Technics Turntables

The Technics SL1200/1210 is the best selling record-player worldwide. But this machine is NOT perfect when it leaves the factory. To set this deck completely to my hand, I actually redesigned this machine to nearly perfection. This was quit a hard job because at the time I made all modifications it was the year 1996 so most modifications are figured out myself. Nowadays these mod's are quit common but it was real inventive those days.

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Features :

Exterior re-decorated, giving it a stone-like structure
0% pitch-lock-remove modification, to remove pitch inaccuracy around 0%
Pitch LED is red (not green), optical improvement
LED's in strobe are blue (not red), optical improvement
LED's in 33/45 RPM selector are blue (nor red), optical improvement
Wide range switch, changes pitch range from standard Wide Range
Reverse kit installed, hit the Play button twice to rotate counter clockwise

Exterior Redesigned

The exterior of the deck had been painted with a special 'granite-look-a-like' paint. So now the surface has become rough (It feels like a natural material) and has the color of granite.

These decks were stripped completely and then painted with this special paint. After 2 layers of this paint I covered it up with 2 protecting layers of transparent coating so the paint is protected.

Then finish it off with some self made type-number. The SL1210 is what they used to be. LTD because there is only 1 pair around !

0% Pitch Modification

DJ Lead is one of the inventors of the SL-PITCH-MODIFICATION. This will get ride of the click and pitch lock that occurs when setting the pitch in the area around 0%. This locking system makes the accuracy of the pitch in this area quartz locked to 0%. This mod I discovered in 1996 so I guess I'll probably be the (or one of the) first to do this mod on a SL... When you go to your dealer nowadays you can buy the Technics SL-1200Mk5 where this click-less Pitch Fader has (finally) became standard on this turntable.

The solution to the problem of non-constant pitch differential around the 0% pitch point consists of 2 'modification'. The first is to mechanically removing the ball and the spring from the inside of the pitch fader This is the hardest part of the modification. You need to disassemble the fader by opening it up. The second thing to do is cutting the orange wire. The complete mod can be done in about 30 minutes per turntable.

Strobe LED replacement

To make the SL look cool I replaced the standard RED LED's of the stroboscope and the 33/45 RPM selector into BLUE ones. This is not the cheapest color to but, but the overall result is so satisfying that it's worth the price!

Replacing the LED's is not only a matter of soldering a new LED on the original place. Because of the electrical working of the LED's also some resistors should be replaced. If this is not done, the power supply will have a heavy task to supply the demanded energy and could break down!

Which LED's?

I used 4 HR 3V/20mA blue LED's, for this LED I replaced R212 with a resistor of 560 Ohm. Actually every LED could be get to work, just apply the right formula. If you don't know what I mean, just go shopping for a LED with above mentioned specs.

Extending the Pitch Range

Most of the time that you're DJ-ing you like the pitch as it originally is, but sometimes you got that awesome record that is just to slow to fit into your set. At this time you want the SL to go a little faster. It is possible to accelerate your SL up to a pitch-range of -10% - +15%.

Wide Range Switch

The disadvantage of this accelerated setting is that the accuracy of the pitch decrease: In the same scale you now have a wider pitch-range AND the 0% point on the slider moves to -2% on the scale (I don't use 0% anyway).

Downside of a larger scale is a decrease in resolution, in other word: you have to most less distance for the same amount of pitch adjust as in comparison to the standard scale. So I use the Wide-Range only when I'm playing hardcore (That's what I'm used to) or when the pitch just doesn't reach far enough.

The setting can be changed by almost everybody that is able to hold and work with a screwdriver. But you need to open up the top section of the SL, located under the platter and attached with 5 screw. Not something that you want to do live. To save me some work every time I made this modification : a switch !

Reverse Kit

Also installed is a reverse kit By double-clicking the SL the machine starts to rotate counterclockwise. This kit was sold as a plug-in device. You can also check this topic to do it the Hard-Way.

Slipmat Tip

If you want to get the best slipping of your slipmat and the platter, I would suggest that you use a very thin piece of plastic under your slipmat. The best ones might be already in your Record-collection.... Do you know those thin annoying plastic inner-sleeves ? Yes Right...! Cut a circle some little wider than a 12" record out of it. Now you have a slice for every deck !

On my decks I have a second slipmat that is very hard and thick. It makes it easier to lift the record of the Deck... At least, that's in my opinion, judge yourself !

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