IDM Mailing Archive

Ian Smith just posted a message to the BPM list about Technics discontinuing the SL1200. I'm just wondering whether Technics really understand their market with this deck. It strikes me that Technics think of this as a piece of domestic hi-fi equipment, and largely fail to realize its importance as a piece of professional DJ equipment. If this is the way they're thinking, I can understand their logic: the market for quality domestic turntables is certainly on the decline. Evidence in the fact that new decks ship without slipmats, but with rubber mats like many other hi-fi turntables. The rubber mats, of course, are designed to prevent the record from slipping, and as such are completely useless for cueing and beatmatching. Assuning this is absolutely definite, I wonder if it's worth writing to Matsushita head office (Japan) explaining to them that they have close to 100% of the professional DJ market, and that their product is used by famous DJ's world wide. It may not make any difference, but I suspect that it would be read, and would receive a reply..... Any of the famous DJ's on these lists interested in writing to Matsushita.....? Cosmic

quoted 2 lines i really would think that technics knows very well that their 1200's are

> i really would think that technics knows very well that their 1200's are > the industry standard.

I would have expected it too. It just strikes me as odd that the decks as shipped by Technics come with mats that are designed just for playing records, not for mixing.

quoted 2 lines any fool would know this let alone marketing

> any fool would know this let alone marketing > researchers or whatever they use at matsushita.

Again, I would expect so. But their head office in Tokyo is far removed from the European and American club scenes. And who knows how many 1200's are used by DJ's in Japan....? Maybe the Japanese market is completely different.... Cosmic

On Tue, 14 Jun 1994, Roy Badami wrote:

quoted 4 lines Again, I would expect so. But their head office in Tokyo is far

> Again, I would expect so. But their head office in Tokyo is far > removed from the European and American club scenes. And who knows how > many 1200's are used by DJ's in Japan....? Maybe the Japanese market is > completely different....

i would guess that between 90-99% of all their mk2's get sold outside of japan, and i would think that they would wonder where that 99% of profit was being made and who was buying them. i'm sure if there's not a better or equal replacement to the mk2 (such as the mk3) then some company other than technics will start building a deck with the same high standards of quality as the mk2 was built with. and they probably include the rubbermat just as premise that not all people who will use it will be spinning. maybe they should start including slipmats *and* rubbermats or something. :) anyway, i've read a lot of people's frightened posts about how they'll have to scurry and rob banks to buy their 1200's before they stop making the mk2, but with the club/rave following so big in europe and with it growing in the u.s. there *will* be something equal if not better than the mk2. chris .-'~~~-. .'o oOOOo`. :~~~-.oOo o`. `. \ ~-. oOOo. `.; / ~. OO: ......sQuiShy Designs....... .' ;-- `.o.' email: squishy@world.std.com this'll stop them shakes ,' ; ~~--'~ ftp: ftp.std.com /pub/cmellow , ; ; ftp: amt.mit.edu /pub/jshiple _\\;_\\//_________ fingerforPGPpubkey

quoted 4 lines I'm just wondering whether Technics really understand their market

> I'm just wondering whether Technics really understand their market > with this deck. It strikes me that Technics think of this as a piece > of domestic hi-fi equipment, and largely fail to realize its > importance as a piece of professional DJ equipment.

They MUST realise this. Arent the 'mixing champoinships' sponsored by Technics? How could they produce a design classic like the sl1200 and not realise that it somthing special. For one, they could tell this from the market (demand) alone. Maybe they have warehouses full of them and want to get people to buy them quickly ...... before they release the secret CD equivalent design classic. (btw Technics did produce a CD player that was obviously intended to be the Cd equiv of the sl1200, I think it might have even been called the SLP1200? - it borrows some of styling from the 1210 - same pitch fader etc. has a sloping front and top loading hatch. ) I reckon the SL1200 deserves a design classic tribute programme on Channel 4 ( = uk tv.) like they had for the E-type Jag! Chris.