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Early Dance Night History of the Technics SL1200 mk2	The Early Dance Night is presented by GOING OUT: Deejay's History Dates Info collective@chello.nl

1	What about it?
	The SL1200MKII is a Quartz Synthesizer Direct Drive turntable chosen by DJs around the world because of it's top performance and durability. Ever since it was re-introduced in 1980 as the MKII (the SL1200 was the original model) with special adaptations for DJ and broadcasting use, it has taken over the world and has become the industry standard. Why is it so good then? Here's a short list of features that are appreciated by so many: Total quartz locked continuous pitch adjustment up + or -8% No turntable feedback, because of unwanted vibrations Very quick start-up and brake Highly sensitive low-mass tonearm with gimbal suspension It's extremely sturdy and lasts forever To give you more of an idea on how this all works, I've collected all the available information and put it right here:
	Direct Drive and Torque
	The Technics SL1200MKII is a Direct Drive turntable, which means that the motor is directly to the platter and turns at the same rate as the record. It uses a brushless DC motor and since it turns at a low speed and there are no additional parts to transfer torque from motor to platter it has several advantages, e.g. low wow & flutter, low rumble, rotational stability and precision and a long service life. This feature gives the turntable a start-up time of .7 seconds and it also 'fights' to maintain the correct speed when a record is put on or taken off. Because the record has a certain weight it tends to slow the platter down, but the Direct Drive takes perfect care of that without a trace of overshoot.
	Pitch control
	The pitch control on the SL1200MKII is one of its strongest features, because it does its job near perfect. One of the changes the SL1200 underwent, was the transition from pitch control with pot-meters (knob) to slide faders, which makes it a lot easier (and therefore faster) to match two records. The quartz-lock guarantees excellent accuracy throughout its entire range, thus enabling the DJ to perform very precise mixes. But there is one problem with this pith control: the "center detent problem". There is a center click or center detent in the pitch control which sometimes makes it a challenge to perform delicate adjustments with the pitch control. Many DJs refer to this as the "dead zone" and some people claim that it jumps from zero to plus (or minus) approximately two percent, but my personal opinion is that this is a bit of an overstatement. Nonetheless, this can cause problems when a record is only slightly faster or slower than the record you are currently playing.
	Sound dampening construction
	The precision molded aluminum die-cast cabinet and heavy rubber base material as well as additional rubber designed into the underside of the 1200's platter absorbs unwanted vibrations and therefore it is immune from typical turntable feedback. All this rubber gives the turntable its weight and a very solid feel to it. So much for the explanation stuff... If you love numbers and you want to get down to the details then there is a technical specifications list for your enjoyment.
	The 1200 or the 1210?
	The discussion about whether or not the SL1200MKII and the SL1210MKII are different never ceases to end, but in general it is accepted that the only difference is the color. The 1200 is silver and the 1210 is black. Some people think that the 1200 is a little bit faster in the start (1/5 rounds (or 0.1 sec faster) compared to 1/4 of a round) than the 1210 and some claim that the 1210 has gold plated contacts. Others say the 1210 is lighter and thus more prone to rumble and I've also heard someone claim that the electronics in the 1210 are better and that it is therefore more expensive. I believe that they are the same, because the service manuals of both the 1200 and the 1210 are the same and why should we not believe it when the catalog says they're the same? If there are any differences, then you wouldn't even notice them.
	The new 1200M3D
	The new M3D Yes, Technics have released an update to the SL1200MKII. Not much has been heard about it and that's probably because we're not talking about major advances. Quoting the people at Technics: "The M3D uses the same inner workings as the MK2, but it's been further re-engineered for smoother, nonstop performance." So we can say that internally things have been made more effective and therefore a little faster. On the ouside there are a few improvements: The dust cover has been re-designed without the hinges which should make it easier to integrate the turntable in a flightcase. Putting the dust cover on and off the turntable are now a piece of cake. To the left of the pitch slider is now a Pitch Reset button. A very nice improvement is the recessed power button which eliminates the possibility of accidentaly brushing the power button while working with the vinyl. In the back we find a handy head shell stand on the cabinet to keep your replacement cartridge.

