The SL-1200 is Back. Who should buy them?
This week, Panasonic announced the official return of the Technics SL-1200 turntable, both as a SL-1200G “regular” model, and a limited-run, (1,200 to be produced), SL-1200GAE model. There are some minor improvements to the drive mechanism compared to the previous generation models, but in all, it’s basically the same turntable. To purists, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but for me… Well, let’s just say I’ll pass.
Let me be clear about one thing. The SL-1200 is CERTAINLY an iconic device, EXTREMELY important to the evolution of turntable DJ’s and DJ culture. Legends were truly made using these things. I have had opportunities to spin on even abused and ragged ones and they were still solid, (albiet quirky), decks despite being treated like trash. The caveat here is where these decks belong, and that is in the club, not on the road.
Seriously, these are great decks if you’re a bar or nightclub looking to install a set to stay in the DJ box for visiting DJ’s to use. But if you are a DJ that uses these to do shows, they are not, and haven’t been for at least 10 years, the ideal decks for you. If I’m going to use a set of decks on the road, I need to be able to replace a cable quickly if I have a problem with one. Try replacing an RCA or power cable on any SL-1200 without having to disassemble the chassis. It’s not happening.
There’s also the pricing question. Who knows what these will eventually get priced at when they hit the streets, but I’m betting it’s enough to make me not even want to take them out of the house, let alone in a club or bar environment. Even though my opinion on that is likely subjective, the fact of the matter is, there are other turntables out that are either similar, or even more feature rich, for less money, and that DO have user-replaceable cable capabilities.
Bottom line: If you’re a night club, get them. If you’re a mobile DJ, check out the Stanton ST.150/STR8.150, the Reloop RP-8000, or the Pioneer PLX-1000 for a more feature packed and mobile DJ friendly piece of kit.