Technics (テクニクス, Tekunikusu) is a Japanese audio brand established by Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic) in 1965. Since 1965, Matsushita has produced a variety of HiFi and other audio products under the brand name, such as turntables, amplifiers, radio receivers, tape recorders, CD players, loudspeakers, and digital pianos. Technics products were available for sale in various countries. The brand was originally 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), 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 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 turntables. The first direct-drive turntable was invented by Shuichi Obata, an engineer at Matsushita, based in Osaka. It eliminated belts, and instead employed a motor to directly drive a platter on which a vinyl record rests. It is a significant advancement over older belt-drive turntables, which are unsuitable for turntablism, since they have a slow start-up time, and are prone to wear-and-tear and breakage, as the belt would break from back spinning or scratching. 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 for the first sound system he set up after emigrating from Jamaica to the US. It was followed by the SL-1200, the most influential turntable. 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 hip hop DJs such as Grand Wizard Theodore and Afrika Bambaataa 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 MK2, it became a widely used turntable by DJs. A robust machine, the SL-1200 MK2 incorporated a pitch control mechanism (or vari-speed), 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 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.
Notable products
Early 1960s SX-601 Electronic Organ (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). 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 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) SL-20 and SL-23 belt drive turntables. Their first belt drive series. Wooden (MDF) plinth. Intended as a cheaper alternative to their higher end direct drive. Main difference is that SL-20 is completely manual without any automatic function or pitch control. SL-23 is basically built on the same base, but has an auto return function, independent pitch control for 33 and 45 speeds and stroboscope for 50 and 60 Hz. Also known as SL-22 respectively SL-26 in some markets.
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