Still worth getting 1210s? Is this still relevant?
Sudden melodramatic dilemma alert…
Looks like there are many Technics 1210’s out there for decent prices, loads of older DJs are getting rid of them. Having recently upgraded to Traktor Scratch, I was leaning towards getting a setup. Seems like a no-brainer: practicing would be much much more fun than messing around with a controller and I just always somehow felt I should own a pair.
Weird thing is, at the same time I’m about to shell out the cash, I got mixed feelings. It’s 2012. Almost nobody uses turntables or vinyl anymore and I’m pretty confident I’ll always use USB sticks CDJs when playing out live. Everything is on laptops/tablets, kids have no idea how to turn it on. Isn’t this a step back, some weird form of premature middle-age crisis akin to buying Corvettes?? Can this money be used better? Like modular systems, better soundcards for production, etc…
Well I have a pair of 1200s and a pair of 1210s which is why I’m selling one, but I’d hate to get rid of turntables altogether. I don’t even use them very often, but I love them too much to lose them.
I have sold 3 pairs of Technics in my time & regretted every one - if I had space I would get some more, and it sounds like you’d have fun on them so why not - you don’t have to use them playing out.
This post is actually timed perfectly. I recently switched to a DVS setup with 2 Tech 1210’s (I’d say about 2 months ago?). To give you a bit of background, I started DJ’ing maybe 3 years ago, initially with Ableton and an APC40… Then I moved onto Traktor and was using an X1 and my X1600 mixer. I used that for about a year and a half and I loved it. It was a super easy set up, worked just as you’d think, and it was great. But something was missing. I was starting to get super tired of beatgridding my songs and wanted to learn how to beatmatch manually.
So 2 months ago I picked up a single Tech 1210 and used it with Traktor scratch in single turntable mode, just to decide if it was for me or not. Not soon after I bought a second table. And last night I had a massive epiphany. I was pissed I didn’t buy them ages ago! There’s just something about the aesthetic and feel of manipulating vinyl on a platter versus a controller that just feels more organic to me. Not only that, but I’ve found myself becoming much more creative with them, and without beatgridding songs (something I used to labor over intensely). As part of a DVS system, they’re incredible. I’ve never used CDJs so I can’t compare to them, though from what I hear CDJ’s have less tempo drift… In my experience with Technics, they have tempo quartz lock and you can typically dial in your tempo to .01 accuracy and the quartz lock keeps it there with pretty minimal drift if any. As an emergency measure, I’ve MIDI mapped 2 buttons on my mixer for phase sync Deck A and phase sync Deck B. So if stuff starts to come slightly off line while I’m in the mix, I can just tap one of those buttons once and it will get back on phase.
Long story short, I absolutely love the tables and I couldn’t see myself going in another direction other than CDJ’s. I certainly will never go back to a controller. Plus as a music lover, it’s great to finally be able to collect vinyls for my favorite releases. Analog really DOES sound better. I didn’t want to believe it and figured a FLAC or WAV would be preferred, but playing a vinyl of the latest FlyLo for example, against a FLAC of the same album, and you can clearly hear so much more warmth in the entire sound scape. Certainly more low end warmth and it just seems to sound much more natural to me.
No doubt about it, technics have their history and place in the DJing world, id never get rid of my set. I wish I had room for another set so I can set it up battle style and have friends over.
Vinyl is still the funnest way to mix in my opinion. Like people say you can’t beat the feeling of wax cueing up and throwing records is way more enjoyable.
Sometimes you have to make decisions with your heart and not your head, and you also have to avoid getting swayed too much by what other people are doing. Finding the DJ setup you love using the most is important IMO. I’ve tried all kinds of DJ setups over the years, but I could never switch to using something other than turntables and a mixer.
I disagree about the money being better spent elsewhere. The core setup is the most important thing. You’re probably just thinking of the risk of spunking a load of money on something that you might not like, but if that’s the case, shop around for a good deal on some second hand 1200s and if you don’t like them after a few months, put them up for sale for what you paid for them. At least then you’ll have scratched the itch and it won’t play on your mind!
Realistically, the only thing that turntables (Technics or otherwise) get you is good control over scratching. If scratching is fundamental to your mixing, then I understand.
Otherwise, you’re paying $600-1000 for two heavy effect boxes that you’ll use sparingly. That money can be utilized on controllers (or even cheaper, more modern turntables) that can do a lot more than the Technics can.
So from a value standpoint, yes, the money can be used better elsewhere without question. But that didn’t stop me from buying a pair of 1210’s.
But of course, as mentioned above, used Technics retail their value really well. So they are a pretty low-risk purchase unlike most other equipment, which can depreciate quickly.
Technics are the best, most beautiful pieces of DJ equipment ive ever seen. I had the pleasure of buying a pair of mk5gs yesterday and they are 100% sex
