16 - 33 - 45 - 78 RPM: a Technics SL-1200 MK2 that features all four speeds!

Although present days not only mark a huge revival of vinyl records, but also a moderate revival of shellac records and as a consequence of turntables more or less apt to play them, by the end of the XX century it became impossible to purchase a new turntable featuring the 78 RPM speed. In those years it actually became difficult to purchase a new record player at all. As I have always enjoyed listening to old tunes as well as contemporary music, the long-term reliability of old record players - for which spare parts were no longer available since decades – became for me a worrying concern. In the year 2007 I finally found out that Kevin of KAB electroacoustics, New Jersey, had engineered a module that would add the 78 RPM speed to the legendary Technics SL-1200 Mk2 turntable. I felt as I had struck gold, and although the installation of the module implied removing the entire main board from the Technics and mailing it forwards and backwards overseas, with duties and so on in between, I went for it as fast as I could and never regret it.

But 16 RPM records - although to a different degree - were still an issue. Indeed they are odd and rare, but as a matter of fact don’t we usually do our outmost in order to valorise odd and rare pieces of art? I then begun to periodically write to Kevin and ask if anything was feasible in order to add also the 16 RPM speed to the Technics SL-1200. I knew he had occasionally modified few one-off turntables for libraries, however for many years nothing was available for general customers. But recently, at last, he engineered and released the clever Half Speed module, which halves all speeds available on a Technics SL-1200, thus lowering the 33 and 1/3 RPM speed down to exactly the elusive 16 and 2/3 RPM speed. This time I felt as I had struck oil: words can’t express how thrilled I was! Unlike the 78 RPM module, the new one would come with an instruction sheet, in order to let skilled customers do the job themselves. Few weeks of uncertainty were still ahead, as seemingly the two add-ons were never assembled together, and it was unclear if they were fully compatible with each other, end even if they would physically fit the space below the turntable. For these reasons, I believe that at the time this videoclip was made my unit was the only Technics SL-1200 in the world featuring all four standard speeds. The two modules proven to work absolutely fine side by side, and their installation ended with a complete success.

To receive information or purchase the 78 RPM “Broadcast Standard” and the 16 RPM “Half Speed” modules, please consult this page:
http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/m...