The last dance – RIP Technics turntables
By Paul Smith
The phrase end of an era gets bandied about far too often, usually to describe the exit of a talentless no-mark from a reality show, but alas no other cliché is applicable. It’s our sad duty to report that Panasonic are to stop making Technics turntables. In a statement the company announced that production would end in February next year.
A spokesperson for Panasonic said:
“It is a sad day today but due to low sales globally in analogue turntables a decision to stop production has been made on Technics Turntables.”
Digital turntables and the ease of storing music on laptops means that demand for the turntables has dried up. The memories of illegal raves, house parties and filthy beach sex while Pete Tong had it large on the ones and twos at Cafe Mambo will soon be all you have.
feral trolley of the week
Theyve done really well in the DJ industry. Hell 12 months after this they wont be CD decks anymore!!! Everything will be mp3 based.
DJ industry? What is industrial about playing records?
Shocked. Genuinely shocked. Can’t believe they don’t make enough of the 1210 to keep production going – rarely has anything ever fitted the term ‘industry standard’ as much as the 12×0. CD and MP3 decks are all well and good but nothing will ever match the tactility and simple engineering brilliance of mixing vinyl on a 1210. My pair are dated around 1990 and still working an absolute treat after nearly 2 decades of abuse!
Yeah really. I looked up the panasonic au site for the “news release” on teh discontinuation of the 1200/1210 series. Doesn’t exist. Someones spreading rumors to bump sales for the christmas season.
jah, you may have answered your own Q. they still work, and probably nearly everyone who will ever want one already has one. shame but.. 2nd hand ones will be around for ages.
Don’t believe this for a second. Vinyl is on the increase. Again. And as for mp3’s being the new format, well software like Final Scratch or Serato needed to run them have to use turntables anyway.
My 1200’s are doing fine and dandy 20 years on.
I have been told by countless dj’s who love vinyl and turntables to buy cdj’s cause they are the future and as much as I wanna listen and follow there advice, there is this big part of me that refuses to sellout and do the cheaper easier version and wants to buy tables and spin vinyl cause that to me shows how much you truly love the scene and as many of dj’s have said and I agree 100% only real dj’s spin vinyl. Don’t ask me why but no matter how much I try and listen to others I still refuse to listen and seriously want to get myself a pair of turntables and a mixer and spin amazing vinyl for all of those true Party Kydds who respect the vinyl and what it has to offer. That being said if you are a Dj based in the U.s.a. and are looking to upgrade to newer tables and a mixer and need to sell off your older tables and mixer, that aren’t belt drive drop me a line at PartyKydd610@aol.com because I am looking for my first set of tables and a mixer and really want to pursue my dream of becoming a dj to pass on my love of the music to others.
Aaron you make me smile with your ignorance. “I agree 100% only real dj’s spin vinyl.” Well this “real dj” used vinyl for 17 years, them moved to CDJs 5 years ago. I make a good living and still play the same music. The crowd only care for the sound that comes out of the speakers.
We moved from our 1210 MKII’s five years ago.
It was a tough call – but we did it.
I pity the DJs that still think vinyl makes you a ‘proper’ DJ. Absolute balderdash.
Vinyl is good fun, don’t get me wrong, but it’s nostalgic and the amount of things you can do with CDJs pretty much emulates and betters vinyl. Scratching. dropping and mixing is far more versatlie.
Having said that – I think this story is a bit of a non-sequieter – no more technics decks – REALLY? With the surge in dubstep, reggae and drum & bass recently, I think there is more than enough vinyl deck customers out there.
So Are we to soon see the DMC World Championships soon on laptops bashing those buttons on TracKtor. I don’t think so. Vinyl maybe not mainstream in any sense of the word but the market is still there and still huge. I call fake on this.
fake info, do not believe.
there is no official information about this on their webpage!
LONG LIVE TEHNICS!!!
I just spoke to a customer service representative at Panasonic and as far as she knows, they are not stopping production. No news updates from the higher-ups. I am going to call the public relations offices tomorrow in both the US (AND TOKYO) to confirm this.
My logical assumption on this is this: This was a rumor created by an online retailer on, of all days, BLACK FRIDAY to help boost sales over the next 30 days.
Even though the majority of DJ’s have switched to MP3’s, Laptops, Serato, and are no longer using Vinyl.. the ex-vinyl DJ’s are STILL using turntables to spin binary coded digital records that link to the Serato…
the Serato is RANE’s #1 selling product..it seems illogical. The Serato, in-directly requires a second companies best selling product, the Technics 1200. Granted, I understand that there are other turntables on the market.
But from a sales point of view, the Technics SL1200 is the DJ equivalent to the Fender Stratocaster, or the Gibson Les Paul.. Doesn’t sound right…
That being said.. I’ll feel better when I officially confirm it with Panasonic.
What a bizarre lot of commentators this post has… I am quite confussed.
hey if this is true then fairwell to technics but anyway due to my partner having our first child i dont have thetime or room to play my technics now so i am offering them for a resonable price to someone who will make good use of them
WHAT I HAVE GOT FOR SALE
1X SET OF TECHNICS 1210 MK5 WITH ORTOFON CONCORDE ATTACHMENTS AND NEEDLES WORKING FINE
1X STANTON M304 4 CHANNEL MIXER
all in faboulas condition i am open to offers t present so email me at wull1988@hotmail.co.uk with offers for you who are interested also any questions etc email me i have pics available of these so email me again and il send them
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