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is a Japanese
brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
of the
Panasonic Corporation formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...
for audio equipment. Since 1965 under the brand name, Panasonic has produced a variety of hi-fi products, such as turntables,
amplifiers An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost th ...
, receivers,
tape deck An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present- ...
s,
CD player A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such as music or audio ...
s and
speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...
s for sale in various countries. It was conceived as a line of high-end audio equipment to compete against brands such as Nakamichi. From 2002 onwards products were rebranded as Panasonic except in Japan and CIS countries (such as
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
), where the brand remained in high regard. Panasonic discontinued the brand for most products in October 2010, but it was revived in 2015 with new high-end turntables. The brand is best known for the
SL-1200 Technics SL-1200 is a series of direct-drive turntables originally manufactured from October 1972 until 2010, and resumed in 2016, by Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic Corporation) under the brand name of Technics. S means "Stereo", L means "P ...
DJ turntable, an industry standard for decades.


History

Technics was introduced as a brand name for premium loudspeakers marketed domestically by Matsushita in 1965. The name came to wider prominence with the international sales of
direct-drive turntable A direct-drive turntable is one of the three main phonograph designs currently being produced. The other styles are the belt-drive turntable and the idler-wheel type. Each name is based upon the type of coupling used between the platter of the ...
s. The first direct-drive turntable was invented by Shuichi Obata, an engineer at Matsushita (now
Panasonic formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...
),''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'', May 21, 1977
page 140
/ref> based in
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
. It eliminated belts, and instead employed a motor to directly drive a platter on which a vinyl record rests.Trevor Pinch, Karin Bijsterveld
''The Oxford Handbook of Sound Studies'', page 515
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...
It is a significant advancement over older belt-drive turntables, which are unsuitable for
turntablism Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, sound effects, mixes and other creative sounds and beats, typically by using two or more turntables and a cross fader-equipped DJ mixer. The mixer is plugged into a PA sys ...
, since they have a slow start-up time, and are prone to wear-and-tear and breakage,Brian Coleman
The Technics 1200 — Hammer Of The Gods
Medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation * Medium bomber, a class of war plane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium ...
as the belt would break from backspinning or
scratching Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to fade between two record ...
. In 1969, Matsushita launched Obata's invention as the SP-10, the first direct-drive turntable on the professional market. In 1971, Matsushita released the Technics SL-1100 for the consumer market. Due to its strong motor, durability, and fidelity, it was adopted by early hip hop artists. The SL-1100 was used by the influential
DJ Kool Herc Clive Campbell (born April 16, 1955), better known by his stage name DJ Kool Herc, is a Jamaican-American DJ who is credited with contributing to the development of hip hop music in the Bronx, New York City, in the 1970s through his "Back to ...
for the first sound system he set up after emigrating from
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
to the US. It was followed by the
SL-1200 Technics SL-1200 is a series of direct-drive turntables originally manufactured from October 1972 until 2010, and resumed in 2016, by Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic Corporation) under the brand name of Technics. S means "Stereo", L means "P ...
, the most influential turntable.Six Machines That Changed The Music World
''
Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San ...
'', May 2002
It was developed in 1971 by a team led by Shuichi Obata at Matsushita, which then released it onto the market in 1972. It was adopted by
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
hip hop DJs such as Grand Wizard Theodore and
Afrika Bambaataa Lance Taylor (born on April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (), is an American DJ, rapper, and producer from the South Bronx, New York. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influence ...
in the 1970s. As they experimented with the SL-1200 decks, they developed scratching techniques when they found that the motor would continue to spin at the correct RPM even if the DJ wiggled the record back and forth on the platter. As the upgraded
SL-1200 Technics SL-1200 is a series of direct-drive turntables originally manufactured from October 1972 until 2010, and resumed in 2016, by Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic Corporation) under the brand name of Technics. S means "Stereo", L means "P ...
MK2, it became a widely used turntable by
DJs A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
. A robust machine, the SL-1200 MK2 incorporated a pitch control mechanism (or
vari-speed A variable speed pitch control (or vari-speed) is a control on an audio device such as a turntable, tape recorder, or CD player that allows the operator to deviate from a standard speed (such as 33, 45 or even 78 rpm on a turntable), resulting i ...
), and maintained a relatively constant speed with low variability, which proved popular with DJs. The SL-1200 series remained the most widely used turntable in DJ culture through to the 2000s. The
SL-1200 Technics SL-1200 is a series of direct-drive turntables originally manufactured from October 1972 until 2010, and resumed in 2016, by Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic Corporation) under the brand name of Technics. S means "Stereo", L means "P ...
model, often considered the industry standard turntable, continued to evolve with the M3D series, followed by the MK5 series in 2003. Despite being originally created to market their high-end equipment, by the early 1980s Technics was offering an entire range of equipment from entry-level to high-end. In 1972, Technics introduced the first autoreverse system in a cassette deck in its Technics RS-277US and in 1973 it introduced the first three-head recording technique in a cassette deck (Technics RS-279US). In 1976, Technics introduced two belt-driven turntables for the mass market, the SL-20 and SL-23. The principal difference between the two models was the additional feature of semi-automatic operation in the SL-23, along with an adjustable speed control with built-in strobe light. They offered technical specifications and features rivaling much more expensive turntables, including well-engineered s-shaped tonearms with tracking weight and anti-skate adjustments. At the time they were introduced, the SL-20 and SL-23, which sold for $US100 and $US140 respectively, set a new performance standard for inexpensive turntables. The Technics brand was discontinued in 2010, but reappeared at the 2014 consumer electronics trade fair IFA. In January 2016 on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary the Technics SL-1200 returned with the Technics SL-1200 G.technics.com
News – Die Wiederauflage eines Klassikers
', (German).


