Numark PT01 Portable Turntables
by Chris Hafner | Published October 2007 | In the Mix Archives

It's entirely possible that there will come a day when vinyl turntables are no longer available outside of your bedroom. Increasingly, as nightclubs upgrade their audio gear, CDJs and MP3 players are taking the place of old turntables - and that's the few clubs that still cater to a DJ culture like House or hip-hop at all. At smaller venues, you're on your own. Meanwhile, turntables for those at home that just like to rip out their own records are becoming priced strictly for the audiophile market, rather than the ordinary listener.

An affordable solution is here now with the Numark Portable Turntables. These are not high-end 1200s, but they also do not weigh 30 or 40 lbs. They're available for the very low price of less than $100 (Madman Audio's price was the best online or offline), which makes them perfect for the travelling DJ or a consumer that doesn't want a pair of bulky turntables as the center of an expensive stereo system.

The PT01 was designed to slide into a common record case (the width and length of a garden variety 12" record) and stands about 4 inches high. "Portability" is the watchword, as the entire turntable runs on batteries as well as an (included) AC adapter. It is very light and with a built-in case and handle, is very easy to carry around.

As for how it functions, it plays the typical 33, 45 and 78 rpm speeds, auto start/stop, a headphone jack, pitch control and line-out. The built-in speaker is about what you'd expect from such a light-weight set, which is to say that it's not very good. I hooked it up to my home stereo system, however, and the sound quality was remarkably good through my own speakers. I'm a Technics fanatic, but even I'll admit that those things are heavy enough to sink a battleship. It's a trade-off here, but you won't be shorting yourself on audio quality as much as you would expect.

While the company's marketing is aiming the PT01 mostly at DJs that travel, I have a couple of friends that found a very different use for it. A combination of the unit's portability and inexpensive price makes it ideal for those who wish to burn their music from vinyl to MP3 - with free software, it's as easy as plugging in and recording. I burned about 100 of my most-used records, then attached it to my home stereo system, where I can remove the cover to play records without taking up a lot of space. If I need to lend it to a friend or take it out to a show, it's as simple as unplugging the unit, attaching the cover and slipping it into my record bag. It's kind of like an oversized iPod for vinyl... except it's even cheaper!

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