Numark CDX review - by Gizmo - July 2004

Numark CDX Review
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12/7/04 4:52 pm
Numark CDX review - by Gizmo - July 2004
First seen at PLASA 2003, the Numark
CDX caused quite a stir in the
community. Could it possible be that a
company has finally brought out a unit
that truly allows you to control CD's
with real vinyl? Well 6 months later,
Numark are about to unleash the
finished item onto the market and we're
about to find out if it really is the holy
grail or not.
Expectations are high, especially with
Technics bringing out the SL-DZ1200 at
the same time. Everyone has their eyes
on the Technics - indeed some even have
it in their targets. Due to it's heritage,
it's expected to be the benchmark by
which others are judged. The reality is
that all the various CD decks are different. The CDX however, due to it's vinyl platter, is
the one scratch DJ's have their eye on.
First Impressions
After getting over the fresh factory wrapped smell and assembling the CDX (fitting rubber slipmat
and vinyl to the platter), it sits seamlessly in amongst my pair of Numark TTX's. The styling is the
same as the TTX decks, using the same platter and overall layout. The CDX is lighter than the TTX
- acoustics don't play the same role as they do on vinyl decks so some savings have been made
with heavyweight cases. The overall build quality of the CDX is also lower than the tank-like build
of the TTX, but still of a high quality. That said, if you plan to play out with them on a regular
basis, I'd get some good cases to house them.
Assembly
The CDX comes with vinyl (albeit nonplayable) - predrilled with 3 holes for the
centre lug to snuggly fit to. A template is
also supplied for you to adapt your own
vinyl to be used. Don't worry - 3 small holes
are all that are required so you'll be able to
use the vinyl again if you wish. As with all
Numark decks, a rubber slipmat is supplied,
though I recommend using your own. I have
a skratchworx slikmat on this model right
now, that gives me a nice balance between
grip and slip. This is one of the advantages
of the CDX over other CD decks on the
market - you can truly modify the feel as
you see fit to exactly match your current
vinyl deck. And that's it - all ready for action.
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assembly instructions.
For more info check out Numark's CDX quick
Layout
Overall, while still being a feature-filled deck,
some thought has obviously gone into making
usage as simple as possible. Sharing many
common components with the TTX, the start/
stop buttons are still in place, as are the
start/brake wheels. And the reverse button is
now the CD eject button.
One of the first things that strikes you is the
apparent battle position layout. The pitch
fader is at the back whereas on a regular
deck (and almost every other deck on the
planet) it's at the front. Immediately, club
DJ's will be having to change the way they
use decks to cater for this revision to the
standard. But for turntablists, this position is
second nature. Sadly, the CDX lacks the
flexibility of the TTX to move the slider around. And you can't rotate the CDX as this will block
access to the CD slot. I guess you can't please everyone but thankfully scratch dj's seem to have
come off best.
As for the rest of the features, well they're neatly broken up into sections. The top is broadly split
between effects, loops/cues and the display. One of the problems I have with the CDX is the
buttons - they're small, set right at the back and the contrast between the red LED and silver
button isn't good. i have my decks et at DMC regulation height but for DJs working in a club setup
where the deck height might be higher, some difficulties may arise. Right now I find I have to
take a little time to check the button I'm pressing. Still, once I get used to it I don't think it'll be an
issue. And it's also worth pointing out that the CDX is a little taller than the TTX, but not so much
that I've felt a difference between my TTX and the CDX.
Platter
Arguably, the CDX's ace in the pack is the
full size platter complete with real vinyl
control. The CDX shares the same (well
almost) platter as the TTX. In fact, the TTX
is due for an upgrade so that it uses the
same motor as the CDX as well. But I
digress. Numark have clearly learned from
their TTX experience of overheating motors
- the image on the left shows a serious
amount of ventilation under the platter.
Despite original mumblings around the net
when the CDX first showed itself, the audio
is controlled by the centre spindle. The
platter fits very snuggly onto it and the vinyl
is attached with a reverse screw directly hence the outstanding control. Because the
platter is wedged onto the spindle, stopping the platter also stops the audio - just like a real vinyl
deck. When I say stop the platter, the motor delivers a serious finger bleeding 5.0kg of torque so
stopping the platter isn't something that you're going to do easily.
Features
As you'd expect from any deck made these days, the usual features are in place. Pitch is 6, 12,
25 and 100%. But why no 50%? Seems like a bit of a slip up there. Perhaps a software update
might fix this oversight. The pitch slider is nothing special (a bit of a shame after the high quality
of the TTX) and even lacks a zero click. Instead you get a generous 5mm zone either side of zero
that stays locked at 0%. Interestingly, if the pitch drops to below -80%, the platter actually stops
and you have control only from the pitch control.
File navigation is simple - using the search button and the jog wheel, you can quickly work your
way through a track that's playing. Likewise the track select knob moves through the tracks one
at a time, but if you keep it pressed, it leaps forward in 10's - very handy for those CD's full of
short MP3's.
