DJ Hero controller hands-on faceoff with an SL-1200MK2
By Nilay Patel 
posted September 15th 2009 1:51PM
posted September 15th 2009 1:51PM
posted September 15th 2009 1:51PM
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Uh.. faceoff? This is like comparing a rhinocerous with a soccer ball. Why?
The Technics is a precision piece of audio equipment, dare-I-say an instrument.
The DJ Hero controller, is well.. just that, a controller. For a game.
Not the same. They don't come close to functioning in the same fashion. They are visually made up of the same shapes. One is used by DJ's, the other is used in a game about DJ's. See?
Do we compare the NES Zapper to a real pistol? No, we do not. Because much like this comparison, they also are not the same. Precision equips vs game controller.
Slow news day?
its more like comparing the madcatz guitar hero controller to a real guitar. it was designed to be as close to the real thing as possible.
May be because many DJ do the same :pushing buttons & scratching and nothing else much (excluding the job of drug dealer).
Of course, exist good DJ that is a good mixer if not a real musician, They are more than a playlist with legs.
@Magallanes
I'll explain exactly what the difference is.
1 - My turntable setup, in its entirety, has two buttons. The start buttons for each deck. And those are not on the platter itself. So I don't press buttons. I start my turntables. This uses a button, but I'm not a button pressing DJ.
2 - DJ's rock crowds, or people leave the dance floor. A playlist with legs behind the decks makes for an empty venue.
3 - Scratching is one of the hardest things to do. You may be thinking of slip-cueing, which is easy.
4 - I've been producing and spinning since I was 14 (now 28). Never have a sold a drug to anyone. Not sure WHERE you would come up with that.
Logic, it are fun.
I agree with you completely good sir. I've been rocking the wheels of steel since I was a wee lad. If this thing actually could compare, the price would be sky high.
What cart/styli are they? May want to pick up some Ortofons. Best purchase I ever made. Along with a set of HD-25s.
I think you missed the point. It's just a clever title for a photoshoot that shows the real thing and the controller that is modeled after it.
You're so hardcore, bro! How can I be like you?!?!? You totally used enough DJ words to school that guy! WERD!
That's a 1210 not a 1200 ;)
Nope, it's a super random SL-1200MK2PBK I found on craigslist. The 1210 has a slightly different finish.
Curious, because I honestly don't know (and I'm not trying to rag), but isn't the only difference between the 1200 and 1210 the color?
Yeah, it's a little weird -- which is why I bought them! http://twitpic.com/hu9yb
Interesting! Maybe someone swapped the top; what does it say on print next to the headlamp?
SL-1200MK2, just as you'd expect. Trust me, you're not the first person to be befuddled by these tables. :)
so I will geek out here and point out that...
contrary to popular belief.... the deck being black doesn't denote a SL1210 (1200 can be found in black/silver/gold/chrome)....
the '1210' is the euro analog model with a voltage switch under the platter.
There is no analog '1200' model with said voltage switch for 100/120v .
1210 only signifies that they are a european model. the 1200mk2 was widely available in both silver and black... in fact, you can still find both colors on sale new today.
I've still yet to see how this game could be interesting, much less entertaining, for more than 5 or 10 minutes.
I, for one, welcome our new non-rock themed music sim. I can't wait to try it for free and see if it's worth buying.
.....one of the reasons I'd love to work for engadget: Get all the new toys, brag about it on the blog, and then go-to-town on those gadgets until dawn... ;o)
No offense, but the appealing begins here. What's next, Bongo Hero?
Oboe Hero!
Cowbell Hero!
...that's out there already, or do you not remember the Donkey Kong Bongo Game for the Game Cube ? :)
Heroin Hero,
Or
Bong hero
what i want to see is Pron Star hero.....
Well lets be honest here...not everyone wants to be a guitar hero. Plus, we can always use more cowbell.
OMG YES! Cowbell hero would be awesome!!!
The "controllers" would be:
A) 1 cowbell
B) Christopher Walken's shades/jacket
C) Jimmy Fallon laugh track (press a button at the correct moments where Fallon is laughing)
Well, activision has already put out sousaphone hero...
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/activision_reports_sluggish_sales
In the US, the Technics SL1200 came in both Silver and black.
The 1210 number was used in Europe to denote the voltage difference (1200 = 110v, 1210 = 230v).
Later on they both got a switchable voltage and the the difference became only colour.
So you can get black 1200s but usually only in the US.
That's quite interesting - I never knew that.
Kinda seems unfair to compare it to a proper turntable, especially since we'd all be going nuts if they were selling a $300 dj game controller like that stupid Les Paul thing.
I'm so glad I retired from DJ'ing... this is the sort of thing that makes all real DJ's facepalm
should rename it to An Hero...
Ok... So can you skip the DJ Hero stuff and tell us more about why you have 1200's at the office? Who's the DJ? What do you guys like over there are Engadget? I want an interview on that scene.
Thanks in advance for us non-gamer DJs out here reading your stuff.
And let's notice that all the comments above are really more interested in the Technics than the game controller. Right on Folks.
Let me summarize the article.
Here is the new DJ Hero controller we got early. Here is my new Technic 1200 table I got. See how the plastic controller pales in comparison to a much more expensive real table ?
Why dont you fire up the game and test out the controller and then come back and write a real article?
Wait, we are supposed to use these to play games?
I didn't even know. I was playing Guitar Hero acoustically this whole time.
Turning the cowbell up to 11 !!
hands on...face off...a slimy, mud covered Jason approaches from the dock.
Faceoff? You've got to be kidding? MK2s slaughter all turntables. This is like comparing a authentic Frankenstrat or a custom custom 60s strat to a Guitar hero controller.
not to mention the facts that the Technics don't have fricken illogical buttons on the platter. That makes NO sense.
i'd have expected them to use a different font for "DJ HERO" logo. maybe something a little more technological, and less "Metal"
relax all... I got this.
WEEKEE WEEKEE
Next we'll be seeing Dr Dre and a slew of other saying "Why go and play DJ Hero when you can become a real DJ"
Who rock the mic, who rock the mic...
Why be Dr. Dre when you could be a real musician?
What, no beatmaniaIIDX comparison? :-P
Guitar hero(guitar freaks+drummnia), DJ hero(beatmania)...what's next, Dance hero? >.> I can only hope the gameplay is vastly different from iidx.
Is it just me, or does the gameplay / controller style of "DJ Hero" look awful?!? Check out the videos on "Scratch: Ultimate DJ" since its deck incorporates a legit Numark platter and crossfader, and has beat pads much like the popular Akai MPC's.
As a scratch deejay myself, "DJ Hero" should be avoided for a better alternative.
Legit and Numark.. I dunno about that buddy. I've owned plenty of Numark stuff, hated all of it.
Numark = Fisher Price of the DJ world...
first thing I thought was ... "tech 12s in the endgadget office?!.... hmmm interesting..."
followed closely by... "oh... a numark 2 ch mixer..."
/end enthusiasm
and to the guy on about ortofons... let me guess, you spin house or prog trance... am I right?... ;)
Lets see you do some terror wrist maneuvers with those shaky things... such horrible tracking...
the HD25 cans are hard to beat however.
Where do you get Galaga slipcovers?