a LP12 owner!) |
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New member Username: MdmaPost Number: 1 Registered: Jun-06 | I am a dj and happen to use a pair of SL-1210's. These are the industry standard as far as dj turntables are concerned. They are often described as indestructible based on their 30 year track record in clubs around the world. I don't know if you've ever seen a 'turntablist' at work but they are demanding on their instruments to say the least. With the correct set up these decks can also sound excellent. However they fall ever so slightly short of comparing with the an audiophile turntable. These more delicate decks can drop 'bullet proof' from their design brief, giving way to a better result in final sound production. Back to the topic; I do exactly what are inquiring about almost daily. I record most of my practise sessions on my laptop so as to listen for mistakes later. I use Sound Forge on a Sony Vaio laptop with SL-1210M5G decks and find the results quite good. Just don't be a scrooge with the bit rate if converting from wav ;-) |
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Bronze Member Username: DamncrappyplasmaPost Number: 11 Registered: Jul-06 | I would recommend the Technics SL-1200MK family to anyone who wants a ruggedly built, great sounding turntable for either dj'ing or just listening. You might not need the MK4 or MK5 because they have certain modifications to the pitch control that are only really needed if you are a dj, but the MK2 or MK1 ($400-$500 used) would be fine for 'hands off' listening. I have owned 3 1200's for the past 12 years and they work like swiss watches. The first one I bought was apparently bought by the original owner in the 80's and it still works flawlessly to this day. The only thing I did was invest in good cartridges and upgrade the RCA's in them. Put it this way: There was an old school battle dj who used to do a one arm, break dance hand stand on a 1200 and spin around. Try doing that with other turntable models. |