The Technics SL-1200 MK7 (photo: Digital Music News)
photo: Digital Music News
DJs rejoice: the new Technics SL-1200 MK7 turntable is coming in a few months (most likely by the summer).
We got a first-hand look at the new turntable at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week.
The price sits at $1,200 for the new model, which is well under the $3,800 for the SL-1200G released in 2016. Despite that, it’s still a premium priced turntable that may be out of range for the part-time DJ.
The new SL-1200 MK7 turntable comes eleven years after the MK6 model, with a few minor adjustments.
Technics reps said the company wasn’t willing to drastically change one of the “most renowned products in music history.”
The MK7 is DJ-focused with a new, lighter coreless direct drive motor. The MK7 also offers the ability to play in reverse so long as a matching cartridge and needle are used. It also features a high-precision motor controller for finely tuned control for DJs who love to scratch. The mechanism allows the platter to reach a full stop and speed up again within an instant.
The MK7’s chassis is made from a mixture of aluminum and glass fiber to help minimize distortions from vibrations. It offers a matte black finish with a matching tonearm.
One of the design improvements over the MK6 is a new coreless direct drive designed to eliminate cogging. Cogging is when an electric motor occasionally feels as though it is stuttering during slow rotations. Panasonic solved the problem by removing the MK7’s iron core and optimized the space between the magnets that spin the platters.
Overall the MK7 offers an interesting set of improvements for a turntable that hasn’t seen a direct sequel for 11 years. Technics’ return to focusing on a DJ-first turntable is definitely needed, though the price may still be too high for beginner DJs.
Here’s an exclusive overview of the upcoming MK7, from Panasonic executive William Voss.
The overview happened at Technic’s demo room at The Venetian in Las Vegas.
But wait: there’s more.
Turns out Technics was also busy unveiling a few other non-DJ models. These are also higher-end turntables, but definitely not designed to withstand the rigors of live DJing and scratching. That includes the SL-1200G, which is more comfortable in the safety of your living room.
Where you say….”but wait there’s more”…..the photo you show is in fact an SL1500C, and NOT an SL1200G. No offense, but if you’re going to write an article
get it right or move on and do something g else! This is why the internet is full of so much misinformation.
The first photo is of the SL1500C, hence the line “a few other non-DJ models.” The second two photos include the SL1200G. hence the line “That includes the SL-1200G.” There was never any mention in the article that the first photo was a SL-1200G. If you’re going to criticize someone, get it right or move on and do something else!