Korg's European delivery misery: status update

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:42 pm

danatkorg wrote:
Megakazbek wrote:
danatkorg wrote:I'm not sure what you're basing that on. As noted earlier, the Kronos shipped first in Japan, then in the USA, then in Europe - a normal rollout across the globe - and supplies are constrained everywhere.
Does USA or Japan get 4 units too?
Is Thomann a nation now?

No, Thomann is a continent.

kron · Post by **kron** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:37 am

danatkorg wrote:
Megakazbek wrote:
danatkorg wrote:I'm not sure what you're basing that on. As noted earlier, the Kronos shipped first in Japan, then in the USA, then in Europe - a normal rollout across the globe - and supplies are constrained everywhere.
Does USA or Japan get 4 units too?
Is Thomann a nation now?

LOL... They probably think they are, although we don't

I approach these guys for 2 reasons:

1. When I feel like getting verbally abused by a bunch of arrogant people on phone!!

2. When I can't find an item that I need from other retailers, including those in the US

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:02 am

Concerning Thomann: I buy gear from various resellers, but from my view they happen to have the most skillful staff I know among all resellers I have dealt with so far. I don't care if they are small or or big. In my experience they are normally clear cut, but not arrogant.

We all can't name exact numers for Europe in comparison to Japan and the US.
But IF the fedback in internet tells something, it really seems to me that Europe got significantly less in the first delivery. In Germany the available numbers, just as those announced for the near future, are just ridiculous. I still hope that the announcements until October/November aren't completely true.

There always has been more demand than supplies with new instruments. I just think that in this case the gap between demand and delivery is TOO big over here, and that communication from the view of possible European customers just like resellers has been below all standards since January.

madbeatzyo111 · Post by **madbeatzyo111** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:58 pm

In the field that I work in, a HUGE part of the success of a product lies in having the capacity to satisfy the demands of your customer. It boggles my mind that Korg is not getting enough Kronos to everyone who wants one yet. Are they waiting for people to give up and get a XF instead???

Here are a couple possibilities why this is happening:

1) Korg underestimated the demand. I think this is unlikely given the huge amount of interest long before roll-out.
2) Korg is having production problems. Possibly likely given the timing of the earthquake in March.
3) Korg is copying Apple's approach of deliberately holding back supply at roll-out to increase the hype, perceived value and the feeling of exclusivity about owning the product.

I really hope it's #2, because #3 is totally lame and slightly evil in light of the tramplings that occurred in China over the latest iphone.

danatkorg · Post by **danatkorg** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:20 pm

madbeatzyo111 wrote:In the field that I work in, a HUGE part of the success of a product lies in having the capacity to satisfy the demands of your customer.

I'm not sure what that field might be. However, with hardware manufacturing and distribution (especially with niche markets such as synths), it's often simply not possible to saturate the market with the first shipment. That's true for everything from cars to iPads to spinning wheels to synths.

Btw - I haven't seen anything to support that conspiracy theory about Apple.

- Dan

madbeatzyo111 · Post by **madbeatzyo111** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:44 pm

I didn't mean to insult, so I take back my fired comment.

I do happen to work in hardware manufacturing of both large and niche markets. I don't work in the sales department but I know it's sometimes an art to forecast demand accurately. I also know it's a much happier situation when you're able to get product out to everyone who wants one, to put it very mildly. So I can guess what it must feel like in the Korg offices (especially production and sales) right about now because I've been in that kind of situation before where the execs really put the screws on the little folk.

Regarding Apple's practices, I don't work there so I don't have hard proof of course, but this is the consensus of a lot of people in the industry. For the record I don't believe Korg does this.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Korg decided to roll out a little earlier with the risk of not having enough product vs having enough product on hand but delaying the roll-out by 6 months. Since it's a niche market as you say, I think it makes sense that Korg did it this way. However it'd be nice if Europe could get more stock if possible; they are already paying much more markup.

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:03 am

Dan -

Your pointer to a constrained roll out in all parts of the world is appreciated thanks. Perhaps due to the devastating earth in Japan?

I would ask you to take on board however that to many of us this release has been a little strange - I was genuinely stunned to hear that Thomann has take just 4 in to start with (had you asked me to guess I would have thought that, say, 100 would have been conservative - they really are huge in Europe). So while these forums do not harbour many conspiracy theory type threads, the release of Kronos has been a tad unusual and has gotten many of us wondering what's going on. So don’t be too hard on us for postulating in this instance.

We realise you are in a unique position in knowing a great deal you can’t always divulge - so any info you provide is appreciated.

Kevin.

