Korg OPSIX

[lowph]

Yeah, my shipping label was just generated and supposedly it arrives the same day – that’s pretty wild, but I guess it’s not far (Long Beach to LA).

Did all of your orders also ship from Long Beach, CA? Just to add to the speculation, because now it’s just fun to play the “why was the Opsix on sale” game:

The port in Long Beach is a crazy busy port. Since the pandemic, there has been serious congestion at this port, causing supply chain problems all over the country (and beyond). At one point month ago, if you looked out at the water, you would just see tons of stopped cargo ships, waiting weeks and weeks to dock and unload. I read stories of enormous stacks of shipping containers and no staff to unload them. I remember reading that shipping companies were being fined for every empty container they left at the port, and the international flow of containers was affected very badly. The flow has been up and down, but I read it got pretty bad again mid-July.

Is this another data point that indicates a warehousing issue? Could these synths have been floating on a ship for months or a year, after coming from wherever they’re made in Asia, and then Korg just didn’t have space to store them?

<< mysterious music intensifies >>

[AdamJay]

@lowph

your orders also ship from Long Beach, CA?

Hasn’t shipped yet but that’s where it says it is originating from.

[tapesky]

Total pie in the sky thinking here, but it’d be cool to see a larger keyboard with all three synthesis engines on board - sort of like a more tightly focused Oasys (which was also Linux based).

[AdamJay]

I’ll give it a few weeks upon arrival, but after spending some time with the opsix native software demo making V/A sounds, I’m beginning to wonder if this might end up kicking my Nord Lead 4 KB out of the studio. The FX are definitely better from Korg, and more varied. Filter variety is also there.

The only thing I’d really miss are impulse morphs and multi-timbral capability (for the latter I still have the NL3 rack). I love the NL4’s organ waves but I can easily get those out of a few OPs on the Opsix, whilst using the other few for saws and squares. Otherwise, the speed of the modulation system on the Nord is hard to beat. So it really will depend on some time with the opsix and finding my way around the menus, developing some muscle memory. Or maybe it pushes me to swap the NL4 KB for an NL4 rack, finally. Things are getting a little crowded with all these keyboards.

One thing I wish the opsix native plugin had was the hardware home button’s ability to access attack and decay for all operators combined. Like a macro. Really looking forward to that, vs what I’ve been doing with the software, copying and pasting the envelope settings across operators.

— nevermind, found these parameters in the plugin, misc/random pane, “attack global / decay global”

[Jukka]

Alto Music has also dropped their listing.

[ankhoret]

Got this from American Musical Supply:

I am writing to inform you that the Korg opsix Altered FM Synthesizer on your order has been discontinued from our inventory, the manufacturer has indicated that we are no longer receiving any more shipments of this item. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and our team would be happy to offer recommendations on a substitute item.

Sounds pretty discontinued to me.

[HoldMyBeer]

Looks like a typo. I bet this is what they meant:

@ankhoret

I am writing to inform you that the Korg opsix Altered FM Synthesizer on your order has been disc golf hole-in-one’d from our party zone to your party zone. Cheers!

[Jukka]

Self-admittedly a crazy idea which i don’t really hold to, but …
as a fun payback to the rest of the world, the OPSIX is only being discontinued in the USA.

[Oxenholme]

Related: FM8 is 10 bucks now at Plugin Boutique.

Looks like frequency modulation as a whole is in the bargain bin

[lowph]

Yeah, it’s FM week! I guess I’ll have to get FM8 too. The full price is too high for something that old, but I know it’s a great synth.

[Ess]

My guess as to why it’s being discontinued is that they simply can’t reliably get ahold of large quantities of the Raspberry Pi CM3+ … Which would mean that the Wavestate is going to be discontinued as well.

[Juniper_Steels]

Don’t the Modwave and Wavestate share the same Raspberry Pi?

[lowph]

No, each one has their own raspberry pi

[Ess]

Yes. Another scenario is that the Wavestate greatly outsold the Opsix (which I think is likely), so they want to reserve parts for Wavestate and scrap the Opsix.

But I’m just guessing. I’ve heard that it’s very hard to get ahold of those modules since a while back, but it could also just be that it wasn’t a successful product. Seems a little quick to give it the axe though.

On the other hand I guess you don’t just sell off the last remaining stock for dead cheap unless it didn’t sell well before.

[AdamJay]

@Juniper_Steels

Don’t the Modwave and Wavestate share the same Raspberry Pi?

HW DEALS : Hardware on Sale

Dear Korg, Now do the Modwave, same deal.

[obscurerobot]

@Ess

they simply can’t reliably get ahold of large quantities of the Raspberry Pi CM3+

This seems extremely plausible. On the other hand, the Pi is just an ARM SoC, so it shouldn’t be that difficult to find a second source or just engineer a pin-compatible version.

In that case, I’d expect the Wavestate/Modwave/OPSIX to come back in a year or two, possibly as Mk2 models with more polyphony and maybe other features that don’t change the front panel.

Pretty heavy black mark on the Pi foundation if true. They are cool toys, but if I’m ever in a position to approve Pi hardware in a commercial product, I’ll nuke the proposal from orbit.

[Jukka]

@Ess

My guess as to why it’s being discontinued is that they simply can’t reliably get ahold of large quantities of the Raspberry Pi CM3+

@Ess

On the other hand I guess you don’t just sell off the last remaining stock for dead cheap unless it didn’t sell well before.

Or you had another reason.

@Jukka

Here’s a simple explanation for making a new version — Sometimes you need to re-engineer because of parts shortages, and figure that while you’re at it you’ll make some other changes too. There are many other possible explanations.

@obscurerobot

In that case, I’d expect the Wavestate/Modwave/OPSIX to come back in a year or two

Or sooner. Start selling a ported OPSIX-2 now, dropping the Mk1 to sell the Mk2, and follow on with the others as soon as possible. The port to a VST of these three certainly helps make the code less platform dependent, and help bridge the intermediate time.

We’re short of information so impossible to know, we’re just piecing things together from the info we have, and our knowledge and experience.

[psychetropic]

I’m not typical, I have some years of classical piano training, so I am a “keyboard player” and have strong preferences. I tried the OpSix in a store, and I don’t mean to say it’s flimsy or will fall apart, I’m sure it’s fine. But it has without doubt the cheapest feeling keybed I’ve ever encountered, and my fingers scream NO with the mere touch, lol. It’s comical really.

Also, it’s such a deep monster of sound design, I would want 5 octaves of FATAR to touch it with.

I envy those who don’t mind the keys on it! You are getting one of the deepest synths ever for $350! But I’ll pay whatever they ask for my flagship version, and play my fucking Bach on it and smile

[obscurerobot]

@Jukka

We’re short of information so impossible to know, we’re just piecing things together from the info we have, and our knowledge and experience.

Don’t forget wild speculation and bonghits (or edibles).

[psychetropic]

Speaking of bong hits, those new 5 octave Fatars that are showing up now with Poly Aftertouch, yes, must have that…