The portablist rumour mill has been churning for a little while now with murmurs of Reloop capitalising on their growing presence in the turntablist scene, and making a portablist specific unit. This unit took significant steps towards reality with no camera private showings at NAMM. “It’s like a Handy Trax” was the basic vibe, and last week saw a quickly shut down leak that confirmed this to be the case. And now it’s officially launched — the Reloop Spin (recycling the name of one of their audio interfaces) is a facelift of the Vestax Handy Trax, but brings some very useful additions to the base unit.
Here’s what Reloop has to say:
RELOOP SPIN
PORTABLE TURNTABLE SYSTEM
Muenster, 04th June 2019
HIGHLIGHTS
- Portable turntable for vinyl lovers & scratch artists
- Bluetooth streaming, versatile connection possibilities and optional battery operation
- Comes with 7” scratch vinyl, 45-mm crossfader, cartridge and integrated speaker
„SPIN around the world“: What did you like the most about SPIN?
DJ Vazee | IDA & Portablist Lounge World Champion
“For me the best thing about the SPIN is that I can use it with no cables and scratch right away wherever I am in the world.
Also, recording to USB is great. I hate cables and shitty audio and this solves the problem.
DJ Babu | Beatjunkies / Dilated Peoples
Everything! Easily my favorite portable turntable. It has every feature you’d want. The best thing about it tho was that it was out the box ready to go.
DJ IKU | Red Bull Thre3Stytle Champion
We can record using USB !
DJ Byte | Red Bull Thre3Stytle World Champion
Is the real “all in one” “ready to go” portable in the market. Love it so much!.
Reloop SPIN is a portable turntable that guarantees mobile fun anywhere you want! The turntable comes with everything you need out of the box and is especially optimized for scratching and cutting. SPIN comes with a 7” slipmat and an exclusive 7“ scratch vinyl containing specially mastered scratch samples and beats for beginners and experienced scratch artists alike.
Bluetooth streaming of your music & direct recording to USB sticks:
The Bluetooth Audio Streaming technology allows wireless streaming of music or beats to SPIN – this way the turntable becomes a speaker for your smartphone. Via the USB recording function it is possible to record your scratches and cuts in MP3 format directly to a USB stick. This interface can also be used for digitizing records.
Integrated speaker & versatile connection possibilities:
On the turntable’s left panel is an integrated speaker, in order for you to listen to your records while on the road without headphones which also makes practicing your scratches easier. Thanks to the AUX input, you can connect several turntables or other playback devices (daisy chain). This way you can easily start a scratch session with your friends.
Outstanding for mobile scratching and cutting:
Via the switch on the turntable’s top panel you can select between 3 speeds (33 1/3, 45 & 78 rpm) which covers all available speeds. The straight tone arm offers enhanced stability and can be fixed into position with a transportation lock. The pre-installed cartridge has excellent tracking features and holds the groove tightly, even when carrying out fast scratches. The precise 45-mm crossfader has a unique form factor and thanks to the two-rail technology it is especially sturdy. Moreover, it is possible to install the crossfader on either side of the platter – simply select your preferred position.
Extensive control elements and adjustment possibilities:
On the top panel you can find a start/stop button as well as a pitch control with a range of +/-20% for precise setting. A tone control can be used to adapt the sound of the lows to your requirements. Volume for the AUX input and master/headphones output can be adjusted via two separate controls. There is also a 7“ adapter for records with a large centre hole.
Enjoy your records on the road – flexible power supply:
SPIN is extremely portable, not only due to its shape and small form factor, but also thanks to its flexible power options. It can be used with a regular USB power supply unit (5 V, 2 A, not included), USB power bank or batteries. The batteries can be inserted in the compartment on the bottom and are sold separately. A power LED keeps you informed about the turntable’s operational status. The dust cover protects the turntable and thanks to the handle, SPIN can be carried like a suitcase. Skip-proof rubber feet guarantee stability.
Through the combination of turntable and mixer as well as the high connectivity, SPIN is ideal for vinyl lovers as well as scratch artists and aspiring DJs.
Including Super Spin Duck Looper app:
With any purchased SPIN, DJ Babu and the Beat Junkies Institute of Sound adds a free copy of their Super Spin Duck Looper app, which can be used ideally as a backing beat while scratching and cutting.
