Suggestion to Korg - how to make a few quid from OASYS

[Sharp]

I appreciate Daz's stand point, but I don't agree with his decision to leave this forum. It seems Daz is happy to have moved away from Korg and is busy doing music on other platforms, but I find it pretty hard to understand his abandoning the OASYS so resolutely. I mean, the instrument is still outstanding.

Reading that I suspect you don't even know why he left at all. Him selling his OASYS was only a tiny part in the grand scheme of things. Why he left is because of KORG, not the OASYS.

Don't get me wrong I greatly admire Daz and I realise there were big issues with Korg behind the scenes I’m not privy to, but it does look a little to me that Daz's and your expectations from Korg are too high (even if you are right).

What expectations are you referring to that were too high ?

Overall, Korg instruments are excellent quality, stable, feature rich, innovative and actually usable. So there can be no suggestion of an underlying issue with Korg product quality or support.

I love KORG, but they are far from perfect. I can probably name something wrong with every product they have ever made.

1: All OASYS keyboard within a certain range of serial numbers have a hardware fault that is directly related to the ADAT. If you buy the ADAT board, you need to get your OASYS modified. My OASYS is one of them.

2: Certain KORG M3have issues where the text wears off the buttons, and the current OS still has buggy SF2 support.

3: KORG Triton Studio's within a certain range have defective Midi Out sockets. The voltage is too low and they require a hardware modification otherwise you have no midi out signal. My Triton Studio was one of them.

3: The Pa2X section has over 30 people who have blown LED's in their keyboards. Some have been trying to get them fixed by KORG for 2 years. KORG totally screwed up on communication on this one.

4: The Triton Classic had a ground loop issue that also required a hardware modification. My Triton Classic was one of them.

5: The Trinity also had a hardware fault that directly effected the HDR option, and keyboards within a certain serial range had to be modified otherwise they would keep crashing. My Trinity was one of them.

6: The SOS has card problems and hangs quite often.

7: Certain Pa800 keyboards have a problem with disappearing Sample RAM due to a fault of the internal 64MB RAM memory module that requires a hardware modification.

Hey.... I could keep going here.

As for support....
I could repeat all the things you complained about as well as many others.

But even if the users on all the Korg forums here are justified in their gripes, as Akos has just pointed out, by far the majority of Korg users are not on this forum. So this forum is not necessarily representative of typical Korg users and it may be that the majority do not think about the product nitty-gritty as do we here.

During my time typing this reply to you I've seen 3 TV adds that were quoting percentages of how great their product are based on a survey against a certain number of people.

So why do you not think there is any truth in the voice of the people on this forum ?

My personal opinion is that about 80% of Korg (or any synth users) do not give a damn about the sorts of issues we raise here.

Yet you and for the most part everyone else in the OASYS section has had a go at KORG regardless.

Kevin, you have had quite a few rants on KORG Forums yourself. Some so bad that you actually came back the following day and apologised.

I'm just saying what I see. I have a very good memory.

Cheers
Sharp.

[AnthonyB]

1: All OASYS keyboard within a certain range of serial numbers have a hardware fault that is directly related to the ADAT. If you buy the ADAT board, you need to get your OASYS modified.


..........My OASYS is one of them. ..........


...........My Triton Studio was one of them


...........My Triton Classic was one of them.


.......... My Trinity was one of them.

Hey sharp, you didn't run over 10 black cats pre-purchace did you

I'm just wondering if your problem is with the "earlier" models when they first came out perhaps? I always wait a couple of years for a VERY high end product - until at least a bug or two has been fixed.

No probs here - but then again, there maybe sonething i got wrong i'm not aware of.

Sorry to hear your Misfortune sharp


Anthony.

[Sharp]

Hey sharp, you didn't run over 10 black cats pre-purchace did you

lol...

I'm just wondering if your problem is with the "earlier" models when they first came out perhaps? I always wait a couple of years for a VERY high end product - until at least a bug or two has been fixed.

That's exactly it. It's always the ones with the low serial numbers and I'm always the first in the line to buy my keyboard....so... I kind of expect somthing to go wrong at this stage as every model I've owned since the 01W has had to have a hardware mod. My OASYS is the only one I've not sent in to be fixed because the problem only happens when the ADAT option is installed, and I don't have it.

No probs here - but then again, there maybe sonething i got wrong i'm not aware of.

Sorry to hear your Misfortune sharp

I don't mind, KORG have never left me hanging and it would never put me off buying in the future, ever. I love KORG and they always come through for me in the end.

I was just making a point to Kevin that things are not how he sees them right at this moment in time. He's also forgetting his own history on the forum and the things he's said.

We have all stood on the soap box at one point or another regarding the OASYS.

Regards
Sharp.

[Akos Janca]

Kevin's opinion
I agree now with Kevin in the following: Korg products are generally excellent. Few of us here are very particular about electronic music technology that is not typical. This forum is great for us (and opposite to Kevin I think important for Korg, and also valuable, especially for R&D) but still represents a small minority.

