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| Type | Turntable |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Matsushita Electric |
| Inception | 1972 |
| Manufacturer | Technics (a brand of Panasonic Corporation) |
| Available | 1972–2010, 2016–present |
| Website | Technics SL1200 |
Technics SL-1200 is a series of direct-drive turntables originally manufactured from October 1972 until 2010, and resumed in 2016, by Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic Corporation) under the brand name of Technics. S means "Stereo", L means "Player". Originally released as a high fidelity consumer record player, it quickly became adopted among radio and disco club disc jockeys, thanks to the direct drive, high torque motor design, making it initially suitable for pushbutton cueing and starting of tracks on radio and in dance clubs. Beside these features it had a so called pitchcontrol, which allowed the user to change the turning speed of the record (also BPM: beats per minute) gradually from -8% to +8%. This feature was specifically interesting for DJ's who were mixing two or more records with each other, especially in dance clubs.
When the use of slipmats for cueing and beat-mixing (and scratching) became popular in hip hop music, the quartz-controlled high torque motor system enabled records to be mixed with consistency and accuracy. A primary design goal was for hi-fidelity, but having good build quality, control over wow and flutter, and minimized resonance made the equipment particularly suitable for use in nightclubs and other public-address applications. Since its release in 1979, SL-1200MK2 and its successors were the most common turntables for DJing and scratching.[citation needed]
1200s are commonly used in recording studios and for non-electronic live music performance. More than 3 million units were sold. It is widely regarded as one of the most durable and reliable turntables ever produced. [weasel words] Many 1970s units are still in heavy use.[citation needed] In the autumn of 2010, Panasonic announced that the series was to be discontinued.[1][2] The Technics brand was discontinued at the same time, but relaunched in 2014, focusing on higher end and more expensive products. The company was aware that Technics was expected to eventually make turntables again,[3] so at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, Panasonic announced that they would return in two models named "Grand Class": one a limited run of 1200 globally (1200GAE), and the other a consumer product (1200G). A lighter and less expensive 1200GR model was announced. The more affordable and DJ-oriented SL-1200 MK7 followed in 2019.[4]
At the London Science Museum, a Technics SL-1210[5] is on display[6] as one of the pieces of technology that have "shaped the world we live in".[7]
- ^ Dead spin: Panasonic discontinues Technics analog turntables - Oct 2010
- ^ "Technics Analogue Turntables Discontinued".
- ^ Audio Test Magazin: Interview with Tetsuya Itani, CTO & Chief Engineer - June 2019
- ^ Gizmodo: Panasonic Returns the Technics 1200 Turntable to Its DJ Roots With the new MK7 - July 2019
- ^ "The Rise And Fall Of The Technics 1210". TheHipHopRecords.com.
- ^ Technics SL-1200 / Technics SL-1210 Shaped Our World - May 2010
- ^ Pair of quartz synthesiser direct-drive turntables, 1999 - 1999