2	History
	For the aficionados this section will be a feast, but as vinyl is regaining popularity all over the globe the following facts should be interesting to the average person too. The SL1200 and SL1210 have quite a history on their own, but the actual machine has come a long way. The turntable was a true revolution in music when first introduced and unlike most forms of data storage it has wistood the destructive pace of technologic advancement. This section takes a short look at the history of the "gramophone" and digs deep into the Technics SL family tree.
	The gramophone
	The gramophone, also known as the phonograph, is an instrument for reproducing sound by transmitting to the air (directly or indirectly) the mechanical vibrations of a stylus in contact with a sinuous groove in a moving record. The first audible reproduction of recorded sound was accomplished by Thomas A. Edison in 1876. During the very early days of the turntable, as it is commonly known these days, the recording of an LP (Long Play) required singers, orchestras etc. to be placed before the mouth of a large horn, which was used to concentrate the sound energy on the recording diaphragm. One also had to manually drive the turntable until in 1896 the first mechanical turntable for playing the records was introduced. Many aspects of the early designs of the turntable provided distortion in the reproduction of sound. One of these weak points was the tonearm which was frequently a piece of straight tubing and therefore the design was later improved to become a tapering continuation of the horn. Around 1925 reasonable quality of sound had been obtained, but the knowledge of the fundamental principles was so imperfect that there was a wide margin between the original and the reproduced sound. The breakthrough came from the telephone and communications industry. The new knowledge of the characteristics of speech and music, the measuring techniques and the new instruments (microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers) produced by these industries started an entirely fresh approach to the problems related to the phonograph. As a result the new turntables came to bear little resemblance to those prior to 1925. It was in 1926 when an operating speed of 33-1/3 rpm was first used instead of 78 rpm. During the next two decades record companies offered the public different sizes and speeds of LP's, none of which could play uninterrupted for more than 20 minutes. This shortcoming sparked the popularity of the Record players or record changers as they were sometimes referred to. Until the middle of the 20th century most commercial phonographs did not have a uniform turntable speed and prior to 1935 they needed frequent stylus or needle changes. There were many different materials used in phonographs and the most common stylus used in playing lateral type records was the steel needle. A diamond stylus provides better sound reproduction and a longer life, but the expense of the jewel material and the cost of grinding to a suitable shape limited their commercial acceptance. Before WWII two trends developed were to become very important after the war. The further development of pickups and the use of plastic molded records enabled the use of sapphire styluses to become widespread by 1950. The use of the phonograph continued to grown until around 1980 when its digital counterpart was introduced: the compact disc.
	The Technics SL family
	The SL1200MKII has a much larger family and longer history than most people think. The SL1200 is just one turntable out of many other SLs and it had its own predecessors too. In this paragraph I want to give you a general look at the SL1200MKII's history. It all started when Technics released its first Direct Drive system back in 1970 called the SP-10. It was a gigantic turntable with no arm. One year later they introduced the SL1100, which can be considered to be the first version of the SL1200MKII. It was quite massive too and had an S-shaped arm. It had a start/stop button and the option to put on a SME arm. Then in 1972 Technics came up with the SL1200 after introducing the SL110 earlier that year. The SL110 had the same specs as the SL1100, but didn't come with the arm. The year after Technics made the SL120, which was the armless version of the SL1200 just like the SL110 and the SL1100. The first version of the SL1200 had pot-meters for pitch control, just like the SL1100 and SL110. It was only in 1979 that the SL1200 came with a slide fader for pitch control and it was renamed in 1980 as the SL1200Mark2 after the special rubber/aluminum die-cast cabinet was added. The SP-12 was also introduced as a smaller version (like the SP-10) of the SL1200. In 1974 the first of a big family was born from the SL1200, namely the SL1300. It looks just like the SL1200, but it was fully automatic. In 1975 came the SP-10MKII, which had some sort of a (wired) remote control and an external power supply. In the same year Technics also released the SL1350. This one looked like a SL1100, but had the same features (auto start/stop, memo and pitch) like the original SL1300. It was a year Technics certainly felt very productive since it also released the SL1500 as a fully manual version of the SL1300 (fully automatic) and the SL1400 (semi-automatic). The whole series SL1200/1300/1400 and 1500 is also available in black and are named with the extra ten in the type-number (SL1210/1310/1410 and 1510). In May 1977 the SL1300/1400 and 1500 also came in MKII version. In that same month the SL1650 and SL1950 were introduced as Direct Drive auto-changer player systems. Since 1996 there is a limited version of the SL1200MKII on the market known as the SL1200MKLTD. This turntable has a black piano-finish, an added pitch-reset button, a golden arm and platter and there are only 10000 units made for the entire world.

