The direct drive system uses a slow-turning motor to directly drive the platter. This system has various advantages. It offers high performance, such as rotation accuracy and powerful torque, does not require replacement of parts and maintains high reliability over a long period of time. On the other hand, the direct drive system was said to produce a rotation irregularity called cogging. For the SL-1200M7L, a new coreless direct drive motor was developed. This motor employs a coreless stator. The removal of the core (iron core) from the stator eliminated the root cause of cogging. Furthermore, the magnetic force of the rotor magnets was improved to the highest possible level, and the gap between the coreless stator and rotor magnets was optimised, thus achieving high-torque-performance equaling that of the SL-1200M7L. Boasting smooth rotation and powerful torque, this motor reproduces sound accurately and faithfully from the groove on an analogue record.

Torque / Brake Speed Adjustment
The newest digital motor control technology, accumulated through the development of Blu-ray disc products, is applied to improve adjustment by allowing the torque and brake speed to be adjusted individually in four steps.

The Pitch Control Function
The pitch control function allows fine adjustment of the rotation speed within ±8% / ±16%. It does this through digital control, from positional detection of the slider to rotational control of the motor, eliminating the unnecessary DA conversion. This greatly improves tracking performance to achieve accurate and stable pitch adjustment.

Reverse Play Function
The reverse play function, which brings forth new possibilities of creative performance, makes its first appearance in the SL-1210 Series. In addition to 33-1/3 rpm and 45 rpm, a rotation speed of 78 rpm is supported.