The Lowdown
The Reloop RP-7000MK2 is a direct-drive turntable with modern features. It’s got dual start / stop buttons for traditional and battle orientations, a switchable line / phono output with a built-in phono preamp, three platter speeds, and a pitch fader that has three selectable pitch ranges. There isn’t anything game changing here, though it’s good if you’re on a budget and are looking to add turntables to your digital DJ set-up.
Video Review
First Impressions / Setting up
The turntable is one of the most iconic pieces of DJ gear. While record players have been around since the early 1900s, it’s the legendary Technics 1200 that cemented the turntable as the de facto DJ tool for over three decades, eclipsed only at the turn of the century by CDJ media players. Though there are variants from companies like Vestax, Stanton and Numark, the overall design of the Technics 1200 is so influential that today, little has changed as far as mass market DJ turntables are concerned.
The Reloop RP-7000Mk2 has a few improvements over the original RP-7000 such as an upgraded tonearm base and a tweaked direct drive motor, but the rest remain similar, which is not such a bad thing since the RP-7000 was a solid option for DJs on a budget.
The RP-7000Mk2 looks similar to a Technics 1200 turntable, with a few contemporary features thrown in: the face of the unit has two Start / Stop buttons for both traditional and battle orientations, and there are three platter speeds available (33 1/3, 45 and 78RPM). You’ve got a digital pitch fader with a Reset button and three pitch ranges: +/- 8%, +/- 16%, +/- 50%, perfect for DVS DJs who want to execute wilder transitions at vastly different tempos.
The rear of the unit has RCA output jacks, a switchable phono / line output thanks to its built-in phono preamp, and a power jack for connecting a standard power lead.
In Use
Twin Start / Stop buttons
Like its predecessor, the Reloop RP-7000MK2 has two Start / Stop buttons: one for traditional turntable orientation, and one for battle orientation. The latter is preferred by scratch DJs because it reduces the chances of accidental bumps to the tonearm, while the former is favoured by DJs who want easy access to the pitch fader when beatmatching two records.
High-torque motor
The RP-7000MK2 has a direct-drive motor that’s got a stronger starting torque than the original RP-7000, plus it’s adjustable via a control near the top of the pitch fader. You can adjust it from 2.8 kgf/cm all the way up to 4.5 kgf/cm (the Technics 1200 only goes up to 1.5kg/cm). That’s some serious platter power for even the heaviest of DJ hands when scratching.
The platter brake can also be adjusted from 0.2 seconds all the way to six seconds for longer slowdowns and brake stops.
Connectivity
Integrated RCA and power cables were always a pain point for Technics 1200 users because that meant opening up the turntable if you needed to replace them. The RP-7000MK2 does away with that by simply having RCA and power jacks at the rear of the unit, making cable replacement as easy as plugging in a new set of leads.
Pitch fader
The pitch fader on the RP-7000MK2 has three pitch ranges: +/-8%, +/-16%, and +/-50%. While a traditional piece of analogue vinyl won’t sound good at the edges of these pitch ranges, it’s a boon for DVS DJs who spin with timecode vinyl because that means they can make wider tempo adjustments while preserving the musical key of the tunes they’re playing thanks to key lock in DJ software. Of course, scratch DJs can forgo key lock altogether and use the extended pitch range for wider tone play possibilities.
The RP-7000MK2 also has a pitch reset button that instantly snaps the pitch back to its default 0% setting.
Conclusion
The Reloop RP-7000MK2 is a decent turntable for both beginner and intermediate DJs on a budget looking to add a pair of decks to their set-up. It doesn’t add anything particularly interesting or new for digital DJs (check the Reloop RP-8000 for that), but you’re getting a solid deck for under $600 that’s way better than the belt drive turntables many now-famous DJs have had to put up with when they started in the 80s and 90s.
