[net.music.synth] Music Industry Rumours

rwn@iham1.UUCP (Bob Neumann) (03/26/86)

The recent article about tunable drum machines mentioned a dealer
who discussed discontinuation of the DX-7 and the future
of Yamaha in the music industry. This brought to mind 
a phone discussion I had with one of the owners of a popular
chain of music stores in Chicago. Frankly, I don't believe
any of the rumours but it will be interesting to see what happens in the
industry during the next year. Some of the "interesting rumours"
included:

Rumour number 1:
"YAMAHA is backing completely out of the music business."

Translation:  This particular store does not have a YAMAHA franchise.

Rumour number 2:
"At the NAMM show, Kurzweil dropped the price of the 250 by $3,000.
EMU dropped the price of the Emulator II by $2,000."

Comments: I find this hard to believe -the latest Namm product review
in Keyboard magazine states that the price of the Kurzweil 250 increased!

Rumour number 3:
"At the Namm show, sequential circuits announced that the Prophet 2000
was discontinued."

Translation: I asked about their price for the Prophet 2000, and this 
particular dealer immediately started telling me about the new Roland 
sampling machines.  He's a big Roland dealer- it is in his personal 
interest to push Roland products more than Sequential. Also, why
was the digidesigner software introduced for the Prophet 2000, if
the instrument is already discontinued ?


As I said before, we will have to wait a while before we see if
these rumours are true.  Anyone else feel that the dealer in question
was going off on the deep end ?

			Bob Neumann
			
			

browne@savax.UUCP (Duff Browne) (03/28/86)

> 
> Rumour number 3:
> "At the Namm show, sequential circuits announced that the Prophet 2000
> was discontinued."
> Also, why
> was the digidesigner software introduced for the Prophet 2000, if
> the instrument is already discontinued ?
> 
I was talking to the head of marketing for sequential not to long ago,
and they said they had just introduced the 2000, and were really getting 
geared up for a large media campaign.  I don't think it will be discontinued
for a while...