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Numark CDX: puts the industry in a spin
NUMARK CDX VINYL EMULATED CD PLAYER
THE LATEST VINYL-EMULATING CD PLAYER FOR DJS REALLY DOES LOOK AND FEEL LIKE THE REAL THING, BUT DOES IT SOUND AS GOOD AND PERFORM AS ACCURATELY TOO? PRICE: 649 INFORMATION: WWW.NUMARK.COM CONTACT: 01252 341400

D words:David Eserin

Numark CDX is the latest incarnation of hybrid deck/CD players; a DJ tool purposely designed with a bit of an identity complex. The many benefits of DJing with the CD format have become increasingly apparent, but DJs (and therefore manufacturers) still want the actual CD players to mimic vinyl in the closest possible way to offer the same much-loved feel, instant reaction time and characteristic sound that vinyl offers. Well, this new CD player doesnt just act like a turntable, it is a turntable! Based on the Numark TTX digital deck and with the very same platter and 4.5kg torque motor, its hard to believe that you are using a CD player at all. In the search for a digital counterpart to vinyl, the feel and control that scratching on a moving platter gives is equally important as the actual scratch sound produced. The CDX not only mimics a turntable but improves on it, with eight effects that can be synced to the internal beat counter. It has tap-tempo, keylock and independent music tuning controls. It also has comprehensive looping, MIDI connections and
enough small tricks up its sleeve to excite a DJs imagination for years of innovative use.

PLATTER MATTERS

Its simply not possible to pull off certain types of scratches without the constant drag of platter underneath vinyl. Certain turntablist skills rely on the nuances of a platter that is free to rotate independently of the vinyl, or in this case the controlling disc. So the CDX certainly stands proud as the only CD player available so far that has perfectly copied the medium of the standard turntable. It is the same size that most DJs are accustomed to and the platter is very sturdy, and the motor is also incredibly strong. Even beat-matching DJs will welcome this approach to playing digital music because the CDX feels just like a deck. The platter fits onto the motor drive in the same way as the TTX, with two small pin holes on the bottom that fit into the drive mechanism. The normal middle point is still there, but with the CDX this centre rod is able to move freely and is the direct connection between the vinyl control
disc and the complex circuitry inside the player that measures its position and movement exactly. So regardless of the motor or platter, the disc controls the speed and direction of the audio. Between the platter and the vinyl disc is a normal slip mat (provided), this can be replaced for a favoured mat while even the vinyl disc can be replaced for a favorite piece of vinyl such as a picture disc. The vinyl disc is not as easy to grip as most normal vinyl so this could be a welcome personal touch. However, the provided disc and slipmat offer quite a realistic feel to start with.

SOUND QUALITY

So, the feel of the deck is certainly the best we have ever tried for a CD player, but an equally important question is whether the CDX can sound as warm and smooth as vinyl? If the scratch sound is dodgy there is little point in using it extensively, and no scratch DJ would go near it. Well, the CDX has incorporated audio processing to correct the digital sound that results from playing digital audio in any other way than it

was intended. Because of the resolution of CD audio there is a very obvious digitised effect to the sound if it is slowed right down. On some players it is quite obvious that they have used a processor to simply add a wishing sound when the player is scratched, which makes scratching a variety of sounds almost indistinguishable from one another. The CDX has managed to tune the scratch sound so well that it requires some serious ear bending to tell the difference between the CDX and a normal deck using the same sample. There is still a very slight difference, but this is still the best scratch replication we have heard to date. The best way to test this is to move the platter as slowly as possible to see if there is any strange modemlike noise. Scratching should have character between swipes of different speed to prove an exact correlation between the original audio and the scratched sound. Also, the point of a scratch sound should never drift, which can be tested by scratching the same hit over and over at varying speeds and keeping an eye on the marker to see if it changes position.

OVERVIEW

>> Change the slip mat and vinyl >> 4.5kg motor torque >> Key lock & key tune control >> Pitch: 6, 12, 25 and 100% >> Brake & start time adjust >> 8 beat-sync effects &

tap-tempo

>> Intelligent seem-less looping >> Slot loading CD drive >> Reverse playback options >> 33 and 45 RPM >> Digital output >> MIDI connections & clock >> Full size 12" aluminum platter >> Slot-load CD transport >> CDR compatibility >> Multiple scratch modes >> Bright fluorescent display >> 3,000 cue point memory >> Battle-style platter controls >> Anti-Shock buffer technology >> Fader/remote start & relay play >> User-updateable software

Product Overview 2007

www.Numark.com P: [401] 658.3131 // F: [401] 658.3640

Turntables

Features
Ultrahigh torque (4.7 kgcm) directdrive motor Interchangeable aluminum tonearm system includes both straight and Sshaped tonearms Battle and club style design Reverse and adjustable start and brake speeds Powdercoated steel top, rubberized base Antidrag aluminum platter reduces excess rotating friction Userreplaceable pitch fader Removable aluminum superbright LED target light and strobe Precise cue, height and antiskate adjustments 8, 10, 20 and 50% selectable pitch ranges 33, 45 and 78 RPM, reverse Headshell and 45 adapter included

Straight arm turntable

Numarks lean, mean turntable machine. Featuring the same ultrahigh torque direct drive motor as Numarks TTX, the TT500 is a firstclass turntable for the professional DJ who demands uncompromising quality construction without the need for digital implementation. With interchangeable straight and Sshaped tonearms, adjustable start and brake speeds and a selectable pitch range up to 50%, the TT500 delivers exceptional mechanical specifications that can accommodate any DJ style.
All information is preliminary and subject to change.