Kronos Interview: Korg's Rich Formidoni and Dan Phillips

[jonnyj]

For those interested in some of the technical and R&D details of the Korg Kronos we posted our interview today with Korg's Rich Formidoni and Dan Phillips about the Kronos. The interview is at http://synth.me/music-gear/interview-ri ... org-kronos

Check it out and let us know what you think

jonnyj
http://synth.me

[GregC]

For those interested in some of the technical and R&D details of the Korg Kronos we posted our interview today with Korg's Rich Formidoni and Dan Phillips about the Kronos. The interview is at http://synth.me/music-gear/interview-ri ... org-kronos

Check it out and let us know what you think

jonnyj
http://synth.me

yayyy, its great to see a Kronos topic on this forum.

I enjoyed the 'inside baseball ' tone of the iterview

Thanks !

[Rosen Sound]

i dig it! thank god there's pad kontrol support! i will not buy that and some velcro to mount it!

[Penumbra]

What the f*ck are they saying? They had almost all ready thanks to the Oasys, instead they treat it a like full new product. What a failure of company and people. Bunch of liar and assholes.

[jimknopf]

Penumbra, your offensive crap isn't of ANY interest to ANYONE in here.

[Hedegaard]

But he does make a point though.

Not the part about Rich or Dan e.t.c but about the fact that the Kronos is almost completely derived off the Oasys.

Although Rich mentioned about the Oasys, he also mentioned its a "new instrument" which also isn't completely true with regards to the Oasys, but is technically speaking a "new" instrument, because its not the Oasys.

[GregC]

But he does make a point though.

Not the part about Rich or Dan e.t.c but about the fact that the Kronos is almost completely derived off the Oasys.

Although Rich mentioned about the Oasys, he also mentioned its a "new instrument" which also isn't completely true with regards to the Oasys, but is technically speaking a "new" instrument, because its not the Oasys.

I sure like the " New " price of the Kronos, when compared to the Oasys new price.

[Akos Janca]

...the Kronos is almost completely derived off the Oasys.

Not a personal answer to Hedegaard, but:

So what?

I think Kronos IS a new instrument (new hardware, extended possibilities), even if it's very very similar to OASYS in functions.

Why is this similarity a problem? Korg developed something very good (their proprietary software including algorithms for emulating hardware parts, oscillators, filters, and many special functions etc.) and - fortunately - they put it in OASYS, the Best Workstation. Now the use it in another NEW instrument. Shouldn't they?

Everybody should be cheering for this.

PS. But we read: "Look, they use the same black and white keys, again! And there is a power switch, too, again!!! Have you recognized the volume slider? And it has a piano sound!!! Again!!! Hey, it seems to be a workstation, don't you think? How they dare??? Again??? Phew!"

PS2. Seriously, think about it. Similar? Thank God! Very good for all (because of the clever design and the rock stable premium quality system) and especially for us OASYS users! We are years ahead already in experience.

[Kevin Nolan]

Akos - despite penumbra's dreadful language and attitude, he has a real and valid point. I flagged this when the Kronos was released – and is this - the entire NAMM release of Kronos passed by without a single mention of OASYS. I found that quite staggering. Not one mention of OASYS during the entire exhibition.

I was puzzled at first - I would have thought Korg were proud of OASYS. But clearly they have distanced themselves completely from OASYS – they are in complete denial of its existence ; suggesting that they do not want to link its relative financial failure with Kronos for fear people would question the quality of Kronos.

That’s all fine and understandable - except - they are actively misleading new and unsuspecting customers. They are being underhand in this particular issue. They are making out that Kronos is a totally new instrument; which it most certainly is not - it is a direct descendent of OASYS.

If the case, one has to question Korg's marketing tactics and if they are dubious and underhand – it certainly looks that way to me; and if so it begs the question - what's the ethos in that company's marketing and corporate divisions?

So penumbra is correct - this is not a new instrument. Seven ninths of its synthesizers engines are identical to OASYS's; and it has largely the same OS, Sequencer, Karma and Control Surface. None of these are new.

I accept there can be a debate on what constitutes 'new' - but this is not the issue for me - the issue is Korg's overwhelming desire to distance itself from OASYS and to play a dubious tactical game with it's new potential user base. Even the reviewer of Kronos in Sound on Sound a month ago fell for it - he was clearly oblivious to OASYS and unaware of the legacy of the synth engines in Kronos and conveyed it as a totally new instrument (a point I intend raising with the SOS editor).

You could read the discomfort in Rich every time OASYS was mentioned - it leaped from the interview.

I'm not attacking all of Korg here for the sake of it. I hugely admire the company and especially Dan's R&D division; and I think Kronos is a magnificent instrument I fully intend to buy; but I find it highly questionable that Korg are in denial about OASYS for what seems like purely marketing tactics - it's sad - and unfair on new customers who deserve more upfront honesty from Korg. So the issue is one of transparency, honesty and respect for your customer base – and in all of these Korg has revealed a questionable attitude in this instance. For me, it has tarnished the release and I think Korg are foolish to push OASYS into oblivion the way they have.