Notable products


Early 1960s

*SX-601
Electronic Organ An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed ...
(1963) – an origin of Technics SX keyboard series, the result of cooperative works of ''National Electronic Organ Company'' (Panasonic group) and Ace Tone (precursor of
Roland Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment, and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on 18 April 1972. In 2005, its headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. It has f ...
).
After the 1970s, this product line was branded "Technitone" as a brother brand of Technics, and newer electronic musical instruments were branded Technics. *EAB-1204 loudspeakers (1965) – premium loudspeakers, later renamed to SB-1204. Nicknamed "Technics 1", and referred to as the origin of Technics brand.


Late 1960s – early 1970s

*SP-10 Direct Drive Turntables (1969) – first direct-drive model for the professional market *SL-1100 Direct Drive Turntables (1971) – for the consumer market *
SL-1200 Technics SL-1200 is a series of direct-drive turntables originally manufactured from October 1972 until 2010, and resumed in 2016, by Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic Corporation) under the brand name of Technics. S means "Stereo", L means "P ...
Direct Drive Turntables (1972) – for the consumer market *RS-277US Autoreverse Cassette Deck (1972) *RS-279US Three-heads recording Cassette Deck (1973) *SA-6800X 4 Channel Receiver (1973) - also branded a Panasonic and National Panasonic. Each had different front panel styling


Mid-1970s

*SA-8500X The biggest quadraphonic receiver Technics ever built with integrated CD4 demodulation *RS-858US quadraphonic 8-track player/recorder *SH-3433 4-channel Quadraphonic Audioscope *SA-50XX Budget amplifiers ranging from $150 (cheapest) to $600 (Most expensive) *SB-7000 Linear Phase 3 way loudspeaker (First Linear Phase Speaker system in the World)


