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Technics SL-1200

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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. Besides 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, especially in dance clubs.

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45-505: 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 high 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

90-399: A 1.2mm layer of rubber to reduce ringing and the platter design is reliant on the use of the supplied 2mm rubber mat. Most users remove the rubber turntable mat and replace it with a slipmat for mixing. However, without the rubber mat, the platter is prone to resonance at 250 Hz when used near a large club sound system. The drive system designed by Matsushita is direct-drive rather than

135-522: A black finish [noir] like the MK2, and is 'functionally' exactly the same as the SL-1200MK5. [Not to be confused with M5'G'] Released in 2002, 1200MK5G [Not to be confused with MK5 models] The G model was the first Technics turntable to introduce a 'digitally controlled' pitch adjustment. With previous pitch ranges between + and - %8. The m5G added +-%8 Value With the 'addition' of a +-%16 button. Also added

180-717: A high–damping matte magnesium tonearm, a four–layer turntable cabinet, three-layer platter, complete with a microprocessor and the use of a newly developed coreless twin-rotor direct-drive motor with no iron core with rotary positing sensors to eliminate cogging , as well as providing 78 rpm speed compatibility . Announced in January 2016 CES in Las Vegas, released in April 2016, SL-1200 Grand Class 50th Anniversary Edition - A Limited edition of 1,200 units. Same as above, but high polish tonearm tube finish and different viscous material in

225-516: A large 4-inch-diameter (100 mm) plate where the RCA and ground wires enter the unit, while the newer version has a smaller 2-inch-diameter (51 mm) hole in the rubber where the RCA and ground enter. International versions of the SL-1200MK2 included switches for line voltage and frequency beneath the platter. This model came in a satin black metallic finish and is nearly the same in function as

270-527: A matte black finish. This model is aimed at the high-end audiophile market rather than DJs. It is the last model made with the detent ("click") in the neutral position (+/- 0%) of the pitch adjustment slider. In addition to the existing 33 RPM and 45 RPM buttons, the MK4 added a 78 RPM button. It is designed to be used with regular removable RCA cables (along with a removable ground/earth cable) rather than hard-wired RCA cables like all other 1200/1210 models. The tonearm

315-551: A more traditional cast aluminium design similar to the older decks and a one-piece cast platter which brings an overall weight difference between the G/GAE. The G/GAE and GR both use what is essentially the same 9-pole motor. Whereas the G has twin rotors, the GR has a single rotor, giving it less torque. The GR differs from the G in its use of a feedback generator coil system (as used in the original SL1200) instead of an optical encoder. This

360-475: A notch. Following this, the lever drops into the next notch and the next et cetera as the wheel or shaft continues to spin. The angle of the backside of the notch is severe (usually 90 degrees or greater to the end of the lever) so that the lever cannot be pushed up or out of the notch if wheel attempts to turn in the opposite direction. The lever is jammed between the back of the notch and its pivot point, stopping movement in that direction against any force that

405-601: A slipmat.” This music-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Detent A detent is a mechanical or magnetic means to resist or arrest the movement of a mechanical device . Such a device can be anything ranging from a simple metal pin to a machine. The term is also used for the method involved. Magnetic detents are most often used to divide a shaft rotation into discrete increments . Magnetic detents are inherent in some types of electric motors, most often stepper motors . The ratchet -and- pawl design arrests movements by employing

450-561: A slot near the counterweight allowing for storage of a second headshell. The M'K'3D was designed for Japanese markets While the M3D without the K was European/US. This model is the same as the SL-1200M3D except with a matte black finish like the MK2. The SL-1200 Mark 4 was introduced in 1996. It was an update to the SL-1200MK2. It was available only in Japan and priced at around $ 650. It has

495-408: A small gravity - or spring -actuated lever paired with a notched wheel. The lever is mounted on a pivot point in proximity to the wheel . The vertical angle of the sides of the notches that face the direction of rotation desired is generally very acute (45 degrees or less), so that as the wheel rotates in that direction, the end of the lever is easily lifted or pushed out and over the top of

