A direct-drive turntable for vinyl: two speeds, three tempo ranges and an S-shaped tonearm in the classic club layout.
Turntable (platter)PlatterA heavy aluminum platter, 332 mm across. A direct-drive motor spins it, and the mat and the record go on top.
You start the platter with START/STOP and work the record on top of it. Strobe dots run around the platter's edge.
Mentor tip: To slow a track down slightly while mixing, lightly touch the side edge of the platter with your finger, not the record itself.
Slip mat / Slip sheetSlip matA soft mat you use instead of the rubber turntable sheet that comes in the box. You can put a thin slip sheet underneath so the mat slides more easily.
With a slip mat you hold the record still with your hand while the platter spins, then let it go right on the beat. Without one you can't scratch or start a track cleanly.
Mentor tip: Keep the rubber sheet for listening at home. For DJing, use a slip mat.
Strobe patternStrobe dotsFour rows of dots around the platter's edge. Under the blue strobe light, one row seems to stand still: that means +7.2%, +3.3%, 0% or −3.3% speed.
You look at the dots to check that the platter is spinning at exactly 33⅓ or 45 rpm. Handy for setup and for comparing two turntables.
Mentor tip: The dots help you check the hardware, but you still learn to mix tracks by ear.
Adapter for EP recordSingle adapterA metal insert for 7-inch singles with a large center hole. It's stored in its own holder in the back left corner.
You put the adapter on the spindle, place the single and select 45.
Mentor tip: After you play, put the adapter straight back in its holder so it doesn't get lost in the club.
POWERPower switchA rotary OFF/ON switch. When you turn it on, the blue strobe light on the side comes on and lights up the dots on the platter.
You switch the turntable on before your set and off afterward. The platter doesn't start at this point: START/STOP does that.
Mentor tip: Connect cables with the power off, and plug in the power cord last.
START/STOPStart/stopThe big button starts and stops the platter. It gets up to 33⅓ rpm in about 0.3 seconds, and an electronic brake stops it.
You start the platter early and hold the record still on the slip mat, then let it go. Some DJs hit STOP at the end of a track for a slowdown effect.
Mentor tip: Don't wait for the platter to get up to speed after you let go of the record: the platter spins first, then you release the record.
33 / 45Speed 33/45Two buttons select the speed: 33⅓ rpm for most 12-inch records and 45 rpm for singles and some maxi-singles. This model has no 78 speed.
You check the speed on the sleeve or label and press the right button.
Mentor tip: If a track sounds too fast or too slow, check 33/45 first, then the tempo fader.
TEMPOTempo faderThe long fader on the right changes the rotation speed smoothly. The −8 to +8 scale is approximate: toward you is faster, away from you is slower.
You move the fader to match one track's tempo to the other and mix them. The TEMPO RANGE button changes how wide the range is.
Mentor tip: Move the fader in small steps and listen to the result for a couple of bars.
TEMPO RANGETempo rangeThe button switches the fader range: ±8%, ±16% or ±50%. The selected range lights up blue.
For regular mixing you stay on ±8%: the fader steps are finer and more precise. The wider ranges are for heavy slowdowns, speedups and experiments.
Mentor tip: The wider the range, the coarser the step. At ±50%, mixing gets noticeably harder.
RESETTempo resetThis button with an indicator gives you exactly 33⅓ or 45 rpm, wherever the fader is. While the indicator is lit, the fader does nothing.
You turn RESET on when you need the record's original tempo, and turn it off to mix with the fader again.
Mentor tip: Fader suddenly “not responding”? Check whether RESET is lit.
Stylus illuminatorStylus lightA white lamp next to the platter. Press the button next to it and the lamp rises and lights up the stylus tip; press it again to lower the lamp and turn it off.
In a dark club you turn on the light to drop the needle precisely on the groove you want.
Mentor tip: Lower the lamp when you don't need it: that way it's harder to knock with your hand.
Tone armTonearmAn S-shaped tube on a gimbal suspension, with the headshell and stylus at the end. Effective length: 230 mm.
The tonearm guides the stylus along the record's groove. You move it by the headshell's finger lift or lower it with the cueing lever.