3

Frequently Asked Questions

There is a very comprehensive FAQ on the web, but my personal opinion is that it's not quite complete and up-to-date. Therefore I've put in my own little FAQ to spice up the old one. If you have any questions that are not answered by the original FAQ, then send me a message and I'll see what I can do.

Setting up the Tonearm section

There are three things that have to be adjusted before you start using your Technics turntable: the balance arm (=stylus pressure), anti-skating and the tonearm height. When I first used mine I didn't really see the importance of precise adjustment, but as soon as you progress you will definitaly notice the difference. Especially if you're into scratching records these things are a must to adjust!

Adjusting the balance and setting the stylus pressure:

Make sure the balance weight is on right and take the arm out of the safety catch.
Hold the arm on your finger and turn the weight until the arm is balanced horizontal.
Now refasten the arm and set the stylus pressure ring (it's the one mounted on the weight) to zero (align the zero with the groove on the tonearm).
Turn the balance weight clockwise until the pressure ring is at the desired amount (follow the cartridge manufacturer's recommendation).

I use a ORTOFON Concorde PRO which has a stylus pressure range of 3.0-5.0 grams and the manufacturer advises to use 4 grams. I therefore would turn the balance until it made one full rotation which is exactly 4 grams.

Adjusting the anti-skating control:
Set the anti-skating ring to the same value as the stylus pressure. If you have used a pressure higher than 3 then you should turn the ring to its maximum value of 3.

Adjusting the tonearm height:
You can set the tonearm height up to 6mm high. Use the following table to figure out how high you need to put it:

Height of cartridge (mm)	Scale on height adjust ring
15	0
16	1
17	2
18	3
19	4
20	5
21	6

The height of the cartridge is measured from the tip of the diamond to the roof of the stylus. My Concorde PRO for example is about 29mm high and therefore I just put my height adjust ring on 6. Remember to lock the ring after you're done adjusting the tonearm height.

Isolating your turntables from vibrations

The 1200 and the 1210 are made to withstand heavy vibrations caused by high decibels. The sound dampening construction (as described earlier) make these turntables probably the most solid turntables in the industry, but in environments with very high sound vibrations there is always the danger of rumble. This rumble can be compared with the "scream" of a microphone when held close to a speaker.

What happens with the microphone is that the sound it amplifies travels through the speakers back into the microphone therefore creating a loop. The turntables have a similar problem amplifying the grooves in a record and picking up the tremendous vibrations (i.e. bass and people dancing) through the surface they are put on which then creates a loop resulting in a low rumbling sound.

This problem is most common in clubs and at raves where sound levels get close to 120dB (115dB is the usual limit). There are many ways of eliminating this rumble. They include simple rubber bands or bungy-cords and big investments like building a shaft all the way down to the foundation of the building. It all comes down to eliminating direct contact between the turntables and the vibrations.