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540-697: Is based on the MK5G model, with blue (instead of the regular white) target lights, a piano black gloss finish, and gold-plated hardware. It was "created to commemorate the 3 Million turntables sold by technics in the last 30 years". Development of a completely rebuilt SL-1200 from the ground up with the intent to create a new system for Hi-Fi use and to redefine the direct-drive turntable reference. Announced in January 2016 CES in Las Vegas , released in October 2016, SL-1200 Grand Class, an aluminum bound turntable with

585-408: Is that it draped, it was limp,” he recalls. “So I ran home and got a copy of my album and I bought just enough felt to cut out two round circles the same size as a 33’ LP and—when my mother wasn't looking—I turned the iron all the way up high and I used my mother's spray starch. I sprayed it until this limp piece of felt became—I called it a wafer, like what you get in church at Easter. Today it's called

630-471: Is the black counterpart of the SL-1200GAE and is the same in every aspect except the color and the additional feature to turn off the strobe light. It had an approximate MSRP price of €4,499 Announced in January 2017 CES, the GR model is a stripped-down budget version of the G, cutting the price tag more than half at an approximate MSRP of £1,299 / US$ 1,700. It differs in body construction in that it uses

675-652: Is the same as the SL-1200GR except with a matte finish. The MK7 models were launched as the first new Technics standard DJ turntable in approximately nine years. The MK7, along with the Grand Class models, no longer have "QUARTZ" printed on the plinth nor dust cover. The SL-1200 series was developed as a special project by Technics parent company Matsushita in an attempt to solve problems related to turntable design. The task included minimizing acoustic feedback, unwanted resonances, wow and flutter and speed errors. This

720-613: Is the target Panasonic requested. On 5 January 2016, Technics agreed to relaunch both the SL-1200G and the SL-1200GAE At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Panasonic announced it would be resuming production with a new line of turntables, beginning with the Limited Edition SL-1200GAE At the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show , Panasonic confirmed the future production of a new turntable,

765-581: The London Science Museum , a Technics SL-1210 is on display as one of the pieces of technology that have "shaped the world we live in". The SL-1200 was developed in 1971 by a team led by Shuichi Obata at Matsushita, and was released to the market in 1972. It was adopted by New York City hip hop DJs such as Grandmaster Flash in the 1970s. As they experimented with the SL-1200 decks, they developed scratching techniques when they found that

810-558: The audiophile . The SL-1200 Mark 2 was introduced in 1979 as an update to the SL-1200. It represented a culmination of Technics Turntable Innovations. It was dubbed "The Middle Class Quartz Direct Drive". It soon found its way into discos as well as radio stations for airplay because of its vibration-damping ability and resistance to feedback, and eventually, it became popular with pioneering hip-hop DJs. Following their established formula, Technics offered different model numbers in Europe:

855-504: The 1200 (silver) and the 1210 (matte black), which were equipped with switchable dual voltage (110V or 220V) power supplies. Initially, there were only silver models (all named 1200 MK2) in official distribution in Japan and the US (Single voltage of 100V/120V accordingly). However, later the 1200 was available in both silver and matte black finishes (in Japan, the introduction of the MK3 in 1989 marked

900-488: The SL-1200 Mk7 in matte black, adding new features, fixing known issues with previous models, and all new lighter construction of aluminium and fiber glass. In 2021 Panasonic ceased manufacturing Technics turntables in Japan, and moved all turntable production to Malaysia. Slipmat A slipmat is a circular piece of slippery cloth or synthetic materials disk jockeys place on the turntable platter instead of

945-463: The SL-1200MK2, although some of the circuitry inside is updated to use fewer types of pots and resistors. The Technics 1210 series also had a switch to change between voltages on the underside of the platter. It was unavailable from official Panasonic dealers in the United States. Released in 1989, it has a matte black finish like the MK2, gold RCA plugs, and a small gold-foil Technics label on

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990-499: The back. It was destined only for the Japanese market. Japan only, factory gold RCA cables, black or silver finish. Pitch reset button. Released in 1997. Released in 1997, a silver finish like the MK2 (besides silver finish, there are copies with a "champagneish" color), a detached dust cover (no hinges), a recessed power switch to prevent DJs from accidentally turning the deck off during use, and no self-locking detent ("click") at

