Originally posted on FACT.

Iconic cartridge captured at 500 frames per second.

The Shure M44-7 cartridge is a legendary piece of DJ equipment. Although it has long been marketed as having been ”engineered for scratch DJs and turntablists,” with “ultra high” skip resistance and “ultra low” record wear, the Shure M44-7 pre-dates the advent of hip-hop by a few decades, having first been introduced on to the market way back in 1963.

Since then, the M44-7 has held its position a widely popular piece of kit amongst DJs of all types. The needle was redeveloped by Shure in the ’80s before being re-marketed towards turntablists, and has maintained its popularity in recent years due to its suitability for reading control vinyl used with software such as Scratch Live and Traktor.

The video above shows what happens when you drop an M44-7 on to a record in slow motion. Shot at 500 frames per second, the video highlights the needle’s excellent and intricate suspension system, which has proved to be a major factor in the M44-7′s enduring success. [via FACT / DJ Tech Tools]

If you liked that you should definitely also check out these incredible photos of styli and vinyl grooves under the microscope.