NAMM 2025: We first got word of Korg’s new turntable range a year ago, when the company announced the Handytraxx Play back at NAMM 2024, although it’s been listed as ‘coming soon’ on the company’s site ever since. Now, ahead of NAMM ‘25, the Handytraxx Play has reemerged – and it’s brought a full range of Handytraxx turntables with it.

Inspired by the iconic Vestax Handy Trax, Handytraxx Play is a portable turntable aimed at both DJs and vinyl enthusiasts. The original Handy Trax was released in the late noughties and proved popular in the ‘portablism’ space, filled with people who scratch and DJ using easily transportable gear. Korg’s updated take has been created in collaboration with former Vestax president, Toshihide Nakama, who sadly died in 2023 before the project could be completed.

The portability factor here lies in the fact that the Play can run either via AC power or AA batteries and features a 2.5w built-in speaker which Korg claims “delivers impressive sound with rich bass and clear playback, whether you’re connected to external speakers or not."

The Handytraxx Play also comes equipped with some interesting performance tools. There’s a multimode filter with three filter types, plus a delay effect with its own fader for control. There’s also an audio looper onboard for live looping.

The Handytraxx Play features a belt drive motor with digital rotation correction for better stability. The turntable can be customised to use ceramic and MM cartridges, and it’s also possible to replace the crossfader and reorientate the device for left-handed use.

The Play launches alongside three other Handytraxx units – the Handytraxx Tube, Handytraxx Tube J and Handytraxx 1bit.

The Handytraxx Tube is aimed at audiophiles. According to Korg, “each component has been meticulously crafted to prioritise sound quality, including an aluminium die-cast platter for precise and stable rotation, a balanced tone arm featuring an MM cartridge”.

It also adds a Nutube vacuum tube to the design, which Korg claims “not only enriches the audio with warm harmonics, but also adds a lifelike depth and clarity to every record”. It also features adjustable bass and treble controls.

The Tube comes equipped with JICO J44A 7 cartridges. It also features a stereo speaker as well as digital conversion capabilities allowing users to digitise their record collection.

The Handytraxx Tube J, meanwhile, is a special edition variation on the Tube produced in collaboration with Japanese stylus brand JICO. Along with all the features of the Handytraxx Tube, the Tube J also comes equipped with JICO’s top-end Clipper cartridges.

Finally, the Handytraxx 1bit ups the audiophile factor further with 5.6 MHz, 1-bit (DSD) format recording, delivering 5.6 million samples per second for what Korg calls ‘unparalleled sound quality’. According to the press release, “whether you’re digitising a priceless vinyl library or enjoying casual playback, the Handytraxx 1bit is the perfect solution for every vinyl enthusiast.”

Prices start at £359 for the Handytraxx Play, rising to £699 for the Handytraxx Tube. The Handytraxx 1bit is priced at £919. Finally, the limited edition Handytraxx Tube J is £1099. Head to the Korg site for more.

In the coolest submission to the LEGO Ideas platform since the LEGO Minimoog, LEGO builder Tomasso has designed a LEGO version of the Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntable. 

Made up of 2,215 pieces, the design sticks closely to the turntable's original aesthetic and even features a built-in motor to drive its rotating 7" platter, start and stop buttons to control the motor, and a working tonearm with adjustable balance weight and anti-skating knob. 

Tomasso's LEGO turntable has been submitted to the LEGO Ideas platform, where fan-made projects are shared by the LEGO community. If their proposals receive enough support, fans' designs are transformed into genuine LEGO sets. If an idea racks up 10,000 supporters, LEGO will consider the proposal for production; so far, the Technics has 176 supporters and 421 days remaining to hit 10k. 

This isn't Tomasso's first entry into the world of LEGO DJ gear; last year, he designed a LEGO version of the Pioneer DJ CDJ-2000, which earned 10,000 supporters on the LEGO Ideas platform, before following this up with an entirely LEGO DJ setup, complete with a Pioneer DJM-900 mixer, Sennheiser HD25 headphones, and KRK Rokit 7 G4 monitors. 

Support Tomasso's design on LEGO Ideas. 

Revisit our 2022 feature on the Technics SL-1200 series.

Cars have wheels that go round, and so do turntables, so the real question isn’t why Technics has just announced a special Lamborghini-themed version of its SL-1200 direct drive deck, but why it took so long for the two companies to collaborate in the first place?

OK, we’re being glib: the truth is that Technics and Lamborghini “share similar values in their underlying corporate cultures,” and “both engage in thorough technological development using unique ideas to provide customers with unforgettable experiences and are uncompromising in their approach to manufacturing.”

There’s also the common interest of sound - Lamborghini fans love the roar of the company’s engines, and Technics’ SL-1200 decks have been playing tunes and starting parties for decades.

Which brings us to the turntable itself, the SL-1200M7B. Based on the SL-1200MK7/SL-1210MK7 models, this features a design that’s inspired by Lambo’s Y-shape pattern, with the orange, green and yellow colour options representing the car manufacturer’s most iconic colours.

What’s more, customers who purchase an SL-1200M7B will also get a vinyl picture disc featuring engine and driving sounds from six Lamborghini supercars, recorded especially for this project. A special slipmat and two stickers showing the Lamborghini and Technics logos are in the box, too.

The SL-1200M7B is available for pre-order now priced at $1,599 and should be shipping in July. Find out more on the Technics website.

Back in the early noughties, Stanton was one of the pioneers of digital vinyl scratching systems, and partnered with Native Instruments on various DJ products at one point. However, after Gibson acquired the brand in 2011 things went relatively quiet, and it’s remained all silent on the Stanton front since InMusic took ownership of the company in 2020.

That’s all changed now, though, as we can now introduce you to the Stanton STX portable scratch turntable, a product that we’re told returns the company to its turntablist roots. Featuring a mini Innofader Nano crossfader, this battery-powered, rechargeable deck also has a built-in speaker, so is always ready for action.

The crossfader is designed to last for more than a million cycles, and can be swapped between left and right positions depending on whether you’re left- or right-handed. Cut-In and Curve knobs enable you to customise and calibrate the crossfader exactly to your liking.

You get two rechargeable batteries in the box, and the STX can also be powered via a USB-C powerbank. Connect your phone over Bluetooth or the mini-jack audio input and you can easily add beats and loopers, and there’s one-touch USB recording so you can capture your performances. The latching lid, meanwhile, doubles up as a stackable, latching base, which brings the STX up to standard turntable height.

Other features include a pitch slider with Ultra-Pitch switch and a start/stop button. You can switch between 33 1/3, 45 and 78 RPM, while connectivity options include stereo RCA output jacks and 1/4- and 1/8-inch headphone jacks.

The Stanton STX is available now priced at $249. Find out more on the Stanton website.

It’s hard to believe that the man responsible for the return of the world’s most influential vinyl turntable once wished to destroy the format completely, but that’s exactly the case with Tetsuya Itani. 

“I was given the mission to revive Technics,” says the engineer. “The next year I revived the SL-1200.” Joining Panasonic in 1980 (then Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.) as a fresh-faced college graduate, Itani began his career assigned to the the SL-P10 CD player development team, firmly believing that his future— and the future of his industry— was a digital one. “I was taking on new challenges with a strong desire to eradicate the turntable,” remembers Itani. “To create a new digital audio era.” 

The iconic SL-1200, which this year celebrates its 50th birthday, had already been in production for almost a decade when the young Itani joined the company. A game-changing design upon its release in 1972, the turntable has withstood momentous shifts in music industry and culture to remain the quintessential tool of DJs and turntablists across the world - and perhaps even more impressively, it happened by accident.

To mark the occasion Technics have unveiled the anniversary SL-1200M7L, a limited edition model boasting fine control over torque and speed, ultra-stable playback and vibration management. The SL-1200M7L represents the culmination of a long and dynamic history; here— with a little help from Mr. Itani himself— we take look at how the SL-1200 revolutionised the turntable medium and precipitated the rise of a musical phenomenon. 

