*** Threads on the price of the OASYS **** Please read..!!!!

[Sharp]

Hi all.

This is a temporary thread that I will lock and sink once I get some feedback from you all.

Basically I'm sick of seeing the same topic “Is the OASYS worth the price” or the many variations of the same topic popping up on the forum. Generally always started too by people who are new here, and clearly have no interest in the OASYS in the first place.

So.... I'm strongly considering banning this subject and I want to know how you all feel about this. I don't believe there is anything left to discuss, but I'm asking you what do you think.

If it becomes a banned topic, then future posts will be locked straight away and people will be told to go use the search engine. Persistent people will be considered trolls once the new rule is explained once to them and they ignore it.

Your thoughts please. I'm putting this out to the forum rather than just putting my foot down here.

Regards.
Sharp.

[Grapite]

I'm with you Sharp! it pretty much just fuels the fire when people get started on that subject.
Regards

[Mike Conway]

I agree that it has been well covered and is searchable. If someone is trolling than I have no problem with closing such threads.

[bctines]

It's been beaten to death. Time to bury it!!!

[JamesD]

Agree, Sharp. Time to put this one to bed. We know you get what you pay for...others need to learn that lesson.

[MarkF786]

Maybe the way you've asked the question is imprecise, but I don't think banning questions about the price of the OASYS is to the benefit of the users - it's only to the benefit of the retailers since there are bargains to be found if you know the true street price. I do agree that threads on "if the OASYS is worth the price" are a bit old, but in any forum there are repetitive topics that come up.

Mark

[kenackr]

Sharp,

Just do it!

The price is what it is. As users we do not have to defend what Korg or anyone else for that matter, charges for their equipment.

I think that folks who get on and ask those questions should be told it's all been talked about before adnauseum.

We don't need to spend our time and effort to try to promote the product for Korg or trying to talk doubting Thomas's into one.

Ken

[billysynth1]

I agree that the topic should be killed.

I just bought a Pioneer top of the range Kuro Plasma TV, an LX508, it has the best picture quality and everybody doing the research knows this - why would I go into the Plasma TV forums and cry about the price...boo hoo hoo, its too expensive, is it worth it, boo hoo hoo, help me... shut the kcuf up, if you want it just pay the asking price ( after you try to bring the price down a bit of course )and get on wth it...

Kill these sooking threads about price...go do your kcufen research and get on with it

Thnks
Billy

[Pilgrim]

Sharp,
I agree as long as you handle it your way.

Thank You,

Pilgrim John

[t_tangent]

I'm kind of half way between James D and MarkF86 on this. You are definately on the right track Sharp... there are a lot of threads that cover the same topic, and most of those are by pseudo prospective buyers or lets put it the blunt way....dreamers....who would like to get an Oasys but just cannot see why the O is worth the money. However, every one of us who does own and use an O knows exactly why we are so privileged to, so I think in a way it is our responsibilty to take the high ground on this issue. There are people who definately would like to buy one but genuinely would like advice from real users, and I think for their sake we have to accept that occasionally there will be others that abuse this and try to create threads to make us rise to the bait. Personally those threads do not phase me at all, as I am extremely happy in my desicion to be an OASYS user.

I think we all acknowledge that the O is not the cheapest of instruments, but on reflection you certainly get what you pay for and a lot more besides. I am sure some of these threads come from people who are using pirated software, and their reasoning will likely be based on this. But I feel it would be wrong to punish those who are genuine potential users for the sake of a few 'losers' who just just want to stir up a hornets nest.

I am sure we are smart enough to figure out if a thread is really asking for advice or just wasting our time, so I think one has to give new threads the benefit of the doubt, and only if it becomes clear that it is a ruse then by all means ban the instigator.

On a final note, I think that all the O users here are happy to be O users. I certainly am, and it will take a lot more than a few antagonisers to convince me otherwise. The O is one of the best synths/workstations ever to be released so although I agree that these annoying threads should be killed, I do think we need to be cautious and not just ban anything just because we disagree.

Thats all I will say on the matter, but hope that helps

[peter m. mahr]

... but I'm asking you what do you think.

good idea!

peter

[Charlie]

Hm - I'm not a real fan of "censoring" - but I can see that many of these discussions are sufficiently covered. So if it makes life easier for the moderators and the honest users of this forum here go ahead, Sharp!

[curvebender]

I agree with Sharp, good idea.

[Drunky]

T_tangent, I'm with you.

[Kevin Nolan]

Hi Sharp -

I understand where you are coming from and empathise.

However - I also believe that such threads are useful - they have often sparked interesting responses:

- They force OASYS users to qualify / summarise why the OASYS is worth the price; which I believe is useful because it's actually worth its prices, it can be defended very well. Hence in responding clearly to such posts, unsuspecting readers/visitors and OASYS potential buyers gain added insight. I have no evidence to back this up, but I'd say that such threads have been responsible for encouraging some to take the plunge and buy an OASYS.

- It forces a debate about the value of hardware synthesizers - a debate I'm keen to keep alive through any means, given the overwhelming trend to ditch hardware synthesizers - a trend I believe could last some years yet. Here, the question of the value of the OASYS has often lead to a focus on its superlative hardware specs and its hardware/software integration. I believe that instrument specific and innovative hardware control of sound synthesis, design and performance are important. But whether such technology survives depends on awareness and availability; and again I suggest that questioning the value of the OASYS keeps this important debate alive.

- I think, given the OASYS's price, that people are entitled to ask whether it is worth it - it's unique in the synth world in it's steep price. Similar questions were legitimately asked of the Emulator, Fairlight and so on in times past.

- Such questions potentiall enhance its enigmatic status.

- I'd agree with the post above that censorship should be kept to a minimum in general.

- Overall, I find this forum to be wonderfully upbeat when compared to others. I have not personally found such threads to be too frequent or annoying. For example, I only recently joined vintagesynths.org, and while I find it to be an excellent forum, the amount of moderation - in particular in moving topics arbitrarily from forum to forum - is incredibly over the top and extremely frustrating. Hence I'd air on the side of less interference.

- I'd suggest that you allow such topics and not ban them, but when they have been adequately answered or referred to other similar ones, then lock them down.



That said, it's your forum, and whatever decision you make will be OK with me - as said I genuinely understand where you’re coming from.

Cheers,
Kevin.