History of the SL-1200

In the Bronx in New York City in August 1973, a new kind of music was born at a street party through the deft hands of a DJ called Kool Herc. Using two turntables, Kool Herc played the rhythm section of a song from two vinyl records alternately and repeatedly, exciting the people dancing. The unique groove that he created became known as a “breakbeat,” the basis for all DJ music. The equipment that made this revolutionary technique possible were a pair of Technics direct drive turntables. Kool Herc is often referred to as the “father of HipHop,” and his inventive technique quickly spread throughout the Bronx and beyond. This trend has developed into the “HipHop” culture with four major genres: DJing, MCing/rapping, breakdancing, and graffiti, and has spread throughout the world.

Technics turntables were designed as hi-fi products for audiophiles originally. In pursuit for “more beautiful sound,” Technics developed the “direct drive system,” departing from the conventional belt drive and idler drive systems. By using a motor to rotate the turntable directly, the direct drive system realized superior noise reduction and rotational performance compared to other systems, and the sound quality was dramatically improved. It boasted outstanding durability by eliminating the need for rubber belts. The stable rotational performance and durability of the direct drive system were the reasons why it became favorite of not only audiophiles but also by DJs. Technics direct drive turntables made the creative freestyle DJ play like breakbeats possible.

In 1970, the world’s first direct drive turntable, the SP-10, was launched. In the following year, the SL-1100 with an integrated tonearm was released. Following that, a version with a more compact integrated system, the first-generation SL-1200, was born. At the time, the Technics development team in Japan thought they were just making products for audiophiles — until they conducted market research in the U.S.

“What’s happening?!” As the development team conducted market research for the SL-1200 in the U.S., where the audio market was much larger than in Japan, they were astonished by what they found. The SL-1200 had been used in harsh environments like discos and clubs. Amidst a deafening roar and flashing lights in a dark room, DJs were spinning records backwards. The music scenes they saw were almost unimaginable.

The SL-1200 had become the standard for equipment at discos and clubs as it miraculously met the needs of the booming disco/club culture. It was a compact easy-to-carry integrated system, featuring stable rotation and durable enough to withstand harsh use. Adjustable pitch rotation speed. The development team was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected ways the SL-1200 was being used. Witnessing huge American DJs attentively working the SL-1200s as people danced wildly, the team made up their minds. “Let’s make a turntable that works well in this kind of extreme environment!”

The development team went to various discos and interviewed many DJs who use the SL-1200. Surprisingly, DJs were highly satisfied with the product. Many of them said, “I am used to the operation of the SL-1200, so please don’t change it.” Technics faced a difficult challenge to make improvements without making major changes. The foothold in the direction of development was to thoroughly understand how DJs operate and what kind of music they want to play. The development team needed to understand and anticipate the unspoken needs of DJs to add new value that had not existed before. They needed to move the product forward through inventors’ ingenuity and team effort.

DJs create grooves by matching the BPM of songs with different tempos. To make their play easier, the team increased the variable range of the pitch control and changed the control from a knob to a vertical fader, which greatly improved operability. In addition, DJs need to be able to accurately move and reposition the tonearm to drop back into the music with incredible precision. The team developed a new tonearm that was balanced like a high-precision scale and could be fine-tuned to suit the needs of DJs. They also integrated the mechanism for needle pressure adjustment in the tonearm and improved visibility of the adjustment dial. Furthermore, a pop-up light was added for checking the needle tip when using the turntable in dark places such as discos. The light could be pushed down when it wasn’t needed. To deliver quality sound, despite the noise of the roaring crowd and vibration in the environment, a large insulator was developed as well as a low-vibration cabinet that combined a precision die-cast panel and special rubber to isolate the turntable.

DJs especially loved the improvement in the motor. The integration of the platter and the motor made direct transmission of the motor’s rotational force possible. The new design made DJs more comfortable with the feel as there was almost no discrepancy between a DJ’s moves and the resulting sound. DJs could more accurately move the needle from groove to groove and could have more nuanced control of the turntable’s forward and reverse rotation using their fingertips toward the edge of the turntable.

Finally, in 1979, the first turntable specifically developed for use in discos, the SL-1200MK2, was born. That was the turning point when Technics turntables really evolved from being mere record players, or “playback devices,” and became “musical instruments” for DJs to play.

In the 1980s, the Technics SL-1200 series was recognized by disco DJs around the world, and demand exploded. As new methods of expression such as scratch and rap music expanded in the 1990s, the concept of “turntablism,” which emphasized “musical expression” in DJ play, was born. The development of the MK2 became a catalyst for accelerating this evolution of music culture.

As DJs refined their skills and ways of expressions, music culture expanded beyond hip-hop into a wide range of genres such as house, techno, reggae, acid jazz, and pop music. The Technics SL-1200 series has been at the center of music culture, and it has continued to evolve along with music trends.

Since the 1980s, the DJ scene started shifting from each individual “disco” having its own exclusive DJ to a more flexible “club” scene, where DJs regularly changed from event to event. The problem was the equipment. If DJs are often changing, the DJ equipment in each booth needed to be standardized. In particular, the turntables require delicate pitch adjustment and smooth start. The SL-1200 series met these demands, and it naturally became the de facto standard turntable in the club scene.

Based on the SL-1200MK2, which became the favorite of many DJs, the SL-1200 series continued to evolve. The SL-1200MK3 included even better anti-vibration measures. The SL-1200LTD was released as a limited edition to commemorate the two millionth SL-1200 series turntable sold worldwide. SL-1200MK3D debuted with a reset for pitch control adjustment and numerous other improvements for more intuitive playing. SL-1200MK5G marked the 30th anniversary of the series, even as digital turntables sales were growing. The SL-1200MK7/1210MK7 was released in 2019 as a full revival of the feel of the SL-1200MK2. In particular, the announcement of the retro SL-1200MK7/1210MK7 was broadcast in real-time worldwide via Boiler Room from a club in a five-star hotel in Las Vegas. This exciting event gathered prominent DJs from a wide range of genres playing, and it made quite a splash. The fact that the press release for this event spread so quickly around the world clearly shows how much the SL-1200MK7/1210MK7 has been loved by DJs around the world over time.

Enjoying music along with DJs and creating music culture with DJs — the SL-1200 series has been an essential part of the music scene. 3.5 million of the SL-1200 turntables have been sold over the past 35 years. The series has been loved and supported by fans without major changes to its design and feel since its launch. Meanwhile, the uncompromising pursuit of quality and meticulous improvements have brought innovation to DJ play and breathed new life into the music scene. That’s how the SL-1200 series became such a cultural icon, far beyond the framework of mere audio equipment.