“One night, I'm waiting for the record to play out and I’m waiting for this particular break,” remembers hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc. “I had a couple more records with the same breakup in it. I wondered, ‘how would it be if I put them all together?’. I told [the crowd], ‘I'm gonna try something new tonight. I'm gonna call it the Merry-Go-Round.’” 

Herc is remembering a now mythologically auspicious evening, commonly considered to have precipitated the birth of hip-hop. The event in question is said to have been a birthday party for his sister, Cindy Campbell, held at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, New York, on August 11, 1973.

Of course, hip-hop has no birth certificate, so while we can’t pinpoint 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on August 11, 1973 with incontrovertible accuracy, suffice to say it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that Kool Herc came upon an astonishing and bizarre new technique, one that allowed him to perform recorded music. 

Prior to that event, recordings were simply written, performed, recorded and then played back. Here, the two ends of that sequence were being joined: it was being performed all over again. Kool Herc focused on the instrumental breaks between a song’s vocal sections, having found the crowd most responsive to these sections in a club context— these would come simply to be known as ‘breaks’.

“I started out with James Brown— ‘clap your hands! stomp your feet!’— and at that part right there, with the break, boom, I had to come in with [The Incredible Bongo Band’s] ‘Bongo Rock’. And Bongo Rock was still going, but with no vocals in it, and I’d go into Baby Huey’s ‘Mexican’. It was like, ‘woah! I think we’ve got something here!’" 

Kool Herc’s turntable of choice was the Technics SL-1100; a direct drive turntable that had been introduced by Panasonic two years earlier, in 1971. At that time the turntable world was still getting its head around the SL-1100's predecessor, the SP-10. The first ever direct drive turntable, the SP-10 performed with tangibly lower noise than its belt-driven competitors and also demonstrated new standards of stability and torque, to the extent that it was delivered to radio stations despite being designed as a consumer product. 

The SL-1100 built substantially on the SP-10, introducing an integrated construction design for a compact and portable turntable, one that could easily be transported to block parties and set up at a moment’s notice. “Unlike belt-drive systems,” explains Itani, “direct-drive systems are suitable for scratch-play because they have a huge torque and do not cause mechanical stress, even if they are forced to stop by hand. In other words, direct drive stimulated DJs' creativity and created a new culture.”

By the time 1973 came around, however, the star was already rising for what would become the quintessential DJ turntable: the SL-1200 had only been in the world for one year, but it was beginning to change things on a grand scale. The SL-1200 would take the SL series even further away from consumer tech and toward performance hardware— though Technics have maintained that this its aptitude for DJs was by “some miraculous coincidence.” 

If true, destiny was truly on the SL-1200’s side, with a design that enabled it to withstand travel, perform well in less-than-optimal conditions and above all, deliver all the consistency and reliability a performer would need from any instrument.

First there was the chassis. The SL-1200 had sturdy aluminium die-cast cabinet, a leap forward from the SL-1100’s segmented body. Next, the torque. The SL-1200’s platter was heavy duty and could reach its rotation speed in just half a turn— a little over half a second at 45 RPM— and continue with minimal irregularity. 

This made it ideal for maintaining the careful speed control needed to cue up tracks and beat-match records with precision. The turntable performed well in loud, vibration-heavy environments; while its pitch adjustment dial - originally intended simply to allow the offset of rotation irregularity - found a new use by DJs, who began to use it to adjust the BPM of records. 

It was this feature that - completely accidentally - inspired generations of DJs playing disco, house and techno throughout the late '70s and '80s to begin beat-matching their records and stringing them together in seamless succession, laying the foundations for the practice of modern DJing as we know it and giving rise to an entirely new form of musical performance. 

In 1979 Panasonic upgraded the SL-1200 to a MK2 model, augmenting it with an array of DJ-specific features and in no uncertain terms committing themselves to the culture their design had inadvertently propagated. “The SL-1200MK2 is the very turntable that created DJ culture,” says Itani. “My former boss told me that in the mid-‘70s a sales staff member in North America told him, ‘There are people who use turntables in an unusual way, and I want you to go and see them’. 

This led him to meet numerous DJs, where he was surprised to find that people were using turntables in ways that were unthinkable at the time, such as scratch-playing. Stopping a record by hand during playback was an unbelievable practice for hi-fi users who do not want to damage the record or the stylus. Upon seeing this, he decided he wanted to create a turntable suited to this new way of using it. The result was the SL-1200MK2.” 

The SL-1200 MK2 brought new standards of accuracy still. Its Quartz Lock system and its vibration-absorbent cabinet certainly represented breakthroughs for DJs, but by far its most groundbreaking inclusion was a large pitch fader on its front panel for easy speed adjustment and beat-matching. 

The response to the MK2 from DJs was one of resounding approval. “After the SL-1200 MK2 DJs were saying, ‘It’s perfect! Don't change anything from SL-1200Mk2,” says Itani. In Europe it was sold with a darker finish as the SL-1210MK2, becoming affectionately known simply as the ‘Twelve Ten.’

One year later, the young Itani joined Panasonic. “Most of my senior colleagues were turntable engineers,” he remembers. “As my office was next to the turntable designing team, I had lots of opportunities to talk with them. When I joined the company, the SL-1200MK2 was just starting to be talked about. From the start, I saw reports from turntable engineers who had travelled to clubs overseas and exchanged opinions with DJs. I did not expect the SL-1200 to become so legendary, even though DJ culture was becoming popular.”

Despite the precocious Itani’s ambitions to ride the digital wave, the SL series forged ahead with aplomb, with subsequent models including 1989’s SL-1200MK3 and 2000’s MK5. Technics had found its groove, but as digital audio formats increasingly threatened to usurp analogue ones at the turn of the century, could not ignore the looming question of if the turntable’s apotheosis may have come and gone. In 2010, facing a shrinking marketplace, seemingly insurmountable engineering challenges and a policy to unify the brand under Panasonic, the decision was made to discontinue the Technics brand, along with the SL-1200.

“Later, the company's policy was reviewed,” remembers Itani. “As the audio market was changing to digital and hi-resolution, we decided to revive Technics again.” The announcement was made at the 2014 Internationale Funkausstellung electronics fair in Berlin, with a distinct absence of vinyl turntables. It soon became clear, however, that the DJ community had different ideas.

"At first, we did not consider reviving the turntable,” says Itani. “However, immediately after we announced we were going to revive it we received petitions from DJs all over the world. Everyone was very surprised by the enthusiasm! After several meetings and market research, we learnt that the turntable market was returning and that many people wanted the SL-1200 to return.” In 2016 came the limited edition SL-1200GAE, followed by the audiophile-oriented SL-1200G and then the more affordable SL-1200GR. In 2019 the SL-1200MK7 arrived, a feature-rich turntable in matte black.

“I wondered what it meant for what I had achieved in the last 30 years,” Itani continues. “I remember having mixed feelings. As my career progressed, I had spent my days trying out new designs with laserdisc, DVD and Blu-ray. Then, 30 years after the days of the CD, I was given the mission to revive Technics. The next year I revived the SL-1200.”

With its high-rigidity cabinet and high-damping insulation, stylus illuminator, reverse play function, choice of colour finishes and— of course— highly accurate rotation and pitch control, 2022’s SL-1200M7L is a well balanced combination of traditional design and mod-cons; nothing short of a celebration of the SL-1200’s long and dynamic history. Now Itani and his team are committed to developing the SL-1200 design with a forward-looking approach, using all the tools granted to them by the modern era.

