Korg Poly800/EX800 Users

hi there,

well, after having read all these threads, i guess it couldn't be a 
bad idea to let them Korg guys know that at least a couple dozens of 
us are really willing that they release the code for the Poly-800. 
Maybe we could get on the same page as regards what will be asked and 
then act in consequence. I'mm all for M. Hawkins move. Count me in.

Dave

--- In korgpolyex@yahoogroups.com, Atom Smasher <atom@...> wrote:
>
> > 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.
> ============================
> 
> Mr Kovarsky, you've probably never heard of me. I've published some 
> hardware modifications to the Poly-800 series of synthesizers that 
seems 
> to have contributed quite a bit to it's cult following.
> 
> Since both the software and hardware of the Poly-800 series of 
synths are 
> entirely obsolete, it would seem that Korg would have absolutely 
nothing 
> to lose from releasing details about the software. Further, it 
would 
> demonstrate that Korg is a company that puts long-time loyal users 
ahead 
> of obsolete secrets.
> 
> We all know that software details of the Poly-800 would reveal no 
useful 
> information at all about any current gear made by Korg. Nor would 
this 
> information be useful to anyone wanting to make a new synthesizer; 
partly 
> because the feature set is limited by modern standards and partly 
because 
> the hardware is obsolete.
> 
> I would certainly understand Korg not wanting to release software 
details 
> about these synths in the 80s, or even 90s, but this is 2006. The 
software 
> details of the Poly-800, known to be limited by features and then-
current 
> hardware, are absolutely useless except for one thing: breathing 
new life 
> into an old hardware synth with a loyal following.
> 
> I'm hopeful that a mutually beneficial arrangement can reached with 
Mr 
> Hawkins: Perhaps you can release the code to him with a non-
disclosure 
> agreement? This would allow him to independently breath new life 
into this 
> old synthesizer (and share his compiled code), without publicly 
releasing 
> any company "secrets".
> 
> If Korg were to publicly release such information at this point in 
time, 
> it would only demonstrate that Korg is willing to allow (or even 
> encourage) independent support for long obsolete gear. Nothing 
could be 
> more helpful in selling new gear than confidence that the gear will 
be 
> supported long after it's been forgotten. The good PR that Korg 
could gain 
> by releasing the obsolete code for an obsolete synth with a loyal 
> following is priceless. I will certainly consider this in future 
> purchases; not all synthesizer/effect manufacturers consider such 
> information to be a secret after 20+ years.
> 
> While I certainly understand that these details are the property of 
Korg, 
> and that Korg had invested resources into it's development, I just 
can't 
> see any justifiable reason to keep the code locked up at this 
point. Nor 
> can I see how it might benefit Korg in any way to keep the code 
secret. I 
> can certainly understand that the code was, at one time, a very 
valuable 
> asset to Korg and worthy of being locked up. While locked in a safe 
that 
> asset certainly must have depreciated to zero within the last 
several 
> years, if not earlier. Thus, it's "equity" to the company is 
currently 
> much greater if it's released than it is if it's kept secret. If 
there's 
> anything that I've overlooked in my reasoning or I don't seem to 
> understand, please feel free to contact me and let me know what I'm 
> missing.
> 
> I hope that you can understand my reasoning, and that you may be 
able to 
> advocate this position within the company. Perhaps a request such 
as this 
> should be directed to R&D, or the legal department. If that's the 
case, 
> please send their contact information to me and Mr Hawkins, so we 
can 
> pursue this further.
> 
> Thank you for your time.
> 
> 
> -- 
>          ...atom
> 
>   ________________________
>   http://atom.smasher.org/
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>  	"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
>  		-- Charles H. Duell,
>  		Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
>