Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Korg Poly800/EX800 Users

Good afternoon Jerry,

Actually, being an eternal optimist I was not expecting your response at all.

I feel this way because the Poly 800 design is so old and it's techniques and innovations so well understood in music and electronic hardware and software engineering circles that it simply wouldn't hurt Korg one iota to release a memory map or commented assembly code for the Poly 800. In fact, to have released a memory map or commented assembly code would have been demonstrating forward thinking and openness that would serve as a great advertizement to Korg's commitment to its customers. Let's face it, Korg released the hardware circuit diagrams when they published the original service manual so Korg had already released half of its intellectual property when it first produced the Poly 800.

The Poly 800 aint rocket science!

Furthermore, the Poly 800 is essentially an 8085 CPU computer with some sound generation hardware built around it. Thus, it is similar in many ways to dozens of early computers built in the 1980's and almost every single one of those computers had their entire assembly and memory maps released to the general public when they were manufactured.

So I don't buy your argument at all and I urge you to push for a policy change within Korg that would release the memory map and assembly code. And just maybe, we might begin to change the insanely closed and paranoid nature of the synthesizer manufacturers - Korg included.

Your sincerely,

Mike Hawkins

Jerry Kovarsky <jerryk@...> wrote:

Hello Michael:

I'm the Product Manager for Korg Keyboards and Recording gear in the US,
and I was just in Japan last week working with the company.

I showed them your email, but I'm sorry to tell you that we cannot
comply with your request. It is our general policy not to release this
kind of information - How we design, code and develop our products is
part of our long-attained equity as a company and we simply do not in
any circumstances release that information out into the public.

I imagine you were expecting this response, but hoping against all odds
that we might feel different. I'm truly sorry to disappoint you and we
all appreciate your support of the Poly800 and Korg gear in general.

Jerry Kovarsky

> > ∗From:∗ Michael Hawkins [mailto:patrioticduo@...]
> > ∗Sent:∗ Tuesday, May 30, 2006 3:03 PM
> > ∗To:∗ James Sajeva
> > ∗Cc:∗ korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com
> > ∗Subject:∗ Korg Poly 800 request for information
> >
> > Good afternoon James,
> >
> > Thanks for giving me the time to speak with you regarding
> our request
> > to obtain information about the Poly 800. I also appreciate
> you giving
> > me the opportunity to approach the Product Manager with my unusual
> > request.
> >
> > At this point in time, we here on the Korg Poly 800 Yahoo
> group have
> > identified several modifications that we would like to
> include in our
> > Poly 800's. We know that the only way to get those features is to
> > modify the assembly code of the instrument. As a result, I have
> > embarked on a disassembly project. Obviously, this is a major
> > undertaking. Nevertheless, I have managed to disassemble
> about 20% of
> > the code.
> >
> > However, it would be a welcome gesture and enormously
> useful if Korg
> > were to make available one or both of the following:
> >
> > a) The commented original source code.
> > b) A memory map that detailed the use of RAM in the instrument.
> >
> > I understand that this information is proprietary however the
> > instrument is now 22 years old and the technology so
> obsolete that I
> > hope Korg would see the benefit, particularly within the Korg
> > enthusiast community, of releasing any information that
> would assist
> > us in keeping this great antique instrument alive and gigging.
> >
> > I look forward to hearing from you soon.
> >
> > Mike.
> >
> >
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > --
> >
> > How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low
> PC-to-Phone call
> > rates.
> >
>
> > om/evt=39663/∗http:/voice.yahoo.com>
> >
>
>

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