“The record market is growing significantly. At first, it was an enthusiast's item, but recently it has spread to a younger, previously unaware segment of the population. I don't think this is a passing thing, it is evidence that it is becoming a part of the culture. When it comes to turntable technology, most turntable manufacturers are producing products based on the technologies developed in the ‘70s or ‘80s. We want to take a scalpel to this and create a new fascination for turntables and record playback, with the latest technology.”

It’s a full-circle, almost poetic narrative; demonstrative of the ebb and flow of musical culture and its general apathy toward the onward march of technology in favour of channelling inspiration and expressing the spirit of the age. Much like analogue synthesisers, reel-to-reel tape or valve amplifiers, the turntable has a long future ahead, and is far from a relic. 

“In 2016, while I was working on new SL-1200GAE development, my daughter gave birth to a baby girl,” Itani reflects. “A family resemblance reminded me of the time when my daughter was born and it made me think, “30 years ago, I was so absorbed in ending the turntable era. Now, becoming a grandfather, I'm trying to revive it!”

Metallica’s ‘signature’ range just got a little larger with the announcement of the official Metallica Limited Edition Turntable. Yes - now metal heads can spin their Metallica vinyl on a turntable endorsed by the band themselves.

Coming from major turntable player Pro-Ject Audio Systems, the new deck promises stunning sound and spectacular visuals. The unusually shaped lightning bolt deck has a mirror-finished metal surface with a platter made of clear glass, which not only gives the deck some heft and presence, but also has a high mass that ensures tight and accurate playback.

Behind the scenes there’s a diamond-cut aluminium sub-platter - again, increasing the mass and providing additional damping of noise and unwanted resonance. 

Elsewhere there’s the heavyweight 22cm curved S-shaped tone arm and diamond-tipped stylus that Pro-Ject is known for.

Needless to say the feet, drive pulley and amplifier connectors are all made of pure, unadulterated metal.

Find out more at www.henleyaudio.co.uk.

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Technics’ legendary SL-1200 turntable - arguably the most iconic DJing deck of all time - and to celebrate, the company has released a limited-edition model: the SL-1200M7L.

Based on the standard SL-1200MK7, which was unveiled in 2019, the limited-edition M7L is available in seven colour options (black, red, blue, white, green, yellow and beige) that are designed to “pay homage to the street culture which inspired the rise of DJs”.

The DJ turntable features a coreless direct drive motor that promises stable rotation and maximum torque. This is accompanied by a tonearm that’s said to be sensitive but robust - always an appealing combination.

The two-layer structure platter, meanwhile, is designed to deliver improved vibration damping performance. When combined with the high-rigidity cabinet and high damping insulator, we’re assured that vibrations won’t be a problem, even in the bounciest of clubs.

Control features include starting torque/brake speed adjustment, pitch adjustment and reverse play, while the stylus illuminator has a long-life LED that should be good for plenty of spins.

To celebrate the SL-1200M7L’s release, Technics has partnered with Boiler Room and Dommune on a six-hour long broadcast featuring sets from seven DJs (DJ Craze, DJ Koco, Ellen Allien, Gilles Peterson, Mala, Marcel Dettmann and Shanti Celeste). This kicks off at 2pm today (BST) and can be streamed live on YouTube.

The SL-1200M7L is available for pre-order now priced at $1,100. Limited-edition accessories - including a slip mat with a gold-coloured logo - are available, too.

Find out more on the Technics website.

Brian Eno has always liked to explore the relationship between audio and visuals - check out his mobile app Bloom for evidence of that - and he’s continuing to do so with the release of a colour-changing LED turntable.

This is Eno’s latest collaboration with the Paul Stolper gallery. The partnership has previously yielded light boxes and a speaker vase. 

Made from acrylic, this is limited to just 50 units, and has an 18mm clear platter. Each turntable features its edition number and Eno’s signature on the back right-hand side.

We’re told that the turntable seamlessly phases through combinations of self-generated ‘colourscapes’ using a series of interwoven LED lights, and that it’s designed to encourage people to stay in one place for a while.

Discussing his experience of using the turntable, Eno said: “The light from it was tangible as if caught in a cloud of vapour. We sat watching for ages, transfixed by this totally new experience of light as a physical presence.

“One of the great breakthroughs of evolution theory is that you can start with simple things and they will grow into complexity. This is very unintuitive - it’s one of these things that the human brain isn’t immediately capable of grasping. It doesn’t make sense until you see it.

"You have the idea that this small thing, which can’t contain that many instructions, produces this hugely complex interwoven, interdependent world. One of the things I like about this piece of work is that it stands as proof of that.” 

Feel free to pick the bones out of all of that. There are no other specs to go on, so that’s about as much as we can tell you. 

If you’re interested in one of the turntables, you can enquire on the Paul Stolper website. Note that the price will increase without notice as the turntables are sold and fewer remain.

When Fender announces a new product designed by one of their Master Builders and with a three-colour Sunburst finish, you’d expect it to be a guitar, but in the case of the PrecisionDeck - a new collaboration with Mobile Fidelity Electronics (MoFi) - it’s a jaw-droppingly high-end turntable.

Made from the same swamp ash wood used to craft the Fender Precision Bass guitar, the PrecisionDeck was designed by Principal Master Builder Yuriy Shishkov of the Fender Custom Shop. MoFi is responsible for the componentry, which is lifted from the company’s acclaimed UltraDeck.

Just 1,000 of the turntables will be made, with each being individually badged and numbered. The PrecisionDeck is ready to play out of the box and is fitted with the MoFi MasterTracker pickup.

“Having the opportunity to work with MoFi to bring this turntable to life has been a pleasure,” beamed Yuriy Shishkov. “The turntable finish comes in our legendary and iconic three-colour Sunburst and of course, uses the same ash wood used to make the Fender Precision Bass guitar.”

MoFi Electronics President, John Schaffer, is equally enthusiastic, saying: “Working with the entire Fender team has been a great pleasure and we could not be more excited or proud of the result.

“From the beginning, creating this turntable has been a joy. The ideas on how to leverage both companies’ strengths and create something authentic and special just flowed. With the very first prototype we knew we were really on to something, as folks would stop by to admire what we were creating.”

The PrecisionDeck is available now priced at a whopping $3,495. Find out more on the MoFi website.

We know what you’ve been thinking: when will someone get around to creating a set of working vinyl DJ turntables with Lego? It’s been playing on your mind, hasn’t it?

Well, you can now rest easy, because the mad musical scientist that is Look Mum No Computer has gone and done it. This is an official collaboration with Lego, cooked up to celebrate the release of the new Lego Vidyo music video making app.

As the video above shows, this wasn’t a straightforward build, involving both the Lego Mindstorms programmable brick and various bits of Lego Technic componentry. As such, it’s not likely to be coming to market any time soon.

The end result is certainly impressive, though, with the decks even being strong enough to support scratching. We wouldn’t want to be the roadie who has to take the thing apart after a gig, though.

MTS 2020: Tom Mundell, aka Metrik, has been a name on the UK drum ’n’ bass scene for over a decade, with an extensive list of single and EP releases first on Viper Recordings, then - post-2012 - on Hospital (under the auspices of whom he’s also put out two albums), as well as remixes of tracks by the likes of Eric Prydz, Swedish House Mafia, Gorgon City and Sub Focus.

With a tight, punchy and meticulously produced sound - first showcased in his sensational 2007 debut Your World - Tom is known for integrating ‘80s and ‘90s-inspired elements alongside cutting-edge beats and basslines in order to create tracks that are simultaneously referential and progressive. As it does with so many electronic producers, though, Tom’s musical journey began with the guitar.

“I was first introduced to the guitar by my mum, when I was about six or seven years old,” remembers Tom. “She had this black electric guitar that was like the coolest thing I’d ever seen, and I really took to it. I remember just messing around in my bedroom for hours on end, with effects pedals and all that kind of stuff. Then later on, I used to go into the music department at school and mess around with pianos and drums, and play with the computers, just figuring out how to use instruments.