Kevin.

[GregC]

Akos - despite penumbra's dreadful language and attitude, he has a real and valid point. I flagged this when the Kronos was released – and is this - the entire NAMM release of Kronos passed by without a single mention of OASYS. I found that quite staggering. Not one mention of OASYS during the entire exhibition.

I was puzzled at first - I would have thought Korg were proud of OASYS. But clearly they have distanced themselves completely from OASYS – they are in complete denial of its existence ; suggesting that they do not want to link its relative financial failure with Kronos for fear people would question the quality of Kronos.

That’s all fine and understandable - except - they are actively misleading new and unsuspecting customers. They are being underhand in this particular issue. They are making out that Kronos is a totally new instrument; which it most certainly is not - it is a direct descendent of OASYS.

If the case, one has to question Korg's marketing tactics and if they are dubious and underhand – it certainly looks that way to me; and if so it begs the question - if they are like this with their newest customers in what they hope to be a sizable user base; what's the ethos in that company's marketing and corporate divisions? I’m not one for conspiracy theories – but this smells rotten to me.

So penumbra is correct - this is not a new instrument. Seven ninths of its synthesizers engines are identical to OASYS's; and it has largely the same OS, Sequencer, Karma and Control Surface. None of these are new.

I accept there can be a debate on what constitutes 'new' - but this is not the issue for me - the issue is Korg's overwhelming desire to distance itself from OASYS and to play a dubious tactical game with it's new potential user base. Even the reviewer of Kronos in Sound on Sound a month ago fell for it - he was clearly oblivious to OASYS and unaware of the legacy of the synth engines in Kronos and conveyed it as a totally new instrument (a point I intend raising with the SOS editor).

You could read the discomfort in Rich every time OASYS was mentioned - it leaped from the interview.

I'm not attacking all of Korg here for the sake of it. I hugely admire the company and especially Dan's R&D division; and I think Kronos is a magnificent instrument I fully intend to buy; but I find it highly questionable that Korg are in denial about OASYS for what seems like purely marketing tactics - it's sad - and unfair on new customers who deserve more upfront honesty from Korg. So the issue is one of transparency, honesty and respect for your customer base – and in all of these Korg has revealed a questionable attitude in this instance. For me, it has tarnished the release and I think Korg are foolish to push OASYS into oblivion the way they have.

Kevin.

but I did not buy the Oasys. Along with thousands of others who were priced out.

With the Kronos, I can fit the purchase into my budget. This is huge.

Thank you, Korg !

[Kevin Nolan]

Greg -

I totally agree with you. Korg are to be hugely admired for making such stunning technology available to a wider user base. No argument there. But - this is not the issue being raised here.

It's about whether it's a totally new instrument as Korg are making out. And it's about the moral stance of the company when dealing with new customers and the media who'll promote it. Fine if you do not care about such issues but there are others who do.

Kevin.

[GregC]

Greg -

I totally agree with you. Korg are to be hugely admired for making such stunning technology available to a wider user base. No argument there. But - this is not the issue being raised here.

It's about whether it's a totally new instrument as Korg are making out. And it's about the moral stance of the company when dealing with new customers and the media who'll promote it. Fine if you do not care about such issues but there are others who do.

Kevin.

I think your argument is similar to other debates on religion, parking, taxes, politics, etc. IOW, its highly subjective.

And there is not one other MI co that is providing a flagship workstation,
along the lines of a Kronos.

I do think this is 1- 2 years overdue, but that is a quibbling.

So what's the hardware alternative to a Kronos and at what price ?
That puts ' judging ' into practical perspective, I think.

[Kevin Nolan]

As said - grand if you're happy to ignore the point - not trying to dictate to you - but there is still a point about glaring, dubious behaviour from a company many are about to give multiple thousands of dollars to. I believe that warrants consideration.

[mjames4208]

this reminds me of that, is it the MPC3500 or MPC5000 debates.

[jimknopf]

The only argument I understand concerns the past: the Oasys had a shorter lifecycle than buyers could expect. I understand frustration about that, and the later anyone bought an Oasys, the more this hurt.

Concerning the present and the Kronos, there is not much to critisize from my view.
- it has so much in common with the Oasys that it was clear from the start: that would not be a secret, but on the other hand could hardly be in the focus of Korg's marketing. Whoever expects that, must be naive.
- Korg has to do all to offer it as new instrument and not allow it to be regarded as merely an "Oasys/keyboard from years ago at half the price", all the more as it in fact is not just that!
- Korg also has the right to call it a new instrument, because the result is an essential(! not just marginal or cosmetical) development beyond the Oasys, and still at half the price

From this view I regard all the backward bickering, except the first point I named, as hoplessly outdated, nostalgic and lacking substance. What should this kind of discussion, constantly denying or downsizing the progress, which the Kronos means in more than one way for many musicians, ever be good for???