Professionals
OASYS was made for professional use. Professionals use it contentedly. I think it's called a major success.
Not every professional needs all functions of OASYS. They enjoy the advantages and I think because they are thinking with a general musician's mind: concentrating on the high quality sound and expressiveness. As professionals they can also accomodate to the instrument - as musicians always do. Instead of complaining they try to adjust themselves: from playing technique to technical needs. For example, if the keyboard response is not fully satisfactory they change their touch, if they find a weak point (sequencer?) they can also use another tool instead (DAW).

Dissatisfaction
I'm also sure Sharp is right regarding the dissatisfaction. And I'm sorry to hear he had so many problems personally. (Sharp, actually what do you do with your instruments? Just kidding!) Seriously: after this series I would surely buy another brand, not Korg.
I think it's very difficult to wisely lead a company like Korg especially in these recent times when many people write and publish synth software (in many cases for free). The noise is enormous. Korg is big and reputable now, they should serve the world, and if the world wants toys Korg have to support this demand (unfortunately). If they are the leaders they must have solutions/answers, they cannot send customers to the competition. It's very sad anyway. But because Korg is big and reputable they also should control the trends, they literally have to lead the world with electronic musical instruments - and they do it, too! See: OASYS.
If a young guy today wants to buy a synth he will find the Korg name soon. He will recognize Korg made some of the best synths and when he cannot buy OASYS he will buy another one from Korg. And 20 years later, if he is still satisfied with the brand, he will buy his "PROASYS" - from Korg again. But: Korg and that young guy both have to survive until that moment.

Daz
I still have those last posts from him (they are removed so I won't repost). I have seen really "interesting" things in them... If I'm right he had one part of the problems with Korg because he didn't got the kind of help that he asked for. It was very painful for him after he worked so much here and IMHO Korg somehow profited from his work after all. I think Korg decided like that because of their company policy (that is never perfect and always can/should be criticized and improved but: this makes the company work) - and I'm sure Dan and Jerry wanted to help but simply couldn't. I understood this from their posts after Daz left.
I miss Daz, he helped me selflessly, he had his heart in this forum. I hope everybody knows that he recently posts as "Pendulum" sometimes.

Korg survey?
Sharp, I don't understand: have you seen tv ads from Korg mentioning their survey?

Death of OASYS project?
Korg has informed us clearly and honestly (with sadness) about the end of OASYS hardware production. Why they haven't done it regarding software development yet? Is there any other reason than: it is NOT finished? Any other explanation?
I think it's not finished just simply slower than we (= MINORITY!) expected. Have faith. Or at least be real.

[billysynth1]

Hi Akos

I think Korg confirmed that the Oasys project 'as a whole' is/was terminated. There was no differentiation between hardware and software. Therefore everything in relation to Oasys production has stopped.

With the recent release of iPad software from Korg I'm assuming that 'our' Oasys software development team for the past 3 years have been working for Apple.

The last software update Oasys owners got, that is, Exi/Mod7 and an Exs/Brass, was Nov 07. Its now Nov 2010! And as you can see, the only instrument software updates Korg have worked on for the past 3yrs are for McApple.


Regards
Billy

[cello]

It seems the longer that nothing happens with OASYS the more likely it is that nothing ever will...

Not that this is an issue as such (for me) but through exchanges on this board I can understand why some are deeply frustrated.

From what I can see, Korg is going more i-orientated. The recent splitting of all the legacy instruments, the iElectribe and iMS20 apps point to a software bias. Business-wise Korg may be thinking about less hardware development (testing only requires a Mac and a PC), with absolutely no new hardware support needed and although software development costs remain, overall 'production' costs would be hugely reduced.

Hope I'm proved wrong because I'm not a software player - I only use hardware! And I really can't see the popular bands of tomorrow coming on stage with 5 iPads... !

[Sharp]

Hi Akos.

Korg survey?
Sharp, I don't understand: have you seen tv ads from Korg mentioning their survey?

I was just making the point that all companies and organisations sample a small percentage of people. The results of the poll are always used as an indication of the way things really are.

So my point being, if the people on KORG Forums have something to say and we are all for the most part saying the same things, then we should assume that this is generally how the majority of people are feeling.

Simply because that's how polls the world over work. Even elections for Governments use the data the same way before the actual main vote.

That said, I wouldn’t let anything in this thread bother me in the slightest. While I do feel that KORG discontinued the OASYS long before it ever reached it's full potential, I'm still enjoying it for everything it does right now. It is KORG's best musical instrument to date and I'm mighty proud to own one.

Threads like this are a waste of time in my opinion. Things are the way the are because KORG are a company at the end of the day. They must make a profit and everything they do must be to generate that profit. There's no profit in the OASYS. The title of this thread is.....

