3 years ago, I
posted a story in response to rumours about the rationalisation of the Technics range - a gentle snip snip and off went the 1200/1210 MK5 (or did they?). 18 months later, a global Technics famine
seemed to point to the imminent doom of the almighty 1200. And here are today, gripped in a Twitternet frenzy based on one story out of New Zealand purporting to spell out the end of Technics in February 2010. Hope I can bring some context to this as yet unsubstantiated rumour.
Firstly, please stop using the above stories as some sort of relevant substance to the current wild and unconfirmed rumour. They were written ages ago and not really relevant to what's happening now. Besides, despite Panasonic UK confirming that the 1200/1210 MK5 would be discontinued, 3 years later it still seems to be in plentiful supply, albeit costing quite a bit more. The MK5G for instance is in shouting distance of £600 per deck. PER DECK.
The second story I posted was in response to a deluge of emails about a Technics famine, and after some journo hackery, I extrapolated a scenario of the Technics brand shutting up shop. This theorising on my part still has the potential to pan out as all the relevant factors are still in place - credit crunch, massive decline in sales of turntables etc - but as yet, I've yet to see anything substantive to back up the current rumour.
And what of this rumour? Where did it come from? Well I first saw it in a
forum thread on Ean Golden's djtechtools site. The source of the info was
DMC New Zealand, who stated this:
"We have just heard the sad news from Panasonic (the manufacturer of Technics) that production of the world famous Technics SL-1200 and SL-1210 DJ turntables will stop at the end of February 2010. This marks the end of an era - Technics have been the industry standard for over 35 years with this turntable and the SL-1200 is synonymous with the DJ culture. It has been released and re-released over 9 times with different models and numerous other manufacturers have tried to compete with this deck, but above all, the Technics SL-1200 & Technics SL-1210 are the undisputed number one deck in the world."
Production will stop… seems conclusive right? And then there's this story posted on
inthemix which adds some juicy extras, including an elusive statement that I can't track down on any official Panasonic channels anywhere. I'm not saying it doesn't exist in an inbox somewhere, but I'd like to think that the closure of the Technics brand ergo the death of the most iconic turntable outside of the HMV gramophone might have made it out onto the wider global PR network, instead of leaking via a dealer in NZ and leaching out on Twitter (which has retweets around every 60 seconds right now).
Forgive me, but when I wrote 18 months ago, I talked about the possibility and laid out the exhaustive facts and evidence as I saw them. But I didn't say that Technics was definitely shutting down. Now based on an as yet clarified statements, the world is under the assumption (for that's all it is) that the Technics brand has finally been packed off to the great iconic brand graveyard in the sky.
The retailer network is decidedly and uncharacteristically quiet on this right now, and trying to extract any info from Panasonic is like pulling teeth - hens teeth at that. So until I see an OFFICIAL statement from a Panasonic email address, or a news story on a Panasonic website, the current rumour remains just that. As of now, I really can't be sure if this is simply a distribution thing to NZ and Australia or is an early and unfortunate leak of a wider and as yet to be globally announced decision.
I could write more about the life and death of brand, but as far as I'm concerned, it hasn't happened just yet. However, I'm putting out an official call for information on this one. If anyone knows people at Panasonic who is willing to confirm, deny or at least clarify the rumours, please get them to
drop me a line. And any info from the dealer channels would be equally useful. On the record or off is fine by me. As ever, I simply want to post the correct info for the DJ scene to have as fact, rather than adding to the wildfire rumour mill currently running rampant through the Twitterverse.
UPDATE - 30/11/09: Panasonic Australia seem to be backtracking. This email was sent to Jeremy Leitch, Managing Director of
Store DJ:
Regarding an email I sent last week regarding the end of manufacture of Technics turntables.
We have had a misunderstanding in communication with the factory and my original email is incorrect.
Panasonic will continue to manufacture and supply Technics turntables for the forseeable future.
We regret any problems this may have caused in the meantime.
Regards.
______________________________________________________________________
David Blair | Sales Executive | Consumer Electronics Group| Panasonic Australia
Soooo.... quite a misunderstanding there. Only managed to cause global panic amongst the DJ community with that one Panasonic. And when I combine this with grapevine buzz (this may possibly be the last order you can ever place kind of thing), it get the feeling that Panasonic are toying with the idea of closing down the brand, but wanted to gauge opinion first. There is also an inference that if they got enough orders, they'd just fire up the production line anyway.
That being the case, there is a huge difference between worldwide outpouring of emotion and sentiment, and people actually willing to drop coin on new Technics. I'm sure there would be a massive difference in people mourning the loss of Technics and those willing to spend cash to save the brand for another year.
So despite this oops my bad backtracking from Panasonic Australia, I'm still not sure exactly what is going on. I was going to spend time on the phone in a probable eternal hold cycle calling up Panasonic UK, Europe, US, Australia and Japan to find out what the real deal is. But you know what - I got fed a heap of crap before and I'm just not willing to waste any more time on this.
My advice - if you want Technics, go buy some. There's no point in waiting until you can't get them anymore and then bitching about it. It's not like you haven't had the warning about the possible impending doom. You've had 3 decades as well as 3 years of rumours abut impending demise. For me, the writing is on the wall - if you want Technics, buy them while you can.
UPDATE 2 - 30/11/09: Uh oh... this just in from DMC New Zealand - the original source of this current rumour, which does seem to rather fly in the face of what I just posted:
It’s Phillip here from DMC New Zealand. We sent the email newsletter to our customers last week advising of the announcement that the Technics turntables are being discontinued. I have provided some more information here as a further clarification of our sources on the news, as there has obviously been a huge amount of interest and debate on the topic on the internet over over the weekend.
DMC have been the main retailer of Technics turntables in New Zealand for about 10 years now. We received an email from the NZ Panasonic product manager for Technics, James Petterson (who I have dealt with for many years now), on the 19th of November advising “I am sorry to say that the manufacture of Technics turntables will end in February (2010). A sad day!” He advised that February was the last possible month for them to order any more stock. Finding the news too hard to believe we then requested further clarification from him from Japan – did this mean Technics were being discontinued just in the New Zealand market or was it a world wide thing? We received a reply from him the following week, on the 25th of November, stating - “Japan have come back and said that the turntables are being discontinued all over the world.” Panasonic New Zealand is actually owned by Panasonic Corporation Japan so this information has in effect come straight from the horse’s mouth. Taking this as confirmation we then emailed out the sad news to our customers the following day on the 26th. I was unaware at that stage that this was some of the first news of the announcement but I’ve subsequently seen that there have also been similar reports from Australia - "It is a sad day today but due to low sales globally in analogue turntables a decision to stop production has been made on Technics Turntables. For Australia this means we will receive our last shipment in March", says Ian North product manager for Panasonic Australia.
In a further discussion with James Petterson here in NZ over the weekend it appears that Panasonic Japan have so far advised some of their international distributors (like NZ and Australia) of the Technics news but have not announced it themselves from Japan. With the rapid world wide spread of the news on the internet it would be a good move for Panasonic Japan to come forth with an “official announcement” themselves very soon. DJs have supported these Turntables (and therefore their company) for over 35 years now so shouldn’t Japan themselves be letting everyone know this kind of news as soon as possible? It’s a long shot but our main hope is that there is enough worldwide support shown for Technics continuing, in the way of petitions, forums, blogs, etc, that Panasonic Corporation will bow to international pressure and change their minds - not allowing the legendary decks to become a thing of legend.
