If you've read our article on the history of LPs and turntables , you already know that the search for the best equipment and techniques for recording and reproducing sounds has been going on for over 100 years. Since the advent of phonographs, through gramophones, and on to modern turntables, the design of sound-reproducing equipment has changed enormously. Since then, the way we listen to and make music has also completely changed.

With the release of the book Revolution: The History Of Turntable Design , by the North American publisher Phaidon Press , dedicated to listing and describing some of the most notable turntable models since 1950, as well as their cultural impacts, we decided to do a small survey of our own, for NOIZE readers.



Below, check out some of the most remarkable turntable models, in our opinion, for the history of music as we know it today:


GARRARD 301

In 1953, the first turntable model appeared that allowed alternating platter rotation speeds for all types of recordings. The turntable could play records at 33, 45, and 78 rpm, driven by a pulley system .

It's a classic and remains, to this day, one of the most celebrated vintage hi-fi models among audiophiles. Because it reproduced all record speeds on the market, the Garrard 301 was one of the most used by radios European companies, such as the BBC, to broadcast their programs.



PHILCO TPA-1

We often say that we do not recommend the small suitcases for those who want to listen to quality vinyl records. But we have to admit: in the mid-1950s, it was a small case that helped change the history of music and turntables. The TS1, a piece of equipment all-in-one , was the first record player to operate without needing to be connected to external electrical power.

During the rock n' roll boom in the USA, the equipment, which operated using its own battery, its own speakers and played 45 rpm records, made music on vinyl records definitively portable.



TECHNICS SL1200

We've already talked specifically about the SL-1200 in a text here . The Technics series of turntables (which also includes the SP-10, SL-1100 and SL-1200 MK2), launched in the 1970s, was one of the first to use the direct-drive system , where the motor is connected to the turntable without intermediaries, resulting in an increase in start-up speed when playing.

With this and other changes, some artists began using turntables as musical instruments. The emergence of the Technics SL-1200 is directly linked to the rise of turntablism, DJs, and musical creation in hip-hop culture.



BEOGRAM 400

Also released in the 1970s, this record player was one of the first to adopt the linear-tracking , making the arm move across the record more stably, always following a straight radial line.

The model, which operates using a belt-drive system , is a favorite among audiophiles and was even recreated by Bang & Olufsen in 2020.



SHARP SG 220

To complete, we cannot fail to mention a representative of the 3 in 1. These devices became popular due to their practicality: in a single device, a record player, a tape player and a receiver with a radio. Among them, one of the most iconic and well-known is the Sharp SG 220. Even today, it's easy to find one of these used for purchase online.

With the With the emergence and spread of CDs , these devices underwent transformations, incorporated new media and became 4 in 1. During the 80s and 90s, they were extremely present in the homes of those who wanted to listen to quality vinyl records, but without having several dedicated devices.