The last word in DJ tech – the USB turntable

DJ’ing, like everything else in this world, has been made better through progress. So much so that an old school DJ, someone who just knew records, record decks and a mixer, would struggle even to work out what half the kit used by a modern DJ is, let alone what it does or how to use it. So what, one wonders, would the old school have made of the USB turntable?
What, for that matter, do we? What is a Universal Serial Bus turntable and why would anyone want one? Two reasons, actually – one, to get all that lovely vinyl immortalised on CD; and two, to add a bunch of computer snap to a vinyl set. Let’s take our points in order, first stopping to describe what the Universal Serial Bus turntable actually does.
The USB (that stands for Universal Serial Bus, which is a posh way of saying “that bit on the side of the computer that you can plug stuff into”) turntable is a normal vinyl playing turntable that plugs into a USB port on a computer. The USB turntable sends the signals coming down the turntable arm and wire into the PC or laptop, in the same way that a regular turntable sends signals to a mixer. The computer effectively becomes the mixer, which means, as noted, two things – one, you can transfer all that vinyl into audio files and burn them to CDs; and two, that you can use programmes on the computer to mix and affect the music playing from the vinyl.
So: if one plugged a USB turntable into a computer, and then plugged that computer into a PA system, one would be able to use all sorts of flashy digital effects and programming to enhance one’s set. These days, DJ programmes can do just about anything – from correcting slight mismatches in beats to full on scratching and juggling. Plus, of course, the entire effects one has access to – simple sound washes, sine waves, and the other lot. Take one or even a pair of Universal Serial Bus turntables, add a computer with a good DJ programme on it, and one has a full club sound system waiting to happen.
Immortalising vinyl on CD via a USB turntable is actually a pretty good idea. Even if one wishes to keep one’s vinyl pristine and not get rid of it, having it all in the computer rather than in seventeen metal cases makes travelling to do DJ shows a lot easier. Why waste petrol, space and time carting all those records around when one can simply throw a laptop and a PA in the back of the car and get going?
There will of course be some vinyl junkies who disagree. The point holds even for them, though. At this end of the scale, the USB turntable can become a brilliant way to teach the art of DJ’ing without having to endanger those precious records. One simply records the vinyl via the USB link, practices with the files and the turntable (minus record) – and switches back to records when one feels confident enough.

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