“In my early teens, I joined a couple of bands - metal bands, basically, with elements of electronic music - where I would play guitar and do a bit of vocals, and produce very rudimentary beats from samples in the background.

“When I got to about 12 or 13, I was a bit of a nerd, to be honest, and I started up my own online radio station. I sold my PlayStation to buy a pair of belt-drive turntables, which was quite a sacrifice at that age. My mum was quite happy about it, though!”

Tom’s online radio station had a chat room, and through this, a listener ended up sending him six data disks full of drum ’n’ bass classics. It was a life-changing moment. “It was like the bible of drum ’n’ bass. It had everything: Dom and Roland, LTJ Bukem, Bad Company, a Grooverider mix... basically, the A to Z of drum ’n’ bass of that era. There was a particular Bad Company track called Silicon Dawn that absolutely blew my mind. I knew I had to make this style - I became obsessed with it.”

After graduating from the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, then completing a university music course, Tom landed a job with a music distributor in London.

“For a couple of years it operated as a vinyl distribution company, mostly, so I was seeing behind the scenes of the logistics and distribution of music, which was really interesting. Then the vinyl market crashed and a lot of the distributors went down, so it morphed into a music management company.

“I was managing Adam Beyer and the Drumcode operation, doing social media, branding, graphic design, web design, all that stuff, just trying to make the artists look good from a visual point of view.

“We operated from the Sony offices, with Eric Prydz’ team. It was an amazing environment, seeing how everything operated first hand with some of the biggest dance music brands, and figuring out how to apply that to my own career.

“At the same time, I was releasing records on Viper to begin with. My first ever vinyl release was a remix of a classic techno tune - DK8’s Murder Was the Bass - and that put me on the radar of a few people. Then I slipped into a completely different style and made a few more melodic tunes, and then the track Your World was the one that really put me on the map.

“Eventually, I bumped into London Elektricity at a rave and we just got chatting, and I ended up getting signed to Hospital. I’ve been with Hospital for five or six years now, putting out music and playing gigs around the world. It’s been amazing!”

Check out the video above to see Tom taking you through the production process behind 2019 release Hackers, and discussing drum synthesis in general.

This video originally appeared in Computer Music issue 273 (October 2019)

Reloop has announced a portable scratch DJ turntable called Spin, and we already want one.

The deck features a raft of connectivity options: Bluetooth, USB,  Aux in, two headphone outs, a master RCA output and built-in speaker.

To cope with a life away from the confines of a studio or DJ booth, the Spin also comes with various stability-ensuring features such as a stable tone arm with transportation lock, and anti-skid feet. True portability can be achieved by plugging into a regular USB power bank, or with the addition of two lithium-ion batteries, which are sold separately.

The deck comes bundled with a 7-inch scratch record, which contains professionally recorded samples for scratching, and a 45mm crossfader, which can be switched to either the right or left of the platter.

Spin is priced at €229.99 and includes the Super Spin Duck Looper app from DJ Babu and the Beat Junkies Institute of Sound. More details can be found on the Reloop website.

Reloop Spin features

• High-grade 7''-scratch-record: professionally recorded samples for scratching and beats for juggling
• Bluetooth audio streaming: wireless streaming of music or beats to the device
• Smart USB recording: direct recording of scratches & cuts to USB in MP3 format
• Integrated speaker
• 3 selectable speeds (33 1/3, 45 & 78 rpm)
• Extremely stable tone arm with transport lock
• Cartridge with excellent tracking features
• Precise 45-mm-crossfader with two-rail glide technology
• Crossfader can be installed on preferred side (both-way)
• Two headphones connections for listening and monitoring
• AUX input facilitates connection of several turntables (daisy chain)
• Easy battery charging via USB PSU or USB power bank (sold separately)
• Installed start/stop button
• Precise speed adjustment via pitch control with +/-20 %
• Tone control to adjust low frequencies
• Volume control for AUX input and master/headphones
• Power LED indicates the turntable's operational status
• 7'' record puck adaptor with holder
• Anti-skip rubber feet for secure stand
• Can be operated with regular USB PSU (5 V, 2 A), USB power bank or batteries (sold separately)
• Batteries can be inserted into battery compartment on the device's bottom 2x Li-Ion 18650 (sold separately)
• Incl. 7'' scratch vinyl, pre-installed cartridge, slipmat, dust cover, puck adapter, instruction manual and Super Spin Duck Looper app

The Technics name is synonymous with high-quality DJ turntables, so the news that the company is launching the SL-1200MK7 Direct Drive Turntable is sure to make headlines. Known as the SL-1210MK7 in Europe, this is the latest generation of the legendary SL series, and the first DJ-specific turntable from Technics in the best part of nine years.

Known for its powerful torque, easy operation and bomb-proof durability, the 1200 has been around in various forms since 1972, and remains popular in DJing circles to this day. The MK7 features a redesigned, coreless direct drive motor that promises to eliminate ‘clogging’, a ‘rotation irregularity’ that occasionally occurred with previous models. There’s also a highly-sensitive, static-balance S-shape tonearm to facilitate excellent tracking performance, and a two-layer structure platter that’s said to improve vibration damping performance.

Vibration is further reduced by the aluminium die-cast chassis, which is rigidly integrated with a special material that consists of ABS mixed with glass fibre. The insulator is made of spring and rubber to ensure that vibrations are shut out even at high sound levels.

Other handy features include detachable power/phono cables - the terminals are gold-plated to minimise sound quality degradation - and adjustable starting torque and brake speed. Pitch control is digital, with improved tracking performance and accuracy, and there’s now a reverse play function. Elsewhere, the stylus illuminator features a high-brightness and long-life LED.

We’re still waiting on a price and release date for the SL-1200MK7, but you can find out more on the Technics website.

While Roland's big new DJ controller has 808 branding and comes with a built-in drum machine, the company also has a couple of limited edition 909-badged products that can be used in the booth. Specifically, a direct drive turntable and a 2-channel mixer.

Before you start to worry that Roland has bolted a groovebox on somewhere, we should assure you that the TT-99 and DJ-99 look pretty standard (well, apart from having 909 plastered all over them). The former is a 3-speed turntable with a built-in phono equalizer, while the latter sports a mini crossfader, dedicated DVS inputs/outputs and a 3-band EQ for each input.

Find out more on the Roland website. The TT-99 costs £289/€349 and the DJ-99 is £209/€249. Both will be available in October.

Portable DJ turntables with built-in speakers are nothing new (heck, we had them when we were kids), but Numark reckons that it's about to release the first one ever to feature an adjustable scratch switch.

The PT01 Scratch enables you to add custom scratch effects anywhere you like (the turntable can be battery powered) using either your left or right hand. The deck also features a non-slip cartridge system so that, in theory, the stylus will stay in contact with your records' grooves regardless of playing angle or vibration.

"We know that DJs want to take their music outside and not be restricted to where they practice their art. That's why our portable turntable business is exploding," said Chris Roman, Sr Product Manager for Numark. "The PT01 Scratch takes the portable turntable to the next level, by being the only one to provide a real scratch switch. DJs everywhere are going to love this."

The PT01 Scratch will be available in October priced at £110. Find out more on the Numark website.

Numark PT01 Scratch features

• Built-in adjustable Scratch Switch
• Protective carrying case with integrated carrying handle
• Includes AC wall adapter or uses six "D" cells (not included)
• Built-in speaker
• Cartridge included
• Removable slip-mat
• USB connection for recording to computer (free downloadable software)
• 33 1/3, 45 and 78 RPM settings
• RCA outputs for easy connection to other equipment
• Headphone jack for private listening

Pioneer has announced a new direct drive DJ turntable that seems to be aimed at the 'vinyl lover' who might also want to dip their toe into DJing waters.

