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I figured a direct drive was worth the investment since it has fewer moving parts. While it has far surpased the Sony in both sound quality and reliability, I didn't expect it to stop working after just a few yrs of gentle use. I purchased this turntable for $250 5 yrs ago after my 1 yr old Sony belt drive fell apart. I can't deny that I have loved this turntable but I'm left wondering if it's possible to find a player that won't let me down.
If you are doing both scratching and mixing, I say go with the S-shaped, and use scratch needles with extra weight - but only scratch records that you aren't afraid of ruining. They start and stop instantaneously, and hold their speed perfectly. There are many different straight and S-shaped turntables. You don't need all the extra torque to DJ.
If you are DJing, this is better for scratching than mixing, because mixing is better with better sound quality. Your style makes your choice.The only gripe I have with the STR8-80 is that the body is made of plastic. These have been good to me so far, but I don't have faith in their plastic bodies.Here's a tip for if you do buy turntables like this, that have key correction. The S-shaped gives superior sound quality, so this is not the deck for you.
I would have to disagree with Mike about beat matching. You can beat match and scratch very well with these.There are two things you must consider when buying turntables. These aren't the best for anyone who wants turntables for pro applications. Sure the key correction is a cool little tool, but you sacrifice sound quality and volume. So mixing is better with an S-shaped ton arm. Go with the stanton 150s or technics 1200s. Another feature that this turntable doesn't have that the two aforementioned do is the ability to change the height of the tone arm for stabilty.This is better for newbies, like me when I started.I just regret not saving up for a few more weeks, to get a longer lasting set.
These turntables have straight tone arms.
If you want your turntables to last a very long time, plastic is unacceptable.
I have been using these for a year and a half.
If you are just listening, you need an S-shaped tone arm.
These turntables are ideal for people who want to try DJing out.
Firstly, you have to decide whether you are going to DJ or just listen to music.
If you know how to beat match, these are very good.
These turntables have an equal torque to the Technics 1200, but less than some numark and other stanton turntables.
You shouldn't really mix songs that are have very dissimilar tempos, so use phono output (louder and does not allow key correction).
Very good for scratching. These are very good for scratching, within a month I was impressing myself and all of my friends. I have been practicing mixing on these tables also, but the only bad thing I can say about these tables are the wow and flutter on them. I bought a pair of these turntables about a year ago. I use them for mixing breakbeat and I use them to scratch. The records do not stay matched up for very long when you beat match, but the sound and features on them are great. They were my first tables. Reverse, 33,45, and 78 speeds and the pitch control also comes in handy, especially when the records you are trying to mix start going out of sync you can adjust the pitch to sync them back up.
The platter starts and stops in an instant, which is essential for good scratching. Also, I can lock the pitch of the record but still adjust its speed. That is crazy.Anyway, great buy, definately recommend. I have had my turntables for about 6 months now, and I love them. The reverse function is great for getting more sounds out of your records. The guy below doesnt know what he's talking about.Listen to the others below him.
I'm not a DJ, I'm a music lover old enough that my music collection contains hundreds of hours on vinyl, but I'm really pleased with the DJ capabilities of this 'deck'. One major advantage of a DJ turntable is that the motor can withstand the resistance when I'm cleaning a record before play -- critical when many record in a collection are 30 to 50 years old. We put the Stanton STR8-80 into our system about a month ago and since then our CD player has gotten downright lonely. It tracks well, and the blue lights are really fun too. Also, if I want to play along with the record, the capability to adjust pitch but not tempo is very cool (yes it sounds a little weird, due mainly to the envelope distortion -- but way easier than retuning a piano). Records I had previously considered almost unplayable sound pretty good, and records that are in good condition sound excellent. No hesitation, I'd recommend this highly.
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