Contrary to what some people might tell you, there are other decks besides the Technics 1200/1210 line - quite a few actually. We're aware of most of them already but one that probably gets unjustly overlooked - simply because of its brand - is Gemini's flagship TT-04. And if Roc Raida rates it higher than a TTX and a T.120 then it's good enough for you.
I'm sure the brand whores and haters out there will stomp all over this review and my assertion that it is worthy of your attention. But I really don't give a crap for the badge it sports - I look at the quality and features, and balancing that with the price tag I rate it accordingly through actual usage. In this case, I've been rocking the TT-04 for close to 3 months and it's stood up to all the daily battering I've given it.
If you're in the market for new decks and are a little strapped for cash, or perhaps don't require a deck that you can pass down through several generations, the TT-04 could well be the one to go for. To find out what I think in detail,
read my review.
i love it when it's review time!
Great review Gizmo. I've been looking for an honest review on this t/t for a while now, and you delivered the goods.
always happy to see a company offering a quality product! go gemini!
thanks for the review, interesting :D
"there are other decks besides the Technics 1200/1210 line"
+ the vestax line also!
You can tell Gemini is really making an effort to improve their image. Their product line across the board has gotten a lot better from a build and quality standpoint. Granted they're not a Pio or Rane, but they are def headed in the right direction. Sad thing is a lot of DJs still judge them based on past shortcomings.
many people like to act like experts in shit they know absolutely nothing about
wow... you kids of today are spoiled with these reviews!
When I was a lad we had to rely on recommendations from the experts in Tandys.
tim tempest
Giz, how would you compare this deck to the vinyl portion of the CDT-05? The tonearm assembly and many of the buttons/design elements look pretty similar. I was wondering whether it is equivalent to, or better than, the vinyl portion of the CDT??
quote:
"Sad thing is a lot of DJs still judge them based on past shortcomings"
When a new product hits the market, brand reputation plays a big part. It's not my job as a buyer to be open minded; far from it, I want to be as judgemental as possible. Let us not forget that Vestax spent the best part of a decade turning out horrible, unreliable turntables before hitting upon the PDX2K.
I've owned a fair few Gemini products, and I've never been dissatisfied. They've always offered a decent bang-for-buck ratio. I actually did a double-take at the price of this deck! Few industries have the room for every manufacturer to operate on the bleeding edge, but companies like Gemini deliver similar products to those who can't afford to drop in at the deep end, and I've got nothing but praise for that attitude. You might even call it the 'grass roots' approch
I won a pair of these from the Gong Battle last year. My first initial reaction was to look up the price for them online and re-sell them. But, my parent's house (about a 2 hour plane ride from Miami) was in need of a pair to keep myself occupied during upcoming visits.
Anyways, I was in the same boat as everyone else. Never a big fan of Gemini. However, Gizmo's review is precisely on point. From my perspective, Juggling was surprisingly stress-free with rarely any skippage on a new pair of doubles. Same with Scratching. Thats all, Gizmo pretty much covered the main essentials if you plan on buying it.
You're the best Gizmo!
Thanks for the review, i'll read it right now.
i went to CSL in san diego back in october, and there were several of these set up at stations to listen to vinyl. the motor felt VERY strong and without others looking, i gave the record a couple of wiki-wiki's (with what looked like flimsy needled stanton carts) and the record didn't skip at all.
very impressive.
Great review Gizmo. I purchased a pair about a month ago to use for mobile gigs and I love them. The only thing that I don't like is how hard it is to push the start/stop button compared to 1200s. The quality is nothing like the previous Gemini TTs though. One of my better buys in life(Of course Idee gets em free...bastard!
.
Giz, considering the similarities in the build to numark TTX's have you taken a look at the ventilation and do you foresee any likelihood of TTX-ish heating problems?
quote:
"Giz, how would you compare this deck to the vinyl portion of the CDT-05? The tonearm assembly and many of the buttons/design elements look pretty similar. I was wondering whether it is equivalent to, or better than, the vinyl portion of the CDT??"
The CDT has a customised base assembly so that it can be removed. In doing so, they took off the anti-skate, but the rest appears to be the same. I'd say that they both performed as well as each other.
quote:
"Giz, considering the similarities in the build to numark TTX's have you taken a look at the ventilation and do you foresee any likelihood of TTX-ish heating problems?"
Without taking a screwdriver to my TTXs (which I need to do to one of them anyway) and the TT-04, I'm led to believe by Gemini that there's a lots of space for air to move around inside the TT-04 that there is in the TTX. The newer TTXs have the much needed ventilation holes to compensate.
Yo Gizmo,
Is it true that these companies(other than Technics) make there TT's more heavier by adding weight to them? My Boss(Owner of PSSL) told me that that they do this to seem more stable like 1200s.
do we really need another oem turntable... zzzzzz
So the curiosity got the better of me and I broke out the screwdriver. This is actually research for the soon to come history of the TTX review, from original model TTX1 (which I have) and the new TTXUSB.
You'll see that the TTX is pretty full inside with very restricted airflow, hence the newer models having extra vents. The TT-04 sounds a lot more empty and thus will have proper airflow and a lot less likely to overheat.
quote:
"Giz, how would you compare this deck to the vinyl portion of the CDT-05? The tonearm assembly and many of the buttons/design elements look pretty similar. I was wondering whether it is equivalent to, or better than, the vinyl portion of the CDT??"
It's a completely different experience, mainly because its...well, its just a turntable. There are no extra obstacles, like putting a slipmat on top of a vinyl control disc or anything like that. Not being a CD player, its more efficient in what it does as strictly a vinyl playing turntable, in my opinion.
Other than that, it's the exact same tone-arm assembly, motor, buttons, etc. - with the exception of those CD controls, obviously.
quote:
"You'll see that the TTX is pretty full inside with very restricted airflow"
Speaking of which, look at the size of that heatsink!
I always liked the TT-04, and I knew how good it was when it first came out in 2004.
Big ups to Gizmo for getting the word out - this deck is a hell of a decent piece.
> many people like to act like experts in shit they know absolutely nothing about
that's a rather vague statement
haha, well it's meant to cover a lot of ground...initially it really stems from numerous conversations with my roommate's idiot brother about things not necessarily DJ related. but it still holds true, a lot of people diss products they've never tried based solely on word of mouth (quite likely from another who lacks actual experience).
for example, people dissing products announced but yet to have been released.
Great followup-reveiw on the topic of "skills not included" btw =)
On May 11, 2007, props2 commented...
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