More affordable than the PLX-1000, which was unveiled in 2014, the PLX-500 benefits from a line output, which means you can plug it straight into your speakers without the need for an external amp.

There's also a USB audio output, and if you couple the deck with Pioneer's rekordbox software and dvs Plus Pack - plus a compatible DJM mixer and RB-VS1-K Control Vinyl - you can play and scratch digital files.

Indeed, the high-torque deck is said to be ideal for scratching, and includes a cartridge, stylus and slipmat. It's available in black and white.

Expect to see the PLX-500 in stores in September priced at €349. Find out more on the Pioneer DJ website.

In other news, Pioneer has announced that it's DM-40 desktop monitors are now available in white.

The DM-40-Ws features the same technology as the original black version, including the soft dome tweeters with DECO convex diffusers produce a 3D stereo sound and a wide sweet spot.

The monitors are available from mid September 2016 at an SRP of €169 (per pair), including VAT. More information can be found on the DM-40-W webpage.

DM-40-W features

• New white body
• Front-loaded bass reflex system with grooves for uninterrupted, rich bass
• ¾-inch soft dome tweeters with convex diffusers for a wide sweet spot
• Class AB amps
• 4-inch fibreglass woofer
• Curved front edges reduce resonance
• Volume control dial is on the front panel for ease of use
• RCA and stereo mini jack inputs
• Headphones output

Longevity is something of a rare bird in the frenetic, often transient world of dance music. Rarer still is to maintain a career (not to mention a well-honed, cutting-edge one) over some 30 years in the clubs and dancefloors of the worldwide electronic music fraternity. Carl Cox is one of the select few who not only have managed to last the distance but continue to innovate musically while constantly seeking new electronic avenues to explore.

DJ, producer, remixer par excellence, Carl Cox has been at the vanguard of the UK's house and techno movement pretty much since he burst onto it in the early 1980s. With a record label (Intec), countless releases and remixes, and a 15-year (that's fifteen-year) residency at Ibiza's legendary Space under his belt, Cox is synonymous with his beloved electronic dance music.

His excellent recent sample library release, Carl Cox: My Life in Music, squares the circle of his genre-straddling production skills and further illustrates his eclectic tastes and fine ear for a blistering beat or bassline.

FM were ecstatic to catch up with Carl Cox prior to his recent trip to London to get his thoughts on the changing face of the DJ booth, his love of technology and how it feels to be drawing a 15-year- long Ibiza residency to a close.

Was learning your trade on vinyl back in the day an important apprenticeship for you?

"There are a lot of new DJ/producers on the scene today that don't even know what a record is - they've never seen a record player! They laugh when you tell them that's what we used to play on... 'oh really, where's the sync button?'

"We had to develop the talents to mix two records in, which wasn't easy. That's the thing with some DJs nowadays, that if you were to give them two records and say, 'right, mix these two together - one's 116bpm the other is 126bpm'... Good luck with that! We used to do just that. We had to make sure that those bloody things went in time and that was the skill. For us, learning to DJ that way, I think, makes it much easier to use the equipment that's around today."

What's your take on the current resurgence of vinyl as a format?

"To be honest, I think vinyl coming back is a bit of a hype. The problem is a lot of people who never got to play on vinyl are seeing this as something unique or bespoke and a lot of the people who are getting into the vinyl want to feel that what they're doing is very special. Undoubtedly it is but you're paying for it. You're paying a lot of money for not a lot of music. Also, you're not actually buying the very latest music; you're buying music that's been re-pressed or re-released as maybe a run of 300. So, if you're one of the 300 that has it then, yes, it is a bit special; but if that record doesn't take then you've got nothing to back it with... any next release from that artist.

"It's really difficult to put out vinyl on a regular basis as it costs so much money. One of the reasons vinyl went to the wall before was precisely because it cost too much money to put records out. When me and Intec (Records) stopped putting out vinyl it was because each release was costing around £6k. I had no choice other than to stop putting out vinyl."

What was your first exposure to tech beyond the record decks?

"I think the first thing was an eight-second sampler. It was the Numark PPD and you could get eight seconds mono or four seconds stereo sampling. I actually made a bootleg record called Let the Bass Kick and I had a four-track Tascam, which I'd basically bounce tracks on and overlay tracks.

"I would sample the record through the sampler from the mixer then overlay that loop and record the loop for six minutes then do exactly the same process for another sound. Then, once I had that initial backing track, I'd spin something else over the top and basically create bootlegs."

When you started DJing did you ever imagine having to be so tech-savvy in the DJ booth?

"Yeah, for sure. I think that you have to have an element of understanding what you're using so that you can get the best out of it. That, for me, has been something I've always tried to do in terms of what you can do to keep pushing things even further. I remember the first time I had the two turntables mixing two records together thinking, 'yeah this is cool but what can I do to push this forward'. So, I got another turntable, put it in the rig then realised, 'okay, so now I need a mixer with three channels'.

"They never had a DJ mixer with three channels at that point; the other channels were for tape recorder/Aux or a microphone. Also, the Aux channel didn't have a gain on it and you had to create an input gain from something else. So, I had to have two mixers, one to create an input gain on one's auxiliary channel then plug my turntable into that channel and boom... I had three channels on a mixer and I was able to mix on three record players.

"The thing about using three turntables is that it took me a while to start doing it live because, hey, mixing two was hard enough but mixing three could get ridiculous, but I've always been into that idea of pushing things forward. If you give me something, I'll check it out to see if it works for me or hinders the way I work."

Can you give us an example?

"Say, for instance, Ableton Live. A lot of DJs went onto Ableton Live and found they could overlay music sounds, loops and multi-layer ideas on top of their own music. As well as that, it had MIDI so you could plug your keyboard in and play on top of everything with MIDI timing. But I just thought that the core element of DJing was gone... now you were becoming more of a live producer.

"For me, when I started playing on Ableton, I'd be DJing with the CD players then going over to Ableton. But when I went over to Ableton I found myself feeling devoid of being a DJ as Live is so perfectly sync'd, in key and everything was really nice but I've never been really nice. I was more, 'here's a record, I'll throw this down... boom... and you can kick it', but Ableton was kind of smoothing me out.

"So, I've always used it as a producer but still want to be looser as a DJ by me being in and out of sync by what I use via Traktor. This is where I try to work within the constraints of what's happening and what's new but it does also have to enhance what I'm doing, otherwise it's just not worth me getting involved."

Have you investigated Native Instruments' Stems much?

"Well, here's a thing - I love the Stems. I think it's absolutely amazing that you're able to get a record you love and strip it out and overlay other stuff... that keeps you in the creative mode the whole time. I find myself going inside Stems then back to DJing and back and forth, which Traktor allows you to do.

"I've been using Stems for about a year or so now; the only problem with them initially was that you weren't able to get that much music on Stems as a lot of producers felt that they didn't want to release their music on a format where you can basically just have vocals, keyboards or even just a bassline.

"They didn't want people to have access to stripped out versions of music they'd created; but the thing was, no matter what happens with it, you still get a certain amount of royalties... so nothing really changes to be honest with you. If you hear your bassline on another record, then nine times out of ten you're not going to get anything for it anyway as everyone's ripping everyone else off anyway.

"So, that's why I think Stems is such a good thing and I'm behind it 110%. It really does enhance my sets when I play Stems on their own as I think about being creative in a different way than usual... It does up the ante when you play tracks that you love but strip them out and create your own version of it. You might get a great bassline from a track but want to use the drums from something else and you can mute or add effects to just the drum track alone, which is really powerful."

Sounds as if you enjoy things that enable you an extra level of creativity live?

