in 1972, technics started making their sl-1200 turntable, which became the most popular turntable for djs due to its high torque direct drive design. the sl-1200 had a rapid start and its durable direct drive enabled djs to manipulate the platter, as with scratching techniques. hip hop djs began using the technics sl-1200s as musical instruments to manipulate records with turntablism techniques such as scratching and beat juggling rather than merely mixing records. these techniques were developed in the 1970s by dj kool herc, grand wizard theodore, and afrika bambaataa, as they experimented with technics direct-drive decks, finding that the motor would continue to spin at the correct rpm even if the dj wiggled the record back and forth on the platter. although technics stopped producing the sl-1200 in 2010, they remain the most popular dj turntable due to their high build quality and durability.