Cupe Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 There are two types of turntables being manufactured today. Belt Drive and Direct Drive. Below is an explanation of both types, together with some advantages and disadvantages of each.Belt Drive turntables use a motor located under and to one side of the central platter (the platter is the part of the turntable where a record is placed when it is being played). The motor is connected to the platter using a rubberised belt. This mechanism is used to spin the central platter of the turntable. Most turn tables that come as part of a hi-fi system are usually belt driven. Also, many beginner DJ packages and turntables are belt driven. Some advantages of a belt drive turntable:* usually cheaper to buy than direct drive counterpart * the belt absorbs a lot of the motors vibrations which would otherwise be picked up by the record needle (stylus) However, a belt-drive turntable also has its disadvantages:* slow start-up time * poor torque due to the belt mechanism * * poor resistance to records skipping * the belt will wear out and lose its elasticity over time. This results in the belt slipping and the platter varying in speed. Hence, the record being played at the time will begin to speed up and slow down.If you are DJing at the time, then you will be extremely challenged to keep up with these variations in the sound, which are out of your control With a Direct Drive Turntable, the motor is located under the center of the platter, and connected directly to it. The only disadvantage of this mechanism is vibrations from the motor can be picked up by the needle, and affect the output sound. However, nowadays, shock absorbing material is placed between the motor and the platter to reduce the vibrations. The advantages of the direct drive turntable are:* the torque is usually much higher than the belt drive turntables, resulting in the platter reaching its proper speed more quickly with less distortion being heard when the record begins to play * the platter is also less susceptible to outside forces (e.g. your hand, or the stylus) unlike the belt drive turntable, the direct drive plays at a constant speed, which the DJ is always in total control of. The more in control you are, the better it is for you. This is a major factor to take into consideration if you are serious about DJing. It is recommend that you only choose to buy direct drive turntables as part of your DJ Equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 good stuff, news to me so obviously direct is better for scratching? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cupe Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubby Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 dont even bother with belt drives for dj'ing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pulsebeat Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 belt drives are cheap hence why so many people started out on emeven i didbut then it takes to long to start up generally wearing down and the BPM varys with the driveso yeah all for the direct drives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolDios Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 The belts are cheap as ass to replace though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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