And so the turntable revolution is at an end – or is it? Last week, of course, Japanese manufacturer Panasonic announced that production of its famous Technics SL1200 analogue turntable had finally stopped. This, after months of panic-mongering rumours...

In an official statement, Panasonic rather uniformly declared: “Panasonic has confirmed that it ceased the production of its Technics-branded analogue turntables this autumn. After more than 35 years as a leading manufacturer of analogue turntables, Panasonic has regretfully taken the decision to leave this market.

“We are sure that retailers and consumers will understand that our product range has to reflect the accelerating transformation of the entire audio market from audio to digital. In addition, the number of component suppliers serving the analogue market has dwindled in recent years and we brought forward the decision to leave the market rather than risk being unable to fulfil future orders because of a lack of parts.”

The SL1200 was first introduced to the consumer mass market back in 1972 and was soon enjoying regular used by radio and club DJs because, when used in pairs, it enabled jocks to synchronise a wide range of music and, crucially, rhythms. A staggering 3.5 million units were sold in that first year and so one of the pivotal foundations for disco and, in turn, hip-hop and house was born.

At the turn of the 20th century music industry sales figures confirmed that Technics turntables were rapidly outselling guitars across the UK. The Stratocaster and Marshall amp – synonymous with popular culture’s then major obsession with rock – had given way to crates of heavy 12” records and the Technics platters to play them on. Technics decks were sturdy, hard-wearing and ultra-reliable, more than complimenting the rise in innovative mixers and mixing accessories designed to get the very best out of them.


The insanely creative (and culturally significant) births of hip-hop in the 1980s and electronic dance during the 1990s owed much to those ‘wheels of steel’, and DJ culture would eventually ‘jack’ itself out of the club and into the bedrooms of millions of rebellious kids worldwide. Everyone wanted a piece of the action; the SL1200 had become pure, unabashed mainstream culture. It would only be a matter of time before London’s world renowned Science Museum had a pair on display.

We can expect to see quite a few more ‘ones and twos’ in gallery and museum spaces over the coming months but are we over-reacting to Panasonic’s news? Venerable clubland ‘scholar’ Bill Brewster, of DJHistory.com notoriety, certainly thinks so: “It means nothing for clubland. Nothing will change. If DJs play vinyl, they will continue to play it on existing turntables and if they don’t, they won’t.”

Brewster adds: “It’s a landmark of sorts, but not a pivotal moment… not really. If you want the pivotal moment it would have to be the introduction of Pioneer CDJ1000s. That was the product that started the decline in turntable usage. Since then it’s been a gradual erosion.”

Indeed, various manufacturers attempted to move turntablism onto the CD player during the latter stages of the nineties, but without any major financial success or professional endorsement. In 2001, Pioneer introduced its CDJ1000 model and suddenly the game changed – here was a CD player that, for the first time, accurately emulated the touch and movement of a Technics deck. The new platform also offered superior sound quality, a handy set of digital DJ ‘tools’ and, crucially, the ability to scratch. In subsequent years, Pioneer has improved its blueprint and launched new, increasingly sophisticated iterations of the CDJ.


Panasonic’s news is old news then? “It’s a bit sad” Rejected DJ and producer Edwin Van Oosterwal reflects, “but, yes, it did seem inevitable. Times have been changing for a while now, less and less DJs are using vinyl turntables, so you can’t blame Panasonic for making such a decision. I don’t think it means all that much for clubs and DJs… most DJs are using CD players or laptops, and I think there will always be a niche market for vinyl. The change hasn’t happened overnight, it’s a logical progression.”

Bimbo Jones producer and Sainted Records founder Marc JB offers further indication that clubland will take Technics’ demise in its stride. Far from generating Panasonic panic, the digitalisation of clubs offers much to look forward to. “Our industry is moving into a new era. The future, I think, is a digital mixing interface that will accept any media to play, but more importantly will have the ability to import projects from Cubase, Logic and Ableton with 'on the mix' sequencing capabilities – all this will take DJing and performance to the next level.”

Mr JB adds: “It is sad to not feel the warmth of vinyl on your fingertips but it feels much better on your back taking around a memory stick!”

Bill Brewster, meanwhile, notes other reasons for the shift to digital in clubs, beyond sonic innovation and grim economic realities. “One of the reasons I stopped playing vinyl was because the decks that are installed in clubs now are not being cared for properly” he confides. “The sound is compromised massively; DJs spouting the idea that only vinyl sounds good need to use some of the decks in London clubs, because many of them are in a shocking state.”

As for talk that the loss of analogue turntables, and with it a unique set of physical, ‘hands on’ DJ skills, will limit the abilities of up-and-coming beat-boys, Brewster remains unconvinced. “Great DJing has always been about taste and programming much more than mixing capabilities” he suggests. “There was far too much emphasis on who can and can't mix in the nineties, which masked the fact that many mediocre DJs were earning a living purely on spurious technical abilities. There are certainly many issues raised by the move over to digital technology, but I'm not sure that this is one of them. Personally I think the technology side of DJing is throwing up all kinds of exciting potential futures, the idea of genuinely remixing stuff live on the fly is here now, creating new and original music live, so I think it's an exciting time….”


Leigh Darlow, of Papa Records darlings The Layabouts, has probably the final word on the matter. “Look, I’m sure there are a lot of people like me who grew up on the whole Technics thing; I got my first set for on my 18th birthday, and they were was amazing,” he says. “My guess is that most clubs will keep them installed for years to come - dance music is full of purists and there will always be DJs wanting to spin a vinyl-only set. Sure, the CD and computer thing has taken over for now, but I'm sure there will be some kind of retro comeback in a few years.”

Where iPods and mobile phones have changed beyond all recognition since their very first and comparatively recent launches to market, the Technics SL1200 has barely changed a thing in 38 years of flawless operation. Such is its iconic build and configuration, the turntable has been able to comfortably swat away opposition time and time again, and firmly control those market-minded impulses telling it to constantly re-innovate. One suspects its time is far from up.

In fact, some new DJ-orientated products and accessories actually rely on the analogue turntable – the Serato Scratch Live program, for example.

The assembly line might well have whirred down, but Panasonic’s veteran Technics SL1200 is still, for the moment, alive and spinning….