As they say, we will keep you posted as any more news comes to hand.
Phillip
Dmcworld.co.nz / Technics.co.nz
I can only assume that Panasonic Japan isn't aware of the power if the internet, and the relative inability to keep a lid on anything these days. Info as hot as this will leak out within nanoseconds. Sadly, the info is clashing harder than the Hadron Collider right now.
As ever, I'll keep you informed and try to make skratchworx the one stop source for Technics fact, confusion, lies and sarcasm. Sorry people - no black armband here. Change is due. While I don't want Technics to end, I'm not exactly going to start a Facebook group mourning the loss before it's even been confirmed. Oh wait... someone already has.
UPDATE 3 - 30/11/09: Sally from DMC HQ has had some contact from Technics Head office in Japan, who said on Twitter "I heard from Technics Japan this morning, and there is NO confirmation or truth that these rumours are true about the Technics Turntables!!!!"
She's trying to get them to issue an official statement out of Japan HQ on my behalf, but until I see such a thing, this whole bloody mess is about as clear as mud on a foggy London day. Still, it's hilarious to read the constant retweeting of all the different rumours as well as my 3 year old story - despite adding a disclaimer to it.
UPDATE 4 - 30/11/09: i just got a mail from Nico, editor at German website
www.golem.de. He had a chat with a spokeswoman at Panasonic Germany this morning who said "This does not apply to the German market". For the German speakers out there, here's the
golem.de story.
The emphasis does seem to shift towards Technics till being alive and kicking. But that official statement from Panasonic Japan is still missing. I think that only when we see that press release will the world know for sure one way or another. So Panasonic - does the Technics brand get the crash cart or is it time to call the time of death? Only you can tell us that. I await a press release.
UPDATE 5 - 1/12/09: This just in on Twitter. A user called
panasonic_ru that does appear to very the real deal, has tweeted this:
"Печально, но факт. Со следующего года не будет вертушек Technics. Продукт перестал быть массовым и не укладывается в бизнес Panasonic."
Which Google translates to:
"Sad but true. Starting next year, will not turntables Technics. The product is no longer a massive and does not fit in the business Panasonic."
So just when you thought that the rumour was false, and Technics was reprieved, another semi official quote from Panasonic arrives to confirm the green mile walk for the might 1200.
Will this madness ever end? When will a coherent and official response come from Panasonic? I'm guessing not for a while yet. But my advice is to grab those new 1200s while you can.
UPDATE 6 - 1/12/09: Sally from DMC HQ just got a statement from Panasonic UK and posted it
on her Facebook page. For those who can't wait, it reads thus:
"As a major global business, Panasonic keeps all of its operations under constant review. However, there are no current plans to discontinue the Technics Brand.''
Forgive my scepticism, but if I recall correctly, Panasonic UK gave me a statement 3 years ago telling me they were canning the MK5, but here we are today with it still very much in the range. Hmmm...
So let's tally up the Panasonic official comments:
Panasonic UK: No
Panasonic Germany: No
Panasonic Australia: Yes, then No
Panasonic Russia: Yes
Panasonic New Zealand: Yes
So that's 3-2 in favour of Technics staying alive. What the hell is happening at Panasonic? Are they talking to each other? Is it some sort of online corporate vote with all international branches deciding the fate of Technics? Any word from Panasonic USA?
Panasonic HQ - only you can stop this, as it seems that the branches all have different ideas of what is going on. Is it a matter limiting distribution to marginal markets, or is it the end of Technics?
UPDATE 7 - 2/12/09: This just in from the original source of the rumour:
I have some more news today from NZ on the Technics saga. It appears that the frenzy of interest and support for Technics around the world via the internet since the break of the story last week has taken Japan by surprise and caught them on the back foot – they are now back-pedalling and saying that they haven’t decided yet either way on the 1200s.
I’ve spoken several times this week with James (the product manager here at Panasonic NZ), who has had a number of calls with Panasonic Japan over the last three days. While Japan haven’t given us anything official as yet, James says that they have now told him that production of the Technics turntables is currently under review and that they haven’t made an official decision yet either way - which marks a back-pedalling on what they’d said to him and Australia (and Russia?) earlier!
Maybe Panasonic were planning to quietly end Technics production early next year without any great fanfare - but then the leak of the news last week, which subsequently spread like wildfire, and the worldwide frenzy that followed has completely caught them off guard and they are now reconsidering!
Technics world sales have clearly slowed in recent times and perhaps Panasonic, who are a huge global consumer electronics corporation (and have been progressively phasing out Technics consumer electronics), have simply lost touch at a grass-roots level with the DJ community that is really passionate about the Technics 1200s, and just didn’t expect this response – they wouldn’t see this massive reaction, for example, if they’d announced a certain model of plasma screen was to be discontinued.
The guy at Panasonic Japan (I believe from the international sales & marketing arm) who leaked the info to NZ and Australia has evidently come under a lot of heat for this from his superiors and in turn Panasonic NZ and Australia have also received a lot of heat for passing this on to the retailers (which explains the back pedal in Australia). As I said we still don’t have an official statement from Japan (which may take some time with the long chain of command at Panasonic) but maybe the 1200s have had an 11th hour reprieve and won’t have to walk that green mile just yet.
And to all the people around the world making noise to save Technics – keep it up, it seems to be getting through to Japan...
Regards,
Phillip
Dmcworld.co.nz / Technics.co.nz
So while this still doesn't tell us one way or another, it does at least indicate that the future of Technics is in the balance. But thanks to the strength of feeling and passion for the brand, the bean counters at HQ are at least getting some feedback that the brand does have some life left in it yet. I suppose it's difficult to know what's going on from an accounts office in Japan.
UPDATE 8 - 5/2/10: While the official, semi official and totally unofficial statements have dried up, the largely dealer based rumour mill seems to be saying that the MK6 is likely to be coming in preference to the current range. I've picked this up from forums but haven't corroborated this with any dealers, if only because I get differing stories from them all anyway.
While we wait (and probably wait and wait) for the final word from Japan, I would like to offer Panasonic some advice - ditch
everything else with a Technics logo, ditch the MK2 and MK5, and release the 1200/1210 MK6 as the one and only model that you make. This will make production a lot simpler, and if you can hold it at a good price point, you'll have a viable future - at least for the short term. And if you do a Serato special edition in black with red trim and lights, you'll make crazy money.
What would take over as club standard decks? Once the supply of used 1210s slows down (in about 20 years!
ST.150s?
if the rumor is true i hope some other brand will come up with a decent deck that makes me wanna forget about the 12..so far i haven't seen one with the same build quality yet.
yeah, maybe Denon should try get back into the turntable market. Or maybe Pioneer should try their hand!
Ok, I'm confused, "Panasonic UK confirming that the 1200/1210 MK5 would be discontinued", how is that a "rumor"? If they did actually make that statement yet continue to manufacture decks at an inflated price to capitalize on consumers who are under the impression they'd better buy the decks before they stop being produced, then that's just bad business ethics. I can just picture the boardroom meeting at Panasonic... "Sales are down because of a saturated market so let's front like we're gonna stop making 1200's, jack up the price so everyone will buy what they think is an endangered species, and then just keep making them with no intention of stop producing them."
