Product Announcement Forum for manufacturers?

[Dave Bryce]

As many of you know, The Keyboard Corner has had a long-standing policy preventing manufacturers from starting threads about their new products.  However, this policy is decades old, and the market has changed quite a bit during that time, as has this forum.

 

How do you feel about establishing a forum (or sub-forum) for that purpose?

 

dB

[AUSSIEKEYS]

I feel as a separate forum its a good idea. 

 

If you dont want to see it you dont have to go to the sub forum 

 

Personally Id visit to see what independent manufacturers are up to rather than major players.

[Dave Bryce]

Please do note that the proposed sub-forum would be moderated, and would have rules.  

 

No posting about sales or promotions, one post per new product, etc.  It should probably specifically be limited to new product announcements.

 

Other suggestions?

 

dB

 

 

[timwat]

I'm for it, especially presuming the policy would include mandatory product samples given to Tim Wat.

[ElmerJFudd]

It doesn’t bother me, most of us are getting our product news from the usual suspects and curating what we share here - stuff that we think would be of interest to KC.  It’s fine if they want to also send their press releases here to a sub forum.  Saves us a trip perhaps.  🤷‍♂️ 
 

That said, the developers better have thick skin.  As this crowd is pretty discerning and quick to point out flaws and shortcomings as easily as offering praise. 

[Dave Bryce]

26 minutes ago, timwat said:

I'm for it, especially presuming the policy would include mandatory product samples given to Tim Wat.

...and YOU get a free keyboard...and YOU get a free keyboard... 🥳😁

 

 

dB

 

[David Emm]

The site has been specializing more over time, which I welcome. Even as a keyboardist, I still have a stake in percussion, parts of the guitar world, studio lore, etc., so I'd appreciate having a more sober & comprehensive area to go when a new tool appears. Good idea. 

[drawback]

59 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

It doesn’t bother me, most of us are getting our product news from the usual suspects and curating what we share here - stuff that we think would be of interest to KC.  It’s fine if they want to also send their press releases here to a sub forum.  Saves us a trip perhaps.  🤷‍♂️ 
 

That said, the developers better have thick skin.  As this crowd is pretty discerning and quick to point out flaws and shortcomings as easily as offering praise. 

Pretty much echos my thoughts. I'm hoping those of us (looking at you, EJF) who keep their "gear ear" to the ground will continue to curate and share. I'm not one to poke around at sub-forums and other sites unless I'm looking for something specifically. This is where I hang out and get my initial info. And yeah, the Arc Of GAS can be pretty brutal. Some products can go from excitement to DOA before they're even shipped.

[DeltaJockey]

I am positive about the idea, though when a new product does come out, users often post a thread about it pretty rapidly in the guise of asking peoples' opinion of it, so one way or the other, if it's a product worth knowing about, we seem to find out on the grapevine quickly anyway!

[ElmerJFudd]

27 minutes ago, drawback said:

Pretty much echos my thoughts. I'm hoping those of us (looking at you, EJF) who keep their "gear ear" to the ground will continue to curate and share. I'm not one to poke around at sub-forums and other sites unless I'm looking for something specifically. This is where I hang out and get my initial info. And yeah, the Arc Of GAS can be pretty brutal. Some products can go from excitement to DOA before they're even shipped.

Oh yes, gas is always lurking in the shadows.  Thankfully, my wallet saves me from jumping on things without research. And bouncing ideas off of others here often helps as someone surely already owns it. 

[RABid]

1 hour ago, Dave Bryce said:

one post per new product, etc.  It should probably specifically be limited to new product announcements.

 

Other suggestions?

I can tell you that on Elektronauts, ModWiggler and KVR the product announcement threads are among the most popular. It is not just an announcement and then close the thread. It can be a long discussion beginning with beta testing. On ModWiggler and KVR the developer is usually around to answer questions. It eventually turns into reviews from early purchasers, questions form potential customers, and comparisons to other products. I am for an announcement section, and I am also for not limiting it to just the initial announcement. 

[Jim Alfredson]

I think it's a great idea.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

1 hour ago, ElmerJFudd said:

 

That said, the developers better have thick skin.  As this crowd is pretty discerning and quick to point out flaws and shortcomings as easily as offering praise. 

Yep agree they have to be prepared for whats thrown at them. No namby pamby manufacturers.

 

And i believe if they post a new product they must respond to peoples questions. Not just post it up and let us argue good or bad.

 

They need to have some balls.

 

Maybe theyll even listen finally...nah 

[Dave Bryce]

Great feedback.  Keep it coming…

 

Thanks, guys!

 

dB

[Kawai James]

Sounds good to me.

[nursers]

Superb idea

[KuruPrionz]

6 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

Please do note that the proposed sub-forum would be moderated, and would have rules.  

 

No posting about sales or promotions, one post per new product, etc.  It should probably specifically be limited to new product announcements.

 

Other suggestions?

 

dB

 

 

I'm with David Emm on this one, let it be for ALL music gear, be it drums, guitars, keyboards, software, etc.

Even banjos and accordions!!!! 😇

Not sure about clarinets or tubas but maybe that would be fun.

[Garubi]

I'm not so sure...

My fear is that, with a separate sub forum, we ends up having to follow two sub forum for discussions, or questions, etc.. about the new product. In the end some users will reply to the manufacture's press release (in the sub forum), others will post here. It will be a mess.

