I know, I've given this speech before. It's more or less an accident of history that the Technics 1200 founded the modern DJ age and continues to be the standard turntable. It's certainly been put to far more different kinds of uses than the designers could ever have imagined.
The real reason is that, overall, it is a marvel of mechanical engineering. There's a lot of talk about torque and how the Vestax design meets or exceeds the Technics, but what you don't hear about is that delicate balance between torque, starting speed and platter weight that distinguishes the 1200 from all other turntables. This is what makes the 1200 a musical instrument, at least in a secondary way, as compared to a mere audio reproduction device. The 1200 has its share of faults -- everyone hates the placement of the on-off switch, and the little pop-up light, which requires something approaching knee surgery to fix, is useful but the lights are difficult and expensive to replace. I've found almost universally that, when pitched off the 0% locked pitch position, they spin just a little faster after being stopped and restarted. And rotation speeds are very consistent over most of the pitch range but vary noticeably once you get above +/- 6%. And don't even get me started about how they rip off customers on replacement parts like covers. Last I checked, it was $45 per HINGE on those covers! The 1200 has a number of clever design features that go almost unnoticed. And there is a consistency of materials and construction that's always evident. Even beat-up club 1200s are pretty reliable. The 1200 was first marketed to some degree as an audiophile turntable, since it evolved out of the high-end Technics line of the day. It was hardly then and certainly not now a true audiophile unit. Just the rumble figures alone would scare the average reader of Absolute Sound. But we're not here to talk about playing 180 gram virgin vinyl on $6,000 turntables. You laugh! But take a look: http://www.audiocircuit.com/9150-turntable-circuit/Commercial/Nottingham%20Analogue- NOT/9150CMNOT.htm Besides, the 1200 rumble adds the distinctive je-ne-sais-quoi to a really good bassline playing on a Really Big Sound System. I've seen 1200s that ran daily for 10 years without a hitch, although you can tell the pitch controls are reeeeal loose! I've seen them indoors in all kinds of situations including on stages that bounced like trampolines, outdoors on the beach and in the hills, and they are almost if not quite indestructible. I've seen DJs do all kinds of crazy things with 1200s, not just backspins, platter twists and what have you. Not even Rotator plumbed the depths of what a 1200 can do. If you watch enough DJs over the years, you'll be surprised at how many different ways there are to play. There is great versatility built into its somewhat simple and otherwise nondescript design. I'm not always a believer in the "standard equipment" in a given field. I use the Opera browser instead of Internet Explorer, and have never worn a pair of Nike shoes even though Portland where I live is "Niketown." But the 1200 deserves its place as *the* standard DJ turntable. Fred
