Support
Looper's Delight
|
Support |
|
|
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