SKRATCHWORX™ v2 - HTFR Short Circuit Slipmats - Review by Gizmo

HTFR Short Circuit Slipmats

Reviewer: Gizmo • Date: June 2005 • Price: £14.95 • Available from: HTFR

Most DJs are fussy buggers about their slipmats and none more so than turntablists. Having the wrong feel to a slipmat can mean the difference between a good or bad performance.

They come in different materials and thicknesses but an increasingly important feature for DJs is decoration. Not that this should matter seeing as most of the time the slipmats is covered with vinyl. But clearly it does matter when you consider the broad spectrum of off the shelf designs there are. Tapping into this mindset, UK dealer Hard to Find Records (HFTR) have come out with a new design - exclusive to them - that allows you to "do a Blakey" (see DMC 2004 finals) and look inside the heart of your deck without the needs for open heart deck surgery.

This is the HTFR sales blurb:

"Get inside the mind of your dj turntable with these innovative new slipmats, exclusive to hard to find records. Made of superior grade material with a photo-quality print, every circuit board, wire & transistor has been accurately created, and these look simply amazing on any modern turntable!"

The Nitty Gritty

The obvious comparison to draw here is with Slikmats. As you're all aware, I'm a big Slikmats fan - not just because I can flex my creative muscles and transfer that idea to a slipmat, but also because they work and work extremely well. These HTFR mats look and feel immediately like a Slikmat. The material used on these mats is marginally thinner than the v2 Slikmats which may well appeal to heads who prefer a thinner mat rather than a tick wad of felt on the platter.

In terms of print quality, I'm told this is a new process that took some developing and is unique in having an edge to edge design with full bleed. That said it lookd just like inkjet printing to me. It's hard to tell how good this image is in real terms as the subject matter isn't bright, not is it pin sharp. However, sat on my platter it looks fine and dandy.

And for the CDX owners out there - my feeling is that the HTFR mats are just a little too thin for comfort. They work but there's just too much slip for me.

But all this is irrelevant - it's how it feels on the deck that counts, and after playing for 2 weeks, I'm happy to say that they feel really nice. Making further comparisons with Slikmats, I'd say they were a little slippier. And so far, the image seems to be intact as well.

Conclusion

If you're looking for something a little different for your deck that looks good and performs well then grab a pair of these.

Rating - 85%

Thanks to HFTR for supplying the mats.