The SL-P1200 was released in 87'. I remember it vividly. A fellow DJ friend of mine, Mike Stinson purchased 2 of these back in 1987, "Yes"! he bought them in April of 1987 and brought them to the high school prom I was djing.. I was a senior in high school at that time.. It was the prom of Proviso East High School, my turntable brother, the Legendary Bad Boy Bill was in attendance because it was his prom..The next week he dj'ed my high school prom.
We had some of these at the radio station where I was in '89. The engineers mounted them on a shelf over the Technics turntables - 2 playback systems in one space! We had a lot of trouble with discs skipping, which the DJs blamed on the new fangled format until the engineers discovered that Technics had forgotten to fit the rubber rings to the bottom of the cd clamp, so the discs were slipping. Guess that's the peril of being an early adopter of a new format!
The pitch control, auto cue and slow jogwheel search functions give this player all it takes to be a basic DJ CD player. I'm surprised because I once tried to find out what was the first DJ CD player ever (I'm a DJ myself). But this model predates it by 6 years which is quite impressive.
the first dj compact disc set was the denon double player and controls apart with several functions to help the dj work that one could screw to the top part of old but good mixing tabels, i ´ve worked in a radio station for 25 years and also worked as a dj ,this in party´s or some nightclubs ,all started when i was 14 and stoped when i was 45 years old ,but still sometimes people ask me to play music in their private party´s and because they offer me a lot of money ,i say yes. but this was a very fine cd player and the local stations didn´t had money for it but it was and it is good still today but as a dj only in nightclubs i work with cds and this denon was the first but in the 90´s started to appear several dj compact disc palyer that were just like the denon for dj´s with several functions this model didn´t had allthough it´s along with the pd-73 from pioneer and the CEC kind of analog working type the best i ever seen in quality either working or in quality of sound. in the radio station i worked for more years they had old but good turntables from thorens made for radio stations ,that still today with 24 hours a day working since early 70´s till today (no longer at the radio station but in my house). This cd player i wanted one but ended up with the pioneer model that is the brand that i mostly use since mid 70´s, some might thing it´s not a good cd player but ten years ago i chenged the laser and prices for it were from 200 to 300€ and working since 88 with heavy use in the 90´s till early 2000`s or 2011 when it was cleaned and restored, the standart mnodels with the same working type were the pd-7300 and a year after the pd-9000, this technics i seacrched for it also on ebay i found some very expensive and not working perfect , but if today i would buy one to restore this because i have two complete systems from technics from the 70´s a early and late one .regards
FF1 was the Technics designated laser design, referred to as Fine Focus 1, or a single beam laser. While most CD players used a laser split through a prism for a “tri-beam” tracking, Technics used one single stronger single unsplit beam to track, hence FF-1.
Pro CD players (and later DJ players) have the cue resolution to the frame (a CD frame is 1/75 second). For the subcode port: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_Disc_subcode
Back around 1989/1990 a local radio station had skipping problems with the two of them they had. I remember seeing them both in a local repair shop and getting the lowdown on em :( ---Mankato Minnesota........
I am always wondered how fast these older, 1980’s CD players are to read the disc’s TOC. This one takes less than two seconds, while I’ve seen modern players taking more than 20 to do the same. They’re from a time in which CD’s were the ultimate audio media.
All you require now is the SE-A1/SU-A2 Pre and Power amps, the RS-1800 Open Reel Deck, an SP-10 MK2 Turntable with plinth and power supply and a pair of SB-10000 Speakers, with midrange and tweeter horns, or if you can find them, the ultra rare SB-9500N's.
Thanks for this video The FF-1 is not FF-l Here is what this means The pickup section is equipped with an FF-1 laser pickup that uses a single-beam system, which has higher laser light utilization efficiency than the conventional three beam system and can greatly improve the S / N ratio of reproduced signals. The FF-1 Laser Pickup generated by a plate-type half-mirror for focusing, detects the phase component of vibration modulation due to pits for tracking, and combines it with a digital accu-servo system with high signal reproduction capability to improve playability against scratches and fingerprints on the disc surface. A brushless DD motor is used for the spindle motor to ensure high reliability and durability. I hope this is helpful
I can fix it for you. Click on the icon to the left of this comment, and that will take you to my TH-cam channel. Then from there you can find the link to my website.
The RCA outputs are of course, borrowed from the SL-turntable design - just like the rubber feet :) But nice and vice they later did a XLR version of this player, too.