And not only in the immediate days/weeks after the product release: even in the future, when someone will post about that product, someone will go to the "press release" sub forum thread, others here.

 

I'll prefer the way it's now (without "official" posts from manufacturer), as second option I'll open the main forum to manufacturer or (yes, second option ex-aequo) I'll make a manufacturer sub-forum without the possibility for anyone to reply, just allow the manufacturer to post the announcement, so to keep all discussion, user-review, etc here in the main forum. 

 

Stefano

[konaboy]

i voted no, simply because that's an extra site I have to bookmark and monitor, meaning more time (wasted)

[JamPro]

I see a lot of new product announcements on this forum coming from users who I think are "regular users" and who make no claim to represent any manufacturer.  These appear (to me) to be new product announcements from fans, not manufacturers' representatives.  I suggest any new product announcement sub-forum should also include these regular users/fan product announcements: it makes little sense to have new product announcements from manufacturers' representatives in one forum, while having new product announcements made by interested users/fan in a different forum.

[Tusker]

I love the idea.

 

There will need to be some "rules of the road" about where a discussion should happen. I trust our wise moderator to flesh those details out. We should still feel free to discuss the pro and cons of particular gear in this forum if we feel like it, just as we always have.

[Synthoid]

14 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

 

Other suggestions?

Yes. I want news about This keyboard....

 

 

[DaveMcM]

15 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

Please do note that the proposed sub-forum would be moderated, and would have rules.  

 

No posting about sales or promotions, one post per new product, etc.  It should probably specifically be limited to new product announcements.

 

Other suggestions?

 

dB

 

 

As for 'one post per new product' it would be helpful to be allowed to announce O/S updates for current products. Also turn off the ability to submit a reply to keep the clutter of opinions, questions, etc. down. Folks can always start a new thread regarding a specific product in the general forum if they desire.

[Bobadohshe]

As long as it doesn't unduly influence the culture and impartiality of folks around here I think it would be cool. Fortunately, with our moderators, I think we are in good hands.

[Dave Bryce]

Seems most folks are in favor of this.

 

Now, here's another question which has been touched on in some of the comments above: do we

 

A) make it a KC specific sub-forum dealing with keys/synths only and put it where the Garage SAle and Shameless Plugs sub-fora are, or

 

B) a new forum open to any type of new MI/Pro Audio product and put it in the FEATURED are where SSS and Gearlab are?

 

dB

 

 

[Al Coda]

4 minutes ago, Dave Bryce said:

Seems most folks are in favor of this.

 

Now, here's another question which has been touched on in some of the comments above: do we

 

A) make it a KC specific sub-forum dealing with keys/synths only and put it where the Garage SAle and Shameless Plugs sub-fora are, or

 

B) a new forum open to any type of new MI/Pro Audio product and put it in the FEATURED are where SSS and Gearlab are?

 

dB

 

 

 

´Cause we´re @ KC here,- I´d prefer A)

 

Possibly not only hardware Keyboards/Synths,- all "related" instead,- let´s say keyboard amplification, in-ear, digital/analog kbd- (line-) mixers, MIDI processors, FX for electromagnetic keys, kbd hard- and soft-cases, kbd-stands as also kbd-related software.

Many combine hardware and software.

 

And yes, it´s a bit hard to differenciate between kbd. related and studio- interfaces/ software.

 

But B) might result in a all week endless list of all kind of new products.

 

 

A.C.

[Mighty Motif Max]

I voted against the idea, only because I didn't want there to be a split in discussion about different keyboards and such, and also I haven't cared for the way that GearSpace had a similar system set up. I also don't want there to be an endless stream of product announcements where things get lost in the noise; hence if we do go through with this, I'd want it to be keys/synth-specific, because otherwise it would just be a mess IMO.

[AnotherScott]

20 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

Please do note that the proposed sub-forum would be moderated, and would have rules.  

 

No posting about sales or promotions, one post per new product, etc.  It should probably specifically be limited to new product announcements.

 

 

You could also simply eliminate the rule "preventing manufacturers from starting threads about their new products" with the condition that they follow those same rules. That's what I would prefer, because I agree with Abresch, Konaboy, and Garubi about not wanting to check two places for what could be discussions that spin off the announcement of a new product.  Unless you also implement DaveMcM's suggestion to "turn off the ability to submit a reply" -- then checking there for on-going discussion is not an issue, it's just basically a place for news. But the strength of this place is the discussions, so I'm not sure if people who like the idea would consider it as valuable if they were just single posts with no further discussion.

[cphollis]

dB, I would like to see option B that you proposed -- and have it cover a broad swath -- because I'm involved in keys, drums, sound, lights, etc.  Any consolidated view of "what's new" is valuable to me.

[EscapeRocks]

I like the idea

 

If I may offer a thought based on my direct experience running another site.

 

 We opened a manufacturers area. AT first it was cool, as that's where they would post a new product coming out.

Unfortunately, as usually happens, the topic would devolve into arguments amongst forum members, and forum members pretty much castigating the manufacturer if they didn't like something about the product.

 

Eventually those companies stopped posting new products in their section.....as some people just can't behave.

 

We basically made it so no replies were allowed, and forum members could then discuss whatever new product back in the regular sections.  It has worked out very well!

 

If we add a section, I propose we do that here.  Only the company can post in that section, and then we can discuss it in the general forum.