Late 1970s

*RS-1500/1700 series of open-reel tape decks; *SA-100/400/600/800/1000 receivers *SL-1300, SL-1400, SL-1500, SL-1600, SL-1700, SL-1800 Direct Drive Turntables *SL-1300MK2, SL-1400MK2, SL-1500MK2, SL-150MK2 (No Tonearm) Quartz Synthesizer Direct Drive Turntables "Professional Series" *"New class A" Amplifier series launched featuring inter alia SE-A3/SE-A5 High Output Power Amplifiers *SU-C01, SU-C03, SU-C04 amplifiers (a "concise" line of home audio consisting of amplifier, tuner and cassette deck) *SB-F1, SB-F01, SB-F2 and SB-F3 monitor speakers (2-way, sealed casing, aluminum box speakers) *SY-1010 Analog Synthesizer (1977) *9000 Professional Series: A series of stack-able, or rack mountable, units included the SE-9060 Amp, SU-9070 Pre-Amp, SH-9010 Equalizer, SH-9020 Meter Unit and ST-9030 Tuner. These "Pro Series" components replaced the earlier SE-9600 Amp, SU-9700 Pre-Amp and ST-9300/9600/9700 Tuner that were deemed too large. The 9000 Pro Series was introduced because of demand for smaller, quality components. The European version of the Pro Series had a different faceplate than the US version: 18" vs. 19". Because of the narrower face plate, the European version required special rack brackets to be rack mountable. The brackets came with the European version of the SH-905ST Professional Series rack. The only difference between this rack and the US version was inclusion of those brackets. As a result, the brackets are ultra rare and even the rack was sold in limited numbers in the USA. *SB-10000 Loudspeaker: Top of the line Technics speaker at a cost of US$12,000. They featured a tweeter made of
boron Boron is a chemical element with the symbol B and atomic number 5. In its crystalline form it is a brittle, dark, lustrous metalloid; in its amorphous form it is a brown powder. As the lightest element of the '' boron group'' it has t ...
. A used pair sold for US$32,050 around 2010 in Germany. *SE-A1 Amp: Top of the line Technics amp at a cost of US$6,000. *SU-A2 Pre-Amp: Top of the line for Technics at a cost of US$8,000. *SB-E100 and SB-E200 Loudspeakers: These were both designed with the SB-10000 in mind. The SB-E100 looked like the 10000 with the bass enclosure turned on its end with the mid/tweeter section mounted on top. The SB-E100 was made of MDF with Rosewood veneer. The SB-E200 was made of Rosewood and, while more similar in design to the SB-10000, it was virtually the same as the SB-E100 except for the bass box configuration and solid wood. The SB-E100 was designed to sit on the floor while the SB-E200 could sit on a table or pedestal. The SB-E100 had slightly better specs than the SB-E200 due to construction. Neither of them were released for the US market. *RS-9900US Tape Deck: Top of the line tape deck at the time and quite at home with the 9600 Series components listed above. It was a two piece behemoth that sold for $2,000 in 1977–78. *RS-M95 Tape Deck: This deck replaced the 9600 in the same way as the 9000 Professional Series components replaced the 9600. It was much smaller, less expensive ($1400) and had better specs than the RS-9900US it replaced, resulting in better sound.


Early 1980s

*SU-V3,V4 V5, V6, V7, V8, V9 Stereo Integrated Amplifiers *SE-A3MK2, SE-A5, SE-A5MK2, SE-A7 Power Amplifiers and SU-A4MK2, SU-A6 SU-A6MK2 and SU-A8 preamplifiers *SV-P100 digital audio recorder (using VHS tapes). Also available as the SV-100, a stand-alone
PCM adaptor A PCM adaptor is a device that encodes digital audio as video for recording on a videocassette recorder. The adapter also has the ability to decode a video signal back to digital audio for playback. This digital audio system was used for mast ...
requiring a separate VCR; *cassette decks with dbx noise reduction *SB-2155 3-Way Stereo Speakers
982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tar ...
*SL-D212 Direct Drive Turntable
982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tar ...
*SU-Z65 Stereo Integrated Amplifier
982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tar ...
*SH-8015 Stereo Frequency Equalizer
982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tar ...
*ST-Z45 Synthesizer FM/AM Stereo Tuner
981 Year 981 ( CMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events Births * Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Maghribi, Arab statesman (d. 1027) * Giovanni Orseolo, Venetian ...
*RS-M205 Cassette Deck
980 Year 980 ( CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) a ...
*RS-M216 Cassette Deck
982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tar ...
*direct-drive linear tracking turntables SL-10, SL-15, SL-7, SL-6, SL-5, and SL-V5 (vertical)


Mid-1980s

*Technitone E series (1983): one of the earliest PCM sampling organs in Japan *SX-PV10 PCM Digital Piano (1984): one of the earliest PCM sampling pianos in Japan * SL-J2: direct-drive turntable *SY-DP50 PCM Digital Drum Percussion (1985) *"Class AA" VC-4 stereo integrated amplifiers, starting with the SU-V40, V50 and V60 models (1986) *The SL range of Direct Drive turntables, like the SL-5


