https://www.gearslutz.com/board/12796144-post401.html
I think Roland misses the ball here in neither satisfying the nostalgia market (which they cater to by the synths' names and appearance) nor the modern synth market (which might be more receptive to their ACB technology). Korg grokked this; see Odyssey and Minilogue for two examples for both markets, or Kronos if you want to be more extreme. I personally am interested in both sides; (...)
If you plotted a Venn diagram of that market's demands (full size, analogue, looking like the original, more affordable than vintage used models) you'd find that Roland completely misses the boat (small size, virtual analogue, "Boutique" format) and the only overlap is the price aspect. Moog fits in most dimensions of that space except for the price point with the Model D. But it's a huge gap in times where 3-osc monos with far more potential can be had for thousands less. You really have to be quite a Model D enthusiast to pay 3.5k for that piece of history, awesome as it is.
Korg, with the Odyssey and the MS-20, fits most dimensions except the full-size or the price-point ones, but at least they offer models that allow the customer to choose which dimension is more important. An 800$ Oddy or even 1.5k one for the full-size, compared to the cost for a Model D, is almost an impulse buy in relation.
However. If someone comes along that offers a cheap analogue clone, of a revered original, in full size and with looks that fit, I am absolutely unsurprised that people absolutely gobble it up. If I were a synth manufacturer, and saw this kind of a safe-bank market that is currently a wasteland, that is exactly what I would be going for. The circuits are analyzed to death (...) there's zero technical risk and with a competent legal department zero legal risk as well. Zero risk, huge market, competition that for the most part is sitting on their hands (or have a good reason for ignoring that market; however). (...)
