Very sad news today, as Technics announce they are to cease the production of turntables. On the face of it, this sounds awful for turntablists, but there is a silver lining.
I have a pair of Technics 1210 MKII turntables, and they are built so well. I honestly believe that when I die, they will be in as good condition as they are now, and I even bought them second hand!
There are enough Technics turntables in circulation for you to find some if you ever feel you want them. DJing is an evolving art, a lot of people upgrade to digital, so there is always someone selling a pair of Technics. This brings me to my next point.
Will Technics Turntables become collectors items?
Maybe. I think the units that were actually used in competitions will be worth something. I also think that the general price of a second hand Technics turntable will rise as they will be harder to come by.
Why has Technics made this decision?
It was always going to happen. Vinyl is dying out, unfortunately. So many DJ's are upgrading to digital, and there just isn't the market there used to be for traditional turntables. This is a business decision for Panasonic, and I can hardly blame them to be honest.
How Long will it take for vinyl to follow?
Not soon - I hope! I live for vinyl, I think it give a much warmer sound, and I enjoy using it to mix. The difference with vinyl is that there is still a large market for it. I find it very easy to walk into BM Soho and spend £100+ on vinyl. The key thing here is that although Technics have ceased production of turntables, there are still a lot of them being used. This, coupled with the fact that there are other brands producing turntables, means that vinyl will live on for a while yet.
Now, as a tribute to Technics, let's see the turntables in action. This video is Plus One (from the Scratch Perverts) with his routine, that won him the 2001 DMC World Title.
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