Is the M3 abandonware?

LiqMat · Post by **LiqMat** » Thu May 27, 2010 2:41 am

I noticed you lucky folks who own a Roland G series workstation just got a really nice new OS upgrade last month (April 2010). What up Korg? Haven't heard a peep from you in almost a year since OS version 2.04! Should we call the M3 forums wish list the wish-on list?

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Thu May 27, 2010 2:57 am

I know its nice to get updates all the time, but it isn't necessary.

People may have niggles and disappointments in the features of a product, but you shouldn't expect KORG to fix everything. If it performs as described (i.e. not bug fixes) then there is no obligation to provide an update.

KORg in the past seem to have made a habit of releasing a version 2.0 and then not developing any further.

IMO you should buy a workstation or any piece of equipment based on what it can do and not what it could do after updates. Updates that are more than just bug fixes are a nice surprise, but they are just that - there is no obligation nor need for it, and it should be taken as a bonus, not a given.
The M3 is still a very powerful workstation that is able to compete with the workstations from other manufacturers.

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Thu May 27, 2010 3:04 am

Thats how i got with my exGf at the time...what she could do in the future...
and...she couldnt do anything...so the point is as X-Trade said, i buy it for what
is now and not what it will be tomorow...and of course updates are nice but as
i can see for now there is no need for anything on the synth...at least fixing
and i am 100% sure of it...unless they come up with some new features.
As for the Sound...if it was all Empty with not a single sound i wouls still buy
it (even better for me) since i dont use almost a single sound from it.

Gargamel314 · Post by **Gargamel314** » Thu May 27, 2010 3:06 am

... cause the previous OS updates were all such jokes. especially that 2.0 one...

seriously, they don't owe us anything, they've given us LOTS already. The M3 isn't an OASYS...there are no promises of continued development. You get what you paid for.

Would be nice to be able to pay for an EX5 volume someday though...

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Thu May 27, 2010 3:09 am

Gargamel314 wrote:... cause the previous OS updates were all such jokes. especially that 2.0 one...

OS 2.0 on M3 and OS 1.5 on PA800 was probably the BIGGEST updates in
innovative features that any company ever did...please dont Mention YAMAHA...
with them every Update is a NEW SYNTH...3000$.
Tyros>Tyros2>Tyros3...each update was actually 3500$ while at the same time
Korg gave us a lot more then the difference from T2 to T3 for FREE!!!
Or we are just spoiled by Korg?

LiqMat · Post by **LiqMat** » Thu May 27, 2010 3:27 am

That's awesome! So how about just removing the wish list from the M3 forum since the M3 is perfect now.

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Thu May 27, 2010 4:19 am

I dont think you get our points Mat...wish and gift is one thing and actually
holding me responsible that i have to give you something is another thing.

Shakil · Post by **Shakil** » Thu May 27, 2010 4:24 am

Liqmat wrote:I noticed you lucky folks who own a Roland G series workstation just got a really nice new OS upgrade last month (April 2010)

I have Fantom-G and let me tell you that it wasn't really an OS update. Only one thing was added which was itself halfbaked. Other than that they just released free sounds to catch up with Korg. Also about 1500 phrase loops were added.. which eat up 1500 out of 2000 locations, leaving only 500 phrase for your own songs.... 1500 phrases were added to make it sound KARMA like.... lol

The OS upgrade situation is really terrible with Fantom-G. People are begging Roland to bring Fantom-G up to it's potential.... lots of things are missing or are half-baked. For example... the file utility is a joke on Fantom-G.. which was added two years later... there is no way to save/load a single sound. You have to load/save all 1028 sounds.... Don't get me started here.. just hop to Facebook Fantom-G owners group or the rolandclan forums to find details.

I am also tired of hearing people say buy the keyboard as it is.... well one of the 'marketing' things with new OS updatable instruments is that it can be fixed/improved.. etc. KORG has been really really good at adding new features...

It's not like old times when the OS was cooked on chips and updates weren't possible. Modern synths are 'made' to be upgraded. They are released to catch the deadlines, any features that aren't ready are slated for next releases. It's in the plan.... not just our wish list.

cminor · Post by **cminor** » Thu May 27, 2010 4:58 am

the best update that Korg can make for M3 si and OS that supports 1GB RAM... and the release of EXB-M1G for it

Shakil · Post by **Shakil** » Thu May 27, 2010 5:06 am

cminor wrote: the best update that Korg can make for M3 si and OS that supports 1GB RAM... and the release of EXB-M1G for it

Yes that will be good, but you know that is not possible with "Software Update". We are only talking about OS (Software Updates).

Maybe the next version of workstation will have 1GB RAM...

I personally want to see the feature of track switching while recording in loop. That's been my wish since Triton classic.[/quote]

LiqMat · Post by **LiqMat** » Thu May 27, 2010 5:24 am

gjvti · Post by **gjvti** » Thu May 27, 2010 7:01 am

cminor wrote:the best update that Korg can make for M3 si and OS that supports 1GB RAM... and the release of EXB-M1G for it

...

... and I thought that the best update for M3 would be compatible SOS recorder so we can use it in sync with M3 through USB or whatever other korg proprietary way!

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Thu May 27, 2010 9:27 am

Korg aren't obligated to update the OS further (and personally I think the synth is awesome as it is), but I still think it would be a wise move for them to implement the 'convert to KARMA' feature Stephen Kay already has written. Or I may be wrong, and that it is financially smarter to include this in their next workstation, "forcing" existing M3 users to upgrade. In this day and age, though, I'm not so sure this is the best strategy.

ashboe · Post by **ashboe** » Thu May 27, 2010 10:43 am

This isn't meant to be arsey or anything like that, but I wonder how many of us actually know all of the features that Korg has put into this monster workstation. I use it as part of my business doing massive sequencing, but I don't even know half of what the sequencer can do. I don't want an upgrade to the OS until I really get into this machine - I certainly don't want new features.
For those of you who have explored this machine in depth, good for you, probably a good time to move to a newer machine, but this one has got years left in it for me.

snowbrow · Post by **snowbrow** » Thu May 27, 2010 1:27 pm

Shakil wrote: one of the 'marketing' things with new OS updatable instruments is that it can be fixed/improved.. etc.

Yes indeed. Without even talking about a new OS - which incidentally I don't think is needed - it emerges that unfortunately with the M3 being such a complicated animal, it is natural that there are still a few bugs in there which pop up intermittently. IMHO it would be badly done of Korg to go to earth now on the M3 and stop all OS fixes before these are addressed - this would amount to an abuse of the very architecture that was used to help sell the machine in the first place...