Curios - and a great pity

[Kevin Nolan]

I've read every bit of Korg blurb on Kronos, and not once do they mention OASYS. That is very curious, and IMO, a great pity.

Korg have essentially wiped OASYS from memory, as it it doesn't exist, as if they are wiping the slate clean.

The number of other synths mentioned from MS20 to M3 is there for all to see; and yet, despite virtually all of Kronos's technology deriving from OASYS, not one mention.

I think it's a great pity that Korg should behave that way - it is not by accident - and will definitely point to there being no intentional compatibility between the two.

Kevin.

[CfNorENa]

It really is odd. I watched the whole 54-minute launch video, and it became almost uncomfortable to see one after another of the Oasys synth engines presented as if it were something new.

[cello]

I've read every bit of Korg blurb on Kronos, and not once do they mention OASYS. That is very curious, and IMO, a great pity.

Korg have essentially wiped OASYS from memory, as it it doesn't exist, as if they are wiping the slate clean.

The number of other synths mentioned from MS20 to M3 is there for all to see; and yet, despite virtually all of Kronos's technology deriving from OASYS, not one mention.

I think it's a great pity that Korg should behave that way - it is not by accident - and will definitely point to there being no intentional compatibility between the two.

Kevin.

Very well observed Kevin. It's like it's all just been dreamed up and that the Kronos is the mother of all this invention.

As I have said in previous posts, no OASYS = no Kronos. Full stop. Period. I don't believe anyone can contradict me on this basic point. And anyone who does any kind of research will learn this for themselves.

Does this mean that Korg is not proud of the parentage of Kronos?

Kronos is a developed OASYS - something Korg said they weren't going to do, so told us OASYS users to expect no further attention. However this developed OASYS (Kronos) has been dumbed down to compete with lesser products for market share... basic commerce.

However, (korg please read and think about it), what is the marketing message being sent out to the possible new investors in a £3,500 bit of kit? Buy it now - we'll love you! In a couple of years time though, just like the flagship before it, we'll discontinue the Kronos and tell you it's a dead format and then say you need to spend £4,000 on a developed Kronos called, I don't know, 'Konned-onos'!

As you say, it is indeed a great pity - not only does Korg seem not to respect it's own development history, it also doesn't appear to respect those who invested in it...

[cello]

And another thing. How can Korg deny the connection or heritage when...

KRONOS: STR1: Modulation:
5 Envelopes, 4 per-voice LFOs, 2 Key Track generators, String Tracking generators, 4 AMS Mixers.

OASYS: STR1: Modulation:
5 Envelopes, 4 per-voice LFOs, 2 Key Track generators, String Tracking generators, 4 AMS Mixers.

OASYS - born 2005.

Kronos - 'born' 2011 - no improvement or innovation on 2005 heritage (in this and other examples - but not all, to be fair).

Come on Korg - we're are NOT idiots; even if you'd like to think we are...

[Kevin Nolan]

Well - clearly Korg are sensitive about it. They made a conscious decision to not mention OASYS. The question is why. I doubt if it's simple apathy for any given reason - there had to be a substantive reason. Some of the reasons I can think of include:


- Simple matter of marketing - not to make things messy
- To avoid having to release the new EXs packs as OASYS expansion
- Some legal issue to do with original statements about their intensions for OASYS
- Some issue with the OASYS user base - essentially Korgforums - that they want to avoid.





SHARP - Care to go over to the Korg stand and ask why ????





Kevin

[cello]

Well - clearly Korg are sensitive about it. They made a conscious decision to not mention OASYS. The question is why. I doubt if it's simple apathy for any given reason - there had to be a substantive reason. Some of the reasons I can think of include:


- Simple matter of marketing - not to make things messy
- To avoid having to release the new EXs packs as OASYS expansion
- Some legal issue to do with original statements about their intensions for OASYS
- Some issue with the OASYS user base - essentially Korgforums - that they want to avoid.

Excellent summary of what the real position is, IMHO.

SHARP - Care to go over to the Korg stand and ask why ????

Excellent question, well put. Sharp... ?

[t_tangent]

Well - clearly Korg are sensitive about it. They made a conscious decision to not mention OASYS. The question is why. I doubt if it's simple apathy for any given reason - there had to be a substantive reason. Some of the reasons I can think of include:

- Simple matter of marketing - not to make things messy
- To avoid having to release the new EXs packs as OASYS expansion
- Some legal issue to do with original statements about their intensions for OASYS
- Some issue with the OASYS user base - essentially Korgforums - that they want to avoid.

SHARP - Care to go over to the Korg stand and ask why ????

Kevin

Yes it has to be part of their strategy, but I am glad I wasn't the only one to notice that during the entire 54 min demonstration not once did they mention the OASYS. In that sense it really does feel even more like 2 fingers up to all those who invested in the O. Very strange strategy especially since so much of the K is so clearly straight from the O.

