The Technics SL-10 is a

direct-drive A direct-drive mechanism is a mechanism design where the force or torque from a prime mover is transmitted directly to the effector device (such as the drive wheels of a vehicle) without involving any intermediate couplings such as a gear train o ...

, linear tracking automatic

turntable A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

, which was produced from 1979 to 1985. SL-10 DA26-04M182 4-2 IMG6634p

Features

The SL-10 was the first linear-tracking turntable to feature direct drive, a Technics innovation dating back to 1969 with the SP-10 Mk I. The SL-10, along with its fully programmable stablemate the SL-15, was able to penetrate the consumer electronics market much more effectively than any preceding linear-tracking turntable, and it spawned a wave of imitators throughout the 1980s, along with many derivations by Technics itself. Unlike many of the inexpensive designs that followed it, the SL-10 is cast from aluminum and weighs 6.5 kg (14 lb). Its chassis is the same size as a standard LP jacket, doing away with the large plinth, visible tonearm and general bulk associated with conventional radial-tracking turntables that the public was familiar with up to that point. The SL-10 came equipped with the Technics EPS-310MC moving-coil cartridge. Due to the low output of the moving-coil cartridge, the SL-10 includes a built-in, bypassable step-up preamp to allow it to connect to standard phono inputs. The original Technics EPS-310MC moving-coil cartridge was designed to be replaced as a unit; the stylus was not removable. The cartridge has since been discontinued; the SL-10 will accept any P-mount/T4P cartridge. The SL-10 is capable of being powered by an external DC power adapter or a standard AC power supply. The motor is quartz-locked, providing accurate rotational speed. Perhaps the SL-10's most unusual feature is its ability to play records in any position, even in a vertical position, in fact records could be played upside down with the lid closed, the SL-10's internal disc clamp holds the record in place, and the tonearm, being dynamically balanced, maintains a consistent tracking force regardless of the turntable position. An example of the SL-10 was in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Specifications

Platter Type: 300mm (11¾") diameter die-cast aluminium"Vinyl Engine page for the Technics SL-10"
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Speed Accuracy: +/- 0.002%
Wow and Flutter: 0.025%
Rumble: -78 dB
Tonearm Type: Dynamic balanced linear tracking

gimbal A gimbal is a pivoted support that permits rotation of an object about an axis. A set of three gimbals, one mounted on the other with orthogonal pivot axes, may be used to allow an object mounted on the innermost gimbal to remain independent of ...

suspension
Effective Tonearm Length: 105mm (4¼")
Original Cartridge: EPC-310MC
Cartridge Frequency Response: 10 to 60,000 Hz
Dimensions: 315 x 88 x 315mm (12½" x 3½" x 12½")
Weight: 6.5kg (14 lb)

Notes

References

SL10 page on Technics Museum site
{{Panasonic 1981 musical instruments Turntables DJ equipment Electronic musical instruments Japanese inventions Musical instruments invented in the 1980s Panasonic products Turntablism