Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

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Mr Arkadin
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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Mr Arkadin » Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:10 am

Of course there was a time when only analogue was available anyway - some of us remember a time before the DX7 came out. Somehow all the music didn't sound the same. Amazing.
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EricK
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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by EricK » Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:51 am

Unfiltered wrote:If everyone had a voyager, imagine the near infinite bank of patches we could share, with new and exciting sounds coming from the same instrument.
Maybe for a few years at best….the Voyager is not unlimited.
Mr Arkadin wrote: Somehow all the music didn't sound the same. Amazing.
Thats debatable.




My opinions, which may be unpopular, stem from the fact that this country has ben so guitar obsessed since it was first electrified. And Im pretty sick and tired of seeing these new bands come on Letterman or Conan, and there are too many guitars on stage. THe lead singer has one, with two rhythm guitarist and a bass guitarist, steel guitarist, etc. Little to no innovation anymore.


It gets harder and harder for me to be enthused about new guitar oriented music because it gets harder to do things on it that hasn’t been done before. Unless there is a rare talent that comes a long like Buckethead….everything tends to sound the same to me.

I appreciate the fact that for the most part, synthesizers are an esoteric instrument.

:)
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Mr Arkadin
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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Mr Arkadin » Tue Jun 01, 2010 10:04 am

EricK wrote:
Mr Arkadin wrote: Somehow all the music didn't sound the same. Amazing.
Thats debatable.
No, I said not ALL the music sounded the same - SOME of the music may have had a 'sound', but to say everyone using analogue synths sounded the same is not debatable.

EricK wrote: My opinions, which may be unpopular, stem from the fact that this country has ben so guitar obsessed since it was first electrified. And Im pretty sick and tired of seeing these new bands come on Letterman or Conan, and there are too many guitars on stage. THe lead singer has one, with two rhythm guitarist and a bass guitarist, steel guitarist, etc. Little to no innovation anymore.
Don't forget it has been somewhat different for us Brits, we quite happily embraced the synth revolution in the '80s.
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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by EricK » Tue Jun 01, 2010 10:34 am

I respect Europes appreciation for Electronic Music. THe nationality difference didn't even occur to me. But your point illustrates mine. In the commercialization of alot of the synthpop that came out during that time, as it drifted away from its original movement, it was the more obscure musicians like TG and people like that who really did wonderful things. The more popular something is, the more commercial it becomes, the crappier it tends to get.
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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by MarkM » Tue Jun 01, 2010 11:53 am

I would like to see Korg, Yammie, Roland, etc. go into analogue only if it introduces something new and different sounding or has an interesting user interface. I certainly don't want to see another remake of classics like an MS20, Jupiter, etc. Otherwise, more digital synths like Roland's V synth would be good. I would love to see some manufacturer come up with digital synths that are as imaginative as some of the softsynths like some Reaktor synths.
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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Mr Arkadin » Tue Jun 01, 2010 12:15 pm

MarkM wrote:I would love to see some manufacturer come up with digital synths that are as imaginative as some of the softsynths like some Reaktor synths.
Maybe the semi-modular Solaris would fit the bill?
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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Unfiltered » Tue Jun 01, 2010 11:36 pm

Actually with all the modular stuff out there, the voyager is not limited. Even as a stand alone unit the mod capabilities are too vast for one person to fully understand. With filter pole changes, filter spacing, panorama , envelope mods, and basically a software patchbay, the voyager is the only synth one needs. Sounds we never will hear are capable. Then when you add midi and CV, it's like the voyager could be the only instrument in existence and everyone could have a unique voice. Just like the old Moog modulars, no one, not even the manufacturer can explore every aspect of the instrument. It's almost too much for me, and the Model D seems just right. The Voyager is a crazy spaceship and the Model D is a beautiful aeroplane.

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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Just Me » Tue Jun 01, 2010 11:59 pm

Even though I have the Voyager, I still need my modular to get many of the sounds I want. So the Voyager isn't close to the end all be all synth. It is still a great machine. As far as Roland and Korg getting back into analog, I don't see it in the Japanese business model. If they did, I'd like to see the Roland 100M format. With the 110M module it was easy to stack them up as independant voices for polyphony.
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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by peterkadar » Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:13 pm

Hi Everyone,

I find this thread very interesting. Here's my two cents:

1) Eric wasn't over the top - I think he made a lot of sense on many issues. I'd have to go back and re-read it because it was three pages ago, but I recall agreeing with most of it.

2) The V-Synth XT ROCKS!! For most bass rigs with keys, there is a Voyager and a V-Synth. Best of both worlds.

3) While I love my XT, I wish the knob response was smoother as well as the parameter stepping. These are valid points. Still, the machine is incredible.

4) The Fantom X has some great sounds in it. While I'm not as crazy about the new G series, they're cool. I have a Fantom Xr fully loaded. But, I agree that they've recycled a lot of sounds since the JD-990 days (which I also own). That's why I got the Xr - between that, the XT, and the 990, I have all the 'best of' Roland sounds going back to the D-50.

side note: I tried the Gaia, and actually liked it to my surprise. I love the sliders, and I found the knob response to be superior to the V-synth. Not a bad machine for $700! I also liked the Juno Stage - great sounds, weight and action. But I'd probably try to get a used Fantom X7 for the price and gain sampling, pads, and the display...

