I just thought i’d write a post about my feelings towards dj software companies seeing as NAMM 2012 is around the corner.
These companies are taking the DJ buying public for a ride. There’s a new product out every month, they all pretty much do the same thing, obviously here and there there are things that are worth it, no doubt.
But we live in an age where these companies realise all they have to do is release a product and attach a big DJ’s name like Ritchie Hawtin/Carl Cox etc & people will buy it.
The classic example was the Dubfire Kontrol S4 video at Space, he used the S4 once & never used it again, he even said in a magazine he didn’t like it. But N.I got what they wanted, a big dj using it on video, dubfire got his share of promotion - both parties went home happy and N.I sold a truck load.
I refuse to keep upgrading or buying new stuff unless it REALLY enhances or benefits how i DJ.
These companies are nickel & dime’ing us.
(It’s also the same for Synth plugin companies - They do exactly the same thing)
with the sheer amount of instant information on the web these days I find it funny that people still manage to feel ripped off by dj companies and their new products. Sure, the fanboy early adopter/beta testers are always gonna get burnt, but shit an hour or so googling before purchase will help your decision.
I almost bought a twitch based on the hype, then the dramas emerged regarding sound levels etc and bought another X1 instead, because I did my research. Plus, the X1 is the greatest DJ controller built since the mpd24
Don’t buy it then. It’s that simple.
It’s basic supply and demand tactics, they’re not ripping anyone off, they’re selling a product and you decide if you want it or not.
If buy a product simply because you see a video of a big name DJ using it then you cant really complain about getting ripped off. Do your research and make decisions based on your findings, not the marketing ad’s
Dubfire is a pretty bad example actually.
He may not use the S4 kontroller but if i remember rightly the video was as much about the use of the new Sample Decks. I think the point was to show the Sample Decks used by a DJ other than a Hip Hop DJ.
Fact is Dubfire has been on Traktor for ages and remains so. His personal tech assistant is a fellow tester at NI.
I think thats pretty much the standard position of all of us isnt it..?
Yeah i buy stuff out of Gear Lust that maybe i dont ‘need’ but thats my choice. I wouldnt buy something just because a certain celeb DJ uses or promote it.
Id be very surprised if anyone bought an S4 just cus Dubfire was in the video.
Did anyone buy an X1 cus of Shiftee and Rafiks use of them in the promo videos..? Id probably say yes cus look what they were doing with them. Those videos were pretty groundbreaking. After all, Serato users went and bought them in droves and its NI kit.
NI always get shit for their use of promo videos. They get shit like no other company but without that promotion they wouldnt sell as much as they do and so, they wouldnt have the money to invest in developing cool new stuff .
I don’t mind this kind of promotion really, it’s nothing new, just a bit more constant than it used to be. What really bothers me is the “leaked” type of campaigns to hype products, if almost everyone is doing it then it gets old pretty fast. You want people to hype a product because it’s good, not because they have no clue about it (the effect might be the same at first but sales won’t).
I feel the same way about the auto industry. Commercials always show tons of flashy gimmicks, cars being driven to their limits, and never a hint of technical spec.
I always see people say “I want a NEW car because of what other people will think about me even though I really can’t afford it.”
Me on the otherhand, I drive a 1987 Subaru xt with a thunderbird top mount intercooler with the intake piping from a 1960’s farmall combine. Home made lift kit, rims from an early 90’s nissan truck rims sporting 28" general grabbers mud tires. Total investment: less than $2000. But it will take me damn near anywhere in any kind of conditions and get decent gas mileage too.
Companies which release products too frequently - FAIL
Companies which don’t release products frequently enough - FAIL
Companies which don’t implement customer feature requests - FAIL
Companies which promote themselves & their products when they should be focusing their efforts on the satisfaction of the customer community - FAIL
Companies which sell a product for months and then have a sale on that product without refunding the different to the customers who paid full price before the sale started - FAIL
Companies which sell version X of a product and then release version Y without offering a free upgrade to all version X customers - FAIL
Companies which change or develop their business model - FAIL
Companies which release entry level products for broader markets - FAIL
Seems we would all be better off if these companies were simply banished from existence.
They should ban those people too, because people still think 12 y/o turntables are worth 300 a piece.
Seriously though: djing is for professionals. Professionals pay a lot of money for things because they know the return on investment is worth the chunk of change up front. That’s just how it is.
It’s like saying the Adobe CS products are overpriced. They’re not. They are fantastic and make a lot of people a lot of money. Without it photographers would still be working in dark rooms.
These products do seem expensive to anyone who doesn’t make money off of them - and rightfully so, but no one is forcing you to DJ. This me-centric view of the world isn’t going to get you anywhere. Clearly the products aren’t too expensive or else these companies would be out of business.
NI promo videos are awesome and I look forward to watching them. other companies have videos showing close ups with dramatic video listing features. NI promos show you somebody using there products with tremendous skill.
I think the people that feel ripped off are those that think if I buy awesome dj gear it will make me awesome.
awsome gear plus shit dj = average(using sync)
awsome dj plus shit gear = average(with work)
Awsome dj plus awsome gear =
Agreed nobody says you have to purchase something because a super star endorses it. It’s your job as a consumer to test and like a product before jumping ship!!
sorry to go OT
