Native Instruments Layoffs?

[CrystalWizard]

Once the bean counters take over those companies,you can kiss any integrity and passion that may have existed there goodbye...

It becomes all about increasing profits and improving their own positions within the corporate structure

This is what i said about NI years ago. I’m a huge fan of their old stuff, much of it was innovative. Not that i’m against the newer stuff, i just don’t find it that innovative.
Watching companies get taken over by bean counters (music tools or otherwise) is depressing to me.

[mrdoghead]

Just wondering, does anyone here use sounds.com?

Does anyone anywhere use it?

I never use samples sites - I have too many of my own, plus what comes with products. I have downloaded an extension pack or two - that I don't use. So, apparently, I am not the model customer of the "services" gear-marketing model.

[CrystalWizard]

Just wondering, does anyone here use sounds.com?

Who cares? I lightyears OT

[CrystalWizard]

double

[digitalboytn]

Once the bean counters take over those companies,you can kiss any integrity and passion that may have existed there goodbye...

It becomes all about increasing profits and improving their own positions within the corporate structure

This is what i said about NI years ago. I’m a huge fan of their old stuff, much of it was innovative. Not that i’m against the newer stuff, i just don’t find it that innovative.
Watching companies get taken over by bean counters (music tools or otherwise) is depressing to me.

Yep...I left over Komplete 10,but Replika was a pleasant surprise,so I had a moment of weakness there...

The problem when the bean counters take over the show and the focus is on profits before people and products,is that the end users become the meat in an increasing bad tasting sandwich

There is the usual rhetorical spin and marketing BS,but the truth has usually departed the scene by that stage and it is more about smoke and mirrors than a genuine desire to make products that inspire and enrich the end user...

The enrichment focus is decidedly biased when the bean counters are in Kontrol

[v1o]

A wealthy person bought Cakewalk then gave away Sonar for free. The Sonar userbase responded by switching to other competing DAWs.

This is not entirely true...

When Gibson announced they were cutting Cakewalk loose,many people moved to an alternative DAW at that time...

Bandlab bought the Cakewalk assets quite late in the proceedings,but by that stage,a lot of the previous users had already moved on...

I made my switch just after Gibson bought Cakewalk as I could see the writing on the wall back then,but I must say that I am pleasantly surprised by the recent work that has been happening with the Cakewalk DAW and the continued development is positive...

Cakewalk is solid on a Win 7 Pro x64 machine and the recent improvements in the efficiencies and workflow have really brought it up to speed in so many ways

A big thumbs up from me

I wish I could say the same for the Gibson Corporation...

I saw a recent video of one of the bean counters from management trying to explain some of their recent guitar releases and it was so embarrassing...

Totally fake and insincere BS...

Gibson is so out of touch with the reality on the ground that it is no longer funny...

Once the bean counters take over those companies,you can kiss any integrity and passion that may have existed there goodbye...

It becomes all about increasing profits and improving their own positions within the corporate structure

What isn’t true? It wasn’t like it took years for the Bandlab deal to go through. They took over just three months after Gibson made the announcement. Right now the community still isn’t what it was like beforehand.

[mumpcake]

Three months is plenty of time for people to go elsewhere. I know I wasn't the only Cakewalk user who bought a license for Studio One during that time.

[v1o]

Three months is plenty of time for people to go elsewhere. I know I wasn't the only Cakewalk user who bought a license for Studio One during that time.

Nothing stopping you going back.

Three months is nothing compared to the time it takes to fully master a DAW. I doubt most people who had been using Sonar for 5-10 years would have made such a snap decision.

[digitalboytn]

Three months is nothing compared to the time it takes to fully master a DAW. I doubt most people who had been using Sonar for 5-10 years would have made such a snap decision.

I've been using Cakewalk since Pro Audio 9 and I've used Sonar since it's inception,when the people from Cakewalk showed me the new product when it was first released at the NAMM show

Is that long enough for you ?

I didn't make the decision to change DAWs lightly,but when Gibson appeared on the scene,it was a warning sign for me...

These days I use Cakewalk mainly to access older projects,but I still use it for certain tasks from time to time...

It's a good DAW,but I find it rather clunky compared to Reaper or Studio One 4

[PieBerger]

The important thing is, that the shareholders only get their dividends if finally the users like the result and buy the new stuff...

Or they reduce operating costs by firing a bunch of people and poof, profits magically appear on the balance sheet and dividends in back pockets

Edit: Let's assume, for argument's sake, that the average annual salary of the 100 staff laid off in Berlin is 30,000e, that's a cool 3 million NI will be saving over the next 12 months. Profits last year were 3m IIRC, so over the next 12 months, provided they can keep the same margins as last year, they stand to double their profits to 6m. If the layoffs weren't motivated by the need to increase short term profit gains, then...

[t3toooo]

Native Instruments isn't communicating,maybe they are lurking? I don't like this style, because of that they appear arrogant and that's why i have nothing to say.

[glokraw]

Edit: Let's assume, for argument's sake,

...that losing all those workers is dropping both
morale and productivity inside, and that outside,
public interactions begin to suffer, as buyers, distributors
and customers are hesitating, instead of making new deals,
sales are eroding, and a malaise is noticable in the
remnant of the NI work force. Next, competing businesses
in the area begin head-hunting, buying steins and shots
at the pub, putting a bug in someones ear, that it may be
time to move on...

...for arguments sake, the brown stuff is flying in slow motion
and about to hit the fan, and who will be the lucky ones
left to clean it all up, for arguments sake ?

[andrew71]

...that losing all those workers is dropping both morale and productivity inside, and that outside, public interactions begin to suffer, as buyers, distributors and customers are hesitating, instead of making new deals, sales are eroding, and a malaise is noticable in the remnant of the NI work force. Next, competing businesses in the area begin head-hunting, buying steins and shots at the pub, putting a bug in someones ear, that it may be time to move on...

I agree. Laying off 20% of their staff might encourage developers who were about to support NKS to rethink, or look for a platform other than Kontakt for their next sample instrument release. Customers about to buy Maschine or Kontrol hardware might think twice. Those remaining staff may well reconsider their long-term future and look to move on. NI might find itself in an uncomfortable position where it starts losing both staff and customers and may struggle to recover.

[PieBerger]

...that losing all those workers is dropping both morale and productivity inside, and that outside, public interactions begin to suffer, as buyers, distributors and customers are hesitating, instead of making new deals, sales are eroding, and a malaise is noticable in the remnant of the NI work force. Next, competing businesses in the area begin head-hunting, buying steins and shots at the pub, putting a bug in someones ear, that it may be time to move on...

I agree. Laying off 20% of their staff might encourage developers who were about to support NKS to rethink, or look for a platform other than Kontakt for their next sample instrument release. Customers about to buy Maschine or Kontrol hardware might think twice. Those remaining staff may well reconsider their long-term future and look to move on. NI might find itself in an uncomfortable position where it starts losing both staff and customers and may struggle to recover.

I agree. Laying off staff is a shortsighted move, but it's the kind of move bean counting, investor types like, because it changes numbers on a spreadsheet in their favour and gets them salivating over increased dividend payouts.

[digitalboytn]

And don't forget the bonuses....

After the've screwed everyone else,the bean counters love giving themselves a big pat on the back $$$