tools for record shopping

I used to always use my friend’s Technics 1200’s to sample records, however because of conflicting schedules it’s nearly impossible to go over his place and sample records. Now the main reason why I got this turntable was because I needed something to sample records with and also its portability.

Currently, my bedroom setup is too small for 8 inch studio monitors or any keyboards that go past 49 keys. So visually you should know that there is barely any room for a direct drive turntable. I could afford a direct drive turntable, but I am a novice when it comes to looking for records. That means I still need to get something portable when I go record shopping in stores that don’t have turntables to use. When I go record shopping, I need to listen before I buy rare records because I am not too good when it comes to names and record labels to look for. I have made numerous bad purchases because I have judged a book by its cover. The final result of this debate was to get the Numark pt-01 for the time being.

I though that if I get this turntable now, I can buy a direct drive when my bedroom gets bigger. The other part of the logic was with that surplus of turntable money I can use the excess to buy more records and make more beats from all the rare samples I have dug up. If I need to record myself scratching to something I can still go over my friend’s house and do it there.


Battery Life/Portability

First time I bought this turntable, I put in six D Cell to see it work without a power cord. Then I tested the power cord just to make sure that works. Then I decided to go record shopping the next day to try out how well the turntable will hold up. I was happy to have everything work so well and being able to listen to the used record section at my local Rasputin Records. They have an ongoing special where I can pick up any 30 used records whether it is 33’s or 45’s for only $10.00. I usually do 3 hours worth of digging with my portable turntable. The funny thing about the battery life on this turntable is it keeps going and going. I am somewhere between 36-37 hours on battery life and so far so good. The battery hasn’t died yet!

The portability aspect of this unit is really what locks in the deal. Before the PT-01, I used to walk out of the record store with at least a third of my purchase being something regrettable once I actually hear what’s on the record. Now my rate of regret is something usually less than 10% of the records I dig up have become regrettable and I would probably blame it on impulse and not on the turntable.

Note, the machine does come with a power outlet, but it doesn’t recharge the batteries. So if you want to charge those D-cell batteries, you will need to get a separate battery charger.

Tone Arm lock
The tone arm lock is the only issue I have with this unit. It looks flimsy enough that it will break off and after that my tone arm will be bouncing all over the place when I go digging and I know that all I have to do is put the stylus cover on, but it will be one of those tiny details that will irritate me. The tone arm is flexible and moving it to your favorite part of the song is quickly done.

Sound quality
You cannot put an Ortofon needle or a Shure needle on this turntable, you can only use the stock Numark stylus. At default the stylus does pick up a warmer low end sound. I tested this on numerous records and even the high points at time will have a bit of low end to the sound. One way to compensate this is with the tone knob to adjust the bass/treble. Now when it comes to sampling records and breaks, most producers will want that natural low end sound without having to buy a pricey vintage 12-bit sampler. Even with a 16 bit digital sampler, this turntable is a good method of making sounds “dirty and crisp” with minimal effort. I use my emu-1616m 24 bit soundcard to record my samples and normally my recordings are clean and precise, it is just nice to hear something like this turntable and have my friends think I am using gear like an MPC-3000 or ASR.

In terms of the pitch +/- 10%, it gets the job done, but the way I work it is to record my favorite breakbeat onto my PC and then with my software based sampler, I will mess with the pitch that way.


The outputs are one output at a time and you have the RCA stereo out, the headphone jacks ¼th” and 1/8th” can be used. I think it was good to put out a 1/8th” headphone jack because not all of us can afford expensive ¼” headphones. The built in speaker is nothing to brag about, but if you forgot your headphones while heading out to the record store, you can still make progress. It is a small speaker, so don’t turn it on too loud or else you will blow it up. The other advice pt-01 owners are giving me is if you aren’t going to use the turntable, make sure you move the batteries because of the corrosive nature of the battery acid.

Overall
I have saved a ton of money on bad records I didn’t buy with this machine. I have been able to sample old records and have still been able to keep my sound warm even when running of a 24 bit soundcard. I have also been able to enjoy vinyl upstairs in my room and downstairs in the kitchen while exercising without having to break my back carrying around a 28 lb turntable. With the batteries in it, it weighs about 7lbs.This is a perfect tool for someone who wants to understand the vinyl they own without being stuck in one room.