MIDICraft's MIDINET CD-ROM/MIDICraft's MIDINET CD-ROM.iso/KORG_I-S/INTERNET/06975.013/text0000.txt

Text File | 1997-02-05 | 8.2 KB | 205 lines

Thanks for the response.

It sounds to me like the market for the I series is kind of stuck between
two worlds. Professionals keyboard players, which I certainly am not,
(former trumpet player) , would not want to fess up to owning an instrument
with canned styles and arrangements. However, the innovation, quality and
technology of the instrument puts it way beyond the price range of the
casual Casio or Yamaha keyboard buyer. I think you probably echo the
sentiments of the average pro user who would be willing to sacrifice the
styles, arrangements and interactive features of the I-3 for the latest
technology and professional features found in newer instruments on the
market. That spells bad news for someone like me who would love to see them
take the I series up to the next level with increased memory, more sounds,
polyphony, larger faster disk access, better styles, arrangements and
whatever else we've talked about.

Obviously there is a market in the homes for this instrument when you
consider the number of digital pianos or organs with less features and
sounds that are sold for thousands of dollars more. Who is buying those
instruments? There has to be a place somewhere for a better, fancier I
series keyboard.  I hope Korg agrees.


Take care,

Rob

----------
> From: Mark Robson <[e-mail]>
> To: [e-mail]
> Subject: Re: Hello
> Date: Tuesday, February 04, 1997 6:15 AM
>
> At 11:05 05/02/97 -0700, you wrote:
> >Hi, I'd like to introduce myself to the group.  I've been an I3 owner
for
> >about 2 years.  I just signed up for this group yesterday, so pardon me
for
> >anything I say that is redundant that I've missed. I find the
discussions
> >interesting and many suggestions echo my sentiments exactly. There seems
to
> >be an objective or goal here and I'd like someone to tell me what it is.
> >I've caught a few items on your list, but I'm not exactly sure what the
> >list is for.
>
> Hi Rob and welcome aboard,
>
> I think the main purpose of this group is simply to share information &
> playing/sequencing techniques.  Personally whenever I write a new section
> for my web site, I either post it here, or mention the update so that
those
> topics can be discussed.  There's also been a lot of MIDI questions in
the
> past, which I wish I had payed more attention to now I'm MIDI'd up!
>
> >I bought this instrument a couple years ago as an upgrade from an X3.
The
> >professional sounding arrangements and auto-accompianent is what
attracted
> >me to it. I still think it's most powerful feature is the ability to
create
> >and edit your own styles.
> >However, I do think Korg has lost quite a few sales simply because many
> >professional musicians would never want to admit that they have an
> >instrument with auto-accompianement.  Once these musicians realize the
> >creative potential behind the styles, arranging and sequencing of the
I3,
> >they realize it is a serious machine. However, I firmly believe 90% of
the
> >world's musicians have never gotten a close enough look to know this.
Too
> >bad. Reading these email commentaries, it is nice to know many of you
feel
> >the same way I do about the instrument and the future of interactive
> >workstations.
>
> My Korg reatailer reffered to the i2/i3 as semi-pro, which I think is
sort
> of a fair description.  Like you say, the addition of anything automatic
> changes the status of a synth.
>
> >One of the main drawbacks of the I3 for me is the limited memory for
> >storing user-styles. I've got 64 or whatever stock-styles that can't be
> >moved out of memory and maybe only 20% of them are useful to me. It
would
> >be great to be able have 64 of my favorite styles in memory at the same
> >time.
>
> I agree.  On the X-Series you have a GM set, and then 200 RAM programs.
I
> think Korg should have kept the i-Series more in line with the X-Series
and
> then just added the extra features, rather than taking some away lie
memory
> & combis.  You are right about STYLES, a lot of them go unused, so it
would
> be much better if STYLES were completely held in battery backed up RAM.
>
> >Also, loading from disk is slow and I wish I could view or sample
> >arrangements before loading them. Expandability seems to be the main
> >concern here. HardDrives, Zip Drives or sound expansion could make this
> >instrument infinitely more useful.  I would also like to be able to
program
> >a greater number of patterns into each style and set or randomize them
to
> >give the music a more realistic, human feel. I'd like to have some type
of
> >database you could store on zip or hard drive for storing patterns, etc
and
> >be able to incorporate them into each style one your ready to use them.
> >That way your music would never sound repetitive.
>
> Korg have released a vareiety of synths which seem to be combinations of
> other synths.  The N-Series don't have the interactive styles, but from
what
> I've read, there's a new Realtime Pattern function, that allows you to
> record up to 100 patterns, and activate them by playing a note on the
> keyboard in real-time.  The N-Series is still more like the X-Series,
only
> 64 note polyphonic, but the realtime pattern option does sort of increase
> it's use as a composing aid, but not to the extent of the i-Series.  N's
do
> have more program memory though, 200 ROM, 128 GM and 200 RAM.
>
> >Though I think the sounds
> >are exceptional for an instrument 4 - 5 years old, it's too bad you
can't
> >add sounds.
>
> That's why the Trinity has caught my eye.  If you are short on space, and
> want a synth that can do it all, then this seems to be the one.  For
extra
> cash you can have a Flash Rom card, which can be used to load Akai & Korg
> sound libararies, thus allowing you to create ANY sound....it's all a
matter
> of money!
>
> >Also, 64 voices is becoming the standard and we'll all wish we
> >had it.  The newer synths are getting better every day, but I haven't
heard
> >a big enough difference in sound quality yet, to make me want to give
the
> >unique benefits of the I3. But that could change soon. What I am most
> >concerned with is that Korg will not take the innovation of the I3 any
> >further. Does anyone know how successful Korg has been with this
product?
> >I'd like to know.
>
> 64 note polyphony will no doubt become a standard.  I must say thought I
> don't think I have ever gone short on polyphony on the i3, even though
I'm a
> bugger for increasing program release times, and using double octave
strings.
>
> Where do Korg go next with the i-series ......good question.  It's either
> ROM upgrade or completely new (but COMPATIBLE!) synth.  I'm of the view
that
> you can only get so far with these synths, and a new replacement synth
(if
> there is one) is inevitable.  Maybe there's a way of combining the
> technology used in the Trinity, with the original design of the i-Series,
> whilst still maintaining some compatibility with old STY, BSEQ &
> SNG....sounds like a long shot????
>
> >I would like to know how other Korg users feel about the sound quality
and
> >whether or not many are considering a new instrument.
> >As I get filled in, I'll try and help in any way I can with your
> >objectives. Meanwhile, I'd like to thank the few of you have uploaded
the
> >many fine styles. In the last few weeks since I've discovered all of the
> >new Korg Web sites, I've spent alot more time playing!
> >I wish I could contribute more in this area, but I'm afraid I have yet
to
> >come up with something you'd use!!
>
> Sound quality is a matter of programming or finding the nice PCG's that
are
> out there.  I fing the FX setups limiting....again this is resolved in
> Trinity (up to 8 FX at a time depending on the effects used).
>
> I'm pretty sure that I will eventually go down the path of a standard
> workstation, but the interactive synths have been very successful and I
> think Korg should take note of this before releasing anything else in
this
> area of the market.  Compatibility should be a priroity I think.
>
> >Thanks for listening,
> >
> >Rob Delisa
> >Korg I3 user
> >EMAIL: [e-mail]
>
> Comments anyone?........
>
> Mark.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Email: [e-mail]
> i-Series Web Site: http://www.woden.com/~markr/index.html
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>