Personally I don't buy into the "Technics is the end-all-be-all of turntables" fanboy propaganda. Don't get me wrong, they're great decks; solid, reliable, proven etc., but I have Numark TTXs and they suit me way better than a 1200. Here's why:
-choice between S-shaped or straight tone arm
-line level output (no need for a grond wire)
-removable RCA's
-adjustable output level control
-adjustable start and brake speeds
-the ability to configure the deck for "battle mode"
-adjustable torque up to 4.5 kg
-adjustable pitch range up to 50%
-reverse mode
-not as expensive
All of these are features the 1200/1210s lack. If Technics stop being produced then I won't shed a tear. Or if they do continue to produce decks maybe they'll get with the times and actually start implementing features that I want rather than just continuing to rest on the laurels of reputation. Hey Technics, you've been around for 30 years, good for you... now give me a goddamn straight tone arm! lol.
@dizzy
you forgot to mention the most important point and that is build quality..
all these decks with these amazin features simply won't survive year after year in a club environment...
vestax pdx: more wow n flutter than technics,poor feet
stanton str-150: tonearm simply doesn't perform as well as technics
numark tt-x: one big ugly chunk of plastic,again the tone-arm is the weakest link
gemini: welcome to toyland
technics sl1210m5g is still twice as ceap as pioneer cdj2000
ps: here is a quote from wikipedia:
The Technics SL-1200 is a series of turntables manufactured between October 1972 and February 2010 by Matsushita under the brand name of Technics. Originally released as a high fidelity consumer record player, it quickly became adopted among radio and club disc jockeys. Since its release in 1978, SL-1200MK2 and its successors had been the most common turntable for DJing and scratching.
:' :' :'
( ( (
Mr.perfectbeat,The stanton 150 (superOEM) tonearm problem was solved a while age (if you really kept up on current events)
Stop being another Technics worshipper and get with it.
GIZMO,as a Technics dealer,I heard the rumor as well,seems The death of the Technics brand is apparently true
Every time Panasonic says "death of 1200's or some hype"
they use it as an excuse to raise prices,period
BTW,an actual Panasonic/Technics website says the Stanton 150 is a solid turntable
here is world class DMC level dj M-Rode cutting on a pair of Stanton 150's for all the Technics worshipping fanboys than complain like little schoolgirls about "tonearm build quality"
footage from Musikmeisse 2009 Mixvibes demo
http://www.youtube.com/mixvibes#p/u/6/gS4xGT7Qb4U
FYI an associate of mine got this footage on his own camera,they are definately stanton 150s.
so...maybe you just... suck? And can only use 1200s?
Stop complaing like a little girl and practice some more,its not the tonearm-just you.
Sorry to hyjack GIZMO,but these "Technics only" worshipping fanboys need to be straightened out and kept up with the times...Technics are not the only tables anymore
@willpowa
I'm not a tech fanboy,i prefer the straight silver tonearm on the vestax PDX2000MK2PRO.
But you seem to be a SUPER OEM Stanton STR150 fanboy..lol..and please don't tell me their better than tech 1200,it's impossible.
Sure you can use them but you can also use gemini tt-2000.
If the super OEM's were better than 1200 they would be more expensive,but the fact is that they're slightly cheaper. In the world of dj gear you pay the most for the best.
and willpowa dj m-rode uses numark ttx like many of the french dj's..brand promotional vids on dj stands don't count,they were hired to attract the attention of the product...duuuh
i mean,you see craze & klever using traktor on promo but in reality they use serato.
tip:never believe anything coming out of a salesman's mouth
do you see him having problems on the stanton 150-not at all
Numark paid a small fortune to sponsor french djs
so think hard,if he is ponsored by Numark-why is he using the stanton 150's
My point is the 150s and the like are good
first of all he used mixvibes and stanton on that 1 occasion,the equipment wasn't his own. i noticed the needle moving way to much left to right,on regular vinyl it would have skipped. I have experienced it myself.
secondly: sponsored or not he is using numark at his gigs and home,not stanton.
thirdly i'm shure the str150's are good turntable but just not as good or better and every dealer telling that they are better are liars in my book.
Hey Dizzy, actually there IS a techs with straight tone-arm (custom made of course) and a lot of folks out there are having some really smart mods on their techs making them maybe one of the most durable table ever made
address
Surely Technics mods fly in the face of the pant wettingly awesome greatness of the deck?
Ok, some facts. I don't want to fuel anything, this is just some proper info-
Fact-Technics has to re-do their tooling every few years
Fact-Technics, when they were averaging 4-6 years on their tooling, had to remake their tooling in 2001
Fact-Turntable sales have gone down since then, possibly extending that.
Fact-With a turntable downturn, they could have in theory extended that to 2009
Fact-every time they re-do their tooling, they have had a serious discussion about discontinuing their turntables
Fact-The Technics SL1200 series is the only non-discontinued DJ product they have now (even the RP-DH1200 is gone).
Take from that what you will.
I have not been in the DJ game for a bit, but I have to say that whatever the end result, Technics has a solid and reliable run. I still have my first pair of 1200MKII that I bought back in day, one at a time.
If they go, they go. They had an excellent run and no one will contest their quality and build. On the flip side, the market is becoming digitally saturated and the industry heavy hitters such as Pioneer and Denon are looking to capitalize off that in one way or another. Kudos. Technics made a very poor attempt with their own CDJ that just didn't catch on.
I look forward to see what happens next; with or without Technics.
I blame DJ Hero; if this is true, that is.
Food Stamp-if the decision was made it was made at least a year ago-just ramping up for new tooling is a many month decision. Blame the decline of vinyl sales, which can be blamed on you, the DJ. If it was still a lucrative business where they would be ensured to make back their investment they would do it, and DJ's have spoken with fewer turntable sales than ever.
quote:
" Blame the decline of vinyl sales, which can be blamed on you, the DJ."
Vinyl sales have been going up, so....no.
The decline of vinyl is entirely down to the digital age.
As DJs, we're a very small part of the music buying world and barely made any difference to sales figures. So when CD came along, it was simply a more convenient medium for Joe Public to buy their music on. And when the likes of iTunes came along, the same vast music buying public switched accordingly. The vast majority of them don't care for the medium - they simply want the music.
Vinyl sales going up? An increase in bugger all is still bugger all. Let's not get our hopes up for some return to the heady days of one turntable per household.
@Superfly-
Vinyl sales are up in terms of what they were 5 years ago, which was complete crap. Now, it is slightly up from complete crap. The majority of those sales though are timecode wax, and the vast majority of turntable sales are NOT SL1200's, they are USB turntables purchased so that people can encode their collections and not have to ever play their wax again. When you think about this, wrap your head around the concept that the turntable customer that news teams are reporting on is not you-they are young hipsters and old people, not DJ's, who have either moved on to CD's/Digital Controllers or are buying used/cheap tables and not fueling the market for turntables like the SL1200.
@mr perfectbeat "In the world of dj gear you pay the most for the best."
This is such a load of crap. Technics is just good at marketing their 'best turntable of all time' brand. Do yo even know what the margin% on these things is? Same thing goes for e.g. the Vestax 05 mixer, way too expensive for what you get (have you opened it up?).
read and enjoy
http://www.colinfitz.com/panasonic-to-cease-production-of-technics-1210-turntables-in-2010/
Thanks Technics.
@Touba Fr - Hilarious. I posted this whole story in response to the exact thing you posted. They even quote my 3 YEAR OLD story as some sort of clarification.
@Gizmo: excuse me. I'm french and my translate in english is not good for your story.