Added to this is the key lock. This work differently to the TTX - to adjust the pitch but not the key,
hit key lock and adjust the pitch. Now if you scratch with the key lock still on, the effect is odd to
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say the least - the the new Technics I guess. However, if you release the key lock button, the key
remains the same but is now properly scratchable. It works very well indeed - you TTX owner will
have to remember it not the same as you're used to. In fairness, it's still not as good as the Pio
CDJ master tempo but good nonetheless.
Reverses are fully catered for on the CDX. Not only do you get a full platter
reverse, but you also get an instant reverse on forward play. Called bleep
reverse, this allows you do do "ish" type edits on potty-talk littered tracks handy for the kids party you promised to do that time for a friend when
you were drunk. And to supplement these platter features, there's a
motor-off button. Imagine you're at the kids party and your precious CDX
is being mauled by all those high on additive kids... hitting the motor-off
button allows the music to keep on playing without the platter movement.
And if that isn't enough, there's a 33/45 toggle switch (the default is 33) to
suit your spinning style. This is also switchable as a default as well.
Next up is a particularly useful feature that vinyl DJ's will appreciate. The
scratch mode button has 2 useful features - forward scratch and cue
scratch, or a mixture of both. Forward scratch does just as the name
implies - scratches only in the forward motion. This function alone turns
you into an instant fast cutter without the need for any fader control at all.
Having the other hand free allows you to either cue up the next track, or
more importantly get a swig of beer while scratching. The Numark gets an
extra mark for that alone! One gripe - to access the forward scratch is
accessed by keeping the scratch mode button pressed for a second. I find this particularly
annoying as it's something I want instant access to. Cue scratch is especially useful for instant
juggling. Every time the vinyl is stopped, the sound starts back at the cue point. So you can
essentially juggle with one hand simply by setting a cue point to the beginning of a break and
simply doing a quick baby scratch at the end to take you back to the beginning.
And there's fader start. This starts the platter when opening the crossfader. I've tested this with
the Pioneer 909 mixer and it works well.
Beatkeeper™
Numark are making a big deal of this new auto bpm technology. They claim it is the most
accurate automatic beat counter on the market. Used in conjunction with the tap button, you can
get a visual reading from the 4 LEDs as well as the actual bpm on the main display. The effects
are also tied into the Beatkeeper as well, so it's worth getting to grips with how it works to get the
best from them. Should you feel that the bpm is incorrect, you can reset it by holding down the
tap button for a second or manually tapping the tap button until the correct bpm is achieved. To
ensure that the Beatkeeper is in sync beat and not missing the first beat of the bar, a simple
touch on the tap button on the down beat will reset the Beatkeeper.
Cueing and Looping
One of the disadvantages of CD decks is that (rather
obviously) needle dropping isn't possible. The next best thing
is to define cue points on the CD. Essentially, when you press
stop and start, the cue point is set. Editing this point is easy simply rotate the platter (the sound will play) and then hit
start. Hitting the cue button returns the sound back to the set
cue point. Keeping it pressed plays the sound as well. Stutter
returns the sound back to the cue point but keeps playing it,
making for easy manual looping. Unless I'm missing
something, I prefer the way the Pioneer units do this - hit the
cue button mid play and that's the cue point set. Much easier.
But let's not forget that all the cue points can be stored in the
CDX's memory - 300 points in all. That's something to be
aware of - the cue points can't be moved to another CDX so if
you plan to play out anywhere, you'll either have to take your own CDX's or do your sets with cue
points made at the gig. Maybe an SD card would have been good, but then again, there's only so
much you can addin to a deck and still keep the price down.
Now we've all spent many years and our hard earned cash destroying 2 copies of the same
record to loop our favourite break. Now, with the advent of the digital deck, we can loop our beats
at the touch of a button or two. Define the beginning of the loop by hitting "Loop In" and the end
with "Loop Out" Adjusting these points os done with the jog wheel - hit "Trim" and move the jog
wheel until the desired point is set. Reloop is like the stutter button but for the loop - pressing
reloop takes you back to the beginning on the loop and keeps playing. With a bit of playing
between cue and loop, some useful manual juggling can be achieved. And lets not forget the
Smart Loop feature. Based around the Beatkeeper, Smart Loop will break down the loop into it's
bars. Hitting shift with Smart Loop will shorten the loop by single beats.
Yep - MP3!
