Tech Review: Pioneer PLX-500

There's nothing revolutionary (per minute) about USB turntables these days, as the machines - which convert your vinyl collection into digital format - have been around for a while.

PLX-500 ticks all the boxes, recording albums or singles via a free app. The recordings won't begin until the music starts and can be stored in high quality WAV format, or tinny (but more compact) MP3.

Unlike other USB turntables, though, Pioneer's record plays lets you mix and scratch digital files. Combine the device with a compatible mixer, then bounce the turntable about like a B-Boy from the Bronx in 1983 to produce authentic scratchy sounds. Purists will frown at the idea of scratching a digital format, but it's a close approximation to the real deal.

Pioneer PLX-500 is out in September, in black and white versions. It's only 349, so a good investment for anyone with dreams of becoming a superstar DJ.