Keyboard Magazine puzzle.

[RABid]

How many times is a Triton series keyboard pictured or mentioned in the latest issue of Keyboard? Include front cover, advertisements, feature articles, special pull out section, ect

 

Is this a record? Did Korg buy Keyboard Magazine?

 

Robert

[Postman]

I'm sure they paid for every ad, and quite a tidy sum by the looks of it, too. My guess is that Triton sales have been a little disappointing lately.

[Intheether]

..I think it's too overexposed. The original, the LE, the studio...but, heck, KORG has the $ for ad space so why not? It only helps the magazine in the long run. I bet MOTU always taking the backpage ad costs a pretty penny too - that's the hottest spot to buy.

Did Korg buy Keyboard Magazine?

Ya know, Robert...there was a couple years in there I was thinking the same thing. Couple years back every KORG item reviewed got the Key Buy award - every eletribe, the koass pad, the cx, triton et. al. While it very well may have been deserved - it kind of looked fishy. Just my observation, I know keyboard staff has posted before denying manufacturer preference and I do believe them.

[JimmieWannaB]

I don't know about Keyboard mag, but I do know that buying the inside front cover gets lots of editorial consideration in video magazines. When I was product manager for a paint system, I had a year long contract for the inside front of a major mag that bought us a mention every time we so much as farted. We even got "product of the year" that year even though there were others that were kicking our ass in sales and features. On another product and a different magazine that was hurting for ad revenue, I was offered a cover article if I'd buy a two page spread.

 

So the question left hanging is "are all industry magazine whores or just those in professional video?"

[MTalking]

I'm not sure which magazine did this whoring you're talking about, but I can assure you that this is the exception in magazine journalism, not the norm. The vast majority of magazines follow ASME (American Society of Magazine Editors) guidelines that do not permit what you describe, which essentially amounts to selling editorial space. Any magazine that starts selling editorial is probably on its way down the tubes, financially. Readers can smell it when editorial integrity has been compromised.

 

This doesn't mean that editors are blind to the need to sell ads, of course. I'm sure the Keyboard magazine editors let their sales staff know that the newest issue would feature the Triton on the cover (along with the Motif and the Fantom). And the sales staff likely encouraged the folks at Korg to buy an ad, given that they would be receiving so much editorial exposure. That's not selling space; that's just smart business. But I'd bet money that the Keyboard editors absolutely did not let the ad side determine their content, or how positive it is, or how much space someone gets, etc.

 

The magazine I have to wonder about is Sound on Sound. How is it possible that this magazine has absolutely no advertising? Are they being paid for by...selling editorial? Surely they don't make enough money just from newstand/subscription sales to make a profit. Just wondering.

[The T Dot]

Originally posted by MTalking:

The magazine I have to wonder about is Sound on Sound. How is it possible that this magazine has absolutely no advertising? Are they being paid for by...selling editorial? Surely they don't make enough money just from newstand/subscription sales to make a profit. Just wondering.

Well, there was an Amazon.com banner at the bottom of Sound on Sound's site the last time I checked, so they're not completely ad-free. It still seems strange though, and something doesn't quite "add up" with their lack of advertising. SOS is a really great mag, so perhaps the lack of advertiser influence has something to do with it.

[JimmieWannaB]

My comments have implied that Keyboard has participated in the practices I described. That was not my intention and for that I apologize to the editorial staff of Keyboard.

 

Keyboard is a magazine that I respect and look forward to reading every month. I've even gone as far as to spend weekends in the library reading back issues for the educational content it provides.

 

Again, my apologies. Keep up the good work.

[Salyphus]

Sound on Sound has 'tonnes' of ads..that is if you are reading the UK version, which is the native format. They recently introduced an 'international' edition which cuts out the ads to make it much cheaper to ship overseas.

 

SOS definitely has lots of integrity. I think it's the best pro audio mag out there and I have a sub.

[MTalking]

Sal, thanks for the clarification. I've wondered how SOS makes its money...that explains it!