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Thread: Which upgrade from NS7 III?

  1. #1
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    Which upgrade from NS7 III?

    Hi,

    Been mixing music for a couple of years now, but got interested in turntablism a couple of years ago. Invested in a Numark Ns7 III and got really into it. I spend a lot of time practicing my cuts (still very much a beginner at this point), but am tempted to upgrade to 12" platters.

    I am considering the following options :

    1) Rane Twelve - from the homework I have done, some bad things are the lack of pitch bend (not such a bad thing, I'm used to nudging) and the controller has no keylock. (AFAIK)
    2) Numark NTX 1000 - affordable turntable, which I believe is fairly capable and durable.
    3) Denon VL12 - dont know much about this, but was recommended by a local DJ shop

    My questions regarding the TT's

    1) Coming from Numark NS7, I have very limited knowledge on headshells, needles, etc , how much decent ones cost, and how long they will last (I practice my cuts about 10-15 hours a week). Any comments on how long the needles will last me?
    2) How long does control vinyl last? (assuming the same use of 10-15 hours per week)
    3) Given the rate at which I play with my kit, should I go the Twelve route or the ol school TT route?

    My questions regarding the mixer
    1) Do I have to use a Seventy Two or Pioneer DJM-S9 mixer? What is the cheapest (midrange) mixer which would work with the Rane Twelve?
    2) If I do go the TT route, which (midrange) mixer would you guys recommend (for Serato?). I have an Innofader pro2 which I could drop into most mixers available.\
    3) Should I be looking for a mixer for serato or a regular mixer along with a SL2/3 box?

    I dont really use any effect features on my NS7 (although its very capable). I basically just like to blend my music and practice my cuts.

    Sorry for all the questions, but, this is a pretty sizaeable investment for me (being a hobby) and I need to make sure I spend my hard earned cash in the best possible way. Would appreciate the guidance.
    Last edited by DJ_Itchy; 02-26-2019 at 09:19 PM.

  2. #2
    Greetings Ithcy,

    Quote Originally Posted by DJ_Itchy View Post
    Hi,

    Been mixing music for a couple of years now, but got interested in turntablism a couple of years ago. Invested in a Numark Ns7 III and got really into it. I spend a lot of time practicing my cuts (still very much a beginner at this point), but am tempted to upgrade to 12" platters.

    I am considering the following options :

    1) Rane Twelve - from the homework I have done, some bad things are the lack of pitch bend (not such a bad thing, I'm using to nudging) and the controller has no keylock. (AFAIK)
    2) Numark NTX 1000 - affordable turntable, which I believe is fairly capable and durable.
    3) Denon VL12 - dont know much about this, but was recommended by a local DJ shop

    My questions regarding the TT's

    1) Coming from Numark NS7, I have very limited knowledge on headshells, needles, etc , how much decent ones cost, and how long they will last (I practice my cuts about 10-15 hours a week). Any comments on how long the needles will last me?
    2) How long does control vinyl last? (assuming the same use of 10-15 hours per week)
    3) Given the rate at which I play with my kit, should I go the Twelve route or the ol school TT route?
    If you do or are considering using vinyl in your sets, then obviously a turntable will give you the benefit of being able to switch from Serato to vinyl (and vice versa). Other pros for turntables are that it's highly unusual for more than one thing to go wrong at a time and the most vulnerable parts (styli, cartridges) are easily replaceable, as long as you remember to bring spares. Cons include the expense of having to have spares, especially if the 'original' stylus/cartridge combination was pricy to begin with. One of the other cons of using turntables is the medium; vinyl gets scratched, worn or even broken and, depending on the age and label, may be impossible (or at least very difficult and expensive) to replace.

    On the other hand, as you're already familiar with using controllers the Twelve is, reportedly, a very good option that may even improve with future firmware updates. Personally, I use turntables because, despite all of its shortcomings, I still buy and play a lot of vinyl.