Suggestion to Korg - how to make a few quid from OASYS

The only way I can see that happening is to build new products based on OASYS technology. The last 10+ years of the company have been based on the exact same idea actually. The original OASYS of 1993 can be found in the Z1, Prophecy Synth Drum and Trinity.

Regards
Sharp.

[Kevin Nolan]

Hi Sharp -

Just to say - I hear you and acknowledge your points. I realise you've put a lot into this forum and into dealing with Korg too and want to reiterate that I fully respect both your and Daz's points and decisions - and that I for one am eternally grateful to you both for this fantastic forum.

Cheers,
Kevin.

[Akos Janca]

Hi Billy, we still got many useful additions in 2009 for free, even after the discontinuation of OASYS. But maybe they were already completed before and were released later (as a gift?). Sharp, maybe you are right: there's no profit in the OASYS now. I don't know.

This whole old thread already contains everything that I could add again. I know, sometimes an official answer from a company sounds like an oracle from Dodona.

P.S. I like those iPad software from Korg. Certainly, I prefer the original hardware versions but I would try these new ones for fun!

[jg::]

Sharp said:

So my point being, if the people on KORG Forums have something to say and we are all for the most part saying the same things, then we should assume that this is generally how the majority of people are feeling.

Forums do not provide an accurate cross-section of users, imho. Forums often exclude two important groups: those who don't frequent the internet for whatever reason, and, those who are too "busy" to participate, for whatever reason.

Of the small proportion who do frequent forums, there are always a lot who stop by sometimes for problem-solving, who would never perservere with more involved threads like this one.

Apart from that, I don't believe that there has ever been an issue on these forums [or any others] where you could say that "we are all for the most part saying the same things". Silence does not indicate consent.

It's very difficult to guage the mood of groups of people represented by forums, and this is true of those for every conceivable type of subject, not just Korg Forums.

jg::

[t_tangent]

jg, that's given me a great idea

Let's have a Poll on this.

Poll to find out what is an accurate cross-section of Korg users

Are You.....

a) A regular contributer to this forum

b) Just like to pop by and read new threads

c) Do not use this forum or the internet in general

d) Too busy using my OASYS to anwser this Poll

[peter m. mahr]

c) Do not use this forum or the internet in general

... my personal favourite

Peter

[Sharp]

Hi jg.

Forums do not provide an accurate cross-section of users, imho

Maybe, maybe not. That's all KORG surveyed though.

Cheers
Sharp.

[ScottB601]

Having rediscovered my O76 after a scary and nearly successful attempt to sell it that was thwarted at the last minute, whew, I hit the Global Plug-Ins to see what I had. My LAC-1 is authorized, as I thought, and I have EXs1, EXs2, STR-1 authorized as well. MOD-7 was demo. So I surjourned out to the WWW to purchase an authorization code for it. TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE DOLLARS? Wow. I did not expect that at all. Without commenting on the company, because I think they all suck, except BIAS and a few others, I have a simple question. Is it worth it? I have an M-Audio Axiom Pro for camping with my MacbookPro and Logic 9 (I am not a barbarian, and camp as God intended, in a 35 foot RV), and a Clavinova CVP-407 upstairs for sitting down and playing for fun. But, in my studio downstairs, I have the O76, an Ensoniq VFX-sd (I know), a Yamaha Motif XS7 (listed on ebay I need the XF8), a Prophet 8 PE, and a Roland TDW20 drum set with extras. I fully anticipate the Prophet being sold as the analog emulations on the O76 are fabulous. So, I ask again, to the venerable posters here, is the MOD-7 authorization worth it? In other words, will the MOD-7 serve as a suitable replacement for the Prophet 8? I know I can hit it and spend a few hours and see for myself, but I wanted your opinion also.

Secondly, "Dan"? "MOD-7 tutorial"? Where, perchance, can this be obtained?

Thirdly, what other expansions should I have? I've been away for a while, obviously.........

Thanks!!

[t_tangent]

Yes the Mod-7 is definately worth it, but will probably take some time to get the most out of due to the complexity of FM sythesis. But if you want to start off easy, it also allows for the import of DX-7 sysex presets (check Kevin Nolan's website for a massive selection which he kindly made available http://www.knect.ie/OASYS.html), so one could just load some of those up and try editing them.

There is a good article about Mod-7 on Peter Mahr's blog

http://blog.petermmahr.com/2007/09/18/news-oasys-mod-7/

That explains things a lot better than I ever could.

But yes it is yet another awesome EXi and def worth getting.

Finally, you can get the user manual here

https://www.korguser.net/oasys/download/#manuals

There was another thread on this forum where Dan recommends going through the MOD-7 tutorial in the OASYS Parameter Guide.

Also if you just google fm synthesis tutorial there are loads available which may help. Here's one to start you off.

http://insidesynthesis.blogspot.com/200 ... art-1.html