"Yeah. I think it's... look, people know that I can mix music; people know that I love when a plan comes together. Not all the time but I'm trying to do something all the time. [Laughs] I'm not there being smug saying, 'check me out... it's all in key and everything... smooth!'. I'm working hard at every point to create the moment of what I'm doing. I never know what it is or have a set plan. I'll just take a track I love, whack the bassline in, no, it doesn't, maybe try something else, loop it, get it going... boom, boom, boom! That's how my brain works all the time.

"The thing is, the equipment, software and hardware is there for anyone to go and create but it still takes a certain amount of talent and ideas to make it work for you. This is where the wheat is sorted out from the chaff. I've always found when it comes to equipment that less is more. If you've got 15 delays going and four basslines, then everything gets so clouded and cluttered. People often just want to hear a good kick, a good bassline and a good riff. Once you've got those elements together and you then put something on top of it that changes things, then people can hear it and feel it."

Was the Traktor S8 that you use now the key to opening this new world of creativity?

"Well the mad thing is that I basically came into Native Instruments and the S8 kicking and screaming! I didn't want to use it. In the early days I created my own mixer with Numark, the PMCCX, which was a dedicated three-channel mixer, which had the matrix system so you could have any one channel on any one mixer. It had an isolator on it and had a really good sound and everyone loved it at the time But, as soon as Pioneer came out with their mixer with the onboard effects, everyone jumped on that.

"Pioneer then brought out the DJM2000 and that had a drum machine and all sorts of things on it and it was a fantastic little mixer. You had four channels, loads of effects that you could use and I was really impressed with the sound of it. So, that was the mixer of choice for me and I'd use it with Pioneer's RMX1000, which was an added effects unit that I really enjoyed playing on as well.

"So, then the S8 comes out and I thought, 'here we go'. It had all those beautiful coloured lights and more buttons than you could shake a stick at and everyone was saying how it was going to change the face of DJ technology and how the sound was better than anything else. So, eventually I decided to check it out, took it home and it blew my mind!"

How so?

"The sound was great, which was impressive, as was the way they have everything laid out on it. The thing about the S8 is it's an incorporated mixer. You have your controller system and your soundcard already onboard. So, you don't have to have loads of extra wires that could mean something could go wrong. It works as one independent unit and, touch wood, I haven't had one go down on me yet. It's really solid and if you keep the signal at a good place then it sounds better than any other mixer out there.

"So, I was super impressed by the S8 itself; then they came out with the Stems format, the controllers of which are already built into the S8. Native Instruments are thinking ahead all the time."

Over the years have any particular pieces of gear kept their place in your heart?

"I've done quite a lot of live sessions over the years; in the early days I went out as the Carl Cox Concept and I always had my Roland Juno-6 with me as well as my Roland 909. I had a Minimoog with me, which is just so powerful. The Korg Kaossilator Pro was superb and a lot of people missed that bit of kit.

"If you just had a 909 and the Kaossilator you could absolutely rock the house. As I say, a lot of people missed the Kaossilator Pro but I still use mine... not the 909, of course, as that comes in all different formats now but the Kaossilator has some really awesome sounds in it and what you can do to overlay and create sounds live is amazing."

You released you're excellent My Life in Music sample library through Loopmasters. How did you go about putting that together and do you see yourself doing more of that kind of thing?

"The thing is with sample packs, I've never really used them for my own music as I've always decided that I wanted to make something that was original. It takes bloody ages to do that though... that's probably why people get so lazy with using presets! For me, if I did that people would call me a lazy bastard [laughs]... 'Bloody hell, he's just used preset number 7!' I'd get it in the neck so I have to really create something else.

"So, when you hear my Loopmasters sample pack, that took two years to put together. I sat there and re-mixed and re-edited everything I created for it... all the basslines, the hits and the one-shots you hear on it are original. I wanted to make them sound nasty, dirty, powerful and bass-heavy so it's not a 'nice' pack as I wanted it to be more slap in the face than that.

"There's some good disco loops, good funky loops and techno loops. Everything that I'm about is on that sample pack, which is why we called it My Life in Music as what you're hearing is just that.

"I would like to do a follow-up library at some point. I've got over 150,000 pieces of vinyl in my garage,which is a huge sample library in waiting. All I have to do is grab a handful of them; some are maybe crap, some are the best records you've heard in your life, but if you just loop some of that stuff which you've completely forgotten about and turn it into something else, you're creating something new and unique. That ties into who I am in the sense of searching for that perfect sound or beat or loop.

"So, creating the pack was a lot of hard work and thank god I was able to work with two amazing producers, David Carbone and Josh Abrahams. Without them I wouldn't have been able to finish it off to the standard we did. We've turned into a bit of a dream team when it comes to production. These guys are so on the money and what you hear on the sample pack is our collective skills."

What's out there that you'd like to try?

"Nothing really... At the moment there is now the ability to create your own soft synths. That can be a little too techy when they just give you a bunch of sine waves and go, 'right, go make your own synth!'. There's so much stuff out there that you can have fun with but I'd always say to start with the easiest things you can get your hands on. Something like Fruity Loops [FLStudio] is a great place to start and then work your way up from there."

So, do you use a lot of soft synths?

"I do actually at the moment. In the early days they sounded crap and everyone was banging on about how software would 'never sound as good as a hardware Pultec', but now you couldn't really tell if it was a hardware or software Pultec someone was using. The A/D convertors on a lot of the stuff you can't tell. I'd imagine some of the old-school producers would do an A/B comparison but most people today wouldn't have a clue. That's a great bassline, my speakers are shaking, I feel sick... it's all good!"

What makes your Space residency in Ibiza so special to you?

"I love to play there - it's always something special and the music that I pull out there is like nothing I play anywhere else. There's just an atmosphere in there that's different every time you play. You know, I'm gonna miss it terribly!"

To be fair, 15-year residencies are fairly hard to come by nowadays…

"[Laughs] Absolutely... and that's the thing about it - there have been a lot of clubs that have come and gone but Space has been solid for 27 years! That's a long time and I've been solid in that club myself for 15 of those years.

"When I first took it on for a Tuesday night I thought to myself, 'I've probably got about three years in here then I'm done'. Space has got loads of accolades over the years of its existence and it really stood for something. There's going to be a massive hole in a lot of people's lives when it's gone."

FM can't pass up an opportunity to ask a master such as yourself - any tips for aspiring DJ/producers?

"I always think that whatever you do you have to do it because you believe in what you're about in the sense of creating your sounds and creating your vibe. Allow yourself to be free when it comes to making music. Don't follow any fashion as that all just comes and goes quickly. Don't be scared of trying something new and don't worry if some people don't like your music as there will be people out there that do and will support you. Those are the kind of things I've lived my life by and I haven't done so bad because of it!"

Carl Cox: My Life in Music is available via Loopmasters. Music Is Revolution - The Next Phase: Tuesday night residency at Space, Ibiza from June to September 2016. Visit the Carl Cox website for regular updates.

Vinyl DJs rejoiced earlier this year when it was announced that Technics brand owner Panasonic is bringing back the iconic SL-1200 turntable in a new and possibly improved form. However, if you want to buy the limited edition version, the SL-1200GAE, you're going to have to pay top dollar for it.

What HiFi reports that the new deck, which will go on sale in the UK in the summer, will cost £2799. Only 1200 SL-1200GAEs will be made, and the first 300 have already sold out in Japan.

If that sounds a bit on the expensive side, don't fret, as the regular Grand Class SL-1200G will be available before the end of the year. A price for this has yet to be confirmed.

Find out more about the new decks on the Technics website.

The technical specifications for an 'HD vinyl' format have been patented by an Austrian company called Rebeat Digital, it's being reported.

Digital Music News claims to have seen a copy of the patent application, and says that HD vinyl could offer 30% more capacity, 30% greater volume and double the audio fidelity of the records you're currently listening to.