I did not make the relation between your post and the link which I put.
quote:
"The majority of those sales though are timecode wax"
That's ridiculous,the reason why vinyl sales are higher than that they where in 1991 is because kids (not lazy dj's) are buying rock,pop,soul,alternative records..not because of timecoded discs and dj's being spoiled.
The Amoeba stores,the biggest independent recordstores in the world have no complaints at all.
Machiel,the vestax 05 ain't that expensive and that also goes for the 1200mk2's. Ever saw the price on a Rodec scratchbox or Rane ttm57? Now that is insane.
@Perfectbeat-
Show me some stats that wax sales are higher than they were in 1991, please. Real stats. I would love to see this. Why are record stores I used to shop at and were thriving IN THE 1990's closing left and right? When you have few sources the small pie becomes larger, but the fact remains that less labels put out wax than ever, most releases come out digitally and the majority of turntable sales on actual industry sales reports are turntables made for recording your wax to your PC?
@breakure,
that needle on the straight arm still still has the same angle as on an s-shaped arm. so there is absolutely no point in placing that arm on a tech being a scratch dj.
the needle needs to have a straight angle in order to make it less skippable,that's the reason why turntablists rotate their M44-7 carts 23 degrees counterclockwise on s-shaped decks.
There is no way on this planet that vinyl sales are higher than they were in 1991. NO WAY. Vinyl is substantially less than 1% of all music sales these days.
Here's a quote about about vinyl sales in the US only.
The ArtistForce.com blog discusses Nielsen’s 2008 music sales figures and points out that vinyl sales are increasing:
“On a surprising note, vinyl saw an increase this year. In fact, more vinyl albums were purchased in 2008 than in any other year since Nielsen SoundScan started paying attention back in 1991. Consumers purchased 1.88 million LP’s in 2008, a whopping 89 percent increase over 2007.”
This doesn’t surprise me at all because, since Amazon launched its vinyl store, I’ve been watching all sorts of albums sell out before their release date and running into various online accounts of growing vinyl sales.
For more 2008 sales figures, see The Nielsen Company’s press release with stats.
note: in 2009 the increase is 90% over 2008,not saying that vinyl is coming back in every household,but there still is a small market and these are only the official sales,in reality if you count all sales you can say aprox 6 million sales in the US for 2009.
Finally:Best Buy is starting a pilot program that will bring vinyl titles to 100 stores. And, if they prove successful, vinyl records will be available in even more stores, as in, like, all of them. Walmart is also considering a similar move and even entertaining allocating 8 square ft. of retail space for vinyl records in each of its 1,000+ stores.
Let's be honest, it's mainly us DJs that still buy 1200/1210s as your vinyl buying audiophiles are more likely to use a turntable designed for audio quality such as a Linn etc..
The competition for Technics (and other manafacturers) is more likely to be the new breed of midi-powered devices such as the vci-300,NS7 et al. Once these products are genuine alternatives to 'real' turntables the game's up for the likes of Technics. I personally use both Technics (with Serato) and the NS7 and although I prefer the feel of the decks, I recognise the versatility of the Numark product.
On the other hand, if Panasonic are still turning a profit by selling something that requires NO advertising or marketing, I'm sure that they'll carry on...
quote:
"Clarification came from Panasonic UK to squash rumours. And It’s not what you might think. So here goes – the 1200MK5 and 1210MK5 WILL be discontinued leaving the 1210MK5G as the top of the range and most definitely NOT discontinued. It never was a limited edition, just a flagship special edition model. And the 1200 and 1210 MK2 will continue as normal. So now there’s some distance between the MK2 and MK5G models instead having a middle MK5 deck to confuse matters. So it’s vanilla Technics or the more expensive piano black extra pitched blue light luxury model left in the range."
i would prod only 1 tt in mass to keep it cheap.
this turntable looks like this:
http://www.12x0.de/index.php?forum-showposts-214
but in front it has some kind of hidden pullable board with options like "different pitch speeds", "pitch bend +/- with acceleration knob", "start and break speed", "reverse mode button" and nearly all other crazy stuff possible with a tt.
on the back it has phono out, line out with good preamps and spdif out with good a/d converters.
and cause of china slavery and unhuman mass production this could be a very cheap device !
Perfectbeat, as someone who owned Tech 1200s for 12 years this:
"stanton str-150: tonearm simply doesn't perform as well as technics.."
Is rubbish.
Sorry.
@Professorbx
quote:
"On November 29, 2009, mr. perfectbeat commented...
Here's a quote about about vinyl sales in the US only.
The ArtistForce.com blog discusses Nielsen’s 2008 music sales figures and points out that vinyl sales are increasing:
“On a surprising note, vinyl saw an increase this year. In fact, more vinyl albums were purchased in 2008 than in any other year since Nielsen SoundScan started paying attention back in 1991. Consumers purchased 1.88 million LP’s in 2008, a whopping 89 percent increase over 2007.”"
Per Nielsen Soundscan and mr. perfectbeat, you stand corrected. No one said vinyl was dominant, or selling more than other media, or on its way to reclaiming its position, just that sales are up, and have been doing so for some time.
Try being a little less condescending when you don't know what you are talking about.
Did i ever say vinyl was dominant superfly?
You obviously didn't get the simple & very basic point i made at all wich was that vinyl made a comeback during the last 2 years.
Next time read before quoting blindly.
Yeah, well, the sale of LPs are up. However, our medium, OUR format, the 12" single went from moving about 5.5 million in 2003 to 400k last year. So, I'm not buying LPs; I can't find a 12" to save my soul. Sadly, Serato Control Records are keeping one of the few North American pressing plants in business.
Who's to blame: us, the technology and the recording business. The latter follows trends mainly, but still, you really can't blame DJs or "Serato" or labels...the problem exists between us all.
I buy more dope records now than ever before, and, as the quality of hip hop has waned recently (from underground to commercial), I'm actually thankful that there isn't a permanent reminder of the music waiting for a burial in a landfill.
BTW, have you seen DJs out at clubs and parties lately? Have you seen what they're rockin? Very very very rarely is it a pair of Tech 12s, or turntables for that matter.
I read a stat today that says 70% of all vinyl LPs sold are rock. COnsidering most DJs are of a club orientation, I suspect that that the DJ sector of the vinyl buying industry is even smaller than ever.
Does DVS vinyl even count as a vinyl sale? Surely it's an accessory more than music...
"And at number 1 in the vinyl sales chart this week is the Scratch Live Control vinyl - here's track 1". I wonder what the music video for that would look like?
Wasn't responding to you mr. perfectbeat, I was using your "simple and very basic point" to respond to professorbx.
You're the one who needs to read more carefully.
Well, Panasonic will still be around, pergaps they will just rename them as a Panasonic SL1200.
or maybe apple will buy then and call them the iPod 1200 with itunes and digitial integration...
too bad, they are still going for $1000 / pop in some areas.
Hey Giz, I like your comment about Serato Scratchlive vinyl being no.1 - not sure anybody in radioland would appreciate the sound of the control signal though...
In Rainbows by Radiohead was the biggest selling vinyl record in 2008..Also the Beatles,Rolling stones etc still sell pretty well on wax.
Gizmo,the chart you read is prob a dj/dance chart wich doesn't reflect the entire sales of the format.
Superfly,my bad,thought you replied to me..
Also online i find it no problem to find any 12-inch that i want,no need to hit the stores no more.
