Upgrade your Technics with this ingenious ultra pitch shift and MIDI hack

Push the limits with ±16%, ±25% and ±50% pitch shifts.

Part of the enduring appeal of the Technics SL-1200 is its simplicity. A deck for the purist DJ, it largely avoids bells and whistles in favour of non-negotiable quality and longevity.

But what if you could have the best of both worlds? Limited by Technics’ in-built ±8% pitch shift, top-notch tech modder DJ Backtrack has come up with the a DIY mod kit to add ultra pitch and MIDI to a standard Technics SL-1200.

But what does that mean exactly? Using the 33 and 45 rpm buttons, you’ll be able to push your pitch shift beyond the standard ±8% to ±16% ,±25% and even ±50% speeds, as identified by LED light changes. Using a similar system, the mod also allows to bring in a full two octave MIDI pitch control via a 5 pin MIDI port.

You just need to watch the video below to understand what a game-changer this is:

While DJ Backtrack offers a fully detailed PDF guide for you to mod your own decks, you will need some experience of soldering to tackle this. For those a little daunted by the task, Backtrack is also offering to make the adjustments for you at a price of 160€ per deck.

Click here to find out more about the mod and how to get your decks upgraded. You can watch DJ Backtrack’s more detailed description in the video below. [via DJ Worx]