Korg FISA SUPREMA

[kep]

I find it somewhat bothersome, and I'm not really sure why, that already there are going to be Dale Mathis and Richard Noel sound sets available for the new Korg. I would hope after 8 years of development with the top minds at Korg that the user sounds and sets right out of the box would be incredible and that customization would be simple with the new user interface.

Wouldn't it be boresome to have [however incredible] sounds and scenes out of the box?

I distantly remember that Yamaha DX7 had incredibly capable instrument, but everybody and his sister was using the same pre-programmed sounds.
From the other hand, Richard Noel has done a huge favor for the small army of Rolanders making their sound so much better than standard...

 

[Thomas N]

Wouldn't it be boresome to have [however incredible] sounds and scenes out of the box?

I distantly remember that Yamaha DX7 had incredibly capable instrument, but everybody and his sister was using the same pre-programmed sounds.
From the other hand, Richard Noel has done a huge favor for the small army of Rolanders making their sound so much better than standard...

But if all the owners of Roland digital accordions are buying the Richard Noel sets won't they all sound ...... oh never mind.

 

[JerryPH]

So the Fisa doesn't have the ability to use an external editor??? I kind of thought that was a given.

For me, without this feature, that would be a fairly significant step backward.

Yes its nice to have newer nicer sounds and yes it's nice that they add some experienced programmers to spice up the factory sounds, but at this point on my 8X there is near no factory or Noel sound that I haven't touched or tweaked to make it mine, and yes, programming via screen controls is nothing less than a miserable experience in comparison.

 

[oldbayan]

But if all the owners of Roland digital accordions are buying the Richard Noel sets won't they all sound ...... oh never mind.

I thought the same thing! I can't understand why someone would buy an expensive digital instrument that includes lots of accordion models and choose to install 1 set made by someone else, who may have different sound preferences than mine.

We find a similar phenomenon with other instruments, like electric guitars: people buy a specific brand and model because of how it sounds, then the first thing they do is install 3rd party pickups to make it sound "better"

I played with the sound editor for my FR-18 and FR-3xb, it's a fun tool and there are tons of possibilities, but at the end, I use one or two of the stock sets.

 

[Giovanni]

I thought the same thing! I can't understand why someone would buy an expensive digital instrument that includes lots of accordion models and choose to install 1 set made by someone else, who may have different sound preferences than mine.

We find a similar phenomenon with other instruments, like electric guitars: people buy a specific brand and model because of how it sounds, then the first thing they do is install 3rd party pickups to make it sound "better"

I played with the sound editor for my FR-18 and FR-3xb, it's a fun tool and there are tons of possibilities, but at the end, I use one or two of the stock sets.

Korg have a good track record on producing sounds and accomps styles for their range of Keyboards ...they use professional programmers there should not be any need to use 3rd party products !! Korg will have to get cracking in supplying the extra's that user will require . Also produce a good accomps unit . Whilst I like what the demonstrators have done so far that goes with out saying ...........but to use' it on real lively audiences it requires a very good accomps module to please a lively dancing Audience ..................we are seeing too much Orchestral sound demo's ......very good but not real crowd pleasing / strict tempo dance / fun stuff ..............just my opinion for what it is worth ...............
Richard Noel has done a great job of sound sets for Roland accordions I met him once at the Vegas accordion Convention when he was doing a Roland Workshop .......he has never been employed by Roland as far as I know . He is a passionate and clever man !! with great knowledge and willing to share !!
Korg have the ability to produce the total package .......They need to get on with it !!.....................thats just my opinion ....................

 

[John M]

. . . So the Fisa doesn't have the ability to use an external editor??? I kind of thought that was a given.
For me, without this feature, that would be a fairly significant step backward. . .

On page 17 of the FISA owner's manual, Item #30 is a USB port to connect to a computer. In fact the complete "connector" layout on the bottom of the accordion is identical to the 8X. The 8X didn't have the PC editor when it first came out. The PC editor software for the FISA will probably be added in the future.

 

[dak]

I find it somewhat bothersome, and I'm not really sure why, that already there are going to be Dale Mathis and Richard Noel sound sets available for the new Korg. I would hope after 8 years of development with the top minds at Korg that the user sounds and sets right out of the box would be incredible and that customization would be simple with the new user interface.