Features
- Portable turntable for vinyl lovers & scratch artists
- Mobile fun with your turntable, anywhere you go
- Outstanding for mobile scratching and cutting
- Out of the box: comes with 7” scratch vinyl, pre-installed 45-mm-crossfader & cartridge, integrated speaker, Bluetooth audio receiver, USB recording function, slipmat, and dust cover
- High-grade 7”-scratch-record: professionally recorded samples for scratching and beats for juggling
- Bluetooth audio streaming: wireless streaming of music or beats to the device
- Smart USB recording: direct recording of scratches & cuts to USB in MP3 format
- Can also be used for digitizing vinyl
- Integrated speaker on the turntable’s left
- 3 selectable speeds (33 1/3, 45 & 78 rpm)
- Extremely stable tone arm with transport lock
- Cartridge with excellent tracking features
- Precise 45-mm-crossfader with two-rail glide technology
- Crossfader can be installed on preferred side (both-way)
- Two headphones connections for listening and monitoring
- AUX input facilitates connection of several turntables (daisy chain)
- Easy battery charging via USB PSU or USB power bank (sold separately)
- Installed start/stop button
- Precise speed adjustment via pitch control with +/-20 %
- Tone control to adjust low frequencies
- Volume control for AUX input and master/headphones
- Power LED indicates the turntable’s operational status
- 7″ record puck adaptor with holder
- Anti-skip rubber feet for secure stand
- Especially sturdy and portable shape factor with optional battery operation
- Additional protection thanks to dust cover; can be transported via carrying handle when closed
- Locking of dust cover for safe transport
- Can be operated with regular USB PSU (5 V, 2 A), USB power bank or batteries (sold separately)
- Batteries can be inserted into battery compartment on the device’s bottom 2x Li-Ion 18650 (sold separately)
- Incl. 7” scratch vinyl, pre-installed cartridge, slipmat, dust cover, puck adapter, instruction manual and Super Spin Duck Looper app
technical details
- Belt drive
- Inputs: AUX 3.5 mm stereo, Bluetooth audio
- Outputs: master RCA, USB (USB-A), headphones 3.5/6.3 mm stereo
- Recording format: MP3 with 256 kbit/s
- Recording quality: 16 bit / 44.1 kHz
- Battery type: 2x Li-Ion 18650 with 1860 mAh each (batteries sold separately)
- Power supply: 5 V, 2 A mini USB (PSU sold separately)
- Dimensions: 370 x 95 x 260 mm
- Weight: 1.61 kg
Available: end of June
MSRP: 229,99 € | US$ 249,99 | £199.99
The other side of the coin
Portablism by definition is a scene dominated by modding. When DJs wanted a portable solution to scratch on, Vestax Handy Trax and Numark PT01 portable turntables were modded in all manner of ways to make them more suitable for hardcore scratching. A whole cottage industry has popped up around adding new faders, tonearms, speakers, and just about every type of essential feature, and equally pointless frippery too. It’s fair to say that modding is a foundation of the scene.
And then along comes Reloop, seemingly recycling old Vestax tooling, and making the Spin into something that mainly doesn’t require modding at all. It has an as yet unidentified fader included, but Turntable Training Wax already has a Spin specific Jesse Dean fader for it already, listed at £55.99. Innofader also reports that they have a model of the mini Innofader Pro ready to go for $49.99 right here. I had hoped for a reverse switch on the unit, but I’m sure someone will come up with a mod for that.
So while the Reloop Spin is properly plug and play, and offers a serious amount of features over the PT01 Scratch, it still has scope for modding. Seeing as it’s the same tonearm and probably platter as the Handy Trax, you’ll still be able to tamper with it and make it better than just fresh out of the box. And I have no doubt that there will be some 3rd party doodad that requires breaking out the Dremel for those who absolutely must crack open the chest of the beast.
Breaking the £200 price barrier makes this a very compelling package. It’s important to point out that out of the box, this has no power. You can use it with a regular USB power adaptor, buy batteries, or run it from a USB power pack. But outside of that, you even get a piece of Spin specific vinyl to play with.
What I really do like is the ability to plug in a USB drive and record your performance. Rather than carry another recording device around with the associated cabling up, it’s a simple button press to record to USB. That’s a nice touch.
SUMMING UP
The Reloop Spin will be available at the end of June, and will set you back $250/€230 /£200.
GALLERY
