TECH REVIEW: RELOOP RP-6000 MK6

With the end of an era that came with the announcement that Technics were no longer making their undisputed industry standard turntables, the SL1200 and SL1210, a death knell rang. Finally, after so many years, all DJs have come to the realisation that vinyl is dead, right?

Actually reports of the death of vinyl have been very much exaggerated, and such rumours are a long way removed from the reality of the situation.

Rather than killing vinyl, digital DJing has opened up new avenues and opportunities when it comes to rocking a dancefloor. These days, DJs can choose to go completely digital by using hardware controllers and a laptop running Traktor, opt for CDJs or choose to use good old-fashioned analogue vinyl to control a Digital Vinyl System such as Serato, or even go for a completely different approach and mix off vinyl exclusively with the option of using a laptop for sampling, triggering and other effects.

It is down to DJs to choose the weapons at their disposal to compliment their style, and go with what feels right for them, but very few if any DJs will argue that having 12 inches of vinyl spinning underneath their fingertips is not an enjoyable and tactile way of controlling operations. Some club nights have even gone so far as banning Traktor in a move that the cynical might call more about publicity than musical integrity; but no matter the intention, this highlights the fact that vinyl is far from dead and people on the dancefloor are still interested in hearing music played directly from vinyl without the need for digital trickery.

Technology has been moving at an incredible pace within the music industry and if the truth be told, despite the incredible popularity and widespread use of Technics SL1200 turntables, compared with more recent turntable designs they are beginning to show their age. Now, Reloop have released the RP-6000 MK6 turntable as their champion in the battle for the crown that was once held for so long by Technics — and they might just have created a new king in the process.

GREAT DESIGN

When it comes to build quality the RP-6000 MK6 ticks all the right boxes from the moment that it is unpacked from its box, with rounded corners and an impressively heavy weight complimenting a top-notch professional finish. Another feature that pays testament to the great design and high quality nature of this turntable is the two start/stop buttons, placed in positions to allow this turntable to be used either sideways in battle/scratch format, or the more traditional mixing position as found on Technics SL1200s, without needing to reach over the platter.

In a move that will delight any DJ who has ever used turntables, Reloop have done away with the annoying earth lead that has the habit of coming loose from the back of a mixer and is an absolute nightmare to connect again. They have also added a nifty selector to enable the turntable to be connected to either phono or line level inputs on a mixer. Other features worthy of note include an adjustable torque direct drive platter, quartz lock, three pitch control modes, an adjustable start/stop speed and an on/off switch housed in such a way that it won’t get knocked into the wrong position accidentally.

UP TO SCRATCH

The construction of the RP-6000 MK6's height adjustable tone arm is very sturdy and when combined with the platter and the overall construction, gives fantastic anti-skip performance. Despite having an S-shaped tone arm, when it comes to scratching, this turntable will hold its own with the best of them, perhaps even matching the performance of straight tone arm turntables.

Reloop have managed to create a turntable that is packed to the gills with nice little touches and extra features, as well as getting the basics exactly right. The RP 6000 MK6 will find favour among DJs looking for a new set of decks to hone their mixing and scratching skills, and those looking for a decent quality turntable to use to convert their vinyl collection to digital format — although it should be noted that there is no digital output as found on some other turntables that are currently on the market.

The RP-6000 manages to get the balance between price, features and quality just right to create a fantastic turntable that is bound to delight DJs the world over.

Reloop RP-6000 MK6 is available now from Reloop priced at £399 (Single), £795 (Pair).