Megakazbek · Post by **Megakazbek** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:18 am

madbeatzyo111 wrote:a HUGE part of the success of a product lies in having the capacity to satisfy the demands of your customer

madbeatzyo111 wrote:Apple's approach of deliberately holding back supply at roll-out to increase the hype, perceived value and the feeling of exclusivity about owning the product.

Seems like a contradiction to me.

LyonsT · Post by **LyonsT** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:50 pm

Well let's not get nit picky because we are bored of waiting, it will come when it comes, the world isn't specifically Japan is not how it used to be bless them.

madbeatzyo111 · Post by **madbeatzyo111** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 3:29 am

Megakazbek wrote:
madbeatzyo111 wrote:a HUGE part of the success of a product lies in having the capacity to satisfy the demands of your customer

madbeatzyo111 wrote:Apple's approach of deliberately holding back supply at roll-out to increase the hype, perceived value and the feeling of exclusivity about owning the product.
Seems like a contradiction to me.

I don't think any other company could get away with what Apple does. It's probably lack of competition or their legion of rabid fanboyz/girlz. Conspicuous coonsumption at its worst...well except for the musicians who need Macs for Logic, etc.

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:38 am

LyonsT wrote:Well let's not get nit picky because we are bored of waiting, it will come when it comes, the world isn't specifically Japan is not how it used to be bless them.

Don't want to get corny or superficial about this (but probably about to!) but I think the way Japan is handling itself (at least outwardly) is quite impressive. Certainly on news casts, ordinary people in the hardest hit areas seem to be getting on with it without complaint. They show an incredibly amount of dignity and hardiness. If this is a correct perception it's a lesson in how to manage under extremes.

Actually, I wrote emails to our ministers of defence and science after the earthquake to urge them to offer personnel and radiation expertise to Japan (I'm a physicist and know (through colleagues) that Ireland has a world-class radiation monitoring capability due to being so close to the Sellafield Nuclear power plant in England which has been so contentious over the years and has contaminated the Irish in the past - so our expertise gained from that is still in used across Europe and for Chernobyl) - but both ministers' offices replied to indicate that such offers were made to the Japanese embassy in Ireland were graciously appreciated but indicated that they were not needed. So even with regard to material resources - it appears that Japan either has the capabilities or will make do with it's own resources.

And - I'm not sure how much the earthquake has hit the Japanese economy - but recently Japan offered to purchase tens of billions of dollars worth of bad European bonds - so Japan is showing real character and strength with such a move.

So while I'm sure those points are probably superficial; and Japan has a massive struggle ahead, they are certainly showing significant strength and capabilities for dealing with the challenges ahead.

Kevin.

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:14 am

For dutch readers: there seems to be a 73 version demonstration ready at 'music house Da Capo' in Meppel. Anbody know a 61 version available for either demonstration or sales? I never saw an available Kronos for sale anywhere in the Netherlands yet.

QuiRobinez · Post by **QuiRobinez** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 11:35 am

michelkeijzers wrote:For dutch readers: there seems to be a 73 version demonstration ready at 'music house Da Capo' in Meppel. Anbody know a 61 version available for either demonstration or sales? I never saw an available Kronos for sale anywhere in the Netherlands yet.

Actually the 'Muziekhuis Da Capo' store is in Nietap (not in Meppel).

It's a really nice small store with great service. They have a nice demo setup where the Kronos is connected to a good sounding sound system. I've tried the kronos 73 there for more than an hour last week.

I've preordered my kronos 88 keys over there, so hopefully it won't take long before they get it from korg.

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 11:40 am

qrobinez wrote:
michelkeijzers wrote:For dutch readers: there seems to be a 73 version demonstration ready at 'music house Da Capo' in Meppel. Anbody know a 61 version available for either demonstration or sales? I never saw an available Kronos for sale anywhere in the Netherlands yet.
Actually the 'Muziekhuis Da Capo' store is in Nietap (not in Meppel).

It's a really nice small store with great service. They have a nice demo setup where the Kronos is connected to a good sounding sound system. I've tried the kronos 73 there for more than an hour last week.

I've preordered my kronos 88 keys over there, so hopefully it won't take long before they get it from korg.

Meppel is a bit far, however I found another store where they have a 73 and hopefully have some time to try it there. It's in Stein (Music House Lyana if my memory is correct). Btw, at Oostendorp in Wezep they have an 88. Myself I want to buy a 61 eventually (but I'm not in a hurry since my M50 still suffices).

RKfan · Post by **RKfan** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 11:57 am

Interesting that nice small shops now have some Kroni (just got an e-mail from a store in Colchester) - but its bit weird that big organisations such as DV don't have any in stock yet. Is this a deliberate policy?

@UK
Have any of the Bonners machines been delivered - and did you get your free monitors as promised?