Several months ago we wrote about getting gigs in hard times and a reader commented: “I am worried because when the US gets sick the rest of the world gets a cold.” Well, it looks like the world has certainly caught the flu so what will that mean for the coming years and new developments in dj technology?
We asked Jim Mazur ( head of new product development at Stanton) if he thought this would be affecting the products new companies bring out.
” You will certainly see companies playing it safe, and releasing products they know will have a market- and taking less risks”.
Times are going to be particularly tough for new start ups and smaller companies. With almost no financing available fewer people will be able to get a new product line started, even if they have fantastic ideas. Smaller manufactures with a few employees may run into serious problems paying their rent but but tiny boutique outfits like Monome and Dj TechTools may actually thrive in the coming years. The key to our success has been and always will be our readers- so your continued involvement and support are much appreciated.
Why its good!
During tough times people get creative and find innovative ways to accomplish new things without looking towards main stream outlets for the answers. DIY communities and sites that help djs re-purpose controllers will continue to thrive, if not financially then culturally. More and more djs may realize its not so much about what gear you buy but how you can use it to express your own personal voice. Fortunately for you and us we have a great collection of articles and people that will help make that happen.
What you can do?
Contribute your ideas and feedback frequently and openly. If they are worth buying from, the companies will listen to them and hopefully make things that you care about and ignore the rest.
Keep an open dialogue with other people in the forum. These discussions teach me new things every day that create new possibilities in djing without busting out the checkbook.
Help out where possible. A small group of volunteers has been key in helping us grow and produce new ideas that we give to you. The profits I make from the webstore go straight to cover the costs of this website and developing new products, not my pocket.This keeps the site ad-free , which makes it possible to review products honestly without any conflicts of interest. All of that would not be possible without the help and contribution of a few key people (you know who you are). So if you are an expert in a related field and you think you can help in any small way, let me know, our door is open to new people and new ideas any time.
The Big Tell
As many of you know, NAMM is this week and its going to be a good indicator of how well some of these companies are doing. As we did last year- Dj TT will be there, cameras in hand, scouring the grounds for that next big thing. Is there anything in particular we should take a closer look at- let me know in the comments. Thursday night will be the big namm report- so be sure to check back for that.
Everyone else may be firing…
But we are hiring. Thats right, Dj TT is looking for someone locally in SF to help manage the office and expand our articles each month. Check out this thread for all the details.
