Comments on: Note To Korg: There Are Only Two Colors For Electronic Music Gear

By: Domi Babi

Domi Babi — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:57 +0000

The same reason why Roland won't give us a new analog… lol

By: N:F:K

N:F:K — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:28:24 +0000

colours are good, but why the hack they can't make new electribes?

By: ECardenal

ECardenal — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:05:29 +0000

Humm… black and matte black ?

I have.. Kurzweil K2000VP (blue) Novation Nova (Blue) Roland JP8080 (Blue) Roland JX305 (Blue) Yamaha CS2x (Light Blue) Virus C (Black)

By: miaousse

miaousse — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:09:58 +0000

i own orange Waldorf XT and a blue Novation supernova, i love them.

By: synthhead

synthhead — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:23:25 +0000

It also suggests that marketing has taken priority over design.

By: Elbjorg

Elbjorg — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:56:57 +0000

if i get to choose between two instruments that sound the same, I'll take the one that looks cooler. It'll be more fun to use, and thereby more inspirational to me.

By: Torley

Torley — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:27:18 +0000

I'm still vexed there's not more demand for PINK and GREEN synths!

Some other colored oddities that come to mind would be the Guitar Center (and later expanded to other places) versions of the M-Audio Axioms that were red and yellow, the Waldorf Q, and the Fizmo's paint job. But I've seen some very cool custom-painted MPCs.

Colored synths don't carry much practical use for me unless I was toting them live, to, you know, be seen as well as heard.

By: Sam Kearns

Sam Kearns — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:30:26 +0000

In three words: Economy of scale.

If they make 10,000 cases in one colour, each individual case will be a lot cheaper than if they made 1000 cases each in 10 different colours. Black is arguably tthe most universally unoffensive and practical colour so if you can only pick one then that's the one that usually gets chosen.

If a product comes in many colours, that is usually a sign that it is a mass market consumer product. I think synthesizers are little too niche for that.

By: Elbjorg

Elbjorg — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:26:33 +0000

Why is this even considered weird? The weird thing is that more synth companies don't do this. Almost everything in the world comes in a variety of colors: cars, bikes, guitars, clothing, houses, ipods, even people…but somehow synthesizers only rate one color?

By: synthhead

synthhead — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:10:54 +0000

Cracking the shell off it and giving it some custom love is always a good prescription.

By: Sam Kearns

Sam Kearns — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:47:12 +0000

I reckon all synths should come in black for one very good reason. The only proper coloured synths are ones you painted yourself!

Seriously, nothing says "I love my keyboard" like cracking the shell off it and giving it some custom love.

By: Gordon

Gordon — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:08:05 +0000

Yup. The only thing I hate about electronic music gear is that it's usually only sold in dull black.
Except possibly even worse is the decent colours coming along only *after* you've sighed and settled for a boring one…
Of course, black is as cool and groovy as any colour scheme except for the fact that it's generally 'standard' and I want 'special / a bit different' and yes, that does offer some functionality. Colours do stuff to your brain.

By: Gordon

Gordon — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:03:21 +0000

Yup. The only thing I hate about electronic music gear is that it's usually only sold in dull black.

By: MirlitronOne

MirlitronOne — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:58:57 +0000

Black IS dull. Colour is the new black.

If my Kaossilator wasn't bright yellow, I'd never be able to find the damn thing!

By: Flancher

Flancher — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:31:24 +0000

All the best classic synths and keyboards are black – moog modulars, SCI's Pro One & Prophet 5, Korg's MS synths, Rhodes suitcase.

Offering Korg gear in fashion colors means that they're spending their money on figuring out what colors people like, instead of developing cool new gear.

How about skipping the color selection and adding another row of knobs or using higher quality materials, instead?

By: travis

travis — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:49:39 +0000

i dunno.. i'm siding with synthhead on this one. i find it hard to take a blue or yellow synth seriously.
red is only ok if its a Nord, and silver is ok, if youre going for 'retro' or 'avant garde'
white, brown, or wood is only ok if its really old (like a wurlie or mellotron)

By: Elbjorg

Elbjorg — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:39:43 +0000

Lots of musicians appreciate things visually as well as well sonically. Look at all the bands that started in art schools. I have to admit I love the yellow one. If i needed a hardware workstation I would be tempted.

By: Flancher

Flancher — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:24:21 +0000

I'd much rather see new synths rather than new colors for old synths!

The new colors don't bother me – but why? Maybe its' a Japan thing.

By: Elbjorg

Elbjorg — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:16:01 +0000

I think you can still get the M50 in its original stunning black/matte black duotone scheme if that's what floats your boat.

By: synthhead

synthhead — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:49:06 +0000

Clearly I'm out of touch – because everybody else seems to think day-glo synths are hot.

I'd still rather see Korg announcing something really new. Maybe a new music production workstation, like the Beat Thang; a new control surface, like the Novation LaunchPad; or something entirely new, ike the Eigenlabs' Eigenharp.

And if they make it in Black or Matte Black, even better.