GEMINI CDMP-1400

[Rob_P]

I am trying to find a reasonable price 1u playback device for a portable playback rack, but am struggling to find anything that ticks all the boxes. I generally use a PC (with SCS) for playback but am trying to find something to replace the old consumer grade CD player that I tend to carry as a backup. There don't seem to be a huge range available, and lots of the cheep ones seem to have fiddly controls etc.

 

My main priorities are:

1) Big GO button

2) SD or USB playback

3) 1u case

4) XLR output

 

Nice to have: CD playback

 

Don't care about:

1) DJ stuff - looping and changeable playback rate etc

2) Recording

 

The GEMINI CDMP-1400 seems to meet all of the criteria but does look a bit DJ biased and seems to have mixed reviews. Details here:

http://cpc.farnell.c...=cpc/600752.xml

 

 

Has anyone got any experience of this device, or can anyone recomend an alternative for broadly similar money?

 

Thanks!

[Andrew Edwards]

1U is the limiting factor and I understand your problem. I've recently been down this path.

 

All following prices excluding VAT and Delivery:

 

Denon do the DNF-300 which ticks all your boxes but has no CD. When I was looking it was around £200.

Tascam has the SS-CDR200 which looks like the ideal machine BUT is around £700.

Apart from the Gemini I didn't find any others but I didn't spend a huge amount of time looking.

 

2U has more choice but then if I had 2U then I would get separate 1U CD and 1U solid state...

[Rob_P]

Thanks Andrew.

The Denon does look good, although the lack of XLR outputs seems like a strange design decision.

CD playback was a nice to have so I will probably look for a separate 1u player at a later date.

[TonyMitchell]

The Tascam SSCDR200 is a great unit and packs a lot into 1U. Nice buttons, logical menu structure and good physical layout. Will be buying some more of them. I like Tascam product, have used it for years and have plenty of old Tascam units still going strong.

 

We bought a Denon DN-F300 a couple of years ago, because of the lack of CD & no XLRs have hardly used it to be honest - @Rob if you want it, it is immaculate, PM me.

 

Maybe unfair, but personally I wouldn't put a Gemini unit in one of our racks - as you have indicated it's fairly & squarely a budget disco brand. Brand snobbery? yup.