Stanton spin back into the game, promising to take portabilism to the next level with an awesome new scratch turntable!After years absent from the scene, these industry veterans return with an exciting new device that does it all. The first no-compromise portabilist deck built for mass market, a sure sign that the movement is becoming more mainstream.

What is Portabilism?

Portabilism is the art of turntablism X the freedom of mobility!

In recent years, turntablists have freed themselves from power cords by modifying battery-operated equipment, making them ready for battle on the road.

The movement is dubbed ‘portabilism’ to signify the collision between portability and turntablism.

DJs originally made do with adaptations to portable record players using hacks such as external crossfaders. The scene has since evolved and, with it, so has the equipment. Enter the STX!

Stanton STX Key Features

Here is what makes the STX stand out from the pack. Keep reading for further details, thoughts and insights on this portablist device!

• Built-in Mini innoFADER Nano crossfader
• Adjustable curve and cut-in distance controls for the crossfader
• Pitch slider with ultra pitch switch allowing mega-creativity 
• Fader Reverse ‘Hamster’ switch 
• Stackable lid, which brings the turntable up to the height of a traditional turntable
• Built-in rechargeable batteries
• USB-C: a modern interface for charging the device

Further essentials also found on competitor devices are:

• Bluetooth connectivity for streaming beats in from a smart device
• Built-in loudspeaker for less gear to carry around
• USB-A for plugging in a flash drive to record a session
• Swappable position of the crossfader for left or right-handed fader cutting
• Line-level RCA connector for plugging into a sound system
• 2 x size of headphone jack – ¼ inch and 3.5mm 

Freedom of movement

Cutting and scratching 7″ vinyl on the go has grown massively in recent years. In recognition of this, Stanton have responded with this carefully considered nod to the emerging scene. The STX is a turntable packed with creative functions, battery power and, weighing only 2.4KG, it’s designed to go places!

Competitors

Currently, only two other mass-market products exist like it. The OG portabilst device, Numark PT01 Scratch, which paved the way but is fairly limited by today’s standards. 

Or the Reloop Spin, which pushed the boundaries of what a portable could do, but now falls short on features compared to the STX.

Other than this, if DJs want to scratch on the road, they need to customise a domestic portable turntable with a crossfader. A huge market amongst turntablists, with modders such as Jesse Dean Designs offering up their bespoke tweaks and add-on products for portable gear. Understandably for a premium cost.

With the STX dropping, turntablists with varying budgets can now blow the dust out of their old 7” grooves and get cutting on the road. The art of turntablism has officially got legs!

The crossfader

Included within the STX is a mini innoFADER NANO which will meet the requirements of even the most technical turntablist.

innoFADER are established and respected as making some of the best crossfaders on the scene, so to have one pre-installed out of the box is a massive cost saver! A similar external battery-powered fader, such as the Raiden RXI-F2, costs around $130.

With the built-in fader, DJs can fine-tune its cut-in distance and curve for ultimate flexibility with their scratching.

Serious scratchers also have easy access to a crossfader reverse switch, known as a ‘Hamster Switch’ in homage to an early crew of hip-hop DJs who would route their mixers to their turntables in reverse. A popular function that many turntablists and battle DJs modify their equipment to get.

The crossfader can also go on the left or right-hand side of the turntable with zero fuss, so fader-cutting hand preferences are accounted for!

Feels like a battle turntable

Place the STX on top of its stackable dust cover, and it becomes the same height as a traditional turntable creating an authentic battle feel.

Also adding a taste of the familiar is a small pitch adjustment slider. This is in place of the pitch adjustment dial found on the other mass-made units. The slider aligns with how DJs adjust pitch on a professional turntable, serving muscle memory better. 

There is also the option for ultra-pitch, which means pitch adjustability of +/- 50% for an enhanced way of manipulating the scratching sounds.

Classic and modern I/O

The STX is the first portabilist turntable to feature built-in rechargeable batteries. It is also the first to include a very convenient USB-C connection for charging the device. 

There is also a traditional USB-A socket to enable flash-drive recording of sessions, making the turntable the ultimate practice device. 

Options for listening to audio out loud don’t end with the built-in loudspeaker. There are red and white line-level RCA sockets for plugging the STX into speakers or an amplifier. Plus, a couple of headphone jacks, 1x quarter-inch and 1x 3.5mm, for cueing your scratches. 

And there’s Bluetooth connectivity for streaming in a backing beat to scratch to, so there really is no need for any cables!

A new era for portabilism

The STX is great news for the budget-conscious consumer, offering a lot of value for a relatively low cost. It signals a promising future for the scene, lowering the barrier to entry for those interested in analogue scratching.

The DMCs, the Red Bull 3Style and other battle competitions are confined to four walls that flow with electricity. With portsbilsim, battle DJing has been untethered and given a whole new dimension of landscape to explore!

Since 2017, there is even a dedicated competition for unshackled scratching in the form of the Portabilist Lounge. This has gained traction and is becoming revered like its mainstage counterparts.    

No longer are DJ battles locked to where there are power cords. Much like MC battles, they have the potential to take place anywhere: from a street corner to a pit on a private beach. So long as the batteries are fully juiced!

Interested in portabilism or turntablism? Learn to master the technique that created the movement with our Complete Online Scratching Course. Perfect your scribbles, stabs, crabs and flares and learn to cut like a pro! 

Our Hip Hop Mixing DJ Course also covers a variety of techniques, from basic baby scratching to more complex mixing concepts.

Or, to advance your abilities even further, our dedicated creative courses take a more focused look at some of today’s most impressive DJ skills.