Official statement on the status and future of the OASYS

Davidb · Post by **Davidb** » Fri May 22, 2009 7:07 pm

weymouthfox wrote:Your probably right David.

I desperately hope Korg offer us a free or pre-paid sequencer update.

Hi weymouthfox

I´m agree, and I would pay for it.
But... What I t dont get yet is how not to implement, if not any other, at least the new M3 sequencer features in the OASYS?

The M3 was designed to operate as a host VST for DAWs via firewire.
Why then to update its Sequencer? Just to equal the other workstations brands in the market?
Ok, And If so, why not to do at least the same to the OASYS Seq mode, more capable (HDR, Hard Disk,CDRW, better interface,etc)
and more needed at the same time for upgrades (no Cue list, less RPPQ,no DAW integration, etc), more evident specially in the MIDI editing department?

In 2005, many music magazines reviews (SOS and others) slated the sequencer but said that Korg were working on dramatically improving it???

In the beginning, there were rumours about it, and as far as it seems, its fair to say Korg is aware of some of the shortcomings of its workstations in this area, otherwise the M3 Sequencer upgrade would never see its release so soon, IMHO.

Surely this would be a fairly easy update for them to implement considering their expertise and what else they have achieved on the Oasys and M3.

Well, I was inclined to think along those same lines as well, even more when we saw the Karma 2.2 upgrade in the 1.3.3 O.S and the HD-1 XPansion Volumes for the OASYS.

The only other features left to implement from the M3 2.0 eXpanded are the (very useful) bars meters in Combi and Sequencer modes and the new Piano roll and Sysex editing tools for the Sequencer mode, and we were expecting to see them sooner or later.

Its a fabulous keyboard/ synth but it now needs that extra 5% to be a fabulous workstation which we were all led to believe would happen when we spent £5200/ $8000.

Yes, I have the same opinion.

Regards, mate.

AnthonyB · Post by **AnthonyB** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:28 pm

"weymouthfox"Your probably right David.

I desperately hope Korg offer us a free or pre-paid sequencer update.

I wonder how often Korg.inc/Japan view this actual thread?, all 354 posts, and 23 pages. Did Korg Japan add the sequencer to the M3 after seeing the Fantom excel in this department? - without even bothering to look at any forums - let alone this one?, Do The Japanese techs' listen to us - like Jerry/Dan/korg US etc?,(which they do) I'm not so sure....

I somehow get the feeling (whether it be right or wrong) that korg Japan are too"busy" to "look" at "little" things like the sequencer on the Korg OASYS, since it is now discontinued - but not too busy looking at the M3, since THAT had DIRECT competition from the Roland Fantom G. Had there been there been a direct competitor to the OASYS 2-3 years ago - like a NEKO/ Supercharged Roland Synth etc, it may have been a different story. Do Korg Japan only give upgrades like that of the M3 Xpanded - when "pressured"?, because I didn't see thousands of posts/ threads on the M3 Forum requesting an Xpanded Sequencer Yet THEY got one LOL

I really wish I knew why this Sequencer upgrade hasn't happened - and what the reason is for this, as it (to me) seems easy enough to implement. Maybe it's because of high cost/low sales Synth - I don't know

Tony

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:57 pm

AnthonyB wrote:Do Korg Japan only give upgrades like that of the M3 Xpanded - when "pressured"?, because I didn't see thousands of posts/ threads on the M3 Forum requesting an Xpanded Sequencer Yet THEY got one LOL

The main difference is that the M3 is still being sold, and has not been discontinued, and needed that to compete in the marketplace. Doing a sequencer update for the OASYS, at this time, would be somewhat pointless from a business model viewpoint.

I would say that for the most part, Korg doesn't read this thread (all 23 pages of it). What for? There's only one thing it says, which is "a bunch of OASYS owners are upset they didn't get a sequencer update." There's no need to read 23 pages to get that point - I'm sure they already know it.

medusaland · Post by **medusaland** » Fri May 22, 2009 11:05 pm

StephenKay wrote:
AnthonyB wrote:Do Korg Japan only give upgrades like that of the M3 Xpanded - when "pressured"?, because I didn't see thousands of posts/ threads on the M3 Forum requesting an Xpanded Sequencer Yet THEY got one LOL
The main difference is that the M3 is still being sold, and has not been discontinued, and needed that to compete in the marketplace. Doing a sequencer update for the OASYS, at this time, would be somewhat pointless from a business model viewpoint.

I would say that for the most part, Korg doesn't read this thread (all 23 pages of it). What for? There's only one thing it says, which is "a bunch of OASYS owners are upset they didn't get a sequencer update." There's no need to read 23 pages to get that point - I'm sure they already know it.

+ 10

Best, Kurt

ricky recordo · Post by **ricky recordo** » Sat May 23, 2009 6:06 am

StephenKay wrote:
I would say that for the most part, Korg doesn't read this thread (all 23 pages of it). What for? There's only one thing it says, which is "a bunch of OASYS owners are upset they didn't get a sequencer update."

Hmm.

Is that really the only thing it says to you in 23 pages?

Can't say I agree with you. I think that these volumes of posts speak - in turn - volumes about Korg's unfortunate decision to abandon its long-term commitment to supporting the OASYS platform and OASYS owners, and not quite so much about "a bunch of OASYS owners" who "are upset...".

I can see how one might arrive at such a synopsis of this thread though, and of course that's cool... surely we've always had ongoing respect for one another's viewpoints.

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Sat May 23, 2009 7:29 am

ricky recordo wrote:Can't say I agree with you. I think that these volumes of posts speak - in turn - volumes about Korg's unfortunate decision to abandon its long-term commitment to supporting the OASYS platform and OASYS owners, and not quite so much about "a bunch of OASYS owners" who "are upset...".