Pressing records is something you do if you sell copies of other formats first; it used to be the other way around: you press wax to sell the album. Serato says that they are truly interested in preserving vinyl culture and have done so w/ their Serato Pressings, but, for me, it's a gimmick (or front). Serato cites "industry sources" claiming that its Control Record "has become the biggest selling 12" vinyl record in the last 14 years."
Here in the U.S. vinyl sales and production is worse than other places. Most retailers have to import 12"s from Europe or Japan, and these retail for about $15...for a 12"!!! You want doubles?!?! An LP is worse, and can be $28 +. I mean, who can even afford it anymore?
For me, DVS promotes green DJing. Making records is horrible for the environment; getting rid of them is worse. When I used to get 10 copies of the newest Ja Rule record in 2000 from Def Jam, they'd just go in the trash. Fat Beats or GoodVibe, etc. would send me 3+ copies per 12" release back then, as well. Careless, to say the least. I knew wax was done when Def Jam/Roc A Fella stopped making 12"s. Like we need 9 million Lady Gaga or T-Pain records in circulation.
The way I look at it is that the industry made so much stuff when music was really dope that there will always be a market for used stuff. I have bought so much wax that DJs have discarded that it's not even funny. Vinyl won't really die, but you will have to really value the music to put it to record in the first place.
@Giz...yep, and now on Rick Deez Nuts top 40, at #1 this decade, Serato's Patented Tone.
This has been determined to be a complete liehoax!
I have to admit, I was fooled for a moment. Then I looked it up on google and the only people that were talking about it were on mostly edm message forums...Then I looked up big equipment stores like these, below.
http://www.pssl.com/DJ-Turntables
http://www.pssl.com/Technics
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Turntables-DJ-Gear.gc
http://www.needledoctor.com/Online-S...FRkGswodYDHymg
These stores were so affected by this supposed "end of technics" news that they posted....nothing...
And then I thought..."Whoa! Wait a minute! Technics ending before tables like Gemini and NuMark turntables?? I would think those tables would go off before technics but what the hell do I know? "
Then I contacted Panasonic about this and they laughed at me, like I was a fuckin' idiot, and reassured me that I had nothing to worry about....I'm almost embarrassed to tell you guys this...
Here's where this rumor started. It has been said that it was confirmed that he started this rumor to bring a spike in sells, at his store. Shame on him!
http://www.dmcworld.co.nz/turntables...-1210-mk5.html
So, next time you guys hear something like this, do us all a favor and don't be a complete moron and post anything until you have proof of a reliable source!
Whoah, hold up ... you mean Twitter and Wikipedia are NOT certifiable sources of information? :huh
:' ( :
Why are these DMC stores so damn expensive?
@Richard Storm - considering that this is nothing more than a rumour right now, I doubt that sores will be jumping to talk about the last chance to buy Technics. This lack of noise from them also indicates that it may not be true either.
Who did you contact at Panasonic? I only ask because when I contacted Panasonic UK 3 years ago for a quote, the info they supplied me about losing the MK5 turned out to be untrue. I need a solid source.
As for the morons comment - I posted what I did because the net is full of allegedly confirmed Technics is dead forum posts, news stories and tweets. Even my 3 year old now seemingly inaccurate story is being quoted as some sort of corroboration for the new rumour.
I simply wanted to keep everything in context i.e. it s just a rumour and not at all confirmed. In my book, there isn't a reliable source - perhaps not even some divisions of Panasonic to be honest.
Panasonic is such a HUGE company, that has only grown and "merged" in the last 2 years, which is why I bet there is a lot of disorganization in its structure (may also explain why the Technics's site hasn't been updated for a few years), thus talking to the right people in the right place is always a problem w/ a company like that. Good luck though, I'd love to know what the dilly is w/ all this.
at least 2 500 000 vinyls are pressed every year in genre electronic, house and techno.
You need to stop acting like the DJ Turntable market is big. It isn't. The turntables selling are for listening and archiving. Records are purchased, but not typically by you. 1.3-1.5million albums/singles may seem like a lot, but that is the sales of one CD in a year. Again, blame yourselves, turntables made for DJ's don't sell anywhere near what they sold 10 years ago, or even 4 years ago. Fact.
@professor bx
stop hating on vinyl,you're almost obsessed in proving to analog dj's that the culture is dying out.
the fact is that you really ain't saying nothing.
How am I "hating on vinyl"? Shit, I have an obsessive 7inch collection, and I have needle choices based on GENRE. I have never owned a CDJ. I work in the DJ Equipment industry for a living, and there are cold facts. I can try to reassure you and say that the SL1200 will live on forever, but that would make me a liar. And the fact remains that DJ's are to blame for it because they don't buy turntables like they used to.
I have to add to all of this that I am not too fazed by the rumored end of production of the Technics 1200 series. Because due to their amazing durability. The amount of second hand Technics getting around is still extremely high so is the swapping and buying of pre-loved vinyl. Vinyl will never die it will only dwindell in New Pressings sales. Dj's will continue to sell and buy old Technics and Vinyl way past my lifetime. As long as we as a DJ community continue to support what is left of our Artform. There will always be a small market for it to continue to produce.
They discontinued their sl-1600/1700/1800mk2 models like 2 decades ago and i still find them up for sale in good condition on the web every now & then.
I like these even more than the almighty 1200.
Many people are forgetting that over the last few years the turntable has been gaining popularity for use with DVS giving you the tactile feel and control of vinyl combined with the convenience and creative tools that the DVS and a digital library provides.
So while the turntable may be "analogue" it is no longer excluded from the digital age in any way. And for this purpose the turntable is highly competitve on cost vs the CDJ so the good old turntable is firmly back in contention if you ask me.
If this is any indication...this goes to show that the DJ community may be
text that some might think. I'm curious though...who started this in the first place (again
)? And I wonder if Panasonic is taking notice??
Just another day on the net..LOL
Gizmo...Props to you for keeping us in the loop as usual... 8)
Sorry people, I had to rewrite this againIf this is any indication...this goes to show that the DJ community may be
STRONGER that some might think. I'm curious though...who started this in the first place (again
)? And I wonder if Panasonic is taking notice??
Just another day on the net..LOL
Gizmo...Props to you for keeping us in the loop as usual... 8)
Should be discontinued production of MK2 and MK6 models only. Models MK5 and M5G continue to be sold. It's because it was discontinued production of certain parts of the old model.
no more turntables !
you'll get an offical anouncement soon.
why are fans of technics / technics lovers worried by this?
surely if your a vinyl DJ or fan of technics you have your own technics decks sitting at home already?
as for numark/gemini turntables going before technics...
in a "global recession"...
- would wannabe DJs spend (approx) £1000 on a new pair of technics, or purchase cheaper numark/gemini models?
- would they buy new, when they could buy secondhand for less than £500 a pair, because alot of DJs are swtiching to CD/Digital?
- people will be cutting back on "luxury" items, and turntables would probably fall into that category, especially with limited high street shops selling a decent selection of vinyl.
- even at close to £1000 a pair, I doubt retailers are making much profit, and as retailers generally want to stay in business, and therefore make profit, maybe the space taken by technics is becoming unjustified with the slowed sales.
all reasons that the sales of technics turntables have slowed more and more.
last update says 31/11 :/
anyway, let's hope that we'll see more cheap OEM models in the future. there would be no reason not to offer an exact replica for 50% of the original price.
can't say i'm happy about the possibility of Technics discontinuing production of the SL1200.. BUT, i cannot say i'm surprised by the notion.
true enough, the foremost reason the SL1200 has continued to be sold is due to a small market demand which required little to no marketing on Panasonic's behalf. however, with decreasing sales and the progression of DJ technology the SL1200 simply cannot maintain its presence.
