My Old Skool Gear!!

[Maverick]

Hey Crucial D, Geoff Who, Jodie & other members!

I'm a newbie, straight up. Haha.

A mate has given me his 2x STR8-30's and 1 x SMX-202 mixer!! (as old school as the gear is, I'm super stoked)
One of the decks doesn't work though, so I have to get it fixed first, after that, I plan on trading them in and going to another set of Stanton decks (will be using some K-Rudd money!)

What would ya'll suggest as far as good direct drive, beginner/intermediate level, cheap decks/turntable package? and is the SMX-202 a decent mixer? or should I consider upgrading that as well? Oh, and I want only Stanton gear!

Wasn't sure where to post this, so I hope it's the right section! Haha.

Thanks!

Maverick (AKA Linds)

[Crucial D]

Hey Maverick

You have a good entry-level package there - you didn't specify exactly what was wrong with one of the decks but it might be worth fixing before you invest in brand-spanking new gear (depends what's wrong with it though). The STR8-30's are great units to use to familiarise yourself with the intricacies of cutting, scratching, juggling & mixing.

Likewise the 202 mixer is a good starting point, basically you should hammer these bits of kit as you learn the ropes, then when you have destroyed them, move up to some better gear and really look after that.

I'm assuming that you are a hip-hop DJ that needs to do a lot of scratching, so let me know if that's not the case. The reason it's important is that the Straight arm TT's are excellent for scratching stability but not as good as S arms for just plain club mixing. You'll need to make a decision whether your DJ-ing style requires using straight-arm decks or the more standard S-arm. The straight arm decks also require a specific way to set up the cartridges to get the most wear from your stylii. If you don't set these up correctly, you'll find that you will wear out your needles quicker than you should.

If you really do want to upgrade now, all I would say is save up a few extra bucks and get the best quality gear you can afford - you really do get what you pay for. If it's made better, it will last a hell of a lot longer and withstand the wear & tear of use plus any additional stress of being lugged from place to place if you play a few parties or whatnot. (road cases are essential for this if you want to take your decks mobile - I've been using a pair of aussie-built Cadillac cases for 17 years straight now and they have protected many TT's in that time).

If it's strictly analog stuff you want, the SA-5 MIxer from Stanton will equip you for your assault on the DMC Championships - coupled with a pair of Stanton STR8-150's you would then have a world-class set up.

If you don't want to spend the bucks on the STR8-150's then the St-120's are an excellent design, they use the same motor a sthe 150's which has a very high torque plus they have the nudge & feather buttons which makes mixing a dream.

Hope that helps you decide!

Crucial D

[Maverick]

Hi CrucialD!

Thanks heaps for the post! Super informative!

I took the busted deck to an electronic repair place and apparently a fuse is broken and the guy isn't sure if he is able to fix it. I've googled heaps to try and find information on what a busted fuse in a turntable is all about, but not much luck. Can you shed any light on it?

Thanks heaps!

[Crucial D]

I would ask the tech what size and rating the fuse is, and whether or not it is user-replaceable.

That should allow you to search for a specific type of fuse instead of just a general query about 'a busted fuse in a turntable'