I purchased one of these when they came out. I did use it to DJ a few times but it wasn't really practical because of the start button timing. I would have to act quick with the pitch before I would bring in the other song. It was nice to have but I sold mine. I wish Technics would have continued these. I now have the Technics SL-DZ1200 which is more practical for DJ's but had issues. I use mine with timecode so they work now without issues.
I swapped both of mine out, for the more space friendly SL-PG390, This one drops the Pitch, but adds some really cool features. And the sound In second to none, Playing back Red Book Compressed, Brickwalled CD's, Sweet. At a fraction of the cost, There was a SL-PG590 one, but this was not good with the sound part.
Really love the look of it, though I have a preference for the similar form factor Luxman D500x due to the latter being less cluttered looking overall.
have had 2 well what a disaster that everything was bad about those things and technics got them back at least monthly and the courier no longer dared to ring the doorbell the denons were much, much better
had several of those ... they are not really that rare.... just recap the motor board and they play for another 10 years.... also the lid switches are not the best
The SL-P1200 was released in 87'. I remember it vividly. A fellow DJ friend of mine, Mike Stinson purchased 2 of these back in 1987, "Yes"! he bought them in April of 1987 and brought them to the high school prom I was djing.. I was a senior in high school at that time.. It was the prom of Proviso East High School, my turntable brother, the Legendary Bad Boy Bill was in attendance because it was his prom..The next week he dj'ed my high school prom.
I can't really foresee ever getting a CD player again, but if I did, this would be it! Funky lookin', and sweet features!
We had some of these at the radio station where I was in '89. The engineers mounted them on a shelf over the Technics turntables - 2 playback systems in one space! We had a lot of trouble with discs skipping, which the DJs blamed on the new fangled format until the engineers discovered that Technics had forgotten to fit the rubber rings to the bottom of the cd clamp, so the discs were slipping. Guess that's the peril of being an early adopter of a new format!
VERY TRUE!!!
Thanks for commenting! Quite the snafu.
The pitch control, auto cue and slow jogwheel search functions give this player all it takes to be a basic DJ CD player. I'm surprised because I once tried to find out what was the first DJ CD player ever (I'm a DJ myself). But this model predates it by 6 years which is quite impressive.
Thanks for your comment!
the first dj compact disc set was the denon double player and controls apart with several functions to help the dj work that one could screw to the top part of old but good mixing tabels, i ´ve worked in a radio station for 25 years and also worked as a dj ,this in party´s or some nightclubs ,all started when i was 14 and stoped when i was 45 years old ,but still sometimes people ask me to play music in their private party´s and because they offer me a lot of money ,i say yes. but this was a very fine cd player and the local stations didn´t had money for it but it was and it is good still today but as a dj only in nightclubs i work with cds and this denon was the first but in the 90´s started to appear several dj compact disc palyer that were just like the denon for dj´s with several functions this model didn´t had allthough it´s along with the pd-73 from pioneer and the CEC kind of analog working type the best i ever seen in quality either working or in quality of sound. in the radio station i worked for more years they had old but good turntables from thorens made for radio stations ,that still today with 24 hours a day working since early 70´s till today (no longer at the radio station but in my house). This cd player i wanted one but ended up with the pioneer model that is the brand that i mostly use since mid 70´s, some might thing it´s not a good cd player but ten years ago i chenged the laser and prices for it were from 200 to 300€ and working since 88 with heavy use in the 90´s till early 2000`s or 2011 when it was cleaned and restored, the standart mnodels with the same working type were the pd-7300 and a year after the pd-9000, this technics i seacrched for it also on ebay i found some very expensive and not working perfect , but if today i would buy one to restore this because i have two complete systems from technics from the 70´s a early and late one .regards
I have one, it's an absolute tank. It sounds fabulous too. The Vintage Knob is a wonderful resource, though I've never stopped missing "Invisibilia".
So cool, we've never seen another in person. Hang onto it!
Wish I had one of those awesome machines,,,love the variable pitch speed slide control,,,just like a turntable record player.
Wooow!!! Beautiful player, amaizing. Love Technics audio. Mrok
I got one for $50 back in 1997. Wish I still had it. Heavy but the sound was amazing and cool pitch control.
Our just sold and we're kinda sad about it. Super unique and we've never seen another.
How much did it sell for, skyfi? Great vid btw..
FF1 was the Technics designated laser design, referred to as Fine Focus 1, or a single beam laser. While most CD players used a laser split through a prism for a “tri-beam” tracking, Technics used one single stronger single unsplit beam to track, hence FF-1.
Pro CD players (and later DJ players) have the cue resolution to the frame (a CD frame is 1/75 second).
