Tsutomu Katoh has died

[kimu]

R.I.P.

hope someone in korg will inherits his leadership and vision.

http://keyboardmag.com/article/korg-mou ... 011/129081

[Lika]

Thank you Katoh-san for The best instruments that you gave us !!! :(:(
will remember you every time playng music !!!

[ozy]

hope someone in korg will inherits his leadership and vision.

This is an interesting issue, and another angle on a Giant.

I ask to those who directly knew him:

did mr Katoh personally train a technical/intellectual/visionary "heir",

a recognizable leader,

or did he rely on a "corporate" kind of succession?

Is there somebody who in the past few years was Katoh's "sidekick",

or did he work on the STRUCTURE, on the TEAM, leaving to the collective to generate a leader?

This would say a lot about him, and about Korg.

I am not talking about fantasies and speculations, and I BEG this doesn't start gossip or wild guesses (this would not be the right thread, whose topic is mourning a great man).

I am talking about real details of his late years, and further elements in his portrait, from those who personally knew him.

I can't remember of any other man in synth production who planned in advance, to the point of surviving to 4 or 5 waves of innovation in a half-a-century time span.

Moog couldn't. Yamaha is just a corporation, no personal soul. Ditto Roland. Dave Smith went from garage to garage. Kurzweil put just 1/10 of his brain into music, and much less into production and organization.

Katoh is the only "big numbers artist" in the business. (Did I say "is"? yes I did, won't correct ).

So, knowing how he prepared his creature's future would be a lesson.

[EvilDragon]

Is there somebody who in the past few years was Katoh's "sidekick"

Eh... his son?

[Daz]

This gentlemen certainly left his mark and will be well remembered. Sad news.

[mikemolloyuk]

hope someone in korg will inherits his leadership and vision.

This is an interesting issue, and another angle on a Giant.

I ask to those who directly knew him:

did mr Katoh personally train a technical/intellectual/visionary "heir",

a recognizable leader,

or did he rely on a "corporate" kind of succession?

Is there somebody who in the past few years was Katoh's "sidekick",

or did he work on the STRUCTURE, on the TEAM, leaving to the collective to generate a leader?

This would say a lot about him, and about Korg.

I am not talking about fantasies and speculations, and I BEG this doesn't start gossip or wild guesses (this would not be the right thread, whose topic is mourning a great man).

I am talking about real details of his late years, and further elements in his portrait, from those who personally knew him.

I can't remember of any other man in synth production who planned in advance, to the point of surviving to 4 or 5 waves of innovation in a half-a-century time span.

Moog couldn't. Yamaha is just a corporation, no personal soul. Ditto Roland. Dave Smith went from garage to garage. Kurzweil put just 1/10 of his brain into music, and much less into production and organization.

Katoh is the only "big numbers artist" in the business. (Did I say "is"? yes I did, won't correct ).

So, knowing how he prepared his creature's future would be a lesson.

OZY

I would say his son Seki will take over from him. He is a very important figure in Korg so my money is on him.

[Fairdealmusic]

our thoughts are with the family and friends

[michelkeijzers]

Condoleances to his family.

The worst synth-like mistake I made was not buying a Korg as my first synth.