5) I love my analog gear; my Moogs, my DSI, and hopefully soon my Oberheim :)

6) The European manufacturers are awesome. I have a bunch of Nord stuff which I love. The Access Virus range is really something too. Waldorf are also really cool. I loved my old Microwave XT, but look forward to a Blofeld someday.

7) A Motif ES7 is my main gigging board (sometimes I use the S90es). They have great rhodes sounds. Korg did a bunch of great rhodes patches for the M3 v 2.0 upgrade that are at least as good, and are second only to Nord, which I think is the best. Especially with the new rhodes coming out with the v5.0 piano library. Of the big three, Roland are in last place. Also, the Kurzweil PC3 series has some really great vintage keys stuff happening... I'm excited for their PC3k to come out...

Sorry it wound up to be more like two bucks more than two cents... thought I'd throw my hat in!

Hope everyone's well,

Peter K.

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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Veeger » Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:00 pm

Personally, I LIKE the Roland SH-201. Great layout for learning subtractive synthesis and it's a punchy sounding little synth - affordable and it has more waveforms than a Minimoog. It would be nice to see them make an analog machine, but it's kind of nice to have digital synths in the collection - I can always record them via microphone setup or warm them up with a tube preamp if I want them to sound more analog. And I believe you can do more with effects and the like with a digital package than a standalone analog. Playing my Roland SH-201 is like having the sound production and moogerfoogers in one keyboard.

Excited to perform on a GAIA actually. Imagine if that thing was analog - it would be massive. That's an advantage of digital technology.

Nothing beats a Minimoog though. :D

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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Klopfgeist » Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:45 am

I really really really don't want to see an analog from Roland. I think that Korg is the only big company that could do it right, but they would probably start with a MS-10 style design with digital control. I haven't played a Gaia, but I did see several up close and I really hope that Roland doesn't turn that ugly layout into an analog.
So this thing only plays one note?

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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Veeger » Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:09 am

Klopfgeist wrote:I really really really don't want to see an analog from Roland. I think that Korg is the only big company that could do it right, but they would probably start with a MS-10 style design with digital control. I haven't played a Gaia, but I did see several up close and I really hope that Roland doesn't turn that ugly layout into an analog.
Funny thing is that Korg is already at it (making analog synths again) ..... well, sort of. :) They released an impulse buy cheapie called a Monotron - a miniature synth with a ribbon controller, one VCO and the Korg filter, plus LFO. So, they're on it I suppose. :)

What I was trying to say about what if a synth like the Gaia were analog is that if it were, it would be a titanic instrument, huge in size. I have to agree with you, the layout is beastly - convoluted and screwy. But once you get a hang of it, it seems like it would be a great studio piece or a not-necessarily-tweak-on-the-fly-live-synth... more of a keyboard one would just use for the sounds one had preprogrammed for live performance. Have you ever seen the layout on a Roland SH-201? That's friendly.

What I think would be interesting is if Roland could make their Super Saw waveform in an analog form. I do agree with you, it would be way cooler if Korg would resurrect the MS-10... like Bob resurrected his Minimoog with the Voyager. Maybe they could call it the MS-21 to honor the new century. Anyway, Korg is king of making impulse buys out of gear... the Monotron looks like a cool little piece of... um, :lol: - well, at least it is real analog. Albeit, a POCKET analog, reminiscent of gear like the Stylophone (marketed as a retro pocket synthesizer.... not really a synth in my view, but you get the drift).

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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Klopfgeist » Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:29 pm

I think the monotron is just testing the market to see the response and statistics of analog sales. While I don't really want Korg to just make a modern ms10, I think that's the first logical step. If any company, including Moog, makes a poly, I really hope it's not just a bread and butter Jupiter/p5 style, because it needs to be a progression like the Andromena.
So this thing only plays one note?

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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Veeger » Wed Jun 09, 2010 4:20 pm

Klopfgeist wrote:I think the monotron is just testing the market to see the response and statistics of analog sales. While I don't really want Korg to just make a modern ms10, I think that's the first logical step. If any company, including Moog, makes a poly, I really hope it's not just a bread and butter Jupiter/p5 style, because it needs to be a progression like the Andromena.
Have you ever tried literally picking up an Andromeda? :lol:

Just how would Moog have to innovate to make a poly? Think about that. Something tells me they may not be going that way. Can't imagine at the moment where the innovation in making a new Moog poly would be... perhaps in how one modulates the separate voices?

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Re: Should Roland and Korg get back in the analog market?

Post by Voltor07 » Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:58 am

Veeger wrote:
Klopfgeist wrote:I think the monotron is just testing the market to see the response and statistics of analog sales. While I don't really want Korg to just make a modern ms10, I think that's the first logical step. If any company, including Moog, makes a poly, I really hope it's not just a bread and butter Jupiter/p5 style, because it needs to be a progression like the Andromena.
Have you ever tried literally picking up an Andromeda? :lol:

Just how would Moog have to innovate to make a poly? Think about that. Something tells me they may not be going that way. Can't imagine at the moment where the innovation in making a new Moog poly would be... perhaps in how one modulates the separate voices?
Moog would need to take the Memorymoog +, add more menus, an arpeggiator, over 9000 note sequencer, sub-oscillators, USB, and any other features we might want. Of course, after seeing the Taurus, I'd say the first two or three OS's would be useless... :lol: But, every new product has its bugs. The thing is...the sheer COST of such a beast would be beyond the reach of at least 75% of the forum viewers.
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