Just hoping there is another reason and that when Korg have sold enough of the K they will then be able to offer something for the O in the way of some sort of upgrade.....but I won't hold my breath.......Oh look, I just saw some pink elephants in the garden

[cello]

...even more like 2 fingers up to all those who invested in the O.

Isn't it strange - I felt that too... obviously we're all wrong

[CfNorENa]

And it's not as if EVERYONE on the planet doesn't realize the heritage here (esp. the crowd of industry insiders to which that presentation was being pitched).

They should have just called it "Oasys II" and been done with it. I'd say "Oasys LE," but there are some additions here which are significant (4.7 GB Piano, SSD, etc.), so I really don't think it can be labeled a "little brother" or "dumbed down" version -- with the exception of the hardware, which is clearly inferior.

[cello]

And it's not as if EVERYONE on the planet doesn't realize the heritage here (esp. the crowd of industry insiders to which that presentation was being pitched).

They should have just called it "Oasys II" and been done with it. I'd say "Oasys LE," but there are some additions here which are significant (4.7 GB Piano, SSD, etc.), so I really don't think it can be labeled a "little brother" or "dumbed down" version -- with the exception of the hardware, which is clearly inferior.

Agreed.

FYI, I used 'dumbed-down' in terms of market (against fantom, xf or whatever other instruments I know nothing about...) as opposed to functionally. Apologies if I didn't make that clear!

[Pieter Meij]

In my opinion: Korg doesn't mention the Oasys a single time (nor did Jordan Rudess) because IF they do Korg is afraid that people will say: "Ah...yes...the Oasys...that is the workstation they promised to expand for years to come...but that never happened! I hope they don't do this with the Kronos.."

So Korg just want to forget the whole Oasys story and for one thing they don't want potential Kronos buyers to remember this story.

I wish I had waited with buying the Oasys...the Kronos looks like a much better deal to me!!! It even has a better keyboard and balanced inputs/outputs!

Regards,

Pieter

[cello]

Ha - you've got to laugh!

Rich F says in the intro, 'so, what if the instrument could automatically kick itself into four wheel drive?' - erm, like the OASYS does - and did in 2005?

@Rich - please don't think I'm having a go at you - I'm not! Nothing personal at all - you have a job to do, and I suspect you do it very well.

My point remains... why, why, why, make like the whole concept of Kronos is new? There is NOTHING new about the concept of Kronos.

Why is Korg deliberately choosing not to recognise the OASYS and therefore its users/customers?

I suspect it's a negative marketing thing - because Korg knows it blew out on O customers.

BUT Korg has the power to remedy it all! Make O users happy, show that Korg is proud of its own lineage and convince new Kronos users that Korg values their investment and confidence! How? Just give O users something - or even make it chargeable. Give us the PCGs that can be used on the O, for example. That's not going to take Korg long, surely.

I continue to live in hope that Korg will think about some of these points and either produce something, or provide a meaningful, honest and understandable response.

[cello]

In my opinion: Korg doesn't mention the Oasys a single time (nor did Jordan Rudess) because IF they do Korg is afraid that people will say: "Ah...yes...the Oasys...that is the workstation they promised to expand for years to come...but that never happened! I hope they don't do this with the Kronos.."

So Korg just want to forget the whole Oasys story and for one thing they don't want potential Kronos buyers to remember this story.

I wish I had waited with buying the Oasys...the Kronos looks like a much better deal to me!!! It even has a better keyboard and balanced inputs/outputs!

Regards,

Pieter

Well, if potential or new Kronos customers visit here, they're going to find out, so is pretty stupid of Korg if they think that if they don't talk about it, it never really happened...

[TagPass]

I think it's definitely a conscious effort to avoid the bad connotations/reputation that the OASYS had... there is likely more negative information about the OASYS spread throughout music forums than there is positive.

Less we forget (and I'm paraphrasing)...

" - The OASYS was really just an expensive PC running proprietary software. You can get better value out of a laptop running softsynths and Ableton Live and still have enough left over to purchase a really nice used car."

"- The OASYS sequencer is terrible."

"- The OASYS expansions were too few and far between and should've been available for free. KORG rips off its customers."

"- The OASYS sounds just like a Triton, anyway."

"- "Open" was never really open."

"- The OASYS was too expensive."

"- Etc., etc."

Despite the fact that the OASYS is a killer musical instrument, for *many* non-users and newbies, the OASYS is the Typhoid Mary of the synthesizer world. Best not to associate any new product with its name, regardless of the fact that its mostly derived from that heritage.

[CfNorENa]

BUT Korg has the power to remedy it all! Make O users happy, show that Korg is proud of its own lineage and convince new Kronos users that Korg values their investment and confidence!

I agree. Imagine if they brought the M3 sequencer over to the Kronos, and then ported it over to the Oasys. Right there, you'd make almost everyone in Korg Universe happy. Surely it helps the company to have a big, load, enthusiastic, and happy user base, right?