The BIG needle and cartridge thread.
Wich needle and cartridge do you prefer ? Why ? Give us the pro’s and cons.
I only have experience with ortofon concordes but I heard they rip your vinyl up like mad, and since I’m playing tunes like mad, this seems like a bad combination.
So I might switch to something that extends the lifetime of my precious 12 inches.
If we could collect all the DJTT needle/cartridge knowledge in this thread it would be very helpful.
Which concordes do you use and are you using spherical or eliptical needles?
I use Ortofon Nightclub Concorde mk1s (spherical) just because I have 5 of them I got in trades and they are pretty looking and are pretty good carts.
If I had to buy new carts though I wouldn’t waste my money and would just get M447s and some decent headshells (stock technics headshells are fine too). The lift arm on the ortofon concordes is delicate if you are around drunk people and someone broke one of mine which I did a pretty damn good job repairing with a pen cap that looks like it was meant to be there.
I also have like 3 of these which are pretty decent that I put on if I’m mixing with friends who I don’t trust with my ortofons.
I’ve never had to buy new needles or cratridges myself.
m447’s all the way, I had concord pro’s when playing vinyl, now I use dvs and have since learned to scratch, they have one of the highest MV outputs, they have the same volume in reverse as they have going forward, and they never skip as long as you don’t tap the record. before using dvs they didn’t seem to eat through real records any quicker when they are properly balanced.
If you don’t know how to balance just get a blank peice of vinyl from a white label, play the blank side, then adjust the antiskate and weight until the needle stays on the blank vinyl without you supporting it. when you do this the needle isn’t being forced into the wall of the groove degrading the sound over time
When I began DJing some 20+ years ago, Shure M44-7 with original Technics MK2 headshell was the one I used.
I started using Stanton 890SA (packaged with 4 needles and a carrying case) in 2003
as well as Trackmaster II.
I still have the Trackmaster II until now but I have sold the 890SA with the head shell and bought a new set of M44-7 last year
fitted on MK5 headshells.
So it’s back to good ol’ Shure! 
Currently have Stanton Trackmaster II’s that i some how aquired brand new basically. Still have no idea how i got them. But like them a fair bit..
Also got these Craze needles i got with my Tech’s but never use them..
M-44G/7. Gs for real vinyl, 7s for timecode. Gs can track just as well as 7s even under heavy scratching according to skratchworx (who are way better than me at scratching) in a review several years ago. And Gs sound better. 7s are marginally cheaper, IIRC, and are a little more resilient to busted tonearms and bad setups. I used Stanton headshells because I was told there wasn’t a difference and they were a lot cheaper than Technics.
Shure Whitelabels are the best-sounding cartridge I’ve used. Absolutely loved mine. They’re prettier and awesomer than Ortofons, sound better, track better, and have cheaper replacement styli, though they (and replacement styli) are notably more expensive than M-44Gs and only sound a little better. It is very noticeable, but it’s not night & day.
I haven’t heard a Stanton cartridge that I liked. Not by a long shot.
I haven’t owned Ortofon Concordes, though I did own a set of the Nightclubs that fit on headshells. I wasn’t a huge fan, but they were fine. All of the Ortofon Concordes I’ve seen in person had a broken arm, which never happened to my Whitelabels.
And I’ve enjoyed Grado HiFi carts, but I don’t think I’d DJ with them.
If I were buying today, I’d probably buy replacement styli for the M-44Gs I still have or Whitelabels (which I sold when I sold my decks). I’d probably wind up with both and slightly prefer the Whitelabels for performing out and the M-44Gs for practicing just because of cost.
I’d use a 500AL2 despite disliking Stanton carts for practice if I cared about saving money there.
And looking at that picture of the whitelabel makes me really miss having turntables and spinning with vinyl.
Is it possible that after selling my decks, trying every major DVS, owning CDJs, spinning with Live, and spinning with Traktor…that I might consider going back to spinning vinyl (not DVS) if things work out so that money isn’t a huge issue?
For me its m447s for timecode/scratching and white labels for regular vinyl.
i have a pair of m447s for home use but when i’m on the road i use ortofon concordes with night club and scratch stylus…
has any one used the ortofon sl-120? …
I use Ortofon Concorde Elektro carts.
I honestly like them. I’m not redonk well versed in carts, but I prefer the concorde design to the standard headshell. I mainly use them with time-code vinyl, so it’s not much of a difference either way IMO. I don’t have any issues with them, and they look sharp. I also got them for a deal from DJF buy/sell when I first got my tables, so couldn’t go wrong there.
I had a cheap pair of stanton needles that I got when I initially had my TT’s, and I’ve used the M44-7’s on my buddy’s setup. Another buddy always seems to have different needles.
I just like them, but I don’t know enough about different carts/needles to get into the nitty gritty about it.
Doubt it, seen them once in a club but i was using the CDJs
They’re overpriced, paying for the serato badge.
M447s for me. If I’m being all audiophile and shit I have a Shure M97xe; I used to use it for recording vinyl but it’s a bit precious; the cart is unforgiving when it comes to dust and such. Whereas the M447s will cut through that and still sound brilliant. I am intrigued after reading comments above on the whitelabels; I really like the look of them but I didn’t know there was a sound advantage over the 447s. I also have a pair of Ortofon Scratch carts (they are pink and they are mounted on regular Technics headshells) but I noticed a significant burn on older cheaper vinyl while using them so I stopped using them. But they did sound noticeably better than the 447s.
I am having an old audiophile turntable from the 1970s restored and when that is done I will probably mount the M97xe on it and see how I like the sound. But it’s not something I would use for DJing.
shure 35c blue tips
M44G’s. I use for both mixing and scratching. Holds the groove almost as well as the m447’s, but takes longer to setup correctly.
I also own some Numark CC1’s pretty decent, but replacement styli cost more that the Shure’s
For those who are using the Shure M447, don’t you experience some records distorting due to it’s high output rating?
Also how many years do Shure’s last before they wear out for mixing?
good thread…
i have always been concerned about record burn…but i don’t scratch or have mad weight downforce…so i think i am okay with my shure 35c…
and can someone shed some light on the spherical v. elliptical aspects?
To specify: I have ortofon concorde pros and they are spherical.
I don’t notice any distortion that I can blame solely on the needle, but next time I notice a record with a lot of distortion I will try to remember to try another needle. As for how long they last, I try to change the tips every 6months to a year.
I use Ortofon DJ S’s with the spherical styli and they work great for vinyl and timecode pla yback. The only issue i’ve ever had with them is the handle u grab on to is pretty flimsy. One of mine broke right at the base, easy fix with super glue, but still kinda lame.