DJ sales are down, specifically in the analog department. admit it, look at this site alone...most of you are salivating over CD decks and MIDI controllers. manufacturers like Numark, Vestax, Stanton and even Gemini are building more advanced turntable products...
...do we really expect Panasonic to spend the money on R&D for new turntable development? no, and definitely not after the DZ1200 (epic) failure. so chances are if there are to be any new features added to the SL1200 series decks, it will most likely be purchased from a 3rd party company (not the worst idea).
as previously stated, the demise of the SL1200 doesn't make me happy. however, i have to admit that i SERIOUSLY HATE using my 1200's in comparison to my old TTX1s. i've been DJing since 1993 starting with technics (actually i originally learned on some old gemini xl-500s) and i still own 3 of them...but i've been using my TTXs for (what? like 8) years now and i have no plans on looking back (and i don't get that "plastic" reference mr. perfectbeat made).
in the end, if the SL1200 does discontinue we will all just have to accept it. most of us know the day will come, as the writing has been on the wall for some time now. still, we can all appreciate that back in the day it was the best deck available to those pioneering DJs who revolutionized how the world listened to music.
p.s.
Gizmo, what do you think the chances are that if/when Panasonic cuts SL1200 production they will sell or share the patent? do you think it's possible we may see another company carry on this legacy?
the patent ended years ago,that's why we have the superOEMs under the names of stanton,reloop,synq and whatnot..
any turntable with a dot stroboscoop is basicly a technics imitator.
Hey who knows? Maybe there will be a Technics SL2000 or something, and it'll kick ass and have all the features of the Stanton / Numark tables (keylock, wide pitch range, LCD screen) with the durability and reliability of Techs. That'd be nice right?
u ever heard of virus marketing? they do it on purpose so the retailers buy a lot of their decks... "ohh shit 1200 r goin to dissapear... I have to buy 100 pcs and than I'll sell it for millions of bucks..."
@ Punky - no, that would be really bad. Technics have shown themselves to be largely unable to produce a good DJ specific product. DZ? The 1200 isn't even a DJ deck.
Sales of decks globally are in the toilet for just about everyone. People clinging onto the hope that Technics will come out with a radical new turntable are going to be sadly disappointed.
@ marketing expert - I believe you mean viral
. And there is every possibility that it is a shady campaign. My personal belief is that someone shot their load a little too soon (premature extinction?), leaving Panasonic stumbling around with a huge mess that it cannot easily clear up.
With a lapsed patent, probable high new tooling costs ahoy and a massive downturn in deck business, it's probably the right time to pull the plug.
the 1200 ain't no dj deck?
the 1200m5g definitely is..
The only thing that count nowadays are the numbers and profit. I think there is not so much interest in keeping alive something what is not bringing profit. Gizmo is right saying that 'Technics have shown themselves to be largely unable to produce a good DJ specific product. They simply made it with SL 1200's and it's amazing for how long. I will not be worriede as long as I have 6 different models of 1200's.
@Gizmo: viral ofcourse...;] sorry 4 my bad english...
anything with serato's name/logo on it will make tons of cash. so a serato x technics deck would cause sales to go crazy
Clever marketing, you couldn't buy this publicity, I bet 100% sales are up because of this.
I don't believe the 1200/1210 is going anywhere.
This is exactly my point, I see no reason why the turntable has to be excluded from the digital age since timecoded vinyl gives this format so much more to offer than vinyl alone i.e. DVS / Ableton. I would be dumbfounded to see the Technics turntable die out when it seems there is still some mileage to be had given the developments of digital systems over the last few years.
And like I said before, turntables are highly competitive on cost vs the CDJ. A little clever marketing and the 1200 can be brought back to the forefront not only as a vinyl turntable but a choice controller for use with digital systems.
I dunno, maybe I am dreaming, but Stanton and Numark seem to be making plenty of turntables infact, Stanto have NINE variations of turntable on their product page, are they loosing money too?
I don't know why they havn't been able to put a detachable RCA connector on the back with all these recent tweaks. Would just make it simpler to replace. But I sitll love my MK2's. Was thinking of updating to MK5's but we'll see how things go.
I agree with Professor BX who points out above (and I'm basically quoting here verbatim) that the reason turntables and vinyl are dying is because DJs are now a bunch of panzy, emo, techno-ravers who spend all their money on hair products and laptops and thusly resort to stealing MP3s off the internets instead of buying vinyl.
Every company wants to have "skratch" this and "squratch" that in their name, and people eat that stuff up, but let's be honest most of you fools can't scratch. You suck at scratching which is why you spend all your time talking about computers, timecoding, kbps, and whatnot. If you REEEEEAAALLLY cut it up fresh then you would be down with turntables and vinyl. (read that last period out loud "period."
You people make me (and Professor BX) sick. You killed poor little old Technics Johnson and didn't even stop to put metal 45 adapters over her eyes. Good job you NERDS!
Personally, I've got spare 1200s stored in the guestroom and I'll be selling them on eBay for crazy inflated prices once you idiots figure out you can't find vinyl greats like "Dr. Fishbein Talks to a Growing Girl" on MP3, and your latest Numark thingamjig turns off for no freaking reason and the feet on your digicontroller just fell off and the walls start closing in and you realize that you spent your whole life being an herb nerd who was trying to be a cool dj but really you can't scratch so you're still an herb nerd.
So yes, I agree with Professor BX, but only to the extent as noted above and I do not share his views on killing baby puppies and seals because his opinions on that are very strange and beyond the pale of normal human decency.
If Technics ditches everything else and keeps making the 1200 they would have the face of Stanton, Vestax, Numark and the rest of the low end electronics market. Technics isn't that interested in just a turntable. The idea is to make money on as many pieces of electronics as they can. One turntable that has had it's day isn't going to save the company. It's the standard in the US but not the rest of the world.
Oh well... my TT500's have been rocking my set for quite a while now without any issues what so ever.
News flash. Vinyl is no longer the standard. Oh wait..... that was years ago..... my bad.
This situation is somewhat analogous to what happened 8 years ago with the Hubble Space Telescope. First there were rumours of its demise within the space science industry due to its ageing hardware, needs updating, expensive to maintain, and having been superseded by better, more modern competitors it seemed like Hubble's time was up. After NASA released their official statement that the Hubble was to be mothballed, I felt a similar sinking feeling as when I read about the demise of Technics - that mankind was loosing something very important. And that's not the only parallel I draw between the HST and Technics... both were important steps in humanity's recent cultural advances; the Hubble in terms of opening up unprecedented views of the universe, and Technics in opening new doors in music.
Well as it happened, the public felt the same way about the Hubble. In the end, it was the weight of public opinion that the Hubble was too important to loose that made NASA come up with more funding from the government and reverse the decision to decommission the Hubble. Thus, it was in fact the public at large, rather than the professional astronomers that actually use the telescope, that had the biggest hand in making sure the Hubble lived on. Indeed, it'll be with us, and more powerful than ever, for at least another 5 years following this years' successful servicing mission.
Sometimes, just sometimes, important stuff comes ahead of making money... so hopefully we will see a similar story with Technics as we did with the Hubble telescope - it will be public outcry that an important part of our culture may be lost that will persuade Technics to keep manufacturing, if only at marginal profitability. Who knows, maybe there is still time, if the right people put in the right effort to breathe new life into the Technics turntable and give it one last chance to show the world why it was one of the most important pieces of technology ever made. Or maybe I need to stop dreaming and get back to work...