Here's how I do it: take a long rectangular box (made from any material you like) on which at least two turntables can be placed and with at least a 3in. depth. The box has to have an open top so you can fill it up with sand. The sand should be of fine grain and also make sure it is clean (don't go to the beach, buy it at a shop). Then all you have to do is put a sheet of fabric over the top so it looks good and no sand gets into your equipment. Place your tables firmly on top and your all set!
It's very cheap and very efficient. Just make sure the turntables are on the sand and not on the box, because the sand will absorb ALL vibrations. It speaks for itself that this is for permanent systems and not for mobile systems!

Getting rid of the static buzz

One of the things that many beginning DJ's are troubled with is the 'static' buzz that you hear during play and the cracking sound when touching parts of the turntable. This is because the turntable is not adequately grounded. The actual "hum" sound comes from the power source.

If your turntable has a cable with ground than make sure you plug it into an outlet that's grounded. This will not only help eliminate the buzz a little bit, but it will also keep the electronics inside the turntable from frying when there is a shortcut.
Although this helps a bit, you should also make sure you hook up the two little cables that come out of the turntable (the ones besides the power cable and the RCA plugs, or Cinch-cables as they are called in Europe) to something that is grounded by contact. The best thing to do is to attach them to your mixer or amplifier by unscrewing a random screw on the console and to tighten the two cables underneath it.
Because the mixer is usually grounded itself and because it is grounded by you touching it all the time, the buzz generated by your SL1200 or SL1210 will be eliminated!

Opening the top

This is just a little section on how to remove the platter from the turntable. I noticed that many people enjoy opening them often and this without any care for the magnet. The magnet is what drives the platter and it is quite a strong one, that's why the SL1200 is so good! Here's what to do:

If you want to be absolutely sure nothing goes wrong during this procedure you should unplug the power supply of the turntable. This is to ensure you don't accidentally turn it on after you took off the platter as this will result in a blowout of the motor.
Remove the slipmat and put each of your index fingers in the two holes in the platter
Jerk the platter off the spindle in a strait up move and with equal force on both fingers. Since the magnet is so strong it can help you damage the spindle, maybe even bending it a little, so be cautious!
Now you can grab a Philips screwdriver and take those five screws around the plastic cover out.
Here comes the most important part. When putting the platter back on the spindle DON'T DROP IT, very slowly lower it down or else you could damage the magnet which is under the platter.

Keep this procedure in mind whenever opening the top of your SL1200/1210mkII.

Adjusting the pitch amount

In this section you will finally know what those "pitch circles" are on the side of the platter! Before you start opening your SL1200, make sure you know how to properly open the tuntable by reading the section above.

If you just noticed how dirty your turntable is on the inside while opening it, then clean it. Now we can go on to adjusting the pitch and this is where the neat pitch speed graph comes in handy. It is marked next to the power button and this is what it represents:

o	+6%	Top layer of circles is standing still; the speed of the platter is 6% above the zero position
o	+3.3%	Second layer is still; the platter is spinning 3.3% faster
O	0%	The biggest circles are still. If your pitch slider is in the zero position right now, then you're ok. If you notice the circles standing still in two different spots on the slider then you're not ok
o	-3.3%	Bottom layer is still

Pitch on
circuit board (35Kb) All the way in the top right corner of the circuit board is a blue plastic switch which has the label "PITCH", this is pot VR301. (marked on the right) By turning this one in different directions you will adjust the speed.
For maximum speed turn the pot all the way clockwise and for minimum speed turn it counter clockwise. Remember that you will loose precision with the pitch control when doing this!

For the big picture click here. (148Kb)

To adjust it so that it actually turns at +6%, +3.3%, 0% or -3.3% when that's where the pitch control slider is (calibration) then I recommend the following procedure:

First open the turntable as described above.
Put the platter back on WITHOUT replacing the plastic cover underneath it. This will make the rest very easy and a lot faster.
Now you should be able to reach the VR301 pot with a screwdriver through one of the two holes in the platter.
Put the pitch control slider at +3.3% and press play.
You can now determine whether it's going too fast or too slow by looking at the circles on the side of the platter..
Press stop and increase the amount of pitch if it was going too slow or visa versa.