For the subcode port: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_Disc_subcode
Back around 1989/1990 a local radio station had skipping problems with the two of them they had. I remember seeing them both in a local repair shop and getting the lowdown on em :( ---Mankato Minnesota........
its a mixer as well ,wow
No..wtf? 🤔😆
I remember it well , I used to call it the cash register and , at the time , I bought a Philips CD 880 in its place.
I am always wondered how fast these older, 1980’s CD players are to read the disc’s TOC. This one takes less than two seconds, while I’ve seen modern players taking more than 20 to do the same. They’re from a time in which CD’s were the ultimate audio media.
All you require now is the SE-A1/SU-A2 Pre and Power amps, the RS-1800 Open Reel Deck, an SP-10 MK2 Turntable with plinth and power supply and a pair of SB-10000 Speakers, with midrange and tweeter horns, or if you can find them, the ultra rare SB-9500N's.
FF1 is and an abbreviation for fine focus one. Meaning it has a single Lazer
Thanks for this video
The FF-1 is not FF-l
Here is what this means
The pickup section is equipped with an FF-1 laser pickup that uses a single-beam system, which has higher laser light utilization efficiency than the conventional three beam system and can greatly improve the S / N ratio of reproduced signals.
The FF-1 Laser Pickup generated by a plate-type half-mirror for focusing, detects the phase component of vibration modulation due to pits for tracking, and combines it with a digital accu-servo system with high signal reproduction capability to improve playability against scratches and fingerprints on the disc surface.
A brushless DD motor is used for the spindle motor to ensure high reliability and durability.
I hope this is helpful
I have a broken one of these in my garage. Any chance you guys would fix it for me?
Sorry we only restore or repair what we own, we're not a repair shop. If you'd like to sell it as-is see our website for the sale/trade-in section.
I can fix it for you. Click on the icon to the left of this comment, and that will take you to my TH-cam channel. Then from there you can find the link to my website.
The original CDJ!
The RCA outputs are of course, borrowed from the SL-turntable design - just like the rubber feet :) But nice and vice they later did a XLR version of this player, too.
Cool! Thanks for writing.
I purchased one of these when they came out. I did use it to DJ a few times but it wasn't really practical because of the start button timing. I would have to act quick with the pitch before I would bring in the other song. It was nice to have but I sold mine. I wish Technics would have continued these. I now have the Technics SL-DZ1200 which is more practical for DJ's but had issues. I use mine with timecode so they work now without issues.
I swapped both of mine out, for the more space friendly SL-PG390, This one drops the Pitch, but adds some really cool features. And the sound In second to none, Playing back Red Book Compressed, Brickwalled CD's, Sweet. At a fraction of the cost, There was a SL-PG590 one, but this was not good with the sound part.
It's the mating of a very large desktop calculator and a cash register!
Haha!
Google Technics sl p50…. 😍😍
Really love the look of it, though I have a preference for the similar form factor Luxman D500x due to the latter being less cluttered looking overall.
Love it.
Yes lots of features that may or may not be of any real value, but what of the sound quality?
Hard to really translate how it sounds over TH-cam I think you'd agree. Sounds fantastic for the era and featureset.
I picked up a clean working SL-P1300 at an estate sale for 20 dollars.
Please, hold your camera still or mount it on a tripod. Moving it about like that renders the image unwatchable.
FF-1 (not FF-L) refers to Technic's single-beam laser pickup used in most of their mid-80s players
Very good to know, thank you for commenting and watching out video.
Does the player accept self-burned cd-r disc's?
Was the $3,300 the price in 1989?
Great CD player. What do you think of how it sounds?
It is the cash register of a supermarket.
Lol
Der ist nicht von 89. Der ist von 84.
that made a lot of difference. First cdj.
2 Fach Over Sampler.
Maybe but they are $1000 every day.
have had 2 well what a disaster that everything was bad about those things and technics got them back at least monthly and the courier no longer dared to ring the doorbell the denons were much, much better
Für Radiostationen.
had several of those ... they are not really that rare.... just recap the motor board and they play for another 10 years.... also the lid switches are not the best
Turn up or change your mic, you are too quiet in all of your videos I have chanced upon
Thanks we'll check it out.
miläss aböve äny ml lädle devveiß -.-
the regas äre ´zöö?..
mättäh kühdäZZäy lennnie v v
´4 -. - nö cäl en ´däre -.- äh tülläh inkZökc vv
I bought the same device just yesterday. What a coincidence.
That *IS* a coincidence! Enjoy!