Numark TTX Turntables
by Chris Hafner | Published July 2007 | In the Mix Archives

It took about thirty years, but a manufacturer has finally come up with a turntable that addresses the admittedly strange needs of a club DJ. You might be recycling your vinyl at this point - I am too - but I'm so in love with my Numark TTXs that it made me turn back the clock. This machine is a dream to play and made me fall in love with grooved slabs all over again.

Technically speaking, the TTX is a top-notch turntable. As one of the people with ten to fifteen year old Technics 1200s in my kit, I never thought another manufacturer's product would win my heart. But the TTX is not just comparable to the 1200 industry standard: it's better. Don't throw me overboard yet, because I'll tell you why: the 1200s were brilliant in their time, but technology can simply do more than it could back in the day, and the TTX is the first turntable to take all of these modern capabilities into account.

In terms of everyday needs, the TTX has one of the most awesome pitch adjusts I've ever seen - almost robotic in its accuracy. You can pitch as high as plus or minus 50%. In addition to that, the torque is unmatched by any other turntable I've seen. The TTX simply builds to full speed and stops instantaneously.

It also features a changeable S and straight tone arm, which is more useful for scratching and juke than House I suppose, but is still a nice feature. There is also a BPM counter, which is difficult to incorporate into your set if you're not used to one. But after a little re-training myself on the fly, it was actually useful too.

The table is also studded with lights - finally, you don't need to arrive five hours before the party starts just to plug in your wires before the house lights go down, and you'll never hold a flashlight in your teeth again!

The only downside I've been able to find out when measuring the TTX against the 1200 is that it's quite a bit heavier. Honestly, if you're lugging crates as well as turntables around, I can't see this as a deal-breaker. And if you've ever worked in a big room, you know that lighter tables that aren't mounted will suffer from skips due to speaker vibration. I also pushed the table to the limits my home system can accomplish, and I couldn't detect any buzz at all coming from the tone arm. This thing is quiet. Scratch and trick DJs may actually have a problem with that, as many sounds that are inaudible on a 1200 (for instance, touching a record when the table is still live, which is necessary for a scratch) can be heard loud-and-clear on the TTX.

So DJs who complain about cheap or ancient club tables: here's a chance to take your own on the road. You can't do better than the TTX.

5 Magazine is supported in large part by the patronage of our readers. If you like what you see, consider subscribing to the 5 Magazine Digital Edition and receive the complete contents at the beginning of every month as well as access to members only stories for only $1.50 per month!