DJing has come a long way since 1970, when the first recognizable DJ turntable was released. In this series, we’re looking at a few historic innovations that went on to change DJing forever. First up, the Technics 1200 DJ Turntable. Wanna DJ vinyl? Check out the Serato Scratch Live course by DJ Courses Online today.

The OG of DJ gear

The Technics 1200 was the first turntable to really focus exclusively on the needs of the DJ. It made its debut way back in 1970 and undoubtedly led to the hip-hop revolution which came as a precursor to DJing. Inventions have included direct drive motors, tonearms in an S-shape and platters which allow nudging. To this day, Technics is still the most celebrated brand amongst DJs.

Pitch control and direct drive

The 6% pitch control fader began allowing DJs to mix records at different tempos, fully enabling the concept of a DJ set and an unbroken dance floor. Direct drive motors prevented wear and tear on the standard belt-driven turntables that came before. The power of the motor also allowed the platter to be stopped and then started up again without major lags. Any hardware will still cause occasional DJ problems, but on the whole the 1200 was a sturdy beast.

Tonearm

Ever wondered why the tonearm of a deck is S-shaped? In contrast to a straight arm, the shape allows for tracking stability. Along with the super-useful tracking light for dark places and a heavy-duty metal build, the turntable provided enough value to assure its place in DJ history. Check out this cool slideshow showing the development of the Technics 1200 over time.

It wasn’t long before Technics released the 1210 line of turntables, successors which went on to become the de facto standard in clubs. And basically every turntable since has drawn on the original design. DJing has come a long way. Claim your spot in the DJ story by checking out the preview videos from the Serato Scratch Live DJ course by DJ Courses Online.