Roadmap for the Oasys

[erikv]

Could someone explain to me why companies like Korg do not reveal their future roadmap (like companies in the computerchip industry). I think it would be possible to at least reveal something of their future plans, without giving away too much competitive-wise.

For me this would help me a lot to decide on my planned purchase by the end of this year. I am considering buying an Oasys, but are uncertain as to spending so much money on an instrument, if I do not know whether Korg will further develop (the sequencer for example).
As there is no real information on future updates whatsoever, to me Korg developing this instrument for the years to come, is as likely as stopping further development (after 1.3 or 1.4), or introducing a Mk2 in 2009. After all, the Oasys is already 2 years old (and maybe on a crossroad from a development perspective)... To be honest, the latter would not make me feel good after buying such an expensive instrument (after all, I also buy because of the potential for future upgrades).

Offcourse there are many people who have an opinion about this, but usually this is not stated by facts or information from Korg itself.

Hope you don't mind my considerations, I am just being honest with you on what is blocking me from buying an Oasys at the moment.

[peter m. mahr]

What do you miss at the moment?

(beside the sequencer, although RC, Mike Conway and Charlie meanwhile proved that one can work with it and get very good results)

peter

[TagPass]

I think the best consideration is the point that has been made time and time again (on this forum, as well as others)... buy the instrument for what it does, not what you think you might like it to do in the future.

Yes, it's top-dollar. It's also a premium instrument, and worth every penny RIGHT NOW (OS updates included!). Is it perfect? No... and no product ever is. Would sequencer improvements be of significant benefit in a future OS update? Absolutely, but it's not like you can't make decent music with it right out of the (very large) box.

[EJ2]

When have we ever known what the Big 3 - Korg, Roland, Yamaha - plan to do in the future? Imagine making an announcement with all the hype and fanfare that big corporations can give. Now, imagine not being able to deliver. Music manufactures are more intelligent than that. This is the reason for the Big 3 having a tight-lipped policy. They won't reveal anything unless and until they are damn good and ready to deliver the goods.

If you can afford the OASYS, get it. You won't be sorry.
Cheers,
Eric

[MartinHines]

Could someone explain to me why companies like Korg do not reveal their future roadmap (like companies in the computerchip industry). I think it would be possible to at least reveal something of their future plans, without giving away too much competitive-wise.

I believe the answer has to do with the different industries involved, the differing product development cycles, and the drastically different sales volumes. The product development cycles in the electronic musical industry are long (3-5 years), and can be influenced and modified by current sales.

The bottom line is that the electronic musical instrument industry feels they would be giving away too much competitive ground if they published their multi-year plans.

As there is no real information on future updates whatsoever, to me Korg developing this instrument for the years to come, is as likely as stopping further development (after 1.3 or 1.4), or introducing a Mk2 in 2009. After all, the Oasys is already 2 years old (and maybe on a crossroad from a development perspective)... To be honest, the latter would not make me feel good after buying such an expensive instrument (after all, I also buy because of the potential for future upgrades).

Regarding the OASYS (or any other keyboard), you should buy the product for what it does right now. "Potential for future upgrades" should probably be dropped from your main decision criteria, since every keyboard will fail in that regard. Electronic musical instrument manufacturers only add new features for a limited number of years, usually 4 or less. I personally am not expecting more than two more years of new items for the OASYS.

There very well could be an OASYS II in the works, but you will never know about it until it is released. Companies in the electronic musical instrument industry make money by continually releasing new products, as opposed updating existing products.

I assume these companies create product development budgets for each keyboard, which includes some fixed amount of funding for fixes and updates. The amount of money that is spent "post product release" may be impacted by sales (i.e. -- if the product sells well there may be more updates, if it doesn't there may be fewer updates).

[Charlie]

Hehe - funny reading this thread after having posted my 2 questions for Peter's next interview.

But I do agree with the advices given here. You won't marry a girl for what she might be in 10 years! (Jesus - hopefully my wife didn't read this ). The beauty of this beast is (hey - I'm talking about the Oasys!!) that it is simply the best sounding workstation you can get right now. The next Exi3 is available soon and so is Karma Oasys - you've got tons of stuff to work with for years to come.

Of course Oasys will be discontinued sooner or later - perhaps even next year - and I understand that one might feel stupid after having spent so much money on an "outdated" product. But actually it doesn't matter. Even if there were a roadmap: can you hear what Oasys 2 will sound like? Can you see how well it works? Do you know how long this one will be supported? Imagine you knew that in 2 years a successor will be launched - would you wait for it? Without knowing its specs, its price, even its look? Even worse: imagine Oasys would be discontinued next year and there won't be a successor - in this case I definetly recommend buying one now!

[peter m. mahr]

But I do agree with the advices given here. You won't marry a girl for what she might be in 10 years! (Jesus - hopefully my wife didn't read this ). The beauty of this beast is (hey - I'm talking about the Oasys!!)

abhau !! ..... + zustimm !!!

... "outdated" product. But actually it doesn't matter.

I see the advantage of OASYS in its excellent sound quality and this to me is something that does not outdate. OASYS is digital and in a way a computer, I know! But who really cares about that these days? Within the next years we will see more and more people working only with their Macs and PCs composing and recording great music. We are already living in a binary music age.

OASYS is unique and to me the perfect mixture of an instrument (haptic!) with the flexibility of a computer... and I am writing about the status quo.

peter

[Kontrol49]

Future upgrades with the Oasys should be a selling point for many owners,Just how many of you would have still spent that amount of cash if the Premise wasn't on the "Open" system,Quite a large price to pay really for a outdated machine


whilst we should focus on the here and Now,I'm not sure about any others in here,but I for one am sick of workstations being dumped after 18 Months + only to be pushed to the kerb by a machine which in all essence is merely the same Software with an updated sample rate or a few new tricks up its sleeve and a new casing with a Few choice words to make it seem like the OS is newer..

