I have the same problem so I am assuming that it is the norm. Sorry to add to your post but does anyone know if the same thing happens if you are using CD Players to control the program?

i was using cdjs for over a year with ssl and never noticed it...probably just a side effect of vinyl, just like record wear. i also noticed that there is definitely a difference in response time using cds vs. records. cds respond much faster in my opinion.

Is your vinyl CV2 version?

yes, cv2. everything brand new. is everyone else who doesn't have this issue seeing their pitch perfectly stable w/o ant variation?

I will also note that all my friends have this issue with the vinyl. You can watch the pitch jump around on screen. It's not whole numbers. It's anywhere from .2 - .3 + or -.

Thx, Rebelguy. That's about what I see. Do CD's not have this problem? One silver lining of all this is it is forcing me to work the mix harder. Hopefully leads to better skills :)

I used to have the same problem on 1200's. sold them a went to cdj's 800. pitch is dead on..

yeah i've used ssl with cdj 800s, 1000mk3's, and 1210 m5g's. pitch is dead on with cdjs and does tend to dift slightly with records............but i've ALSO noticed.........with cdjs, say you're adjusting from 97 bpm to 98 bpm. when you're adjusting the pitch slider, as soon as you're in that 98bpm area, even if its "just barely" it holds that exact bpm pretty well (98.2, 98.3...whatever it is at that point). with vinyl, if you're at that same point there's a tendency to vary +/- half a point or so. like i said above, i'm pretty sure it's just a natural side effect of vinyl.

...and i hope all that made sense.

the only thing i have noticed with cdj's that i do not like... is when you adjust the brake speed to stop on the slowest setting, the sound sounds like shit, compared to on a turntable or with a regular cd in the cdj..wonder of there will be a fix for this..

that and they're not turntables.............

Has anyone noticed on CDJ's like the Pioneers, when scratching the time code actually allows the track to slowly slide forward in REL mode?

I'm wondering if this is common.

I had this problem. I switched my RCA cables and it stpped> It was the only time Monster cables made a difference in my setup.

i've been running monsters the whole time and never had issues.

i've had this issue with all technics. from old 30 year old mk2's to 2 day old mk5's (not m5g) i think its the inherent flutter/wow from the platter. as when i put it on quartz lock 0% the drifting stops.

it usually drifts in a range. like if i have it pitched at 4.0 the range is 3.9.....4.0.....4.1.....4.0.....3.9......4.0.....4.1.... etc. so the 'average' is correct but its a bit annoying to see on the screen.

i hope it can be fixed in the software, if it is not just a simple physical side effect to using vinyl. changing out RCA's and using various needles (including Digitracks) did nothing to fix it for me.


On a related side note, i read that the red strobe light on Technics emits a high frequency noise, and that disabling it improves the effeciency of the voltage regulator inside the turntable.. There's a guy in NJ that makes a strobe disabler, he talks about the need to disable it to improve control of the motor on his page: www.kabusa.com

I meant that switching to Monsters was the only time they made a difference in my setup. I have used them for everything else and they have been indistinguishable from regular cables.

So are you saying there is no problem with the m5gs? If so I may look into buying a pair.

no, that is not what i am saying. i am just saying that i don't use m5g's and can't speak for them. just mk2's and mk5's

the reason i made the distinction is some people on this forum read "mk5" and think mk5g/m5g

ive got M5Gs and they've given me literally zero problems...

I spin on M5Gs at the club and they don't seem to drift at all.

My thoughts are that you will see very slight variations in pitch fluctuation simply because that's inherent with having a turntable that is mechanical in nature with an actual motor. I see that myself with my Techs but it's never really posed a problem with maintaining a blend / mix. It's the nature of the beast and it's so minimal that if it wasn't for a display showing you the very minor variations, no one would ever notice it much less audibly. CD players may not exhibit the same characteristics simply because you've taken out the mechanical motor from the equation... it's now all digital. But turntable platter rotation is all based on the physical motor, and the only time it's going to be dead on is when it's zeroed on the 0% quartz lock. Turntables with digital pitch may be different... don't know...

I can agree with a majority of what you said but I have never had as hard a time trying to ride long mixes until I switched to Serato. When I have time I am going to try a test of straight vinyl verses playing files through Serato. Basically mixing the same songs but Group 1 on vinyl and then Group 2 on Serato. Seems like the M5Gs may be the way to go though.

You also have to take into account how the mp3 was ripped... From a CD it might have a constant bpm. But if someone ripped the audio from vinyl on a turntable that wasn't accurate, that's how the audio was recorded so you'll have to adjust to where the flaws are. Something to keep in mind with any digital audio based system, (excluding CD's of course).

Word. Plus, you are actually doubling the inherent wow+flutter.

Or if you're really lucky you might perfectly cancel it out ;)

If you are lucky like this - in such a case I would strongly advise you to immediately play lottery! $$$$ :)