Do you care if Technics stops making its iconic 1200 DJ turntable?
Turntables have arguably been as instrumental to the sound of pop music today as the electric guitar or synthesiser. Now rumours are circulating that benchmark brand Technics are to cease production on two of their most iconic turntables, the 1200 and 1210 series.
With a twenty year pedigree, Technics turntables have been fundamental to the growth of dance, hip-hop and house music to name but a few genres. So what’s caused this shocking move?
According to a statement posted on Global Hardstyle, parent company Panasonic have pulled the plug on Technics turntables due to a rapid decline in sales for the gear.
A spokesman for Panasonic Australia corroborated the news. “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,” Ian North of Panasonic explained. “For Australia this means we will receive our last shipment in March.”
Note that North only mentions sales of analogue turntables. So have MP3’s and other forms of digital music killed off the turntable? With plenty of accessible DJ software readily available at the fraction of a price of a deck and far more portable than a weighty vinyl collection it certainly seems that way. Everyone’s a deft hand today at stringing together a play list, and there’s no such thing as an elusive b-side thanks to Internet file-sharing.
But it’s more than just stringing some songs together, it’s an art, a lifestyle choice, right? Will the art of mixing and scratching be lost on the next generation of musical innovators? Do you care if Technics pull out of the turntable market? Answer our poll below and let us know.
Via: Clash Music