So what? If someone is heavily invested into the Mathis/Noël sound sets, being able to seamlessly move to Korg without having to rearrange all of your repertoire around the new capabilities and default sets right away will be quite valuable.

There is a certain danger that you may then delay getting acquainted with capabilities that, if employed judiciously, would actually match your goals better. Or that you never get around to learning the better ways.

I mean, how many people are still using a piano interface to a valve-operated mechanism that would be more suitably (because of reed plate size and total range) be served by something more natively matched to the reed geometry, like, say, just putting a lever in line with each pitch position determined by reed plate and staggering a number of just round buttons (3 seems like a good number) across those levers as controls?

For some people, familiarity is a real selling criterion. Especially if getting acquainted to something different would take a lot of time one would rather spend otherwise.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

So the Fisa doesn't have the ability to use an external editor??? I kind of thought that was a given.

For me, without this feature, that would be a fairly significant step backward.

Yes its nice to have newer nicer sounds and yes it's nice that they add some experienced programmers to spice up the factory sounds, but at this point on my 8X there is near no factory or Noel sound that I haven't touched or tweaked to make it mine, and yes, programming via screen controls is nothing less than a miserable experience in comparison.

If you think it’s a miserable experience to program sounds directly on the 8x, try it someday on a 4x, The editor is essential on a 4x.

BTW, although the Korg has no external editor at this time, I have no doubt that with enough people clamoring for one it just might come along. I see signs of that kind of community pressure already.

Some people have also bemoaned the lack of color choice for the Fisa Suprema and claim that the grill design is “too macho,” and that the block KORG letters stand out too much. Of course, that’s all in comparison to the EVO. But with so many buttons on the grill, I don’t see any other choice. In any event, it’s s also hard for me to see aesthetics or a lack of an external editor as a game changer.

Oh, and here’s an interesting tidbit. Remember the Proxima Mia? All of a sudden, we’re being told that some kind of “entry level” digital accordion will be coming from Proxima at or around January 2025. Really?

 

[Thomas N]

I've been on a Keyboard Forum for 20 years now because of my interest in all things keyboard/synthesizer. There's another member here that also participates there because I've seen us both comment on the one Korg Fisa thread there.

I will tell that over there, and there are a ton of extremely experienced long-time gigging keyboard musicians that belong, Korg is seen as having dropped the ball for the past 5 years and are way behind the competition. They killed off the Kronos and replaced it with the Nautilus and seriously neutered the Nautilus line while claiming it is the new flagship workstation. It's incredibly heavy, doesn't have PAT, startup time is long and the sounds are quite technologically behind the competition from Yamaha, Roland and Nord.

The main takeaway from the Fisa thread over there is that Korg has lost their collective minds with this latest development as their product lines seem in disarray.

Personally, I have no idea. I've never owned a Korg product and really never paid much attention to their offerings. And as an accordionist I'm quite happy that they have branched off in this direction. Nobody else has.

 

[Thomas N]

So what? If someone is heavily invested into the Mathis/Noël sound sets, being able to seamlessly move to Korg without having to rearrange all of your repertoire around the new capabilities and default sets right away will be quite valuable.

Your point is valid. I love tinkering with things. I just picked up a Steamdeck and spent countless hours learning Linux and the command line to seamless set up emulations of games I played in the 80's arcades. I find it really fun. And I love that my Montage M8x has enough technology in it that no matter how much time I spend working with it I'll never approach learning 20% of what it can do. For me personally, it's the best part of these new offerings.

But you're right, to a guy that bought the FR-8X, hated the factory sounds, bought a sound set and loves just playing the different combinations offered it's a huge time-saver. Being able to take those same familiar sound sets with this new instrument will make the learning curve essentially zilch for them.

This is why I said in that same post that I'm glad these offerings are around. My point being that after 8 years of development, and you would hope the Korg development team had spent some serious time with the Roland FR-8X to learn all of its shortcomings, the factory sounds, combinations and user interface would be premium right out of the box and not necessitate the immediate need for 3rd-party sound sets from the get-go.

 

[JerryPH]

Well, I kind of consider the integrated sounds as where a Fisa has to be way better than an 8X, and if not, right there, thats not even worth looking at.