There are further upsides to this high-def format, too: a new manufacturing process (based on 3D-based topographical mapping combined with laser inscription technology) is said not only to deliver a superior product, but also to speed up the time it takes for vinyl to be produced.

What's more, HD vinyl will be backwards compatible and play on existing turntables, though you'll need a new HD turntable to enjoy its performance benefits.

It's being speculated that the new format could come to market within three years. That's not too far away, though we might all be listening to our music on cassette tape again by then, or maybe it'll be time to bring back another supposedly dead format. Who's ready for the CD revival?

It's been rumoured for a while, and now Panasonic (which now owns the Technics brand) has officially confirmed that it'll be relaunching the iconic SL-1200 direct-drive DJ turntable later this year.

Rather than simply replicating the original hardware - which was beloved by DJs around the world - the company says that it hopes to "redefine the direct-drive turntable reference" thanks to a redesigned direct-drive motor and control circuitry.

The move follows Pioneer's decision to release its own direct-drive turntable, the PLX-1000, in 2014.

The first model in the new range will be the Grand Class SL-1200GAE, a limited edition release that will be restricted to 1,200 units and will be available in the summer. The regular Grand Class SL-1200G will be available before the end of the year.

Specs are available on the Technics website, though pricing details are still to come.

The DJ Expo hits Atlantic City today and Numark has taken the opportunity to announce the release of its latest DJ turntable, the TT250USB.

Coming in at the other end of the scale to Numark's high-end DJ controller the NS7III - which was announced at NAMM earlier this year - the company has diverted its attentions to the world of vinyl.

The TT250USB takes its design cues from the classic Technics SL-1210s; a slight departure from previous models,theTTUSB and TTXUSB.

Key features include:

• Quartz-controlled direct-drive motor
• Die-cast aluminium platter (.09% wow & flutter)
• S-shaped tonearm
• Pre-mounted high-quality magnetic cartridge
• Pitch Fader and Pitch-Bend controls
• Pitch adjustment range ±10%
• 1/8-inch input for remote start with compatible mixers
• Attached stereo line-out RCA cable

The TT250USB will ship with an MSRP of £199.99. For more information check out the Numark website.

Designed for people who want a turntable-style interface for their DAW, Stagecraft Software's Vinyl Lab is coming soon as a VST/AU plugin.

Looking like a piece of DJing software and compatible with timecoded vinyl (enabling realistic scratching), this features 16 sample players, which are assignable to either of the two decks. You can set up an effects chain, and there's full MIDI support.

The Vinyl Lab beta can currently be downloaded for free from the Stagecraft Software website, so you're got nothing to lose by taking it for a spin.

Those who thought that traditional turntables were dying a death in the DJ market forgot to tell Pioneer, which has just announced the PLX-1000 high-torque direct drive turntable.

Given its design, comparisons with the legendary Technics 1200 are inevitable - even Pioneer is calling it a "modern classic" with a "familiar layout" - but the company also reckons it's made some "next generation improvements".

The headline features are below, and you can find out more on the Pioneer DJ website. Price and release date to be confirmed.

Pioneer PLX-1000 key features

• High-torque direct drive (33 rpm in 0.3 seconds)
• Classic DJ turntable layout
• Removable power, ground and phone cables
• S-shaped tone arm
• Multiple tempo control options: ±8%, ±16% and ±50%
• Tempo reset button
• Solid build for excellent vibration damping
• Professional-grade gold-plated RCA jacks
• Rubber-lined tone arm to improve isolation and prevent feedback

MUSIKMESSE 2014: As was the case with many companies at this year's show, the Pioneer stand at Musikmesse was fairly light on new products we hadn't already seen at NAMM. There was, however, one interesting, albeit mysterious, new offering on display from the all-conquering DJ brand.

In a rotating display case, tucked over to the side of the stand, the brand had on display the as-yet-unseen new DJ turntable pictured above, with no accompanying information and its serial number covered by a piece of black tape. Obviously, with no other information available, we can currently only speculate on Pioneer's plans, although its pretty safe to assume that it means we'll see this turntable officially unveiled at some point in the coming months.

It's not necessarily surprising that Pioneer would have a new turntable in the works - the company have produced pro DJ turntables in the past and, although there's already plenty of quality options available out there, the demise of the Technics 1200s in 2010 certainly opened up a hole in the market.

What is perhaps surprising, however, is how straightforward it looks compared to most of the companys other recent offerings; the bulk of Pioneer's recent DJ products have been focussed around things like wi-fi compatibility and flashy 'performance' features, so the idea of the company releasing a Technics-alike turntable is disarmingly simplistic.

Of course, DJ turntables are still popular and there's definitely a market for simple, sturdy and good sounding record players. If we were to be really speculative, however, we'd guess that this could be the tip of the iceberg and Pioneer may have more up its sleeve. Perhaps that could mean an expanded line of turntables that embrace MIDI features (a la Reloop's recent RP-8000), or maybe Pioneer could be working on a new digital vinyl system and setting its sights on Traktor and Serato. Who knows? For now we can only guess, but hopefully we'll find out more sooner rather than later.

MUSIKMESSE 2013 PRESS RELEASE: Stanton®, part of the Gibson Pro Audio division and an industry leader in the design and manufacture of professional audio products for DJs, is pleased to announce that all future production of the industry-leading ST.150 and STR8.150 turntables will include new cartridges, the TrackMaster V.3 and SM V.3.

Attendees will be able to get in-person demonstrations of the new cartridges at Musikmesse 2013 (Hall 5.1, Stand B65). The new cartridges, which are among Stanton's top offerings, provide users with improved performance.

As part of this new offering, the Stanton ST.150 now includes the TrackMaster V.3 cartridge, which features high-output, low-cue burn and a four-coil pick up. These features make it perfect for any club or scratch performance, while its integrated design does not require a headshell. The Stanton STR8.150 will also now include the SM V.3 cartridge, which offers superior stereo imaging and the ability to align the cartridge on its included headshell. This alignment capability allows for improved tracking response.

"The new included cartridges offer a substantial upgrade to our bestselling professional turntables," says Gus Jursch, General Manager of Gibson Pro Audio, a division of the Gibson Guitar Corporation. "The Stanton ST.150 and STR8.150 turntables continue to deliver the level of performance today's DJs demand, and these new cartridge solutions will help to augment that further."

Suitable for digital vinyl systems, traditional vinyl mixing, archiving and home audio use, the Stanton 150 series turntables have everything today's DJs need and more. The Stanton ST.150, with a standard S-shaped tone arm, and the Stanton STR8.150, fitted with a "skip-proof" straight tone arm, offer durable construction designed to minimize feedback, an industry-leading torque motor—up to 4.5 Kgf-cm—and an ultra-stable platter and tone arm. They also provide such professional-grade features as key correction, reverse, up to 50% pitch adjustment and phono/line plus S/PDIF digital outputs.

Information on the Stanton TrackMaster V.3 and Stanton SM.V3 cartridges is available from the Stanton website now.

Hit play on the video above to see DJ Shiftee in action when Future Music Magazine caught up with Native Instruments' Mostly Robot band at the Sonar festival in Barcelona. Here, Shiftee explains how his side of the tech supergroup works and the tech he needs to make it all happen.

Buy the latest issue of Future Music magazine or Got an iPad, iPhone or iPod? Go to Apple's News stand. Got Android? Or want to read on your Mac or PC desktop? Go to Zinio. Single issues are yours for just £2.99!

