Re: stereo [unreleased products]

[Tiktok <tiktok@sprintmail.com>]

>It's been my experience that products always sound better until they are
>heard.

It's a little more complicated:

1) Pre-release: 
The Most Fabulous Object In The World!!!!  I'll sell my old things so I 
have
enough money to buy it RIGHT AWAY!!!

2) Immediately upon release:
a) YES!! YES!!! YES!!!
or
b) Sounds like shit!  I like the [ten/twenty year-old antecedent] much
better.  [Insert much talk of "warmth", "punch", "soft-clipping", and
"natural" quality of sound--double bonus points if this refers to a ring
modulator or anything with a germanium transistor in it]

3) 6-12 months after release:
Eh...why doesn't it do this/that/the other/isn't it true stereo/upgradable
to an hour of sampling time/allow real-time control of all parameters/half
the price.  My creative vision is so singular that it is nearly impossible
to get any sound out of this thing.  Bah.

4) 12 months-5 years after release:
It's okay...I guess.  Sort of limited.

5) 10 years down the road:
Wow!  Does anyone know where I can find one of those things?  I just heard
an album by so-and-so and he sounded amazing!  It's got a really great
low-fi/warm/punchy/musical/natural sound that you just can't get out of
today's gear.  And it's got to be one of the early ones--they changed
something in the later ones and they sound really harsh and cold.  I'd pay
twice what they went for new!  Maybe if I could find two, then I'd be in
stereo...


TH