1990s–2000s

During the 90's, Technics launched a successful series of mini hi-fi systems (SC-EH series, SC-CA SC-CH series and SC-DV series with cd player and surround sound) and in the late 90's, the very successful series of micro hi-fi systems, SC-HD series (SC-HDV and SC-HDA, for series with dvd player and surround sound). These were manufactured until 2004, and after that, until 2005, were named Panasonic for the short time they were still kept in production after Technics brand was phased out. Technics had also created a 60+1 disc changer in 1998 under the model line SL-MC (excluding the last model, the SL-MC7, that being a 110+1 changer) that ran until 2002 across a total of 8 models before being shut down, the last 60+1 mechanisms being featured in Panasonic Mini-HiFi systems. The Technics badge was then relegated to turntables in 2005, including the low cost SL-BD20/22 manufactured well into the 2000's, and some higher quality headphones and speakers, although the same model names appeared under both Technics and Panasonic names in some countries, for a while. From 2002 onwards, receivers which once were known as Technics, were rebranded as Panasonic. Technics stopped manufacturing separates (cd players, cassette deck, tuners, amplifiers) in late 2001, but remained for a while in the home cinema market, with both dvd players and receivers and speakers until late 2002, when these were renamed Panasonic. From 2004 on, except turntables, a series of headphones, and some dj equipment, all audio products were by now bearing the Panasonic name, rather than Technics. Also, by 2004, both SL-BD20/22 turntables were phased out. The two subwoofers listed below (SST-25/35HZ) along with the SST-1 Loudspeakers, weren't intended for home use. * SST-25HZ Super Bass Exciter (Sub-Woofer), top of the line Technics sub * SST-35HZ Super Bass Exciter (Sub-woofer), 1991 cost $2500 * SST-1 Loudspeaker, 1991 cost $2000. These were meant to be mated with the SST-25HZ or 35HZ sub-woofers. * hi-quality power amps, Mainstream receivers, Dolby Pro Logic receivers * SX-KN series electronic keyboards, including the arranger keyboards KN3000, KN5000, KN6000 and KN7000, competing with the same market as the Yamaha Tyros * SX-WSA1/SX-WSA1R Digital Synthesizer (1995), utilizing Acoustic Modeling synthesis (PCM sample + physical modeling resonator)


Since 2014

Panasonic Corporation relaunched the Technics brand in late 2014, mainly because of increased market interest in high end hi-fi, and also due to renewed interest in vinyl. The brand was relaunched with a series of amplifiers, speakers and micro hi-fi systems, but no turntables were yet available. The turntables were relaunched in 2016. As written above, in 2016, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the SL-1200, Technics came back with the SL-1200 G. About 2017 a remarkable digital amplifier, the SU-G700, was announced. Among their most successful products are the newly launched SL1500-C turntable series, and the Ottava micro hi-fi series, and also their active speakers series. The SL1200 is also successful. Technics SL1500-C was launched as an alternative to the SL1200 series, being aimed at home use rather than DJ use. It has a quartz speed stabilizer, also it has no variable pitch and has no stroboscope for speed adjustment. Like 1200, it is manual; it only has an arm lift feature at the end of the record, which can be deactivated. It is available in silver and black versions. It has a built-in preamplifier, which can be completely deactivated if not needed. It also has a heavy damped platter. In the tradition of Technics, SL1500-C is a Direct Drive turntable. It is different, however, from the SL1500 models from the 1970s and it is not manufactured in Japan like its bigger brothers, the SL1200 and the SP10, but in Malaysia. In 2021 the production of all Technics turntables was moved to Malaysia. Although Technics previously manufactured a series of belt drive turntables (mainly cheaper versions), no new belt drive turntables from Technics are available now, and it seems that Technics will not launch a new belt drive series.


See also

* List of phonograph manufacturers


References

;historical products * — other older Technics products site in Japanese. * — information about older Technics products * — Technitone Electronic Organ database including an
models


External links

;Official sites
General Technics DJ home page

Technics Musical Instruments home page

Technics Hi-Fi Audio

The Exclusive Online Audio Museum "TheVintageKnob" with Technics Audio Products History (1960-2000)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Technics (Brand) Panasonic Corporation brands Consumer electronics brands Headphones manufacturers Loudspeaker manufacturers Phonograph manufacturers Products introduced in 1965 DJ equipment Japanese brands Panasonic products Radio manufacturers