Letter to Korg from the usergroup: 3rd party software

macboy · Post by **macboy** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:55 am

Making it possible to combine different SET's, Korg needs to free there code. I am not into it totally, but I made this concept letter.

If people agree, this letter can be send on behalve of all of us.

Because my English is not perfect someone can change the tekst where necessary.

What do you think? Who wants to print it and send it to Korg ? I can send it to Italy, because I am in Europe.

First we need to make an arrangement for the letter. Maybe the person that makes this software 3rd party can add to the letter the specific problems he encounters with ?

My advice is not too wait too long. Let's all make this letter perfect these 2 weeks and then send it.

____________________

Adressed to:
Korg US
Korg Italy
Korg ??

Dear Sir/Madam,

This letter as you can see has been send to different Korg organisations.

This letter has been send on behalf of the Korg forum, PA800/PA2X section, which you can find at http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... m.php?f=50

This forum is connected to your official www.korgpa.com site and exists for over ??? years already. We currently have ??? registered users and there are now ??? different topics posted.

This forum is also visited by some people from Korg itself (Trammamoni ???). You can contact them if you want to verify this.

There is also a big M3 section on the korgforums.com site and we would like to ambition the same working-level with Korg as they have.

We are very happy with Korg adding updates, but the user group (which represents people all over the world) requires some more specifically solutions to certain problems.

At this moment our main problem is the fact that combining two different SET's is not possible without investing many many hours at tweaking the right parameters. Changing SET's without the right drumkits and user sounds is not possible without these steps.

We are aware of the fact that Korg does not like to invest in adding programs which can be used on the PC to solve this problem. However, there are third parties which are developing these new features [NAME HERE THE 3rd PARTIES/NAMES / ADRESSES ??].

For them to work around they need to find the code which are used to encrypt the .STY and .PRG files [ADD MORE INFO HERE?]

Please reply to us what you think about our solution for this problem. we do not see any problems for you to make this information available to the market, since you have done this with the PA1x also.

We are also open for Korg to discuss and dialogue with about certain requirements. This is also easy for you, they you check with our forum if the updates you are planning are interested or not. We can help you find out if certain features you would like to embed are necessary and desireable.

Also, this would mean that our forum would be willing to test these updates for Korg as alpha or beta testers.

We thank you in advance for everything you have done so far and we hope that future coöperation will bring even better operating systems/machines to the market.

This letter has to be considered as a bridge between us (the users) and you (Korg).

With kind regards,

The korgforums users.

PS You can reply to this letter, or you can start a post via one of your sales persons on www.korgforums.com -> PA2X/PA800 section

iaoranaemaeva · Post by **iaoranaemaeva** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:59 pm

macboy wrote:[NAME HERE THE 3rd PARTIES/NAMES / ADRESSES ??].

Hmm, I am rather reluctant for the moment... Do you think it will give more weight to our request?

they need to find the code which are used to encrypt the .STY and .PRG files

I suggest replacing with:
"they need to know the full specifications of the OC3x format used to compress data in the various files."

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:38 pm

Various letters have been sent already and Korg USA and Korg Italy are well aware of the problems. However, the people that need to be influenced are the Directors at Korg Japan who set the priorities and budgets for development.

The best way to influence the Directors is to write letters of complaint to your retailer and to the Korg distributor in your country. This is just about the only thing that Korg Japan will take into account. Going on past record, anything else will be ignored.

Best regards,
Rob

iaoranaemaeva · Post by **iaoranaemaeva** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:56 pm

Rob Sherratt wrote:Going on past record, anything else will be ignored.

+1

macboy · Post by **macboy** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:02 pm

Ok Rob ! Glad we have that sorted out. I will send this kind of a letter to my local dealer. See if that will work.

Post by **Sharp** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:04 am

Making it possible to combine different SET's, Korg needs to free there code.

Roughly translated means..... your looking for KORG to spend additional time working on a package for third party developers so they can create something for the PC that the Pa2X can already do with it's on-board systems.

Ain't going to happen as with other requests that only seem to suite the minority and forget the majority. Most arranger users DO NOT use a PC.

If you want KORG's help, ask for something real that will suite everyone needs. Like styles...!!!!

