Too late to buy a turntable ?

[MyUsername]

I am really considering buying one Technics SL 1200/1210 to hook up to my s4.
To buy or not to buy ? Am I too late ?

The PROs:
-Vinyl is about as cool as it gets.
-Performing with TTs is harder, so it's a challenge. (I don't want to be spoiled by bpm counters and waveforms all the time)

The CONs:
-Vinyl as a medium for music is on it's deathbed.
-I have no vinyl what so ever at the moment.
-Looks like Technics are slowly but surely disappearing from the DJ scene.
-Vinyl is relatively expensive.
-Only a fraction of the music I love with the intensity of a thousand suns (This being dubstep and dnb) is appearing on vinyl.
-I need to learn everything there is to know about TTs for I'm only familiar with caveman simple midi controllers.


Let me know what your opinion is, you know you want to...

[DJSigma]

It's never too late to buy a turntable, but I don't know if your pros are good reasons for you specifically to buy one. Your cons are certainly not good reasons NOT to buy one, although they may be good reasons why you wouldn't DJ solely with vinyl these days.

I wouldn't buy any piece of DJ equipment just cos it's perceived as cool. As for turntables being hard to use, they are arguably the most difficult piece of DJ equipment to use, but just because gear has BPM counters and waveform displays it doesn't mean you have to become reliant on those things.

I would buy one for any combination of these reasons: -

1. If you want to learn to scratch. Using regular vinyl is definitely the best way to go for that, even though you can scratch on other gear.

2. If you're interested in starting a record collection. A lot of music doesn't come out on vinyl these days, but if you look back, there's loads of music that has only ever come out on vinyl.

3. If DJing with vinyl (or a DVS like Serato) genuinely appeals to you for reasons other than it being cool.

[Kaek]

I own about 10 vinyl.

Doesn't stop me from enjoying my M5G's! I look at my turntables as a really big and expensive midi controller.

[Dj_4-$hure]

I'll say this again, and again. As long as there is turntablist, turntables will never die! I think that's a myth from all the non-turntablist out there. If anything there is alot of people going from controllers, to turntables, like myself. I'm not saying vinyl is making this crazy comeback, but if turntables are fading away, why am I now seeing them at your local Target, or Walmart?

[Kaek]

Well even if turntables aren't dead, technics are. I wonder what the "industry standard" is going to be now.

[JamesT]

Vinyl will never die, even if every Neumann cutting lathe breaks and is unusable their will still be plenty of vinyl about (until they are turned into clocks or bowls) so with that mind, you'll never be too late to buy turntables.

I would personally argue that the majority of good dubstep and drum and bass labels still get all their releases cut to vinyl as both these genres were and still are based around dubplate culture.

Although, vinyl is definitely getting a lot more expensive, and fewer records maybe pressed, but to me, that just makes it more special when you stick the needle on the record for its first spin...

[kooper1980]

Buy one if you want to learn. If you don't want to learn don't buy one. Simple really. Don't forget that most record stores sell packs of old vinyls VERY cheap. Might be old tunes but great to learn with. plus eBay is a great place o pick up cheap records. Don't just do it because you think it's cool though. Do it of you want to learn the medium!!

[DjZzeless]

Well even if turntables aren't dead, technics are. I wonder what the "industry standard" is going to be now.

Dead as a company yes, but parts/service are still available, and everywhere I go, its the 1200 still being used.......I think its the industry standard.

[MyUsername]

Now I'm definitely leaning more towards buying one. I think it'll come in real handy to master the art of turntablism. If my laptop was broken or stolen, I'd still be able to play a decent set. And also, just the fact that I 'll learn how to dj without the help of a piece of software will have a positive influence on my overall djing skills.

[Cook]

@ your cons,


-Vinyl as a medium for music is on it's deathbed.
Very few records are produced yes, but buy mp3 and use a DVS (TSP or SSL)
-I have no vinyl what so ever at the moment.
No need for any if you use a DVS
-Looks like Technics are slowly but surely disappearing from the DJ scene.
This is true to an extent, technics will last 'forever' if taken care of, but a lot of clubs do still have them and in working condition
-Vinyl is relatively expensive.
DVS
-Only a fraction of the music I love with the intensity of a thousand suns (This being dubstep and dnb) is appearing on vinyl.
DVS.
-I need to learn everything there is to know about TTs for I'm only familiar with caveman simple midi controllers.
Plenty of threads on here on how to work the nipple or the outside, or riding the pitch fader

Also the fact that once you can play on vinyl you can play on anything, Any decent CDJs these days even have a 'vinyl' mode which simulates vinyl.
So you can rock upto a club with your laptop, if it dies crack out the CD folder and continue on as normal.

So my question is, Why havent you bought them yet ?!