Korg Forums

[Kevin Nolan]

I did a basic sales course (for one week) in a Keyboard shop in Dublin years ago. The first thing I was taught - the price doesn't matter once someone decides to buy (the buyer will get the money somehow!). They taught me the technique of bringing up presets and playing demos connected with the age profile of the purchaser (they sold home organs as well as synths). And - if a husband and wife come in and where the husband wants the keyboard - if they've entered the shop then the husband has already made up his mind to buy - so my job was to convince the wife!!

So there are a lot of economic, timing and psychology factors to take into consideration. It may be, for example (and I've no knowledge if this is the case) that Korg already know quite well how many Kronos they'll sell at each price point they introduce it at. There have been enough generations of keyboards for them to have a good analysis of buying trends. Hence - they may be right now 'counting beans' on this forum and many others and will identify an optimum ratio of units made to unit price; and they'll announce it when they know that. There are probably many other practical considerations - if the units are not made yet and, for example, touch screen prices are fluctuating, they simply might not yet be able to put an exact price out.

So Kronos may not be cheap - it may be quite expensive. Look at V-Piano and CP1 for example - these are both extraordinarily expensive. One would think that Roland would want to sell more V-Pianos and hence make them cheaper - but there must be real reasons we're not privy to but which Roland have analysed very well that's keeping V-Piano so pricy (beyond the very plausible fact that they may simply want to give the Roland brand more panache by releasing ridiculously highly priced keyboards).

There's a possibility that OASYS was never intended to be a big seller - it seems to have been a labour of love rather than a 'next big seller'. Kronos on the other hand seems to be more targeted for mass consumption so that should bode well for the price. But getting back to my original point - almost everyone here is going to buy one no matter how expensive it is - the vast majority here has already made up its mind and Korg know that. How many other people in your life do you know who are as interested in keyboards to join Korgforums? Probably nobody. We're a captive market - we're flies heading into the lamp!!!

Kevin.

[RKfan]

DOH!

Should have mentioned - how much would EU/UK customers be prepared to pay - we would all love to pay $3,500 (recommended retail) for an 88 (£2,200 at today's exchange rate) - but that isnt going to happen.

For example I think £2,500 ($4000!!!!) for a 61 key version would be my walk away, I would like it to be at least 10% less than that.

I do have a choice - (don't need all 9 of those synth engines, and who wants Karma - Yamahas have Karma....(being provocative, sorry English sense of irony)) - and could save loads and still be able to make some great noises. The GAIA has 3 synth engines for £500 - so nine comes to £1500 doesnt it??? The Origin means you can build your own synth for £2,500. DSI Prophet 08s are just £1,500. A V-synth GT for £2,600 a Virus T12 for £1,800 and that's without software sequencers and VSTs....

I work in Pricing for pharmaceuticals (where we work with government as the customer) and understand that the indvidual in the shop doesnt have much choice (may still get a 10% discount) but when they gang up on the retailer (telling them what they want to pay) people listen.

[DaveBoulden]

I'm gunning for the the equivalent to the US pricing plus VAT!!!

[rrricky rrrecordo]

Long & McQuade's Canadian prices for Kronos:

61 $2999
73 $3599
88 $3799

I've never had to pay full ticket price at L&M, so you Kanadian Kronies may be able to wiggle these prices down a bit

[ilpaoletti]

I live in Italy, and I saw the pre-sales prices for Kronos:

In Italy:

61 € 3399
73 € 3599
88 € 3899

In USA (Sweetwater):

61 $ 2999
73 $ 3499
88 $ 3799

Actually the exchange rate usd/euro is 1,4 and the minimum rate was about 1,3 so I think that the huge price difference between the U.S. and Europe is not justified.

I think Korg should review its pricing strategy in the EU because prices of other well-known brands are not so obvious differenced with respect to exchange rates.

This is just my opinion.

Regards

[RKfan]

Kooee Korg Europe.

€3,000; too expensive!
£3,000; too expensive!!!!!

$3,000 not bad £1=$1.6 - looks like £2,200 or €2,500 is where you have to pitch the 61....Anyone from Korg EU listening....

Anyone really want to pay more for it......!!

I dont think so.

[pragmatist]

You can guarantee rip off Britain will errr.......Rip us off. Import duty, tut tut!!

[rrricky rrrecordo]

Canada gets pretty much US prices with no tarriffs - or maybe they're built in... and when our dollar kicks ass we can do even better. We're nicely in the black today

Free trade should be global

[EvilDragon]

[Megakazbek]

Yeah, it's ridiculous that we have to buy Korg stuff from USA because European prices are so insanely high. I've bought my M3-M module from USA and with all the taxes and delivery it cost me less than HALF as much as it costs here officially (1700$ vs 3600$).
I wonder if a significant % of USA sales comes actually from European customers who don't want to pay those prices in their own country...

[Bertotti]

I feel for you guys that is insane! Over here even though the Oasys was much more 3799$ still isn't anything to sneeze at, it is a lot, lot of money!

[Kontrol49]

[synthguy]

I hate to say it K49, but this is the problem with our race. We're greedy, thoughtless, and want free lunches every day. Then when "we" - not me - elects politicians whic promise them, the citizens get bent out of shape when those government goodies have to be paid for, and the government is the most expensive answer to every problem. Well, and union labor. I've never bought a new car before because I just can't afford to pay for those insane union benefits.

I'm a government employee who told my fellow workers we really should have a pay cut this year of a few percent, and they grumbled about a pay freeze. No one wants to face the fact that the entire world is close to a financial meltdown. I know this isn't something everyone wants to hear, but this is pretty much it, and the situation will only continue until everyone demands common sense leaders who run governments like businesses. Or, well, it's just going to blow up one day.

Orwell... hmm...
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[Kontrol49]

Well when you've got councillours paying themselves £200k a year,even more than the Prime minister earns and then making cuts in local services in their constituancies making people out of jobs that they need to make ends meet it no wonder..

it has to be a "lead by example" by these corrupt idiots who simply take everyone for a mug,these are the people who should be preventing us from being part of a global economical meltdown but are happy to reap the rewards by fleecing everyone else and making rules but don't abide by them,its no wonder that society is self absorbed,its simply passed on by those who implement that ideology in life.


As for pay freeze,it should be compulsory for goverments to take a stop in wage increase at economically hard times after all its paid for by the general public,so why should the people who pay their wages have to struggle with taxation increases to pay these overpaid bigots who flout the systems with expenses,I wish I could claim expenses for having my Moat cleaned out or for porn exploits...
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[synthguy]