Cutting corners?

[LPF83]

I love when Espen goes through these old issues of Keyboard magazine, to the point I actually stop the video and read the pages when I'm interested.

This particular timeframe (1987) reminds me of when I really started investing in synths (not only buying them but learning about them).  And reading the pages reminds me of how many reviews mentioned "cutting of corners" even back in the 80's. 

(oh yes, that Roland D-50?  What a shame they cut corners on it!  Never mind how many tracks it ended up in, those cheap bastids!)

Generally, if something was not to the reviewer's liking, it could not have been due disparity between the designer's goal and one individual buyer/reviewer's expectations.  No, it was almost certainly due to corners being cut, something had clearly short-changed funding before all of the features of the dream-synth could have fully materialized!

It seems there is always one more feature around the corner -- until those corners get CUT! 

Anyway fun times.  Espen is a gem for doing these old Keyboard Mag tours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKM0OWASgto

[Manbird]

I'm sure that the Prophet 5 - certainly by today's "too much time reading Internet" standards - could be seen as a corner-cut synth. "No poly multi-mono overtouch? Why no sequencer? Wood? Why not brushed stainless bronze?"

[LPF83]

I'm sure that the Prophet 5 - certainly by today's "too much time reading Internet" standards - could be seen as a corner-cut synth. "No poly multi-mono overtouch? Why no sequencer? Wood? Why not brushed stainless bronze?"

I also recall in the 80's and 90's, folks on BBS systems (and to some extent the Internet as it was beginning to emerge), occasionally I would see condescending comments about pesky analog gear...  who would ever want that in modern times, when digital was the new thing?  What, with all those antiquated looking knobs, they couldn't hold a candle to sleek new digital synths with buttons and perfect tuning.