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When the CDX was first announced, it was said to support MP3. Then with the later official press
release, MP3 was mysteriously left off. Now as exclusively announced by skratchworx at
MusikMesse, MP3 is back. And it's hella good as well. You can do everything with MP3 that you
cam with regular audio. As a test, I burned 445 different files or various bitrates and lengths,
some lasting literally a second - inside several folders. I burned this as a regular hybrid disk but
also an MP3 CD. Initially, the factory fresh CDX hiccupped a little on some of the very short files
and even looped on occasion. But recent downloadable upgrades have made the problem go
away. Sadly, at this time the navigation of files is limited. Folder structures are ignored and so are
MP3 tags. But the sound quality is excellent. It can only be as good as the sound going in, but the
CDX doesn't seem to differentiate between regular and MP3 audio in terms of digital output. Be
warned - the manual currently makes no mention of MP3 so you just have to dive in and have a
dabble.
Effects as well!
2 times world champion DJ Woody came to the skratchlair to
have a go on the CDX and was suitably impressed. After
giving him a run down of what it can do and letting him have
a play, I showed him that the CDX has effects. "F**king 'ell it's got effects as well?" - oh yes indeedy it does.
Although there are only 5 effects buttons, some can be
accessed by keeping the particular button pressed for a
second - and each is controlled by the jog wheel below the
buttons. In most cases, spinning the jog wheel gives an
instant effect to your audio that slowly returns to normal.
Holding the effects button keeps the sound at the required
effect level. The range of effects is varied but pretty good:
Sonar: Hollow metallic effect
Slide: Changes the key while fixing the pitch.
Echo: As you'd expect. Presets of 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 and 1-1.
And you can play with negative echo so the effect happens before the music plays.
A.D.: Stands for auto decimation. Degrades the audio quality.
Filter: Allows you to play only a specified band in the frequency range.
Kill: Plays all but the specified range.
Chop: Breaks the music up, based on Beatkeeper settings. Imagine a Samurai fader - that's like
chop. Combined with forward only scratch, makes for a useful technique.
Pan: Switches left and right channels based on Beatkeeper BPM. Like echo, you can specify the
rate.
All are useful to have but there is a basic problem. Because all are pre-fader, effects such as
echo get chopped off as soon as the fader is closed. Indeed echo stops when you stop the platter.
Hmmm... hopefully that bit can be fixed with future software upgrades. Also, at this time a
noticable click can be heard when scratching with some of the effects (filter and kill) at their
extremes - but I'm sure this will be ironed out in future software upgrades.
Speaking of upgrades...
Setting the trend with the Axis CD deck, this unit is of course software upgrade able. In fact since
I took delivery, there have been a few released upgrades, mainly to do with MP3 playback.
Simply burn the downloadable audio file to audio CD, insert into the CDX and off it goes. I
wouldn't expect to see extra effects like soon to be seen on the Denon X1500 mixer, more to do
with improving playback.
And the CD unit itself is user replaceable should you find there's anything wrong with it. But again,
don't expect to be able to replace the CD with DVD - the CDX is just as the name implies.
How good is it?
If you were to put any of the available CD
options in front of any scratch dj, all they
care about is how the platter feels. And
having tried all the available decks out
there, I can honestly say that the CDX is the
best for turntablists - no question. When you
think about it, the principle is so simple take a regular deck and make it use CD's in
the same way as vinyl. Because the CDX is
essentially a TTX minus the tonearm, it is
exactly the same as using vinyl, but without
the skippage and record wear. And to
closely match your own style, you can add
your own vinyl and slipmats. Faderless
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scratches suddenly become much easier as
you don't have to worry about the needle
jumping because you've treated the platter
like a bongo. Some scratches are even easier with the CDX. ProfessorBX taught me the wammy essential near breaking your pinkie finger to hold the vinyl down on the centre while drumming
with the other fingers. Now my pinkie will be safe from hand damaging scratches.
I know many owners of existing CD decks will say things like it's heavy and bulky but we
turntablists really care much more about how the deck performs than how portable it is. All I
know is that if I still played out, I'd take the CDX in preference to any other deck - even the TTX.
Now I only need to take a handful of pre-burned CD's instead of heavy crates of precious vinyl
and know that I can still do all the same sets and moves that I can with any other setup.
The Bottom line - for the hard of reading...
Let me break it down into one sentence - the CDX is
by far the best CD deck on the market for scratch
DJs. For the simple reason that it is just like using
the best vinyl deck but with CDs. Take away all the
bells and whistles that the CDX has and for
turntablists, it's still the best. But in fairness to the
other competitive decks out there, I have to rate it
comparatively. Sound quality is excellent both for
regular audio and MP3, the feature set is extensive
including loops, cues, effects and key lock. The price
is competitive pitched between CDJ-1000/Technics
DZ/Denon 5000 and their younger offspring the
CDJ800/Denon 3000.
As a testimony to it's greatness, everyone who I
know who has used a CDX wants one. Even some of the brand loyalists to other decks have been
know to heap praise on the CDX as well. But for me and my needs as a scratch DJ, I'd pick the
CDX over any of them.
Rating - 9.5/10
Pros
It's just like a vinyl deck. Period.
Sound quality
Handles MP3
Good price
Cons
Some concerns on build quality compared to the TTX
Implementation of some controls could have been better
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