DJ Brace - 2016 DMC Online Final set using MIDI Note Fader

DJ Brace has built his own modded Vestax 06 driven by the MIDI Note Fader blueprint and Control Panel Software. In close collaboration we have customized the software to meet his needs and have the Rane 62 control some of the parameters… here is the result of his hard work and efforts for his 2016 […]

Midi Note Fader Mod introduction

Let me start of with stating that the idea of controlling pitch of the turntable by vertical motion is not new. In fact, JohnBeez introduced the Fretless Fader a couple of years back already. There are also other initiatives under the notion of Syntablism where timecode vinyl is used to control a synth or vst […]

Vinyl Movement & Fader Position Capturing

A couple of months ago I accidentally bumped into a project that some guys were running on capturing fader movement by using hacked x-faders. Although a very interesting initiative it still needs some extra hardware, and further development. At the same time, I also noticed the Turntable Surgeon tool.  With some effort I was able […]

Turntable Troubleshooting

There are several problems you can run into that relate to your turntables. Here I will discuss the most common ones that you might encounter as a (starting) turntablist.

Needle keeps skipping

A few reasons that could cause your needles to skip:

Using needles that are not sufficiently ‘broken in’
Applying too much tracking force
The spindle hole in your […]

Basic Techniques on handling the Turntable

It is important to remember that even the best adjustment tips will not make a difference if you do not have a good ‘feel’ for the record. Every needle will skip eventually if you are banging away on the vinyl. I normally use two or three fingers to control the vinyl: ring, middle and index […]

Turntable Terminology

Because there is a lot to know about a turntable I have made a list of the more common parts. They are accompanied by a brief description and tips for adjustment or usage.

Tone-arm

In general we can distinguish 3 different tone-arm models:

The S-shaped tone-arm
The J-shaped tone-arm
The straight tone-arm

The S or J-shaped can be found on most […]

The Almighty Turntable

One of the key things that you have to keep in mind when you do your turntablism stuff is the adjustment of your gear. Especially the turntable that you’re using has to been tuned perfectly. If this is not the case than you’ll encounter all kinds of unwanted things, mostly being skipping needles.

A regular turntable […]

Gear 4 us

To most of you it will be clear by now that in order to be a DJ or turntablist you need a few things to get started.

Just to remind you, here’s a quick list:

2 turntables
1 mixer
A few records
Headphones

As a turntablist you can’t just use ‘any’ turntable or ‘any’ mixer that’s out there. Much like a […]