Korg OASYS II ?

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Wed May 27, 2009 1:40 am

Oasys IV surely ?!?! We just had Oasys III

The next Korg products won't be workstations IMO, they are more likely to relate to the three markets where is there money :

1) Guitar related products - effects, tuners, guitar guitarist oriented recorders
2) Hiphop gear - MPC meets Electribe meets workstation ...
3) Software Instruments and Effects - and of course MIDI controllers !!

rkarlberg · Post by **rkarlberg** » Wed May 27, 2009 3:27 pm

Daz wrote:The next Korg products won't be workstations IMO, they are more likely to relate to the three markets where is there money :

1) Guitars related products - effects, tuners, guitar guitarist oriented recorders
2) Hiphop gear - MPC meets Electribe meets workstation ...
3) Software Instruments and Effects - and of course MIDI controllers !!

Sure, Korg has been around a long time and has always had a wide range of products.

And they stated they would focus on mass market keyboards like the M3 which are still profitable.

But they continue to use Oasys related technology in these new keyboards - and it would really not be that hard to make an Oasys 2. Just roll in the latest M3 improvements, add Radias and another sound engine or 2, and combine the amazing software with the latest hardware.

At some point, they had to discontinue the Oasys 1. It just does not make sense to keep using outdated hardware. But we will probably see an M4 before the Oasys 2 - the global economy will recover eventually.

It's only a matter of time before Roland, Kurzweil or Yamaha come out with something better than the Oasys, and I'm sure Korg would like to remain the leader.

curvebender · Post by **curvebender** » Wed May 27, 2009 4:09 pm

rkarlberg wrote:Just roll in the latest M3 improvements, add Radias and another sound engine or 2, and combine the amazing software with the latest hardware.

The Oasys already has the Radias, it's called AL-1.

rkarlberg wrote:At some point, they had to discontinue the Oasys 1. It just does not make sense to keep using outdated hardware.

I don't agree that the hardware is outdated, other than the possible future problem of not finding spare parts. (But that goes for every piece of hardware.) I mean, how exactly would the Oasys sound "better" with, for example, a faster processor?...

rkarlberg · Post by **rkarlberg** » Wed May 27, 2009 5:28 pm

curvebender wrote: I don't agree that the hardware is outdated, other than the possible future problem of not finding spare parts. (But that goes for every piece of hardware.) I mean, how exactly would the Oasys sound "better" with, for example, a faster processor?...

You're right - the current hardware is just fine for making music, and will be great for many years to come. But it does not make sense for Korg to keep producing the current configuration when they could easily use newer and more powerful components.

It's like automakers - they update their cars every few years with the latest technology. The existing models still run just fine, but eventually you're going to want to trade in for something new.

It's hard to imagine the Oasys sounding better... but 4GB of RAM would certainly be nice. And more polyphony - with unison and layering it's pretty easy to run out of voices.

Post by **Sharp** » Wed May 27, 2009 6:34 pm

You're right - the current hardware is just fine for making music, and will be great for many years to come. But it does not make sense for Korg to keep producing the current configuration when they could easily use newer and more powerful components

Don't Open Labs do exactly that and with each Gen released, they then sell an upgrade kit for existing owners.

I see no reason for KORG to move away from the OASYS design. Just release a mark II for in around 4K and offer existing owners an upgrade kit to purchase for $500. Surly that would keep everyone happy and allow the OASYS concept to reach a huge customer base with the lower price tag.

Regards.
Sharp.

medusaland · Post by **medusaland** » Wed May 27, 2009 6:40 pm

Sharp wrote:
You're right - the current hardware is just fine for making music, and will be great for many years to come. But it does not make sense for Korg to keep producing the current configuration when they could easily use newer and more powerful components
Don't Open Labs do exactly that and with each Gen released, they then sell an upgrade kit for existing owners.

I see no reason for KORG to move away from the OASYS design. Just release a mark II for in around 4K and offer existing owners an upgrade kit to purchase for $500. Surly that would keep everyone happy and allow the OASYS concept to reach a huge customer base with the lower price tag.

Regards.
Sharp.

+100

Best wishes,

Kurt

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Wed May 27, 2009 7:12 pm

Sharp wrote:Just release a mark II for around 4K ...

How would they 'just' halve the price like that, Sharpy ?