Repeat this procedure until you've got it at the speed you like and try to get it as close as it can get to all of +6%,+3.3%,0% and -3.3%. Don't worry if you have to compromise, I never managed to get all of them right at the same time on mine.

Some people ask me if fiddling around with the pitch can harm the turntable. My opinion is that it doesn't as long as you don't do it a hundred times a day. When you just bought your turntable(s) it's probably best not to adjust the pitch unless you really want that extra speed. There are two reasons for this:

It will be a lot harder to make accurate pitch adjustments (with the fader) while mixing when the pitch is pushed to 12%!
Once you changed the pitch from it's original factory settings it is hard to get the pitch exactly back to those settings.

So think twice before you adjust the pitch!

Adjusting the brake amount

This one is easy if you managed adjusting the pitch amount in the section above. Read "Opening the top" if you have never opened the turntable before!

Brake on circuit
board (34Kb) Also in the top right corner of the circuit board is a (metal) switch labeled "BRAKE" and this is pot VR201. It even shows which way to turn it to make it tighter.

For the big picture click here. (148Kb)

I recommend following the same procedure as above with only a few extra details:

Set your turntable up as described in sections 1 to 3.
This time you should put a slipmat and a record on the platter too when testing the brake amount, because it is affected by their weight and by the friction of the needle on the record.
Put the needle on the record and press play. Let it fully get up to speed and then press stop to see how it brakes.
Take of the needle, record and slipmat and adjust the brake to your liking. Making it tighter (turn the pot clockwise) will make it stop quicker and visa versa.

You can make the record slowly turn to a halt, make it stop on the spot or even make it spin backwards when you press stop.

Turntable calibration

When you have two turntables and are seriously into mixing then calibrating them is a very handy thing. You don't want one turntable to turn at regular speed when the other one has a faster pitch, because it is annoying when mixing. If for example one of them is running on maximum pitch, then you want to adjust the pitch of the other one so that it too runs at maximum capacity.
Just follow the guidelines in "Adjusting the pitch amount" and make sure their pitches are calibrated.

4	Maintenance
	The SL1200/1210MKII is a turntable that will stand a lot of abuse and it is not an overstatement to say it will last a lifetime. Of course like any other electrical appliance the SLs need to be taken care of. In many cases people buy them second hand and require extra attention, but even the brand new ones deserve maximum care. From regular cleaning jobs to getting your turntable to return from the dead, it's all part of a DJ's life and you'll find plenty of tips in this section!
	Lubrication of the motor
	Where there is a mechanical motor there is oil. Your SL1200 also needs a little lubrication once in a while, but it doesn't need very much as it is not a conventional motor. Apply 2 or 3 drops of oil once every 2000 hours of operation. Take of the platter and grab the spindle, twist it and find the area that holds the spindle, but doesn't spin together with it. That's where you need to lube it! Of course the people at Technics advise us to use original oil and they even supply us with a part number: SFW0010.
	Serious defects
	I can only give one advise here: don't start fiddling with it, just bring it into a shop where they know how to handle these things! If something is seriously wrong with it, then fixing it won't be as easy as changing a lightbulb. Here are some cases to consider too hard to handle by yourself: Some dude spilled his Coke over it and it blew up The quartz lock on the pitch is going psychedelic You dropped it on a hard surface The tonearm section is falling apart The spindle is crooked etc. If your turntable doesn't work after any incidents resembling the ones mentioned above then an authorized service center should be your next destination. If you just noticed something irregular about the pitch then you should try and adjust it a little bit. (Read the directions in the FAQ if you're not familiar with this procedure)
	Cleaning it
	Here are some things to clean: Wipe the headshell terminals from time to time The headshell terminal is the cartridge with the needle. Dust and dirt on the four connections may result in noise or intermittent sound. Use a soft dry cloth to clean the headshell terminals and a dry Q-tip (cotton swab) is handy to clean the connections in the locking nut at the end of the tonearm. Dust cover and turntable base Use a soft dry cloth to wipe the dust cover and the rubber of the turntable base. Never use any cleaners containing alcohol, benzine, thinner or other chemicals. If you can't stubborn fingerprints of the dust cover, then take it of and moisten a cloth with water and some mild soap to clean it. Don't wipe the dust cover during play, because the generation of static electricity might attract the tonearm. Cleaning the inside Every now and then the inside should be cleaned to keep the turntable in pristine shape. Take out the power plug and open the top. Then just take out your vacuum cleaner and start sucking out the dust! Maybe you noticed a lot of ashes lying around too. Smoking is unfortunately one of the business' worst habits and it can really take it's toll on your equipment. It drops into every crack there is including faders on mixers which probably suffer the most. If some dude spilled his coke on your turntable then you should clean it with a moistened cloth and some mild soap. Use Q-tips to thoroughly clean the circuit board and things like that. Let it dry for a few hours afterwards until you can be absolutely sure the humidity is completely gone before you plug it in again!
	Protecting it
	Protecting your SL will guarantee it a longer life. The two main things that need the most attention according to me are protection against dust and protection during transportation. If you can you should leave the plastic hood over it whenever you don't use it, but in general dust will not destroy your turntable. Cleaning it regularly as described in the previous paragraph should be more than adequate. Moving your turntables around a lot to different places? Do you rent them out to other people? The very best thing to do in this case is to put them in a flightcase. It's ultra-protective and a lot easier to handle than boxes or without anything at all. Another thing to keep in mind is to always lock the tonearm into its support. Once forgotten it can have devastating effects on your cartridge and the whole tonearm. Nowadays there are also special covers available in many different colors. They fit over the original silver or black top and are quite useful in areas like clubs and rental services where heavy use is common. Unless you like your turntables in a different color or if you're over-protective of your turntables then I would say these are not a must. One negative point of these covers is that the speed select buttons (rpm) are hard to reach.