1035-562: The body, improvements to pitch control accuracy and better LEDs. Available as a 120-volt model for the North American market. These were limited edition versions, with 24 karat gold plated metal parts including tonearm and buttons. Many "non-official" special models of the SL-1200 and SL-1210 appeared over the years, mainly given away as prizes for turntablism, most notably the DMC World Championship, which awarded

1080-408: The first official introduction of a black version). Since 1997, the MK2 had the pitch slide potentiometer changed from 6 pin to 8 pin mounting with part number SFDZ122N11 and later from 20k ohm to 22k ohm, part number SFDZ122N11-1 up until late 1996. After which part number SFDZ122N11-2 was the preferred option which had a +/- 0.5mm quartz travel lock, much shorter than previous versions. This meant that

1125-483: The improved upon features of the MK3D like the lack of 0 crossing quartz lock for better pitch control & the added spare cartridge holder. MK5 models have a removable lid as opposed to the MK2 and MK3 removable hinged lid. The MK5 is the last 1200 model to retain an analog, Quartz-clock-based pitch control. Brake speed can be adjusted by using a small screwdriver in a hole located below the turntable plate. SL-1210MK5 has

1170-445: The materials used can withstand. The wheel has little resistance moving in the direction desired, other than that required to lift or push the lever over the next notch. To resist movement (or when creating incremental steps), methods are employed which include a spring-loaded ball detent that locates in small incremental depressions, or a piece of spring steel that snaps into position on flat surfaces or shallow notches milled into

1215-465: The more commonly found belt-drive type, a less expensive design. The direct-drive design, which was developed to reduce wow and flutter, produces a very quiet turntable that, for a direct-drive turntable, has minimal motor and bearing noise, (although the bearing rumble does tend to become characteristic in well-used turntables). This was partially achieved through the fact that the SL1210/1200 made

1260-454: The most common turntables for DJing and scratching . 1200s are commonly used in recording studios and for non-electronic live music performances. More than 3 million units were sold. Many 1970s units are still in heavy use. In the autumn of 2010, Panasonic announced that the series was to be discontinued. The Technics brand was discontinued at the same time, but relaunched in 2014, focusing on higher end and more expensive products. The company

1305-461: The motor would continue to spin at the correct RPM even if the DJ wiggled the record back and forth on the platter. The SL-1200 was introduced in 1972 as an evolution to the popular SL-1100. It was dubbed "The Middle Class Player System". It was delivered in two different versions: The SL-1200 came with a tonearm section. The SL-120 came without a tonearm section. An SME tonearm was the usual choice for

1350-427: The null point on the centre voltage tap was slightly bigger thus removing the quartz lock conflict. The earlier MK2 models 1978-1983 or so also have a different construction in the rubber base of the turntable. These turntables were made with a base that was completely rubber, whereas the newer version has 2 separate parts: rubber outside and a bakelite inlay that makes it considerably easier to take apart. Released in

1395-569: The pitch and tempo of the music. On 1 November 2010, Panasonic announced stopping the production of Technics analog turntables through a statement on the DMC World DJ Championships home page. Due to the increasing popularity of vinyl by DJs, a petition has been underway for the re-launch of the Technics SL1200/SL1210 series turntables. As of September 2015 the petition had 27,000 supporters, while 35,000

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1440-464: The pitch control is digital which will be the standard for all 1200 models from this point on. It also features blue target lights and blue pitch-number illumination. The brake strength potentiometer, although still located beneath the platter, can now be adjusted, unlike previous models, using a small plastic knob. Minor improvements over Mk2, Mk3, Mk4, & 1200LTD include improved tonearm mounting and oxygen-free copper wire, improved vibration damping in

1485-483: The platter a part of the motor mechanism. On the underside of the platter, a large magnet is placed over the spindle, surrounding the coils and forming the motor drive, thus eliminating loss through power transfer. The SL-1200 utilizes a Frequency Generator Servo Control Quartz Lock system that is claimed to produce the most accurate and consistent speed possible. The system is immune to static and dynamic stylus drag which otherwise cause unwanted speed variances that change

