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Re: vinyl emulator



I've tried those CDJ-1000s out before, and they were pretty cool.  I think 
they did a really good job of emulating the sound of real vinyl when 
scratching, and the features are really good.  They even put an LED ring 
around the center of the record, so that you can visually cue the position 
as you would with a record's label and/or cue marks (very important).  The 
"torque" and "braking" adjustments are nice, similar to what Vestax has on 
their high-end turntablist decks.  I think there's even a loop function 
built-in.

The same day I tried them out at guitar center, I went to a show featuring 
Qbert and Cut Chemist, and Chemist was actually performing using a pair of 
CDJ-1000s, doing all of his tricks just like on vinyl, and sounding pretty 
much the same.  If you're familiar with Cut Chemist, this gives the 
CDJ-1000s enormous street credibility

Personally, I didn't like the feel of the "platter" ring.  It's 
lightweight 
- it feels more like a jog dial.  If it was heavier it might feel better; 
they should give it the same moment of inertia as a record, at least.  If 
it had force feedback, or if the platter was motor-driven, that would be 
even better (but also more expensive and less reliable).  The ultra-deluxe 
model could even have some kind of fluid inertia system (i.e. a spinning 
disc with an [adjustable?] oil gap).  For me, a lot of turntablism has to 
do with the feel of the platter moving underneath the record - it gives it 
just a little bit of pull, and also allows you to have a speed reference.

I'd say the feel is like the difference between a real piano's action and 
that of an unweighted keyboard.  You can play the same thing on them, but 
it's just a different feeling, and which one you like better is a matter 
of 
personal taste.  Either one may be better than the other for certain 
styles 
and/or techniques.  (Hammond organ just feels weird with a weighted 
controller.)

My other gripe is that the scratch ring is pretty small, just larger than 
a 
record label.  One nice feature of a real record is the ability to use 
your 
fingers near the label for economy of motion when you want to cover large 
areas of vinyl will reduced accuracy, or to use the outer edge for more 
precision scratches (like when beat juggling, for instance).

If I weren't already so heavily invested (how's that for a misused word?) 
in vinyl and associated hardware, and if I wasn't such a stubborn 
traditionalist, I think I'd look seriously at the CDJ-1000.  For the price 
of one, however, you could just about buy a Technics SL-1200 and an 
EDP.  On the other hand, burning CDs is much cheaper, faster, and easier 
than making dub plates, if that's your thing.

Final Scratch Pro or Scott Wardle's Ms. Pinky Perverted Scratch System 
could be a really sweet compromise, giving you the feel of a real 
vinyl/platter interface along with the convenience of digital media.

-Hans


At 12:41 29/08/2002, you wrote:
>At 11:57 AM -0700 8/29/02, Alex Stahl wrote:
>
>>I am curious, does the platter have force feedback, such that changing 
>>the "motor power" changes the inertia of the disc (possible with 
>magnetic 
>>braking like a Sony pro VTR jog/shuttle wheel) or does the platter 
>always 
>>have the same nice heavy feel but the audio response changes?
>
>Why don't you try one out and tell us what you think?  I wasn't being 
>that 
>analytical at the time. I'm also completely inexperienced with vinyl 
>scratch, so I had no pont of kinesthetic reference. Force feedback is an 
>interesting idea, though.
>--
>
>______________________________________________________________
>Richard Zvonar, PhD
>(818) 788-2202
>http://www.zvonar.com
>http://RZCybernetics.com