Mentor tip: Don't press down on the tonearm tube with your hand: weight and height are set with dedicated controls.
HeadshellHeadshellA removable holder for the cartridge. It plugs into the tonearm and is held in place by a locking nut.
You hold the tonearm by the headshell's finger lift when you drop the needle. Headshells with different cartridges swap in seconds.
Mentor tip: Tighten the nut while holding the headshell perfectly level, or the stylus will sit crooked.
Cartridge / stylusCartridge and stylusThe cartridge and stylus read the record's groove and turn it into a signal. It doesn't come with the PLX-1000; you buy it separately.
You mount the cartridge on the headshell, connect the colored lead wires and place the stylus tip 54 mm from the point where the headshell attaches to the tonearm (overhang adjustment). For scratching, DJs pick cartridges that resist skipping.
Mentor tip: Don't touch the stylus tip with your fingers, and remove dust with a soft brush.
Balance weightCounterweightA weight at the back end of the tonearm. It balances the tonearm and sets the stylus pressure.
First you turn the counterweight until the tonearm floats level, then you set the stylus pressure for your cartridge. For a heavy cartridge there's an extra sub weight.
Mentor tip: Write down the scale value for your headshell and cartridge: next time, setup takes seconds.
Stylus pressure adjustment ringStylus pressure ringA ring with a scale in front of the counterweight. It shows stylus pressure from 0 to 4 g in 0.1 g steps.
Once the tonearm is balanced, you line up the ring's “0” with the center line and turn the counterweight to the value you need. The ring turns with it.
Mentor tip: Stay within the stylus pressure range the cartridge maker specifies; don't add “a bit extra just in case”.
ANTI-SKATINGAnti-skateA dial at the base of the tonearm that counters the force pulling the stylus toward the center of the record.
Usually you set it to the same value as the stylus pressure. For scratching, you tune it to your technique so the stylus doesn't skip.
Mentor tip: When you balance the tonearm, set anti-skate to 0 first.
HEIGHT ADJUSTTonearm heightA ring with a 0–6 scale raises or lowers the tonearm base within a 6 mm range.
You put the stylus on the record and turn the ring until the tonearm is parallel to the record. The value depends on the cartridge height: 19 mm is 0, 25 mm is 6.
Mentor tip: Open the LOCK before adjusting, and be sure to close it afterward.
LOCKHeight lockA small lever that locks the tonearm height you've set.
You open LOCK, change the height with the HEIGHT ADJUST ring and close it again.
Mentor tip: Tonearm height “creeping” during a set? Check whether the lock is closed.
Lifter leverCueing leverThe lever controls the arm lifter: it raises the tonearm and lowers it gently.
You raise the lever, move the tonearm to the spot you want and lower the lever, and the stylus settles softly onto the record. Raising the lever pauses playback.
Mentor tip: While you're learning, drop the needle with the cueing lever: it protects both the stylus and your records.
Arm rest / Arm clamperArm rest and arm clampThe rest the tonearm sits on, and the latch that holds it in place.
Before you play, you open the clamp; after you play, you put the tonearm back on the rest and clamp it again.
Mentor tip: Before transporting the turntable, clamp the tonearm and remove the headshell and counterweight.
Headshell standHeadshell standA holder on the top panel where you can park a spare headshell with a cartridge.
You keep a second headshell there, for example one with a scratch cartridge, and swap it in quickly between tracks.
Mentor tip: Put a stylus guard on the spare headshell's stylus.
PHONO OUT / SIGNAL GNDPhono out and groundGold-plated RCA jacks for a detachable audio cable and a terminal for the ground wire, on the rear panel.
You connect the cable to the PHONO input on the mixer and the ground wire to the mixer's SIGNAL GND terminal. For DVS, the timecode signal from the control vinyl goes out through this output.
Mentor tip: If you hear hum, check the ground wire first.
AC INPower inletA socket for the detachable power cord on the rear panel. Next to it is a Kensington lock slot.
You plug in the included cord after all the other cables.
Mentor tip: Use the included cord: the manual requires it.
Lessons run on the school's Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta gear. A mentor shows you every control live, and you mix your first track yourself.