Regards.
Sharp.

Asena · Post by **Asena** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:10 am

Hi Here in Sweden , i heave great contact whit the Musikborsen & Englund Music guys, And i,m sure i can do something here, I hope.I,m on it!!!

iaoranaemaeva · Post by **iaoranaemaeva** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 4:47 am

Sharp wrote:your looking for KORG to spend additional time working on a package for third party developers

Objection Your Honor

What we ask does not need more than 3 minutes for a Korg executive to answer: publish on their website a pair of existing internal specs - these documents must exist, Korg developers cannot live and work without them.

Best regards,
Alain

macboy · Post by **macboy** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:44 am

One more thing Rob: you say that various letters have been written. But by whom? Individuals??

I was speaking about a letter on behalve of this USER GROUP !

Has that been done already ? If not, maybe we should give it a go?

Post by **Sharp** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:34 am

iaoranaemaeva wrote:
Sharp wrote:your looking for KORG to spend additional time working on a package for third party developers
Objection Your Honor What we ask does not need more than 3 minutes for a Korg executive to answer: publish on their website a pair of existing internal specs - these documents must exist, Korg developers cannot live and work without them.

Best regards,
Alain

I don't think it's as simple as that. I'm sure the information is available to their programmers, but the reason it's not available to you is it contains confidential information on the structure of their compression / file format, or something else of value. I'm only guessing obviously, but knowing KORG as well as I do, they wouldn't withhold information for no reason.

Regards.
Sharp.

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:44 am

Sharp wrote:I don't think it's as simple as that. I'm sure the information is available to their programmers, but the reason it's not available to you is it contains confidential information on the structure of their compression / file format, or something else of value. I'm only guessing obviously, but knowing KORG as well as I do, they wouldn't withhold information for no reason.

Regards.
Sharp.

Never said better!

Mickb · Post by **Mickb** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:45 pm

Sharp wrote:
I don't think it's as simple as that. I'm sure the information is available to their programmers, but the reason it's not available to you is it contains confidential information on the structure of their compression / file format, or something else of value. I'm only guessing obviously, but knowing KORG as well as I do, they wouldn't withhold information for no reason.

Regards.
Sharp.

Hi all,

Just to set the record straight.

This information was promised, in fact an API was suggested by Korg rather than just the information, but then put on the long finger, due to development of OS 2

It has been published previously as an API ( which worked up to version 3 of the PA1x OS. ) Which was subject to a Non Disclosure Agreement and any software developed from it had to be released as freeware or subject to a commercial license payment to Korg, so there is a precedent for the release of the requested information.

Regardless of whether this is released by Korg or not, I am determined to develop a fully functional Editor for the PA series of Keyboards.

I know Alain is working on an editor too and he is further on than I am. However we WILL get at least one if not two editors released.

The software I have already released (PAL) is only a very small FIRST step on the journey to the ultimate goal of a FULLY FUNCTIONAL STYLE AND SET EDITOR.

macboy · Post by **macboy** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:18 pm

Great news Mick !

And thank you for all your efforts !

My problem is that you can of course easily state that Korg is not doing this for nothing, but the strange thing is: if they have a pretty good reason for it, why the h... did they give away the information free for the PA1x ??

There is no logical explanation and I can assure you: there is not a single reason to be found there.

The only logical two things are:

1. NEVER give this information for free
2. ALWAYS give this information for free

But option 3 is not likely, that is sometimes (PA1x) giving free and sometimes not (PA2x)

Just my easy thoughts

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:23 pm

Option 4

Korg want to cooperate with us. The internal documentation is in the form of source code header files that Korg defintely don't want to release. To translate this into a user document takes a lot of work. The Pa1x user document that was released in the past under NDA is out of date. There are only a few people with the right skills to do the work to produce the update. And they are very busy with OS2 right now.

macboy · Post by **macboy** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:31 pm

Ok Rob !

Never new there was a fourth option hehehe

But does the co-operation that you mention include 3rd parties like Mick? Otherwise what would be the use ?

However it works out, this all seems some good information and we can be positive towards the future !!!!

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Letter to Korg from the usergroup: 3rd party software

Letter to Korg from the usergroup: 3rd party software

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