Every turntable released since the Technics 1210 MK2 has tried to copy its layout, feel, and legendary build quality. Technics got everything right with this one, as the Mk2 remains the most sought-after version (later models arguably didn’t improve things).
While hi-fi enthusiasts use these turntables to carefully place vinyl and kick back to enjoy the music, us DJs hammer them like musical instruments. And over the decades, we’ve discovered clever hacks to solve real club problems and improve turntable performance overall.
From hidden nudge buttons to preventing needle skip, here are seven tips worth knowing…
1. Use the strobe light to match musical keys
There’s a strobe light that shines on the dots around the edge of the platter. This light flashes 50 times a second (or 60 times in the US). When your pitch control (the tempo slider) is centred at zero, the middle row of dots appears completely still – they’re “frozen” by the flashing light. Move the pitch slider, and those dots start moving. They shift right when you slow down, and left when you speed up.
Here’s the hack: The top row of dots freezes when the pitch control sits at roughly +6%. That’s about one semitone higher in musical pitch. Back when DJs couldn’t digitally adjust keys, we relied on this to shift a track’s key by one note. When those top dots stopped moving, you knew you’d hit exactly +6%.
2. The pop-up light lets you “see” the track
There’s another useful light on turntables, and this one pops up to shine light across a record’s surface (on older units, it might bang up enthusiastically as the oil wears out).
Hi-fi enthusiasts relied on this to drop the needle in exactly the right place when listening in darkened rooms. DJs discovered a different application: reading the actual grooves of the record.
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Quiet parts of tracks look smooth in the grooves, while loud parts look rougher and more jagged. Get down low so your eyes are level with the record, and you can literally see how far it is until the next breakdown or big change in volume. It’s like looking at a waveform on DJ software, but you’re reading it directly from the vinyl grooves. This is invaluable in dark clubs when you’re playing a track and need to know what’s coming next.
3. The earth lead stops electrical hum
At the back of the turntable, you’ll find three leads: two standard phono leads (left and right audio), plus a smaller one with a pin. That third lead is the earth lead, and it attaches to the earth pole on your mixer (all DJ mixers have one).
Turntables send a very quiet electrical signal from the magnetic cartridge under the needle. This signal is so sensitive that any electrical interference creates audible hum and buzz.
The earth lead stops this interference. Your mixer’s RIAA amp boosts this quiet signal up to the same level as CD players – without the earth lead, you’re amplifying all that interference along with your music. Unplug it from a working system and you’ll immediately hear the difference.
Note: The turntable’s power only runs the motor and lights. The music signal is generated mechanically by the needle moving through the grooves.
4. Turn off the power for the classic “wind-down” effect
Because the audio signal doesn’t need power (see above), you can turn the power off while a record is playing and the audience will still hear everything – they’ll just hear it slowly wind down as the platter loses momentum.
This creates the absolute classic end-of-night DJ sound. It’s so popular that most modern DJ systems now include settings to emulate it. On digital controllers, you can usually adjust the “stop” button settings to create this turntable slow-down effect. With turntables, you get the real thing just by switching the power off.
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5. The 45 adapter is for large-centre records
In the UK, most 7-inch singles had small holes (like albums), but in Europe and the US, many had large holes designed for jukebox mechanisms. For these singles, the 45 adapter fills that gap.
The one that comes with Technics is decent quality – some cheaper turntables come with flimsy ones. You can always buy better aftermarket versions if you want.
6. Press both speed buttons to nudge tracks forward
When manually beatmatching, you need to keep nudging one deck to keep beats aligned. There are a few ways to do this: temporarily move the pitch slider (“riding the fader”), hold the spindle and twist it, or touch the side of the record.
Here’s a hidden method: Hold down the 33 button and tap the 45 button. The turntable nudges forward slightly (watch the strobe dots shift). This gives you a hands-free way to speed up a track without touching the vinyl. It’s like using the pitch bend buttons on modern controllers, except it’s been hiding on Technics all along.
Important: This only works when playing 33 RPM records in one direction (speeding up).
7. Reverse the counterweight to stop needle skipping
The counterweight at the back of the tonearm adjusts how much pressure the needle puts on the record. Setting this correctly is important for sound quality and protecting your vinyl.
In clubs, bass vibrations from speakers can bounce the needle out of the groove, make it skip, or create distortion. Sometimes even with correct counterweight settings, you need more downward pressure to keep the needle in the groove.
Many DJs stick a penny to the headshell with Blu-Tack to add extra weight, but there’s an alternative: take the counterweight off, flip it round, and screw it back on. This adds significantly more weight. Yes, this will wear out your needles and records faster, but if bass vibrations are making it impossible to play music, it’s worth knowing this option exists.
Finally…
These hacks show how DJs have always adapted equipment to do what we need. The Technics 1210 wasn’t designed for scratching, beat juggling, or bass-heavy clubs…yet DJs figured out how to make it work anyway. That’s why, decades later, it remains the gold standard.
Read this next: My First DJ Gig On Vinyl In 22 Years – What I Learned
Got questions about Technics turntables or vinyl DJing in general? Ask away in the comments below – we’re here to help. And if you’re serious about your DJ education and want access to all our courses, hundreds of exclusive lessons, and everything we create in the future, check out the All-Access Pass.
Have you tried any of these hacks? Got any of your own to share? Let us know in the comments.
