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I had posted this responce to the same question about a month or so ago. Try the search function on the very frequent topics:
I'll try to provide a short comparison between the two.
In short direct-drive (dd) is better for djing over belt-drive (bd).
Direct Drive works via a motor sitting directly underneath the spindle and spins the platter. The motor uses magnets to turn the platter and because of this, you don't have any parts of the motor directly touching the platter. You'll see dd TTs advertising brushless motors, which is what the magnetic "brushes" are all about--not brushing up against the platter. This results in a lower amount of background noise, compaired to bd. One con of a dd system is that it cost much more to manufacture and because of this, all dd systems will be considerably more than even the best bd TTs. More pros of a dd TT is that it provides better wow and flutter. Wow is the slow variation in the pitch of a sound reproduction resulting from variations in the speed of the TT platter. Flutter is the rapid variation in the pitch of a sound, again resulting from the variable speed of the turntable. The lower these numbers the better, in general. The greater % of pitch adjust available on the table will increase these numbers. The Numark TTX1 for instance, has a higher wow and flutter rating over the Technic 1200, but the TTX1 can have a pitch adjustment of upto +/- 50%, where as the 1200 has +/- 8% (or up to 10%, I think, if you modify the internal set screw). Since the dd motors are made with better parts and more power, they also come with more torque. Torque is the force that is applied to you axle in your car from the rotation of your engine. This force turns the axle and hence the wheels, which results in horsepower. This is basically the same with a TT, though since there is no forward motion, there is only torque and not HP. The greater the torque, the quicker and more accurate your motor can start up and keep its velocity, and hence the platter and your record! This is a good thing because you don't want to release your record on a particular beat and then have to wait for your TT to come up to speed. You want it to come up to speed very very quickly so that your two records are beatmatched! These are the main benifits of a dd TT, and they definitely warrant spending the extra money if you will be using the TTs for djing.
Bd TTs do have one main advantage over dd tables. That advantage is price! If you want a decent table to use to record all of your vinyl onto your computer and then transfer all of those tracks to CD, then bd isn't a bad choice if you are on a budget. Dd is still better due to the wow and flutter rating, though this eliminates the need for more torque because you will let the table come up to speed before the track actually starts playing. Budget constraints should be the only reason you get a bd TT though, unless you don't plan on Djing with it or using it for HIFI recording--the most consistantly piece of advice that I've seen from those who have bought bd TTs is that they regret buying them due to their inability to maintain a constant speed--hence you can't beatmatch effectively. If you are sure that you want to DJ, then save up for good tables. You can even start with a really cheap mixer to start and upgrade that later, though I'm sure you'll find that it will be hard to save money once you get addicted to buying vinyl--everyone does Decent dd TTs are a must if you want to stick with Djing, otherwise you will just get frustrated in your investment and the inability of your investment to give a good return.
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When you dance, the DJ takes you on a journey, but he or she is usually not the focus of your experience at a club or festival or wherever you hear the music. Dancing is. Music is.
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