I already posted about that Korg KAOSS and got no response. I called up Korg and you already know what I got. "We don't do telephone support anymore, but you can go to the website and write in your question." Sure, I'm going to spend the next month writing back and forth trying to learn how and what this thing does with the Korg products. And what about those who can't type!

I see this as just about complete deliberate alienation from the consumer for the sake of saving a buck. Someone said to me a while ago, before you make any major purchase of ANYTHING check out the manufacturers Customer Service, Warranty, track record, etc. I knew that already, but this episode reminds me of it again.

I'm going a step further. Do you realize we arranger players are at the mercy of big business (the Fab Four)? They could cut off ALL communication with the consumer for the sake of the bottom line, monopolize the industry and set prices, possibly cheapen the instrument and maintain that sky-high price tag (again for the bottom line), maybe even stop making TOTL arrangers and just feed us mini-versions of their instruments for home players since us pro's are fading out.

It's like the food industry. Have you noticed food prices are going up every day almost. My theory is they got wind of the fact that we have to EAT every day so they're having a field day with our money and we have no choice but to pay it.

Same with our arranger keyboards. Highly unlikely but they have us in the palm of their hand if they ever decide to set up a consortium like the airlines did.

Leading back to "why did they do away with customer support by telephone?" ANSWER: Because.......they could, that's why!

Meantime I'm hanging on to my past Roland arrangers with their simple but effective styles. I'd have to think twice now about back-up support from a major company....no local repair shops....box it up and "send it back to Korg in Long Island and hope it comes back before the next Super Bowl.

I still remember the great "old days" when I was buying strictly Roland. I could pick up the phone and call them in California anytime and have a 30 minute conversation with a rep about their products.

So.......I got carried away here but I see this as a harbinger of things to come. I have to laugh at the Dunkin' Donuts commercial....."the world runs on Dunkin." No, it runs on the "bottom line!." Doing away with telephone support just might be the first step in a campaign to save money on top of money at the consumer's expense!

How do the rest of you feel about this?