5

Buying a used SL

One of the most popular questions is where to look and what to check on the decks to see if they're in good shape. Unfortunately there is no real straight answer to this question. A lot of times people sell their used SL through the classifieds, others relay their intention to sell just by telling a lot of people, because they know the SL is incredibly popular. You should also make sure to call any store or other company that might have anything to do with turntables to see if they have them for sale. What probably works best is to tell a lot of people you're looking for them and have them contact you if they find anything.

Once you found one or more used turntables there are a few things to look for as to make sure they are in good condition:

The turntable as a whole should look in good shape. Look for any signs that might hint to abuse like heavy scratches, dents, melted plastic/rubber etc. In general it should look like nobody dropped it on the floor or something.
Have the owner install the turntable on a soundsystem to see if any sound comes out and to ensure the thing actually turns. While the platter turns check to see if the spindle is straight, a crooked spindle will make an abnormal wavy motion and if this is the case the turntable is useless!
The most important feature of the SL is the pitch control. Once the deck is turning you should put the pitch in the zero-position and then move the slider up and down slowly while looking at the pitch-dots on the turntable. Check that the dots speed up or slow down in a gradual, non-interrupted manner depending on which way you're going. Make sure they don't "schock" heavily as this is a sign of the pitch regulator being screwed up.
The second most important feature on the SL is the tonearm. It should feel solid and the screws on it should all be in place. Check that the arm-height adjustment ring, the anti-skating control knob, and the cueing lever function (The anti-skating control knob doesn't immediately do anything visible so just make sure you can turn it). Don't forget to see if the balance weight isn't missing!
Take off the platter as explained in "Opening the top" and see if the inside doesn't look like the inside of a dumpster. Excessive amounts of cigarette ashes point to heavy smoking by the owner while being used. This sometimes also shows in the grey cover of the SL1200 turning slightly yellow from the smoke.

If none of the above problems show up in the SL it can be deemed save to buy. Don't forget to ask for the cover, the 45-rpm adaptor and maybe the proof of purchase as this will ensure that the turntable is complete and comes from a reliable person.

Happy shopping!