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It appears as if the reface synths have dropped to $399 from $499 across nearly all retailers.

Does Yamaha have problems selling their tiny synths? Though I don't want any of these I thought that they might be interesting for lots of people out there. Maybe most of them want true analog units like a KORG Volca or MS-20 mini?

They're probably having to drop to compete with the newer Roland minis that are at that price pointish.

ok so I'm not in the market but I am curious about these. What've been your experiences with them?

Mini keys equals macro suck. And I have tiny baby Jaguar-playing hands.

Also, probably almost certainly this:

rfurtkamp wrote:They're probably having to drop to compete with the newer Roland minis that are at that price pointish.

D.o.S. wrote:ok so I'm not in the market but I am curious about these. What've been your experiences with them?

I have no experience with them but the DX is really interesting to me. Seems that there aren't many hardware FM synthesizers out there, and FM synthesis was a key component of the 80s New Wave sound. Here's a list of songs made with Yamaha's DX7:

http://bobbyblues.recup.ch/yamaha_dx7/dx7_examples.html

Some notables are "Take My Breath Away", "Kyoto Song", and "People Are People" ...

rfurtkamp wrote:They're probably having to drop to compete with the newer Roland minis that are at that price pointish.

The Minilogue has to be hurting them, too. Why buy a digital emulation like the CS or DX for $499, when you can get a 4-voice analog unit for the same price?

echorec wrote:

rfurtkamp wrote:They're probably having to drop to compete with the newer Roland minis that are at that price pointish.

The Minilogue has to be hurting them, too. Why buy a digital emulation like the CS or DX for $499, when you can get a 4-voice analog unit for the same price?

But what Yamaha is offering is very different from the Minilogue ... something like the DX doesn't compete directly with the Minilogue

I've got a Reface YC (the organ one), it's awesome.

Some people who have never used the Reface series seem to really hate these, but most people who actually bought them are quite happy with them. And yeah, apart from the CS one they don't compare with the recent stuff from Korg or Roland. The YC and CP's competition is in another price range (Nord stuff), for example.

Yea, a lot of folks just want convenient 'reissue' or go with a known quantity that's been out for a while.

Korg's gunning for a radically different market with the Minilogue.

Yup. Korg also has an history of making awesome instruments but Yamaha is much more hit and miss. The Reface are good though, and for $400 the DX, YC and CP are definitely worth checking I think.

i thought the reface looked cool. yeah the feature set is shit compared to a lot of older synths that probably sound just as good, and minikeys aren't for everyone...

BUT THEY'RE CUTE AND TINY

if the prices drop enough over here i'd really like to grab the CP eventually. they're $689 right now which is just fucking NOPE. it's the sort of thing I'd use as someone who appreciates portability and simplicity, something to write music with without needing to fiddle too much. I wanted something like the pocket piano but would only use proper keys so this seems better. i mean the microkorg is still cool but i feel like there are superfluous features for me.

For tiny and functional, that's why I got the blowout Roland keytar a year or so back.

$169, sounds stupid good, keybed ain't perfect but it's not 25 keys either, and it sits right by the desk for when I don't want to use the big workstation.

JereFuzz wrote:

echorec wrote:

rfurtkamp wrote:They're probably having to drop to compete with the newer Roland minis that are at that price pointish.

The Minilogue has to be hurting them, too. Why buy a digital emulation like the CS or DX for $499, when you can get a 4-voice analog unit for the same price?

But what Yamaha is offering is very different from the Minilogue ... something like the DX doesn't compete directly with the Minilogue

I would agree that the Reface (CS/DX) synths and the Minilogue are functionally and conceptually different products, but I don't necessarily agree that Korg and Yamaha aren't competing head-to-head. If we’re talking about hobbyists, ages 20-30, with a budget of $500 and a desire for a 37-key MIDI synth with polyphony, then I would absolutely contend that Korg and Yamaha are competing head-to-head for the same dollars. In that regard, both products are locked into the same budget class, therefore they're competing for a share of the same pie. If you're one of the aforementioned people, you essentially have 5 options: Korg, Roland, Novation, Yamaha or Casio. If you're a keyboard user with limited finances, in need of a new synth, it's going to be nearly impossible to overlook the Minilogue or the Reface series in your search, when only 5-8 keyboards are even being produced that fit your basic search criterion. For curious hobbyists/bedroom musicians, I can see a certain degree of crossover appeal for both products.

If you’re defining buyers based on other factors, like genres of music they play, or household income, then I would agree they're different audiences with different expectations. I think a DIY producer is far more likely to purchase a Minilogue, and I would speculate that there's unlikely to be a lot of crossover for semi-professional musicians.

rfurtkamp wrote:Yea, a lot of folks just want convenient 'reissue' or go with a known quantity that's been out for a while.

Korg's gunning for a radically different market with the Minilogue.

It seems you're suggesting Reface buyers are motivated by kitsch appeal and security, so they're happy to indulge in the revisitation of a tribute/reissue series. Whereas the Minilogue is a more ambitious and feature-laden product, therefore it's marketed to more advanced users. I don't disagree with that sentiment, if that's what you were alluding to, but at the same time it doesn't negate my opinion that the Minilogue's launch is harming sales of the Reface.

Korg released a more powerful product at the same price point, which harmed the desirability of the Reface for a certain share of potential buyers (intermediate hobbyists, novelty buyers). It just depends on what factors you're relying on to define that buyer and what he's after. That being said, it's time for me to head back over to Reverb and look over the latest deals.

Too bad you can't upload patches to the Reface DX. So many good patches out there. I'd definitely buy one then. I'd still buy one if they drop to around $200.