Sister SF Resident DJ Amber brings her DJing advice column, Cue & A, to the pages of SisterSF.com! Every month she'll be answering two questions sent in by different DJs from around the world.

Cue & A for August 2003:

QUESTION: I'm buying my turntables, and everybody is telling me to get Technics 1200s because they're the best. They're, like, $450 each and I can get a whole Numark "DJ In A Box" setup for that same price! Are they really so much better that I should pay nearly $1000 for the turntables alone?

ANSWER: In a word, yes. They are really that good, and that critical to learning the right record manipulation skills and being able to then use them when you play out at clubs.

The entire "feel" of the turntable is better, firmer, and more reliable on a Technic 1200 than on any of the cheap, plastic competitors. Technic 1200s will last forever, and if you decide not to DJ you'll be able to sell them for nearly what you paid for them. Cheap turntables, on the other hand, commonly break within a couple of years and are much harder to resell.

If you are hoping to eventually play out in clubs or at events, more importantly you need to develop your DJ skill on the same type of turntable you'll find while performing. Technics 1200 is the only brand you'll be provided at clubs and events. If you learn on a different brand of turntable and hope to still be able to DJ well at a booking, it will be like you had learned to play a ukulele and are given an electric guitar when it's time to perform. The entire feel will be different, and you'll be so distracted by the differences that you won't be able to replicate your skills.

Want to ask Amber a question? Email her your burning request at amber@sistersf.com. Amber can't reply to all the mail she receives. We also can't guarantee she'll answer your particular question in this column, but check back often just in case! And don't forget, if Amber tells you to do the DJing equivalent of sticking your hand in the fire, don't hold us liable!