In order to cut costs so drastically, which bits of the original Oasys hardware would be kept/dropped ? Having said that, the most expensive OpenLabs things sit in that price range. I am a software guy, this is not my area

Speaking of software ... what I really want is an Oasys V ! Where is V is for virtual instrument. After the Oasys experience I am not so keen on the idea of buying any more proprietary hardware or proprietary software instrument hosts (which is what hardware synths are nowadays). I'd far prefer to see the EXis packaged in a similar fashion to the Legacy AU/VST.

2c,

Daz.

Post by **Sharp** » Wed May 27, 2009 11:41 pm

Hi Daz.

If good people like Dan and others spent 8 to 10 years developing the OASYS, that's a huge R&D bill which was passed onto the price of every OASYS.

So my thinking on it would be that a Mark II OASYS would require significantly less R&D, lets say only 5% of the effort that when into the existing OASYS development, so it should automatically cost less. If not, then are KORG going to pass on the R&D costs twice here ?.

What ya think ?

Regards.
Sharp.

rtucker55 · Post by **rtucker55** » Thu May 28, 2009 12:07 am

Daz mentioned MIDI controllers above.

Now that does spark some interest especially if it was something unique like a Dual manual controller using the M3's 88 key on bottom and the 73 as the upper manual. These keboard actions already exist! Just a matter of putting them in a rugged/lightweight chassis.

And it would be cool if each was capable of transmitting over indivdual midi ports and there was also 16 or even 32 trigger pads!

This would be a live players dream as they could contol HW tone modules and SW synths... And, they would have both the feel of a piano and synth.

When I bought the M3-M and found out I could not get the Korg board for it I when on a mission to find a great MIDI controller and I did not like anything currently available, that is until I got an Oasys!

OASYS - Still the KING!

Regards,
Rick

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Thu May 28, 2009 12:17 am

Sharp wrote:If good people like Dan and others spent 8 to 10 years developing the OASYS, that's a huge R&D bill which was passed onto the price of every OASYS.

IIRC Dan has mentioned that the price of the Oasys was totally based on the cost of the hardware, with their standard multiple applied. That's why I wondered how you'd snipped the cost down to half.

Daz.

nitecrawler · Post by **nitecrawler** » Thu May 28, 2009 2:53 am

"Now that does spark some interest especially if it was something unique like a Dual manual controller using the M3's 88 key on bottom and the 73 as the upper manual. These keboard actions already exist! Just a matter of putting them in a rugged/lightweight chassis."

I dunno? It would have to be real liteweight! I struggle porting my '76 around as it is now.

nitecrawler

fallingman · Post by **fallingman** » Fri May 29, 2009 9:41 am

For what it's worth, I'm intrigued by the controller + laptop idea : I saw Ultravox on their reunion tour last month, and everyone, including Warren Cann, the drummer, had a Macbook Pro, presumably running Logic Pro Mainstage, and apart from one unfortunate moment where Billy Currie's Macbook hung and needed a reboot mid-song, everything was seamless.

I love my OASYS, but others have pointed out, it's huge, and I'm intrigued by the likes of Logic Pro and REASON, etc.

I know this is an old argument, but if Korg themselves took the (software) guts of the OASYS into software form, like EMU did with the Emulator X and Proteus X on a lesser scale, who knows what they might come up with, and affordable too, as les hardware.

Just my 10 cents...

curvebender · Post by **curvebender** » Fri May 29, 2009 10:57 am

fallingman wrote:and apart from one unfortunate moment where Billy Currie's Macbook hung and needed a reboot mid-song, everything was seamless.

That reboot effectively makes the whole concert NOT seamless.

If anything, an excellent argument for not relying on computers on stage.

fallingman · Post by **fallingman** » Fri May 29, 2009 11:01 am

curvebender wrote:
fallingman wrote:and apart from one unfortunate moment where Billy Currie's Macbook hung and needed a reboot mid-song, everything was seamless.
That reboot effectively makes the whole concert NOT seamless.

If anything, an excellent argument for not relying on computers on stage.

No worse than breaking a string or drumhead, surely ?

curvebender · Post by **curvebender** » Fri May 29, 2009 11:15 am

fallingman wrote:
curvebender wrote:
fallingman wrote:and apart from one unfortunate moment where Billy Currie's Macbook hung and needed a reboot mid-song, everything was seamless.
That reboot effectively makes the whole concert NOT seamless.

If anything, an excellent argument for not relying on computers on stage.
No worse than breaking a string or drumhead, surely ?

Come to think of it, you're absolutely right fallingman!

Yeah, I reacted too fast on the reboot story..