Considering you never had an OASYS, and were always vociferously against them, constantly picking them apart with no regard for logic (one of the reasons you were banned here for a long while in case new members are unaware of it or have forgotten) - regardless of what you pretend now, it's disingenuous for you to even be in this thread, pretending to be on the side of the "abandoned OASYS owners".

"volumes of posts" - all by the same 10 people. Look, I'm not saying I don't agree with them, and I'm not defending Korg's decision, but the idea that this 24 page post repeating the same stuff over and over is going to cause Korg to do something is.... how can I say it... in my opinion only.... somewhat unrealistic. I believe people should get over it, and move on, and figure out ways to make music with the OASYS as it stands, or get something else that fits their needs better. I was just trying to inject a little dose of reality into this thread.

surely we've always had ongoing respect for one another's viewpoints.

No, to be honest, we never have. Sorry.

Trommis · Post by **Trommis** » Sat May 23, 2009 8:07 am

I'm a relative new OASYS owner, and I was aware that the OASYS had bee discontinued at the time of purchase. The retail price here in Norway was dropped by 40-60% about a month ago. As a result, the 3-4 units (both 76 and 88) in stock, was sold within a week or so. The only OASYS available here at the moment, is a used 76 for Nkr. 28.000,- (about $ 4.200,-).

The retailers in Norway says they have been informed by Korg that there is a shortage in motherboards for the OASYS, and that the cost for making more of these, would be too high to continue production.

Does this mean that if my motherboard goes "poff", I'm stuck with $ 8.000,- worth of useless junk?

By the way: I think that the users/buyers of this great workstation, should be treated at least as good as those buying the mouch cheaper M3!

Davidb · Post by **Davidb** » Sat May 23, 2009 8:09 am

StephenKay wrote:
AnthonyB wrote:Do Korg Japan only give upgrades like that of the M3 Xpanded - when "pressured"?, because I didn't see thousands of posts/ threads on the M3 Forum requesting an Xpanded Sequencer Yet THEY got one LOL
The main difference is that the M3 is still being sold, and has not been discontinued, and needed that to compete in the marketplace.

The "its discontinued" argument is not valid, IMO.

AFAIK the OASYS was discontinued since first of April, reading Korg own statment, we must belive so and assuming it was not discontinued months ago, or even last year, and they didnt say a word.

Theres been enough time, not to say requests, to work on this all this time if Korg wanted to.

And by the way: I think we need to redefine the term "bunch".
The "bunch of upset users" is big, and it keeps growing.
Maybe its not a bunch at all.

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Sat May 23, 2009 8:28 am

Davidb wrote:The "its discontinued" argument is not valid, IMO.

Why not? Discontinued is discontinued, as far as a company is concerned.

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Sat May 23, 2009 8:35 am

Trommis wrote: Does this mean that if my motherboard goes "poff", I'm stuck with $ 8.000,- worth of useless junk?

Korg has already said, in this thread I believe, that they have maintained enough parts to service existing units if there are hardware failures.

By the way: I think that the users/buyers of this great workstation, should be treated at least as good as those buying the mouch cheaper M3!

They actually have been, and even more so. OASYS owners have received MORE updates and more new features than anything released for the M3. Just not the one particular thing that is being talked about mostly here. But that doesn't negate the fact that the list of updates and enhancements for the OASYS is far longer than that of the M3.

billysynth1 · Post by **billysynth1** » Sat May 23, 2009 10:54 am

Stephen Kay wrote

I believe people should get over it, and move on, and figure out ways to make music with the OASYS as it stands, or get something else that fits their needs better. I was just trying to inject a little dose of reality into this thread.

I have moved on

I am currently investigating and researching OpenLabs Gen-5 and KARMA - thnkyou Victor and Stephen

Ahhhh, Mr Ricky Recordo....you and Stephen will never be friends bro lol

Billy

EJ2 · Post by **EJ2** » Sat May 23, 2009 4:27 pm

You know, I'm hoping this thread soon gets closed/locked. I'm tired of seeing the alerts that someone has posted again....the same bullshit from a small handfull of owners disappointed that a sequencer update did not materialize. Big deal! The sequencer is NOT crippled. It works; maybe not as some would like, but it works.

It's no secret that the vast majority of OASYS owners did not buy it for the sequencer, but for its incredible sound, PERIOD. And here's a good example of that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQj9TI2AI_4

Look, the OASYS has been discontinued. That's it! Enough already! Daz, Sharp, please close this thread.
Cheers,
Eric

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Sat May 23, 2009 4:34 pm

Korg Japan may or not read this thread and others like it, but it is being read by two Dan and Jerry. Part of both of their roles is being a product manager for the Oasys. Part of that job function is to ensure user feedback is taken into account when a product is designed and after it has been released. This is not like other forums where you see people posting messages like "Does anyone from Acme Music actually read this stuff ???". Or other forums where people get to talk to an overworked support person and hope their feedback makes it from him/her to the appropriate product manager. We're talking to the two most influential people you could talk to without learning Japanese and taking a trip to Japan.

I totally agree with Stephen's assessment; one of the main themes of this thread is the same sequencer update topic we've explored many times in the last few years, albeit with the extra twist of paying for such an update. Along with other more general "when is the next software update ?" queries, it's been the predominant theme of the two main Oasys forums for a long time. I am sure that even the most casual reader would be well versed in exactly what the story is, let alone product managers who visit with a regularity.

Daz.

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Sat May 23, 2009 4:54 pm

I started my post before seeing yours Eric. I'll address that later if I may ...

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Sat May 23, 2009 5:11 pm

Daz wrote: I am sure that even the most casual reader would be well versed in exactly what the story is...

Conversely, I wonder if casual readers would be so aware of the extreme creative possibilities afforded by the Oasys ?