LMAO @ Jam Burglar
But to add to this mess:
What happens when a brand stops innovating? It dies? It's just basic, logical business stuff.
Technics needs a new Turntable. Same principle but adapting new technology as well.
Serato has pretty much thrown a free opportunity at their damn lap with the advent of ScratchLive and other vinyl emulation technology! Sure, selling records would help, but no, it is new DJ's using turntables that will keep their brand alive! Make features that new DJ's want, advance the product line for pete's sake. Then MARKET to this new crowd!
Turntables will be needed for years to come, I just hope Technics doesn't get lazy. But then again, those asians are really good with numbers, who knows if even a good marketing push and a brand new "Technics MK2100 with digital outputs, MIDI capability, a USB port and all that jazz will make a different to their profits in the long run.
All I can say is... Thank you technics for making a TANK of turntable!
Hubble was important for research. 1200's were NOT. Hubble opened doors to new views of the universe. 1200's did NOT open new doors in music. Music opened new doors in music. We have to stop putting this machine up on a mountain and realize that only a small number of dj's use 1200's out of ALL dj's. Doesn't matter the genre or the style. 1200's were great for tactile feel but if that's the only thing that a small percentage of dj's want then it just won't fly.
I agree that a turntable with MIDI capability or digital outs would be nice but there just isn't a market big enough for it. If you do the product research you'll find that those are more for boutique and less for practicality.
The hubble space telescope is important for the world for research purposes, not for entertainment. The 1200 was important for scratch DJ's. Now that number of scratch DJ's are dwindling, the demise looks pretty eminent. It just doesn't make money anymore. That's just how business goes.
As far as adding new stuff goes, I guess it would be pretty safe to say that whatever they do is too little too late. Vestax has many decks with crazy features (and has for many years now) that just don't sell. Same goes for every other brand. ANOTHER limited edition would be just downright shameful. What would be something is to do what is possible, not for profit, but to go out with a bang: put better feet on it, better (and just slightly longer) RCAs and a detachable power cord. Get the finishing right, call it whatever you like and let people have their memories.
BTW, some truly hilarious reading here (Hi-Fi deck, not being historically important, Panasonic going viral with a semi-defunct brand, the list goes on)
@halfasemitone
How can you not have noticed the musical revolution(s) that Technics turntables facilitaed, especially when you're posting on a scratch-orientated website! (lol)
Also, I'd like to point out that around 2001, the perceived scientific returns of keeping Hubble alived were deemed insufficient to warrant continued investment. But it was THE PUBLIC OUTCRY that saved hubble in the end, not the scientists using it. As it turned out, the risky and expensive repair mission paid off and Hubble continues to perform first-rate research. If my Hubble dream came true, then I hope the same can happen for Technics...
fake digital dj's are always the ones disrespecting the legacy..
seriously, in this day and age of pirated mp3s and (even worse) the general public's attraction to "disposable" pop music...my only suggestion to offer Panasonic for improving 1200 sales is to collaborate with a DVS company and sell a digital DJ package.
we have to stop and realize that vinyl is a obsolete media. of course i don't mean obsolete in the way of saying that CD, mp3, wav, etc. are any better...i mean by shear scarcity. vinyl singles and practically non-existant. re-releases are mostly found to be of rock LPs. plus the cost of purchase can get outrageous (i hate to think of how much loot i've spent on my archive!
.
not to mention, currently vinyl (or acetate) production isn't exactly environmentally safe...and it's beginning to look like the whole world is cracking down on factories.
think about serato's ITCH movement.. it's got so many of us salivating at midi controllers like the NS7 or VCI-300. so why not pack in a couple of timecode vinyls and a cheap audio interface like what M-Audio uses with Torq? or maybe include a mixer with built-in soundcard.
of course, i'm sure the price will be hefty. 1200s aren't exactly "cheap" to purchase as it is now, adding a soundcard/mixer and DVS software into the deal would make for quite a costly package... but then again, how much are people paying for the latest Pioneer or Allen & Heath products??
(of course i'm just daydreaming, but it's an idea)
The 1200 is a victim of its own quality. Having sold 3 million over the years, there's still a massive number is daily circulation with no growing market to sell more into. They are built to last and have reached saturation point at a time when digital is taking over and table sales are in the crapper.
Look people - Technics are selling in quantities of hundreds per month around the world now, and not the thousands that digital units are moving. It's not about the deck itself and making it more attractive to buyers, but is much more about the market and the direction it's moving in. New DJs are looking at digital, be it MIDI controllers or CDJ/media players. And with all playing out DJs already having decks, there's an ever decreasing market for analog turntables.
Bottom line - there's simply no point in the 1200 getting an overhaul or adding this feature or partnering with company X. The market is shrinking daily and that's why the future of the Technics brand is in the balance. It's purely financial.
i hear ya Giz, but with so many people crying in their beer i wanted to paint them a happy picture
but in retrospect, if the 1200 were to go out like the dinosaur.. how well would the remaining turntable market fare? or the DVS market for that matter?
public opinion is far too often fueled by misconception, and no doubt the eventual demise of Technics WILL turn the DJ world on it's ear. turntable sales across the board will likely dip abd i would hate to see this lead to a sales drought for the DVS companies.
....
y'know, once upon a time Technics made primo quality stereo components and speaks (OMG the speakers!
. whatever happened to that?
Keep the MK5G and discontinue everything else, call it the MK6 or MK7 but just keep one Techincs 1200 on the market KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).
Put some money into a quality 2 channel mixer, quality headpone, quality DJ monitor and look into a Techincs brand spining midi/whatever turntable to push the products into the future.
Go back to the roots and make Technics what it once was
But one of each product
Rumor's false. Panasonic US emailed me back & said 1200's not getting discontinued.
--------------------------
Dear MR MARTINEZ
Thank you for contacting Panasonic. We truly apologize for the delay in responding to your inquiry and we hope that this has not caused you any inconvenience.
Technics turntable is not discontinued that is why there is no website for the "Official Announcement". You may still check and purchase Technics turntable from the Panasonic Website.
www.panasonic.com
We hope this information is helpful to you.
Thank You,
Panasonic Consumer Support
technically speaking (no pun intended), they didn't say it wasn't going to be discontinued... they just say it isn't discontinued now. in any case, i'm fairly certain Panasonic's consumer support department won't say it's discontinued until we all see the clearance prices hit the streets.
you'd have to get this dirt from somebody who makes or contributes towards executive decisions, and it is doubtful that such a person will make any "official" announcement to an unknown consumer (especially via email).
we're all in the same boat, waiting and watching. if you're truly worried, i suggest buying or saving up for some new Technics...either the sales will help the 1200s case, or you'll be insuring that you always have a set on hand in case they dip out.
keep your fingers crossed and kiss that lucky rabbit foot
Clearance prices? SL1200 prices have risen since the rumor began. ProSound has the MK2 for $799!!! OUCH!!!
An update to the Technics story...
The MK2 and MK5 are discontinued, however they are being replaced by the new MK6's, which are slated for early 2010 release. There are many sites already selling pre-orders for them.
The only models left in production will be the MK6 and the M5G. Yes, they will be expensive, but they will also be very ECO friendly. Yes, this whole thing has to do with RoHS and WEEE compliance!
