I have been listening to all variations of electronic music for about 20 years and have always wanted to DJ as a hobby. I wanted to get a set of 1200’s since I was 12 but never got around to it and have the opportunity now, however the landscape has completely changed.
I am trying to decide whether buying a set of Technics is a bad idea and if I should just get a mixer, a X1 & F1 and run a true controller setup, or incorporate a pair of 1200’s with the same.
One of the reasons that I want a vinyl setup is so that I can actually learn to beat match instead of mashing the sync button, and be able to control the record as much as I can. I guess there’s also a nostalgic element to it as well.
It seems that no electronic (techno) DJ uses a pair of decks anymore and a vinyl setup is just a waste of space.
The landscape has indeed changed, I have a set of 1210 mk2’s and it pains me to say it but I don’t use them as often as I’d like, the main reason being the cost of vinyl and not having good access to a record shop, it’s much easier to do my record shopping online hit download and then head to the spare room to hash out a mix on a midi controller. But then simplicity isn’t half as fun as having full control over the record, one thing I have noticed over the years is as DJ technology advances it detached everyone that little bit further from the music. If you have good access to a local record shop and are only taking it up as a hobby I would go with the technics, they are solid bits of kit and learning to beatmatch is equal parts enjoyment and fustration- I’m almost envious, infact I’m going to go fire up the technics right now and dig through some of my old bedrock records
Why not use Traktor Scratch to incorporate the 1210’s into your setup and still download songs (vs. record shopping), and just use timecode and beatmatch them together with vinyl?
And you don’t really need a local record shop, although it’s a lot more fun to crate dig in an actual shop. However, discogs has everything you’d want and more.
That’s not entirely true, techno seems to be one of the main genres where 1200s are still pretty commonly used… Sven Vath, Ricardo Villalobos etc all still use them quite often, if not always… A lot of the locals in Australia do as well (50/50)
Regarding your question, buy the 1200s. Even if you do regret it and want to take the controller route, you’ll have no issues selling them for the same price you paid. They hold their value incredibly well for DJ tech.
Dump the A10, and get any Scratch Certified mixer.
Seriously - I used to run a DVS set-up with an external audio interface, and going from that to a DJM-850 (ONE usb connection between mixer and computer!) was a God send.
2x1200’s/1210’s + Scratch certified mixer and an F1 + X1 is gonna be a sweet, sweet set-up.
It’s definitely what I would have if I didn’t have Dicers and an MC-1000.