It wasn't long ago when the grand-daddy of DJ turntables, the Technics 1200's were laid to rest. But, there's still a demand for a decent turntable, especially one with advanced features like USB, for ripping that record collection to digital or for sampling and re-edit purposes. It's nice to see a robust looking deck that can suffer the rigors of DJs and be used for USB ripping too. Priced around £500

PRESS RELEASE BELOW

The AT-LP1240USB is built to deliver exceptional music reproduction even under the most demanding conditions. It utilizes a powerful direct-drive 16-pole, three-phase motor for unwavering speed stability along with easy back-cueing, forward and reverse play and quiet operation at 33-1/3, 45 or 78 RPM. The turntable features an S-shaped tone arm with adjustable tracking force (counterweight) and anti-skate adjustment and a removable universal cartridge mount (cartridge available separately). The tone arm has locking height adjustment to dial in the vertical tracking angle (VTA), an important feature for achieving the most accurate-possible record playback.

The AT-LP1240USB comes with numerous additional DJ-friendly features including a damped cast-aluminium platter with stroboscopic speed markings and slip mat, an illuminated speed indicator and adjustable pitch control, a start/stop button, a removable stylus target light, a dedicated tone arm grounding lug, a hydraulically-damped lift lever and a locking tone arm rest that keeps the arm and cartridge in place during transport.

The AT-LP1240USB is also perfect for home users. Its sleek, elegant gloss-black and silver design fits into any stereo music or home entertainment system, and its built-in switchable phono preamp enables it to be used with a wide ariety of receivers, powered speakers and other A/V components.

SPECS

• Type: 3-speed, fully manual operation
• Motor: 16-pole, 3-phase, brushless DC motor
• Drive Method: Direct drive
• Speeds: 33-1/3 RPM, 45 RPM, 78 RPM
• Turntable Platter: 332 mm dia. die-cast aluminium
• Starting Torque: >4.5 kgf.cm
• Braking System: Electronic brake
• Wow and Flutter: < 0.1% WRMS (JIS WTD) with 33 RPM
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: > 55 dB (DIN-B)
• Output Level: Pre-amp «PHONO»:
  2.5 mV nominal at 1 kHz, 5 cm/sec (HP-4005)
  Pre-amp «LINE»:
  150 mV nominal at 1 kHz, 5 cm/sec (HP-4005)
• USB Function: A/D, D/A - 16 bit 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz USB selectable; Computer interface - USB 1.1 Compliant Windows XP or above or MAC OSX or above
• Dimensions: 450.0 mm W x 353.0 mm D x 166.5 mm H
• Weight: 12.5 kg
• Accessories Included: Slip mat; dust cover; platter; 45 RPM adapter; counterweight; headshell; power cord; USB cable; dual RCA (female) to 1/8" (3.5 mm) mini-plug (male) stereo adapter cable; dual RCA (female) to 1/8" (3.5 mm) mini-plug (female) stereo adapter
  cable; dual RCA (male) cable with integrated ground wire; stylus target light; Audacity software (CD)

The turntable has undergone a bit of a transformation in recent years, with many models now featuring a USB port or iPod dock. However, the big difference with carpenter Joel Schilley's decks is that they're all made out of wood.

Describing himself as "America's premier builder of burlwood turntables" (we do wonder how much competition there is for that title), Schilley operates out of the San Francisco Bay Area.

He says that most of the Audiowood turntables, as they're known, are his designs, though he also enjoys "working with clients who have their own visions".

A glance at the gallery on his website reveals some unusual products - take the Big Red, for example, which looks like the kind of thing that Gandalf would spin vinyl on.

Then there's Barky, which appears to have more grooves on it than the records it plays.

There are plenty more on the Audiowood website, too, plus contact details in case you're interested in buying rather than simply browsing.

(Via Boing Boing Gadgets)

Got a bunch of old-school vinyl that you're just dying to spin? Then you might want to check out the new Gabriel Turntable. One thing, though: it costs up to $64,000.

Crafted in limited editions by the Italian company Angelis Labor, the Gabriel is made from aluminum, bronze and stainless steel and can be customized with up to four arms.

Each arm is made in a Modena, Italy, factory that also builds Ferrari parts (built for speed, of course). A one-armed model costs about $27,000, while a four-armed version runs for $64,000, including installation.

Who would buy such a thing?

Somebody who wants their name engraved on a turntable - that's one of the perks for spending serious bucks on a Gabriel. But also someone who wants to match their record players' arms to different genres of music without going through the hassle of swapping cartridges.

The Gabriel is a magnetic suspension turntable, meaning that calibrated magnets are used to lift the platter a few millimeters above its bearings. This helps reduce vibration, which can affect sound quality.

Basically, the whole device seems to float on air, but in fact it rests on a custom-built, vibration-dampening table. It takes half a day for an Angelis Labor technician to set the whole thing up and calibrate the turntable. (Hey, for $64,000, we'd expect nothing less.)

So if you have a bunch of cool old albums, or if you hapen to be very rich, or both, the Gabriel Turntable is calling your name.

Ion's iCapture looks like it could be a handy peripheral for anyone who wants to use their iPod Classic as a recording device.

Slot your player into the iCapture and it's instantly ready to record any audio you want - a pair of mics sits on the top, and it also looks like there's a couple of combi jacks on the bottom for plugging in mics or instruments.

You can monitor via headphones, while buttons, knobs and level meters can be found on the front. There's no news yet on what kind of quality you'll be able to record at.

The iCapture looks very similar in concept to Belkin's Podcast Studio, which was launched in 2008. However, this still doesn't seem to be available, so if Ion can get its product out soon - it's scheduled to ship in the second quarter of 2009 - it could yet steal a march on its rival.

Pricing details have yet to be announced.

It looks like the kind of thing you might expect to pick up at a car boot sale, but Teac's LP-R500 is actually a new product.

Your eyes are not deceiving you - as well as having a turntable on its top, the LP-R500 also sports a cassette deck. To call this thing retro would be an understatement.

Fortunately, there are some concessions to modernity - the presence of a CD recorder means that you can at least put your LP collection onto discs that can be read and ripped by your computer.

There's also an FM radio and, by the look of it, a pair of built-in speakers (sadly, the LP-R500's specs are currently only available in Japanese).

Unlike many modern turntables, though, Teac's doesn't appear to have a USB port for easy digital conversion, though you could take a stereo output from the phono sockets round the back and plug this into your audio interface.

Or just buy some C90s and dig out your 1982 Walkman.

(Via Akihabara News)

USB DJ turntables are nothing new, but Numark's PT-01USB sets itself apart by being portable.

As you can see from the pic, this isn't a device that you can slip into your pocket, but it can run on batteries (as well as wall power), meaning that conversion of your vinyl collection to digital audio files can, in theory, take place anywhere.

In addition to the USB port, there's also an RCA line output (so the turntable can be hooked up to any audio equipment), while the presence of an aux input enables you to connect a cassette deck or other device. There's even a monitoring speaker so you can use the turntable standalone.

As is usually the case with these things, the PT-01USB comes with recording software - EZ Vinyl Converter 2 - which promises to make it easy to get your recordings into your iTunes library on the PC. Mac users can use the supplied EZ Audio Creator 2.

MusicRadar isn't sure how much of a carrot the PT-01USB's portability actually is - surely, most vinyl-to-digital conversion will take place in the home? - but it does at least look as well spec'd as many other USB turntables. The list price is $149.

We´ve seen computer-friendly USB turntables already, but the Numark TTi takes things a step further by enabling you to transfer your record collection directly to your iPod.

With its built-in dock, the TTi is compatible with the Classic and fifth generation models of Apple´s music player. Owners of other iPods needn´t fret, though - you can easily hook the turntable up to your Mac or PC (over USB, natch) then download your recorded vinyl to your music player via iTunes.

The TTi comes with two digital audio conversion apps: EZ Vinyl Converter 2 for PC and EZ Audio Converter for Mac. Both feature Gracenote´s MusicID technology, which is designed to retrieve album, artist and song information for your vinyl recordings.

Other features of the hardware itself include line level RCA outputs and a ±10% pitch control.

Available now, the Numark TTI costs £150. If you require more detailed specs, you can find them on the Numark website.