Straight from the horses mouth... my contact at Matsushita, Japan - (a high level executive). I updated the news here:
TECHNICS 1200 TURNTABLE UPDATEPeace.
- OPTiC.
MasterTech
DJ Pro Audio
Service Dept
Brooklyn, NY
www.repairny.com
okay, so some unscrupulous vendors may have increased their prices as a result of rumor...but that has nothing to do with a discontinued product closeout. for now i'll assume that $799 is the MSRP because i seriously doubt that PSSL will risk their distribution by selling over MAP pricing. (PSSL charging full MSRP, what else is new?)
I like what i hear about an upcomming MK6. with going "green" i can say i strongly feel that Panasonic intends to keep the 1200 on market indefinitely.
HOWEVER, they will have to do far more than go green to peek my interest.
another false rumour,look at the many reactions...technics still very popular
Another tangential rumour then. This one does make some sense and falls in line with my hopes for the brand.
But we've still not had an official PRESS RELEASE from Panasonic - just word leaked out through unofficial sources. With so much speculation, you'd think they try and sort it out. But then again, the publicity generated may be frustrating, but I bet dealers are seeing an upturn of sorts, especially as some are hiking the prices off the back of this rumour.
i wish the mk6 had a straight arm plus a wider pitch
this would be breakin news
The straight arm only appeals to a small percentage of the market. It would be mad for the 1200 to make that kind of design leap. I feel it would actually lose them business.
Wider pitch would be good though.
Are there any other changes to the MK6 besides the new circuit boards?
You know, reading this stuff, it almost sounds like some of you people WANT Technics to fail.
I can not allow this to happen as this would only vindicate a very bad attitude that has arisen out of the species that is oft labeled the liberal mashup generation. This species is defined by its love of consumerism and high equipment turnover rate. Without a new controller to "salivate" over, this species cannot advance since all musical advancement obviously arises from equipment and technology and obviously not from musicians.
Fact, Technics has not put out a controller, thus the subsequent lack of salivation and pee-pants anticipation of the next coolest new gear. Without a new controller from Technics, mashups cannot be made and this species can no longer exist. If, however, Technics does put out a new controller, it will obviously not lie in the huge gear graveyard which is every mashuper's closet in a year due to its superior durability. This is, of course, problematic due to the mashuper's thirst for new gear. Thus a catch 22 exists which must be remedied in the demise of Tehcnics.
Fact, you can not make mashups with Technics, you can only mix with Technics. Therefore, Technics are not the hip- happening gear that is needed to be a "cutting edge" DJ. Yes, I did just say "hip-happening" as I am up on the newest lingo of the mashup generation and I do not want to be "played out."
Fact, Technics is the "industry standard" and its not cutting edge to use the industry standard when you need to make mashups. Mashups, by the way, are a totally new form of music and are not simply doing the same thing that has been done for 20 years. It has a new name, and thus it is new, and . . . therefore, the mashup generation should be given monumental credit for their sheer ingenuity, which is of course gear-driven anyway.
All of this leads to and end-game scenario where equipment will be new, color coordinated, covered in saliva, but never actually used except for with self-automated computer programs.
In response to this plague I have personally bought a controlling share in Panasonic and can now assure you that Technics will be around forever. Rather than discontinuing the MK2 and MK5 and putting out the MK6 we will be going back and producing the MK1 only. This will be done simply to piss people off.
Thank you.
i've been doing mash-ups on my techs for ages...
a mash-up is like a remix blending 2 songs together wich is pretty easy to do on 2 or more turntables.
burglar thinks it's impossible :P
@Mixx-
I think Jam Burglar was being sarcastic. Now, if you will excuse me I am going off to club baby seals and other things that Jam Burglar does not approve of.
There was an article in the times about vinyl, twas a good read!
quote:
" Sales of vinyl albums have been climbing steadily for several years, tromping on the notion that the rebound was just a fad. Through late November, more than 2.1 million vinyl records had been sold in 2009, an increase of more than 35 percent in a year, according to Nielsen Soundscan. That total, though it represents less than 1 percent of all album sales, including CDs and digital downloads, is the highest for vinyl records in any year since Nielsen began tracking them in 1991.
Sales of CDs, meanwhile, have been falling fast, displaced by the downloading of digital files of songs from services like iTunes. Sales of albums on CD, which generally cost half as much as their vinyl counterparts, have dropped almost 20 percent this year, according to Nielsen."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/nyregion/07vinyl.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=turntable&st=cse
"Without a new controller to "salivate" over, this species cannot advance since all musical advancement obviously arises from equipment and technology and obviously not from musicians."
obviously not from musicians....BANG ON DUDE.
Its funny how you Technics haters talk about how its just marketing that makes people want them, but they don't advertise its all word of mouth and people doing the advertising for them. And why is that? Because of the quality of the product.
I remember when people cared about quality!!!
I'm so disappointed by the amount of retailers out there that are price gouging these tables. BHPhoto especially. They just had their tables being sold at $799 and it just went up $100+ dollars within the past day or two. That's just ridiculous. I could have bought this table for $600 some places $500 bucks within the past year. I should've did it then. AHHHHHHHHHHHH.
So on Twitter BANDHPHOTO said that Technics is indeed leaving the market and therefore that is the sole reason why they jacked their prices up to $899 for one of the Technic 1210M5G turntables.
I called Panasonic's tech support # and they confirmed that the entire Technics line has been discontinued since 1st quarter of 09. Nice. I guess I'll just buy the tables now. Meh, oh well.
I called Panasonic's tech support # and they confirmed that the entire Technics line has is awsome and will go on forever. Nice. I guess I dont have to hurry to buy the tables now. Meh, oh well.
The elves that make the tables ran low on pixy dust with the over consumption of spirits and creation of toys on christmas leading to shortages and the spell that keeps them low priced and agless needed to be recast, says a panasonic rep very familiar with the situation. As soon as we capture some more unicorns to use as base material in creating new magic power we will continue to create these wonderful products
There is only one thing that Technics and other vinyl oriented brands can do to retain at least some face at this point. And that is to bow-out and get with the program. Vinyl is obsolete. Yeah yeah all you purists will rage in protest, beat your heads against the wall, pull your hair, etc. but the fact remains. We are in a digital age, there are plenty solutions for scratch DJs that dont rely on using antiquated technology, use them! Stop spewing your venom against the so called microwave DJs. Yes I love my MIDI controller, and I've loved my turntables before that. But you will never be able to do things with your 1200s that are easily possible with any decent controller.
In all reality I think that this goes beyond technological considerations. In my opinion the whole scratch DJ phenomena is worn out, not many people give a crap about scratching these days. And even scratching DJs are starting to look towards controllers at the very least to add to their vinyl set up, because to stay competitive as DJ in todays' society you need to live in the 21st century, not keep looking behind you and drooling over the good ol' days.
@wikkid - the DVS market is actually growing, so the need for turntables is still there, albeit not quite in the same quantities as before.
And your assertion that turntables are just for scratch DJs misses the world of Hip Hop and EDM DJs who prefer to use DVS or vinyl over MIDI controllers.
While I woud agree that MIDI is on course to make a takeover of the DJ scene, it'll be many years - if not decades - before turntables are banished.
Turntables are not going anywhere, however on the off-chance that Technics does go down the tubes, I may just purchase these Technics slip mats and then sell them in a few years as "relics"
DJ Equipment
On November 28, 2009, Martyn commented...
116 comments to this story