The Oasys has a kind of future proof image that should be upheld for many of us owners and prospective owners interests,the O has a stature that many other workstations find hard to follow,and thats why its a cut above the rest,whilst I'm not bothered about Korgs inside ideas for the next upgrades I would like to know that there is plenty more to come with this machine and thats it not just merely a means to an end,even if Korg decided to pull the plug on the O line,I have more than enough to keep me going for years to come and that is one of main ingredients for anyone wanting to buy an Oasys,I don't look to what the Oasys has not got,I utilise it for what it has got and that was more than enough to persuade me to buy it,I just would like to know that its no going to end up pushed to the wayside in the next year or so.

After all the hardware casing etc is obsolete,but this machine is built upon a software enterprise,so it has more possibilities,than your standard W/S so there surely has to be some form of plan with future systems,No it doesn't matter knowing the Ins and outs of Korgs ideas,I don't think anyone is asking for the whole Scenario of ideas,I'm sure even the Engineers don't Quite know the full scope of Oasys yet,hence why its been built to be open
but is it really that much of a Issue to want to know some of the tricks up its sleeve after paying Korg the Biggest compliment you could ever do them by buying one.

The thing is that its a catch 22 situation,you have those who maybe would like to know the developments in a bid to swing them to buy,and at the same time Korg don't want to reveal developments for fear of competition and fear of putting off Prospective Buyers,but in all honestly if your interested in buying the O you've already maybe been won over in what it does in the Here and now...

[erikv]

Many thanks for your responses, those are much appreciated.

I was thinking on the same line; I indeed should get the Oasys for what it can do now and I am very much impressed with it indeed. But on the other hand, some clarity from Korg on future plans with the Oasys, would help me a lot on my final decision. After all it is an Open Architecture system. Off course they have already made many updates, but the sequencer for example is really important to me (a piano roll for example would be so much easier, and in my opinion possible to implement on such a large screen).

I can understand the reasons why Korg would not unveil future plans. On the other hand, if I buy their flagship (open architecture) workstation, I expect some special treatment at least some enlightment on their plans (just saying; "yes we are planning to further develop the oasys for the next couple of years" would make me a happy buyer).

If they plan to improve the software for the next 2-3 years, I would most definitely get one. But if they plan to come with a sucessor in 2009 (or discontinue the line - which is not so likely imho), I would hold my cash to see what that one is up to.
But, I guess we will never know and that is a pity in my opinion. Which leaves me with a difficult decision: to buy or not to buy

[medusaland]

What do you miss at the moment?

peter

I miss the MonoPoly Exi

Hope when Korg is planing in the future an Oasys II that the sample libraries are 100 % compatible with the O. including also the PCG`s like the Emu samplers...


medusaland

[Mike Conway]

The OASYS can do all of what I need, making it so central to my music making. It is so special (to me) that I am actually considering buying a second unit in the next year or two (as a backup for the long haul). As far as I'm concerned, it is niche item and already a classic.

I may be wrong, but I highly doubt there will be an OASYS 2 or any other $8,000 successor. The market is too small. I think that all of the O technology will be used in multiple spin-off products (Radias and M3, so far). I can't imagine seeing all of these synth engines in any single successor.

[billysynth1]

Wow Mike that's a mighty call regarding the future of the O. I too was thinking of buying a second O, I kill the polyphony ( its all that Rachmaninoff piano training ) and thought i would use one for my left hand and a second for my right hand. However, i decided to wait, hoping there would be a second generation Oasys ( by 2010, 2011, 2012 somewhere there ) supporting Multi-Core technology.

Although I do not have a technical background, and dont really understand all the terminology, just my general reading here on the forums, I think that the O would purrrr if all that software was 'dropped' into a MultiCore processor.

All the Effects, Karma Modules, Exi, Exs, is just too much for the existing processor when combined in a Combi - but there are tricks and manouvers that can be employed to switch things on and off to help with all the processing and get the O to play combi's smoothly with the current processor, but if you set up a 16 program orchestral combi and hit full chords with both hands you ( well i do ) kill the polyphony.

I do Not want to see this project come to an end!! This is Korg's 3rd attempt at an Oasys concept - the first in 1995 was too expensive for release and the 2nd was the PCi Oasys Card. I'm really hoping that we see a 2nd generation Oasys supporting MultiCore technology.

At least if they are going to kill off the Oasys Project please do it after you have realeased it with MultiCore performance - i will quickly buy one and then... whatever I will have two of the best synths ever made

Billy

[Charlie]

but the sequencer for example is really important to me (a piano roll for example would be so much easier, and in my opinion possible to implement on such a large screen).

I highly recommend to have a detailed look at the sequencer befor you buy an Oasys if this aspect is so important to you. Actually you can do (nearly) all the things you usually need to. BUT the interface is far from being "state of the art". I use only the Oasys sequencer and no external hard-/software sequencer and will stick to this, so I believe I know what I'm talking about.
If you want to do that too be prepared for some changes of your workflow, thinking and esp. of your mood while you learn using it. For me it was a good solution in the end - but I know quite some Oasians who didn't want to go that far.
I doubt that we will ever see major improvements of the sequencer - esp. I doubt that we will ever get a piano roll or the corresponding GUI on the track-level. Be prepared that even if they continue to develop software for the Oasys that minor changes of the sequencer will be the best case.