    Quote Originally Posted by DJ_Itchy View Post
    My questions regarding the mixer
    1) Do I have to use a Seventy Two or Pioneer DJM-S9 mixer? What is the cheapest (midrange) mixer which would work with the Rane Twelve?
    2) If I do go the TT route, which (midrange) mixer would you guys recommend (for Serato?). I have an Innofader pro2 which I could drop into most mixers available.\
    3) Should I be looking for a mixer for serato or a regular mixer along with a SL2/3 box?

    I dont really use any effect features on my NS7 (although its very capable). I basically just like to blend my music and practise my cuts.

    Sorry for all the questions, but, this is a pretty sizaeable investment for me (being a hobby) and I need to make sure I spend my hard earned cash in the best possible way. Would appreciate the guidance.
    I would suggest that you get the best mixer that you can afford, in other words don't skimp to save your self a few quid (or whatever currency you're dealing with) if it means you have to compromise (i.e. miss out on) something that you really want (e.g. something that a lot of DJ's refer to as post-fader effects because you can still hear them after the source fader is zeroed). The Rane SL2/3/4 (SL1's are still in existence but they don't work with Serato DJ, only Scratch Live) or Denon DJS1 boxes are good to have if, for example, you're hired to play a gig but the hirer/venue is supplying the equipment. If you have one of those boxes and the mixer provided is not Serato compatible you're still good to go. However, if you're primarily going to be playing off your own set I would recommend that you acquire a Serato enabled mixer, which will of course work with regular vinyl, CDJ's, etc. Personally, I bought an Allen & Heath Xone:43C because it provided the best combination of features, build and sound quality that I could afford at the time. If you can afford the DJM-S9 or 72, then you're probably best off getting one of them. HTH

  3. #3
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    Hi Spy,

    Thanks so much for the time to taken to send such a detailed response - much appreciated.

    Firstly, I have no intention to ever gig for money or hold a residency somewhere. I've been spinning for years at home and just do it for the love of the music and to make mixtapes. Secondly, I dont own any vinyl, so playing real vinyl is not really a consideration for my prospective purchase.

    To be honest, the main reason I would want TT's is because I've always had an itch to do it "the way it was done back in the day"...which I know will never be the case if I use DVS.....but I guess TT's on DVS is probably as close to "old school" as I will get it. Vinyl is near impossible to come by here in SA so I can forget about that.

    From what I have gathered, if I get rid of my NS7 III and upgrade to Twelves and a Seventy-Two, i really stand to gain nothing except the larger 12" platter vs the 7" platter I currently have. The NS7 III is a really well-spec'd device and has all the features I need (spinning vinyl on high-torque motors, Key lock, post-fader effects, Akai MPC pads, long throw pitch faders, pro-grade faders etc, three screens to display Serato info etc).

    To summarize your response :
    1) TT's bring about ongoing expenses (cartridges, control vinyl, replacement parts)
    2) Rane Twelve would most likely be a better option for me given my history (can anybody confirm if Keylock can be used in Serato with the Twelves?)
    3) When buying a mixer, don't skimp - best to get Seventy-Two or S9

  4. #4
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    Hi guys,

    After much travelling in March, I havent had time to further pursue my upgrade options, but would like to get the ball rolling again. I also recently invested in an Innofader Pro 2 which has really transformed my NS7 III into a cutting beast ;-) I figure I could save some money perhaps upgrade slowly...so considering buying one Denon Vl12 or PLX-1000 to hook up to my NS7iii. This will work for me as, at this point, I am only capable of scratching on one side (with my right had as the record hand). Do you guys perhaps know what I would need to use DVS on a single turntable on my NS7 III? From what I have gathered, I would need to :

    1) Buy the Serato DVS expansion pack
    2) Connect the turntable to my phono RCA's on my NS7 III
    3) Get a control vinyl

    Is that it? Do I need an external sound card or does the NS7 III handle that for me just by being hooked up to the turntable via RCA?

    Your guidance on this would be appreciated

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