I know there's supposed to be a recession on, but, as the good salesman always says, there are no such things as problems, only opportunities. Indeed, while many shopkeepers and manufacturers (music shops included) are having a genuinely tough time, others are reporting record sales and orders. To achieve this level of success during a market recession is no easy task and requires an extremely competitive edge — their products have to be keenly priced and need to have a high market profile. After all, if the cake is no bigger, the only way to get more is to pinch somebody else's slice! Fortunately for the RM reader, our advertisers are being very competitive, and scanning through some of the available deals, it is inconceivable that such offers could prevail during a time of plenty.

Over the past decade, the price of most high technology equipment has fallen dramatically — not just by a few percent but by an order of magnitude. Even discounting inflation over the last decade, prices have fallen significantly, and nowhere is this more evident than in the areas of electronic music and recording. Recording equipment now offers features and facilities that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, yet it costs far less than its outdated and comparatively crude predecessors.

It's always tempting to wait until the most recently announced piece of new equipment comes onto the market, but by the time it is available, you'll invariably find something even newer beckoning from the distant horizon. It's often best to take the pragmatic approach and buy something that is available and that will do the job. That way you can get on with making your music and maybe even making some money. No matter when you decide to buy or upgrade, you'll always face the same kind of dilemma — now is no better or worse than any other time.

When you combine the effects of recent technological advances with the intensely competitive climate of today's market, it soon becomes apparent that there has never been a better time to buy that piece of recording equipment, synth or sampler you've always wanted. Even if interest rates are still slightly higher than we'd like, the potential savings more than make up for it. To put it another way — take advantage and benefit while the recession lasts! You might never have the chance again.