Is Korg going bankrupt?

[Juho L]

Well? Place your bets.

For me it's will definetly be the end for Korg as an intependent company. The quality of Oasys didn't meet the price. It sounds like a combiantion of Triton Extreme and Z1 and the price tag of eight grands isn't helping. Some sounds were nice (like that piano) and the idea and concept is nice, but some sounds were totally bad and the VA section had hard time to receive even a "medicore" rating. I'd say that the Oasys will be the biggest flop of 2005 and end of Korg.

[Merlot]

I voted no. I think Korg will realize that the OASYS is way to damn expensive, and either reduce the price, or come up with an LE/rack/software (TI sort of thing) version at a major discount. I am interested to see the further developments of it. Basically it is a computer, and I think Korg will continue to upgrade the different types of synthesis and fx available in it. That is assuming poeple pay the ridiculous price tag and actually buy it. And there is a big enough user base to justify the $$ korg will have to spend to upgrade it. So, I think I just talked myself out of my own vote!

I could be wrong! Although I must agree that the OASYS will be the biggest flop of 2005.

[Merlot]

Also, I think Korg has made enough money of their triton series to last them another 10-15 years if needed.

[Juho L]

Originally Posted by Merlot

I think Korg will realize that the OASYS is way to damn expensive, and either reduce the price, or come up with an LE/rack/software (TI sort of thing) version at a major discount.

Well, the discount should be 50% or more to make it to be reasonaby priced. Will this be enough to compensate the R&D costs? The major problem with Oasys is that it's just an average synth with fancy specs. The sound just isn't what you would expect from a synth like that. The PCM side sounds thin on most areas and the purely synthetic side is average... For example that Alesis fusion costs less than 2000 euros and could even sound better than Oasys (still waiting for the demos...). This will definetly cause trouble for Korg. If Fusion sounds ok Oasys should be priced to 3500? to be considerable competitor for Fusion and that's quite hell of a price drop from that eight grands.

This year will definately be hard for Korg. If it won't go bankrupt, it will at least be in touch and go state for a while. The only Korg products that have sold ok have been cheap stuff/software like MicroKorg and Legacy. I think Korg should start manufacturing budget stuff and software because it seem to be good at that stuff. Korg seem to be able to produce high tech gear, but somehow the sound is always something else than high tech.

[Merlot]

Originally Posted by Juho L

Well, the discount should be 50% or more to make it to be reasonaby priced. Will this be enough to compensate the R&D costs?

Agreed 100% and I hope it would be enought to cover the costs of R&D considering the OASYS is a 10 year old piece of kit.

Originally Posted by Juho L

This year will definately be hard for Korg. If it won't go bankrupt, it will at least be in touch and go state for a while. I think Korg should start manufacturing budget stuff and software because it seem to be good at that stuff. Korg seem to be able to produce high tech gear, but somehow the sound is always something else than high tech.

I agree also. I think Korg is in a somewhat state of denial. This is why Alesis does sooooo well, and are still around. They realize they a a "budget" product company. Now that does not take away from their quality of product, it is just that they have found their neiche and are developing products that most consumers can afford.

[Juho L]

Originally Posted by Merlot

Agreed 100% and I hope it would be enought to cover the costs of R&D considering the OASYS is a 10 year old piece of kit.

Ten years of R&D doesn't make it any cheaper. It's opposite. It's ten years of almost wasted time and money.

I agree also. I think Korg is in a somewhat state of denial. This is why Alesis does sooooo well, and are still around. They realize they a a "budget" product company. Now that does not take away from their quality of product, it is just that they have found their neiche and are developing products that most consumers can afford.

I say that problem isn't a high price. The problem is quality not meeting the price. It's ok to price a synth even at eight grands if the synth actually is worth it. If a synth is worth eight grands there also will be people who will buy that synth. Getting a synth that's worth less than four grands with eight grands would be considered as corporate charity.

Korg just doesn't seem to find a sound that would justify high price tags so the only option would be fixing the pricing policy and start to be like a Behringer of synths: Not so fancy, but affordable.

[Merlot]

Originally Posted by Juho L

It's ten years of almost wasted time and money.

I wouldnt say it is wasted. Korg had success with the OASYS card that was released. It is not like they just developed this for 10 years and now it is finally coming to fruition. The OASYS card has been out for years, and alot of people bought into it.

[Juho L]

Originally Posted by Merlot

The OASYS card has been out for years, and alot of people bought into it.

I don't think the synth contains exactly the same stuff. I believe it has been improved and finetuned for years, but on the other hand Korg is famous for releasing stuff that's almost 10 years old.

By the way what's the idea in this whole Oasys dealy business. First they didn't release it because it would have costed 10k's so they decided to wait till technology would allow to make it cheaper. Now they released it and it costs only 2k's less. No sense in that, I say.

[Merlot]

I think it is funny too that it is only 2G's cheaper than the aimed price 8-10 years ago. Dont see the sense in it either. Are people making more $$$ nowadays?

Anyways, specs on original PCI card can be found here

[AlexHall74]

Merlot wrote:
I think it is funny too that it is only 2G's cheaper than the aimed price 8-10 years ago. Dont see the sense in it either. Are people making more $$$ nowadays?

Yup, pretty funny pricing indeed...

Dipshits!

As far as people making more money now-a-days?

Hmm...Corporations have been in a recession forever.

The company I work for has posted record years two years in a row and is giving everybody piddly-shit raises (3%) which are really a cost of living adjustment (COLA).

We just got sick leave (3 days...woohooo) and bereavement leave granted this month!

Benefits packages get shittier and shittier (here in the U.S.). I pay $5,000 a year pre-tax to cover my wife and 2 kids for dental and medical.

Am I even the least bit tempted to look into an Oasys?

HELL NO!

I'm cool with my KC and soft synths for now.