Open source or open synths is a pretty arbitrary category that few are rushing to compete in because most musicians don’t care how hackable their instrument is.
According to their financials, Roland are doing fine: profit’s down for 2022, but this seems partly related to a very profitable 2021. Can’t find any financials for Korg on their website, oddly enough, but when it comes to synths at least they seem to be competing only in the mid (Minilogue vs e.g. Boutiques) and low (volca vs new Aira trio) range. Korg doesn’t have any flagships any more and have few products in the DJ/production category. They’re apparently also 1/10th of Roland’s size…
Roland was founded by a hacker who was rejected from the Japanese university system, but has a little more of a top-down culture. Yamaha is the oldest Japanese music company, having started selling pianos in the 1880s, but focuses more on the pro audio & education markets nowadays. Also the only musical product company with a subsidiary that does everything from racing motorcycles to industrial robotics.
I like Korg, have a couple of their products and think they’re okay. I just never had the impression that they’re “winning” against Roland or even that they’re direct competitors.
The former are focusing on analog machines with some wave/fm detours. The Drumlogue didn’t seem that great from the demo, but the other logues are solid.
The latter make digital emulations of their classics, sell them in VST/cloud format and also in flagship, boutique and now small Aira formats. It seems to be working for them.
According to their financials, Roland are doing fine: profit’s down for 2022, but this seems partly related to a very profitable 2021. Can’t find any financials for Korg on their website, oddly enough, but when it comes to synths at least they seem to be competing only in the mid (Minilogue vs e.g. Boutiques) and low (volca vs new Aira trio) range. Korg doesn’t have any flagships any more and have few products in the DJ/production category. They’re apparently also 1/10th of Roland’s size…