1530-435: The production run. Like the MK3D, it has a pitch reset button, but differs in that it also has a self-locking detent at the zero position of pitch adjustment. This model has a piano black gloss finish and gold-plated hardware. It was priced at about US$ 1200. Released in 2004, another limited edition model, with only 3,000 units manufactured. 500 released in Japan with the rest split between the US and International markets. It

1575-521: The record back and forth for scratching . They are also very commonly used simply as decoration for when a record isn't on the turntable. The slipmat was invented by hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash to improve its sound and move the vinyl counterclockwise without causing too much drag and too much friction. In a Washington Post interview, he recalls “My mother was a seamstress so I knew different types of materials,” he continues. Having settled on felt, Flash encountered another issue. “The problem with felt

1620-407: The shaft or wheel. Stepper motors rely on magnetic detents to retain step location when winding power is removed. They are well suited to be used in printers and numerical control (CNC) devices. A well-known example of a detent can be seen on the popular game show Wheel of Fortune , which employs rubber flippers to help disambiguate on which wedge the wheel has stopped after being spun by

1665-434: The summer of 1979. this model came in both silver and matte black. The matte black version was available for a limited time in the US market in a 2-pack SL-1200MK2PK. Technics improved the motor and shock resistance and changed the rotary pitch control to a slider style. This became the base model and is the oldest whose production continued until 2010. The older version of this model that was sold from 1979 until around 1983 has

1710-415: The traditional rubber mat. Unlike the rubber mat which is made to hold the record firmly in sync with the rotating platter , slipmats are designed to slip on the platter, allowing the DJ to manipulate a record on a turntable while the platter continues to rotate underneath. This is useful for holding a record still for slip-cueing , making minute adjustments during beatmatching and mixing and pulling

1755-512: The turntable feet. Both the G and GAE had an approximate MSRP price of £3,100 / €3,499 / $ 4,000. On 28 May 2020, Technics hosted an online launch event to reveal the SL-1210GAE as an alternative for the cancelled High End Munchen 2020 event at which they initially planned to reveal it. It is their 55th Anniversary Edition turntable - A limited edition of 1,210. Each unit has a plaque on it with its production number engraved in it. The SL-1210GAE

1800-403: The winner a pair of 24K gold plated Technics turntables. Due to the customisation trend that has grown in the DJ community, many local events or competitions gave away custom coloured or finished units. The SL-1200 Limited Edition was introduced in 1995 commemorating two million units in sales. Only 5,000 units were made. Due to popular demand, an extra 500 units were said to be made at the end of

1845-431: The zero point of the pitch adjustment slider, allowing more precise control of pitch near that point. It has a reset button that sets the pitch adjustment to 0, regardless of the actual position of the pitch adjustment slider. In addition, the M3D series has unique details: the brand and model label is printed in a single line instead of two; the stroboscopic light is red with a slightly orange tone. This model also introduced

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1890-402: Was achieved by designing a heavy plinth (base) made of a non-resonant composite sandwiched between a cast alloy top plate and a solid rubber base. In addition, the adjustable rubber-damped feet are insulated against acoustic feedback, which can be a serious problem when operating a turntable in close proximity to loudspeakers (a common situation for DJs). The underside of the platter is coated with

1935-451: Was an LED globe on the target light (Previously incandescent). See 1210m5G for more detailed changes. Released on 1 November 2002, this has a glossy black finish with silver speckles. It was a special 30th-anniversary edition. It was initially launched in Japan only (together with the MK5) but then became internationally available. It switches between ±8% and ±16% ranges for pitch adjustment, and

1980-411: Was aware that Technics was expected to eventually make turntables again, 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. At

2025-463: Was different from those in the previous models as it was made from titanium. Released on 1 November 2000, this has a silver finish like the MK2, an increased range of anti-skate settings (from 0–3 grams-force (0–30 mN ) of older models to 0–6 grams-force (0–60 mN)). The 1200MK5 also has the voltage selector under the platter like the previously improved upon '1210' models. Height adjustment can be set between 0 and 6mm. It carries over many of

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