Stanton S-350

When playing CDs, an easily accessible cue point and precise searching help you set the next entry point. The Stanton S-350 is a CD player for tabletop DJ use with a large jog wheel, pitch control and functions for cueing, loops and sampling.

In Cue or Pause mode, you can use the jog wheel to search frame by frame and set a start point. During playback, it is used for pitch-bend; separate buttons also temporarily adjust the tempo. The pitch fader offers selectable ranges of ±4, ±8, ±16 and ±100 per cent. With Key Correction, the original pitch is maintained when the tempo changes.

For transitions, use IN and OUT to set the beginning and end of a loop. Playback continues seamlessly; RELOOP recalls the set loop. Auto-Cue sets the cue point at the beginning of a track's music. Cue Memory lets you store points in four banks. Seamless Loop and Cue Memory therefore support prepared entry points and repeats directly on the player.

The built-in sampler accesses four banks, each holding less than five seconds. You can play stored samples individually or continuously and mix them into the signal while a CD is playing. The sampler also works without a CD inserted. Four sample banks are also available for Cue Memory.

A ten-second anti-shock buffer protects CD playback from brief shocks; Instant Start uses the buffer memory for a fast start. The LCD displays information including the track, pitch and elapsed time, track time remaining or total time remaining. Single and continuous playback can be selected; two S-350s can be connected for Relay Play. The three time displays make it easier to keep track of your current set.

For connection to a mixer, an analogue stereo output via RCA and a coaxial S/PDIF digital output are available. The Relay socket connects two players; with a supported mixer, Relay Play is also possible via its crossfader. Analogue and digital outputs make the CD player suitable for DJ setups with different inputs.