As far as getting someone to program some nice combinations of those sounds (thats all that they do, use EXISTING sounds and mix them in nice arrangements), its great to have, but better to be able to do it myself.

A second deal breaker for me... no editor, I am simply not even considering the Fisa... until they get an editor.

 

[dak]

Some people have also bemoaned the lack of color choice for the Fisa Suprema and claim that the grill design is “too macho,” and that the block KORG letters stand out too much. Of course, that’s all in comparison to the EVO.

I like that aesthetic. Saves me the work of finding out where in the accordion orchestra the digital sounds are coming from. They make fscking modern Electroniums look like ordinary accordions and you waste half of a concert figuring out where that clarinet sound is coming from. Some more digital pride makes it easier to reconcile sound and visuals.

 

[EuroFolker]

If I was to buy a brand new, expensive instrument... I'd want to be the first one to unbox it.

Presumably the dealer will have to open it up and load the "programs" so that the accordion comes pre-ruin.. err, pre-loaded with them, to be pompously called "Edition".

I prefer to think that a whole team of technical, and music professionals at Korg, would do a better job of creating the initial sets than some senior citizen north American dudes who want to support their retirement lifestyles with tinkering.

 

[JerryPH]

I prefer to think that a whole team of technical, and music professionals at Korg, would do a better job of creating the initial sets than some senior citizen north American dudes who wants to support their retirement lifestyles with tinkering.

Holy crap, that was harsh... lol
It's alright to not like the Fisa, its not very nice to insult people that spent hundreds of hours doing some fine work (that I personally enjoyed and benefitted from), that no one else took the time to do.

 

[EuroFolker]

Holy crap, that was harsh... lol
It's alright to not like the Fisa, its not very nice to insult people that spent hundreds of hours doing some fine work (that I personally enjoyed and benefitted from), that no one else took the time to do.

I'd argue it's an insult to Korg to imply that a brand new product will need "improving" by an individual or two.

"It's alright not to like the Fisa" - What's with that sentence, the product isn't even available yet?

 

[JerryPH]

I'd argue it's an insult to Korg to imply that a brand new product will need "improving" by an individual or two.

"It's alright not to like the Fisa" - What's with that sentence, the product isn't even available yet?

Wow, angry today? What these "seniors"do really isn't your business, is it? Yes it *is* improved with their additional sounds and yes it is available today (whether you feel so or not, that's up to you and you can purchase then without it if you want), we see them all over YouTube and Pesaturo, for example is playing one, and the first North American batch are already in transit and being delivered within the next few weeks. It doesn't get more available than that.

But I can see where this is already going, and honestly, I'm not going to get sucked in.

Please, feel free to continue.

 

[dak]

I'd argue it's an insult to Korg to imply that a brand new product will need "improving" by an individual or two.

Well, would you say it is an insult to an architect to hire a room decorator?

 

[EuroFolker]

Wow, angry today? What these "seniors"do really isn't your business, is it? Yes it *is* available today, we see them all over YouTube and Pesaturom for example is playing one, and the first North American batch are already in transit and being delivered within the next couple weeks. It doesn't get more available than that.

But I can see where this is already going, and honestly, I'm not going to get sucked in.

Please, feel free to continue.

Not angry at all. It's not so widely available that you can go to L&M, try one out, and decide whether you like it or not.

But it wasn't even available to the "programmers" when they announced its release on their YouTube channels, along with the intention to "support" it.

How did they know at that time, having not touched it or auditioned what's already there, that it will need their intervention?

Enjoy your evening

 

[oldbayan]

I prefer to think that a whole team of technical, and music professionals at Korg, would do a better job of creating the initial sets than some senior citizen north American dudes who want to support their retirement lifestyles with tinkering.

Except, "senior citizens" are often the only musicians who can afford an instrument at that price

 

[kep]

But it wasn't even available to the "programmers" when they announced its release on their YouTube channels, along with the intention to "support" it.

How did they know at that time, having not touched it or auditioned what's already there, that it will need their intervention?

Being one of the "programmers", and also a programmer, I can explain it to you in simple terms.
One doesn't need even a computer to write a program on an algorithmic language, only a manual is needed.
In case the "programmers" have experience with several different digital accordion models and a developed system of programmed sounds, converting to a new model is not a rocket science. You'll be surprised, but published Korg manual could be enough to understand how.