Elektron Musical Instruments

On Fri, Aug 06, 2004 at 08:33:21PM +0000, implode7@... wrote:
> Joerg (the creator of the synth) spoke a bunch about it on the Harmony Central forum. He went into some detail (in response to my question there) about the sequencer. It sounds pretty awesome. You should be able to find it. If you can't let me know, and I think I can find the thread and post the link.

here's the link:

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=32771da236ea2c79aa36a43479d71e8c&threadid=664505&perpage=20&highlight=spectralis&pagenumber=1

i thought i'd include a great post from joerg radikal/quasimidi that he drafted in
response to carping about the price of the spectralis.  it's a conversation i had
frequently with friends and peers until i finally bought my machinedrum (sigh) a week
ago @nova musik - there's a big difference between a tool being too expensive and not being able to afford that tool.  as i write and record beats like mad with this little silver wonder, i just gotta tell the naysayers:

"nyah, nyah."



joerg follows:

First of all - a hardware synthesizer is a kind of luxus. It is possible, that a lot of
people can't afford it. I am sorry for that - but that is the truth and I don't have
the chance to change that.
There must be a big difference between a hardware synth and a soft synth, until someone
will decide to go for it. If we would produce something cheap, everyone would say -
look, they not even reach the quality of a good softsynth - mostly ignoring the costs
for a high quality soundcard, the 3 GHz computer etc. 

Radikal Technologies is an absolute noname brand in the world of synthesizers. If we
really want to establish a new brand, we must produce something very special. We only
have one try. Coming out with something cheap and affordable for everyone is not the
solution. The world does not need the hundreds "nice" new synth device with some knobs
and buttons.
We developed the spectralis with only one target in mind -"Blowing people away". I
don't know, if we have a chance to reach this target - but we are working hard for it.
It's a kind of dream. A dream of some stupid guys like me, who are not willing to
accept, that the big time of hardware synths is over.
Everyone knows, that there is no hardware company anywhere, that comes even close to
the sold quantities of the eighties. When we calculate the development costs, the costs
for parts, advertising, after sale service, trade shows etc. we must accept, that a
synthesizer can't be as cheap as in the eighties. Simply because the we must calculate
with 1000 sold units and not with 3000, 5000 or 10000. My friends, who are seeing me
working my ass off, are not understanding at all, what the hell I am doing.

When we now calculate an estimated street price of 2500 $US, does that not automaticly
mean, that we will become rhich, with this synth. It is more a very riskfull operation.
There is no bank nowhere saying - "you are doing a new synth? Oh, great - we are proud
to help you" 
If I would like to make some money, I would do something different. But I am one of
this stupid guys, who are still designing hardware synths. People around me are already
have their own house, a cool car and are spending 4-6 weeks a year for holidays. I am
now telling my wife for the second time, that I will not find the time for holidays
this year, my car costed the half of one spectralis and I am trying to explain my
neighbours, why I will not spend so much time for my garden.
But - I am happy with this situation. I don't need a new car, I don't need holidays -
it's four in the morning and I try to explain, why a good synth costs some money and
hope, that everyone in the world will understand that;-)
I am designing now a synth, I always dreamed of. My dream never was a cheap toy. I
dreamed of something special. Maybe it is not everyones dream and maybe, for a lot of
people it only will be a dream. But for me, this dream will become reality, because I
am spending all my time only for this project and because I know, that I will get one
of these for free;-) But believe me or not - when I count all the extra hours of work
for it, I am the one who pays the biggest price. But I am willing to pay because I
know, what I am getting for it. It's OK for me, when you say that my baby is too
expensive. I am sure, there are at least a few hundred people out there, who are
willing to pay. That is not enough to do big advertisings and it is not enough to look
into a better future but maybe it is just enough to keep Radikal on the market and me
in the position, to realize some more dreams.

-- 
yours,
niall.
.. .  .   .    .     .       .           .             .                 .
aleph null.                             a simple insinuation around silence.
http://syncretism.net
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