Cartridges and Needles
If you are new to the world of DJ equipment then have a read of this page. This page is simply a few tips on cartrdges and needles for the novice DJs out there.
The differences between Cartidges and Needles:
Cartridges and needles are not the same thing. Take a look at the picture below which shows both.
If you look at the stanton 500AL II above the needle or stylus is the blue part at the front and the cartridge is the black part. The cartridge is screwed in the headshell. The headshell in turn is screwed into the tone arm. The stylus can be replaced by simply pulling it out and pushing the new one in.
The different types of needle/styli:
There are also two types of styli spherical and elliptical. This refers to the shape of the diamond tip that is used. Elliptical styli will give better sound quality and are for mixing. Round styli are for scratch DJs as they don't wear out your records as much when you scratch.
I have always bought the Stanton brand of cartridges and styli and so I feel comfortable in recommending them.
I have included some examples in the stanton range from the cheapest to the top of the line professional cartridges and needles.
Stanton 500AL II (approx. $30)
This is a very cheap cartridge and styli. I use these all the time at home and they are fine as long as you don't keep using worn ones. You will probably get these free with your turntables.
Stanton 890 SA MP4 Matched Pair (approx. $130)
This is the model up. Expect better sound quality and less skipping with these. You need better quality needles when you use big sound systems as you want a really clean sound to go into those big amplifiers. The pair pictured below comes with pretty silver headshells.
Stanton Groovemaster II Pro DJ Cartridge Matched Pair
This is the top of the line. Cool looking "Concorde" headshells means that all the other DJs will be jealous. Plus you can expect minimal skipping and the highest sound quality possible.
