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Lenco L-3867 USB
by rocky_jay
As a DJ, I used to use vinyl for my mixes and then started mixing with CD's so thought I would no longer have any use for my 12"'s and kept them in the garage for many years. I had a lot of rare 12" promos / imports too and always wondered if I would ever hear them again since getting rid of my twin turntables. So, earlier this ... year I bought a cheap, £40 turntable from my local shopping centre and the sound quality was awful so I took it back and got a refund. Then, whilst browsing on ebay, I came across this item for £35.99 (a few other sellers were selling it for over £60!), made by Lenco...a make I had never heard of in my life. But I thought I would chance it and see what it was like. I was not dissapointed. This was well worth the money!
To put it simply, this comes with a USB 2.0 connection and it has 2 playback speeds so it will let you convert music from 45 RPM vinyls and the old 33 RPM LP'S onto your pc. Its very lightweight and has a mini turntable which is semi-automatic. It also has automatic return when it comes to the end of a record, and automatic power-off. Its quite funny seeing the old needle in the arm of the player (takes me back a bit to a record player I had when I was about 5!). The good thing about this is that it has a pre-amplifier included so you can use the AUX connection, which is what I did many times. It also comes with software (Audacity) which is fairly easy to use (once you have used it once).
Now the basics - I didnt use the manual an awful lot with this - I found it easier to connect the turntable to the USB port of my PC and then I installed the Audacity software onto my pc then simply followed the instructions on the screen. Also, when the main screen loads up, make sure that it states your correct sound card in the drop down menu at the top of the page. Easy!
Basically, to record vinyl, you just play the record on the turntable and then in Audacity, you press the 'record' button when you're ready to start recording. During this process, you will see the level meters blinking to let you know that its recording. Whenever you want to stop the recording, you just click on the 'stop' button. Then, click on 'play' to play your recording back. Along with these, theres also a fair few tools you can use too - amongst them are things like selecting the range of audio you want to edit/listen to, change the volume over time, modify individual samples, Zooming in/out, slide tracks left or right, access all of these tools at once depending on the location of the mouse and the keys you are holding down, audio control buttons and a loop button so you can keep playing the selection over and over (fun!).
It also comes with a little, plastic adaptor for playing 45RPM records (like the old jukebox ones with the middle missing!).
The sound quality is not quite excellent, although when you playback your songs, you can tell that they are recorded from vinyl due to the slight scratching noises, but then again, what can you expect from old records?
I am very satisfied with this and it gives me the chance to hear all my old vinyls again and even transfer them from my computer to my i-pod to listen to in the car.
Before I forget, the Audactiy software works with windows 7 and above.
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Technics SL-1200 series
by businesselite
The Technic Sl-1200 series turntables have become the holy grail to vinyl audio enthusiasts. If your an up and coming DJ, I would definitely recommend on practicing on these first because techniques like beatmatching and scratching are a lot easier to learn on these as compared to other brands. It was like night and day when I switched ... from my old Lenco tables to these. What sets them apart from other brands is its high quality build, versatility, and reliability. For around Euro 695 you get a hi-fi turntable with a cool custom silver look that will surely impress all your friends and make you the life of the party (DJ joke :} ) If your a fan of scratching records or beatmatching you will love the 'high torque' design and "variable pitch control" features. These turntables have been very popular and successful thanks to its patented 'Direct drive' motor system. Located directly underneath the platter, the motor allows users to have precise control and full 'torque' while mixing there favorite records. If you want top of the line turntables look no further, the Technic Sl-1200's will meet all your demands and fullfill all your audio desires.
FEATURES reference "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technics_SL-1200"
* Magnetic (no wear), direct drive (low slip) mechanism.
* High torque design which means the platter will spin at the desired speed almost immediately (0.7 s to reach 33 ¹⁄₃ RPM from standstill), and will very rapidly reacquire the desired speed, without "overshooting", if the platter is dragged or nudged. This aids beatmatching.
*Variable pitch control, allowing the rotational speed to be adjusted from -8% to +8%
*High reliability: many examples of SL-1200s lasting well over 15 years of heavy use and withstanding physical shock without functional impairment.
*Very low wow and flutter (0.01%), which means that the platter will stay within 1/100 of 1% of the desired speed.
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Technics SL 1210 II
by mickr
Technics SL 1210 II Turntable
About six months ago, we borrowed the Technics SL 1210 turntable from my mother-in-law as we were considering getting one, though prices were unbelievable for many models. This one in particular comes in at a height of nearly £800 on Amazon, though there are also much more reasonable prices ... for it at £255 which is still very steep though much better than the highest RRP. Suffice to say that my mother-in-law will want her turntable back eventually, so the question is, will we be going out and buying this particular model?
I would not say that this is the most attractive turntable I have seen, though it is certainly not bad looking. The weight of it is something else, though. It states that it weighs 24.25 lb and is certainly not the lightest of the bunch, though once positioned, we did not have the need to move it so this issue really did not matter in the end! The hinges for the plastic covering are well screwed on and the turntable itself runs smoothly and without any problems at all (at least none we came across) The four feet each have a safe surface on the bottom to avoid scratches on worktops and allow a good flow of air underneath so not to overheat the turntable. The arm also moves fluidly both when in use and when taking in and out of its holder and it also comes with a plastic cover to avoid damages to the end. There are two options for speed on this turntable deck which are 33 and 45rpm with a pitch speed which can be altered between plus and minus 10, though to be honest, I have not really used the pitch speed alternator so can not comment on how well it works.
The main thing which I look at when comparing turntable is of course the sound. There is no point having a high tech turntable if the sound is terrible! This turntable, though, has a fantastic sound. One thing I do miss, though, is the lesser scratching sound associated with old turntables. Whilst you do get a certain amount of noise, the silence is almost overwhelming between tracks. This is certainly not a bad point, though, just a personal preference!
Product Features
* Arm Action: Manual
* Drive: Direct
* Mechanism Type: Quartz Speed Control
* Size (mm): 450
* Year of Introduction: 1990
Product Dimensions: 53 x 43 x 23 cm ; 9 g
I have to admit that I really fell in love with this turntable, though I am not sure whether I will eventually purchase my own of this make and this is mainly due to the extreme cost. Whilst the lower cost is much better, the upper cost is beyond ridiculous, even if this is a fantastic model. I do recommend this item, though not the cost!
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