2X Gemini XL – 500 MK2
This turntable is a direct drive. This means that the record plate is driven round directly by a motor rather than a belt attached to a motor, this means that the sound quality may diminish because movement of the motor can cause unwanted vibrations to be picked up by the tonearm, as suggested by Vallejo, C. (2014), however the speed of rotation is often more consistent, therefore “results in less sound distortion.”, as stated by Vallejo, C. (2014). As I have used a secondary source, this information may not be as reliable as it could be, therefore I have cross checked this information with a more reliable article from Numark written by Feinstein, S. (2017). This turntable is also manual, this means that the tonearm has to be placed on the record and taken off the record by the user without any help from the turntable itself, as suggested by Betts, A. (2018). As this is a secondary source, it may be unreliable in information, I have cross checked it with another secondary source to help validate this information. Audio Advice (n.d) also states that:
“You lower the tonearm onto the record to start play and when the record is over, you lift it off, put it back in the resting position, and turn the table off.”,
Thus confirming that Feinstein, S. (2017) was correct in his description of a manual turntable.
On the turntable, there will be one cable with a plug on the end that will need to be connected to a power supply. As suggested by the primary source Manualslib (2019).
There will also be 2 RCA Phono connectors, one red and one white that connects directly to the audio mixer. As suggested by the primary source Manualslib (2019).
Finally, there will be a grounding cable. This is connected to the turntable and the audio mixer to help prevent buzzing and humming. As suggested by the primary source Manualslib (2019).
Below is a screenshot taken from the reliable, primary source Manualslib(2019). It is a guide on how to connect the RCA Phono cabling to the audio mixer.
1X Numark iM1 2 Channel Audio Mixer
This audio mixer has various different features as stated within the Numark(n.d) iM1 manual, which is a reliable, primary source of information as it is from the manufacturer itself. This audio mixer has EQ (bass and treble) and gain dials for both channels, a ¼” jack headphone port, a crossfader to move between 2 records, a channel fader to adjust record volume, an input selector to change between two sets of turntable, microphone port and gain, and a master output to adjust the amplitude of the whole mix that gets sent to the PA system.
Below is a photo and diagram of the iM1 from the Numark (n.d) website, due to these images being from the manufacturer of this particular hardware, it is a reliable source of information.
The above schematics show how other components DJ setup can be connected to the audio mixer.
Speakers
I will have both subs and tops that make up my setup. 2x Omnitronic TMX-1530 3-Way 1000w Speakers will serve as the main speakers and Nightfire speakers will act as the sub bass speakers.
Routing Diagram for my “Ska Night”
Set-Up
Conclusion
In conclusion, my research into the specific equipment that the artists will be using has helped me to understand the connectivity between all of the elements. It has also enabled me to create diagrams of the set up. These diagrams and images will help me to understand how the artists are setting up and well as giving me an understanding of how far into set up the artists will be. This will be able to give me an idea of timings before the set is due to start.
Reference Bibliography
Audioadvice.com. (n.d.). Manual vs. Automatic Turntables | Audio Advice | Audio Advice. [online] Available at: https://www.audioadvice.com/content/manual-vs-automatic-turntables/ [Accessed 9 May 2019].
Betts, A. (2018). 7 Things You Must Know When Buying a Vinyl Record Player. [online] MakeUseOf. Available at: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-things-must-know-buying-vinyl-turntable/ [Accessed 9 May 2019].
CNET. (2019). Gemini XL 500 II – turntable Specs. [online] Available at: https://www.cnet.com/products/gemini-xl-500-ii-turntable/ [Accessed 9 May 2019].
Feinstein, S. (2017). Numark Knowledge Base – Turntables – Belt Drive vs. Direct Drive. [online] Numark.com. Available at: https://www.numark.com/kb/article/2241 [Accessed 9 May 2019].
Manualslib(2019). Operating Instructions; Basic Operation – Gemini XL-500 Operation Manual [Page 5]. [online] Available at: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/60389/Gemini-Xl-500.html?page=5#manual [Accessed 9 May 2019].
Numark.com. (n.d.). iM1. [online] Available at: https://www.numark.com/images/product_downloads/im1___quickstart_guide___v1_01.0.pdf [Accessed 9 May 2019].
Numark.com. (n.d.). iM1 2-Channel DJ Mixer with Dock for iPod | Numark. [online] Available at: https://www.numark.com/product/im1 [Accessed 9 May 2019].
Vallejo, C. (2014). Turntable Basics // Belt Drive vs Direct Drive | The Limited Press. [online] Thelimitedpress.com. Available at: http://thelimitedpress.com/turntable-basics-belt-drive-vs-direct-drive/ [Accessed 9 May 2019].
Alice's FMP 