The question all new DJ's ask. What decks do I get?. There are some replies to this question. How much have you got to spend? Where will they be used? How long have you been DJing

In my opinion the best decks on the market that I have had the pleasure of using are the Technics SL1210's. Although, I do not see the point in purchasing these decks if you are just starting up as a DJ and want some equipment for your bedroom setup where you will practice. If you insist on buying Technics then great!, but if you do then your not going to want a crappy cheap mixer and headphones with them. This means that you better have a substantial amount of money because the cost will be well over £1000. This is a lot of money wasted if you find out that you are not interested after a few months.

There are a lot of great decks available and also available as part of packages which are good alternatives to 1210's.

At home I have a set of KAMDDX680 Direct Drive Decks which are around £150-£200 per deck. I bought these decks as a starter and have not regretted it since. I know that they are not a spot on the 1210's but I am able to mix just as good on these decks as any.

The advice what I give to people is learn your equipment. You will get people who slag you off for buying a set of belt driven decks because you didn't know at the time, but If you can use this equipment and pull off decent sounding mixes then your on the way. You do not always need the best equipment. Mr X may have his shiny new 1210's but the only thing he can mix is orange cordial and water.

Belt / Direct Drive This is the question on everybody's mind when purchasing a new set of turntables. If you've only got a small amount of money to spend then I suggest that you save for a set of Direct Drive turntables.

Although I have not had much experience using a belt driven deck apart from listening to records at HMV I have noticed that the pitch seems to change from time to time. This means the record is not always playing at true speed. This is OK if your just listening to records, you probably won't notice it very much but in mid stream mix this can cause disaster. It will be very hard keeping the records in sync through a mix and you will find yourself riding the pitch fader. If you have belt drive decks then I am not saying you should throw them away right now, but it will take you a lot longer to learn to mix in this way.

In a belt driven deck the motor is turned using a thick rubber band, which is the belt. This band can deteriorate after a period of time and start to slip causing the platter not to turn. I have also heard that these decks are susceptible to changes in temperature causing the belt to expand and contract which also alters the speed of the record.

A Direct Drive turntable is powered by a stronger motor directly underneath the platter. The motor will keep the deck spinning at a constant speed which means start up an stop times are quicker, this is all useful for cueing records and mixing. The 1210's are what is known as quartz locked. This means that they will spin at a constant speed without small change that you might get on a cheaper deck.

In my opinion go for a direct drive turntable. If you go belt drive then I think you will regret it in the future.

What's your budget?

If you are just starting out and want advice on what equipment to buy then I suggest going for one of the DJ Package deals at the moment. These start of from about £185 for 2 belt drive soundlab DLP1600 Decks and a DSM1 mixer with carts, stylus and headphones included. The top end kits consisting of 1210's and named mixer can be well over £1000. For a decent starter kit I would set a budget of £400 at a minimum.

If you want to go a different route and buy your equipment stage by stage then the next sections are for you. You can look at the decks in your price range and judge for yourself. The information that is shown about each product has come from Internet sources and magazines. I have not used all the equipment that is shown below.

£100-£200

In this price range there are a few good turntables that will start you off as a DJ. These prices are per deck and not as a pair. Note you may find that prices are cheaper when you buy the decks as a pair.

Numark TT1510 - £99 This is probably the best entry level deck that this amount of money will get you. If there is a cheaper deck then forget about it. This belt drive turntable comes complete with 500AL MK2 carts and stylus and also in a silver finish. Good for the beginner DJ with a small budget.

Gemini XL400MK2 - £129 This deck is the entry level belt drive turntable made by Gemini. It has a robust, good quality tonearm and also features pitch adjust buttons to change the speed of the record without moving the fader. This is probably one of the best top end belt drive decks available. But it's not direct drive - sorry!

Citronic PD1 - £169 This is the best value for money direct drive turntable available. It is a very good technics alternative for the starter DJ. It features a strong motor with fast start/stop times, +/- 10% adjustable pitch and good build quality. It also includes stanton carts and styli. This is the deck to go for if you have a small budget and want direct drive.

Gemini XL600 - £179 This deck has the same build as the XL400 only has a direct drive motor. It features an adjustable tone arm and pitch adjust buttons. This deck has been proved as one of the better budget direct drive decks.

KAM DDX680 - £199 In my opinion KAM are an underrated manufacturer. These are the decks that I currently use at home to practice. They are not a spot on the 1210's I use at work (none of these decks are) but have a very good strong motor, +/- 10% adjustable pitch and come in a technics silver finish. Decks come with stanton 500AL MK2 carts and styli

These following turntables are in the £200-300 catagory. Just because of the difference in price doesn't mean that it is a better deck than any of the decks above but generally the higher priced deck has a much better build quality and is more robust

£200-£300

Numark TT100 - £200 This deck features the latest design in direct drive turntables. It comes in a sleek piano black, features a reverse play mode, 33,45, and 78 speed settings and has a +/- 20% pitch. This is an amazing price for a deck of this quality.

Gemini PT1000 MK2 - £244 Like its cheaper XL600 this turntable comes with adjustable tone arm and pitch adjust buttons. This is a very good alternative direct drive deck to the 1200 Technics and a good choice for upgrading from a budget belt drive deck.

Gemini PT2000 MK3 - £279 The bigger brother to the PT1000. This has been nominated as a superb quality turntable. It features a +/-10% pitch, very fast start/stop speed, adjustable tone arm and pitch buttons. This deck was winner of the 98 Plasa turntable of the year award. Designed for the more experienced bedroom DJ.

The next set of decks are in the £300+ range. These decks are designed mainly for club use and can take a serious beating. If you can afford any of these decks in your setup then I must congratulate you because you must be doing something right.

£300+

Numark TT2 - £329 These decks have the same features as the TT1 only comes in a silver finish and features a digital output display.

Technics SL1210 MK3 - £399 The lastest edition to the technics range. Excellent turntable. What more can I say.

Vestax PDX2000 - £449 The number one technics rival. The pros either love them or hate them. This deck features a moulded chassis, straight adjustable tonearm, a massive +/- 50% pitch reverse play mode and super strong direct drive motor. Somebody please buy me two of these.

Vestax PDX8000 - £870 Starship Enterprise, need I say any more!!!