I got my new Korg O A S Y S

[EricG]

Two days ago my Korg O A S Y S synth arrived. I can just say that this is some serious machine . I have not been so exiteed about getting a new synth since I got my Korg Trinity 10 years ago. For me, this is the bigest leap in a long time...

No doubt, IMHO it it is the most flexible, great sounding synth on the marked.

 

It does have the Korg signature sound. But it is way beyond the Triton series, if you listen, it has so much more clearity and dynamics in the sound than the Triton. And the effects is really great. The O-verb from the OASYS PCI card sound so good, and the amp modell's too. Nice to have EQ on every sound without using the effect prosessors.

The HD-1 engine (sample playback) sounds good. Aliasing in the sound (at high frequencys) is not a problem on this board, like it is on every other digital synths (or softsynths). For the first time Korg has made a great piano, actually the best piano I have heard in a hardware synth. Other sound in the HD-1 sounds good too. 4 way velocity switcing in a single stereo oscillator makes a difference in expressivnes in the sound. I really liked the vector synthese and wave sequencing in the HD-1 engine. Not to make those overused "boo-chaka-di-do, whacka dacka" sounds. But for evolving pads and lead sounds. (The rough leadsounds from the Korg Wavestation now sound even better.)

 

The CX -3 organ is just a CX-3. Great, the sliders functions a drawbars. All organ related effects is inside the organ model, so you don´t have to use any of the effect prossesors to get rotary speakers, chorus,...

 

The AL-1 analog modelling amazes me. You can get so much varaity out of this. The filters is very flexible an great sounding. I would have wished for even more factory sounds that uses the AL-1. (There are 192 if i remember correctly ...)

 

The sampling (not worked with this yet..) seems like a beefed up Triton. Does it´s job.

 

I like the control possibilites on this board, the sliders,the knobs, the vector joystick, pads, ribbon controler,... Everything pre programmed sensibly in the factory patches, but is easy to set them up to do what you desire. The 8 knobs / 9 sliders shows the current value with leds along the sliders / knobs. (Like on the Nord Lead 3.) Motorized would have been better, but... This makes things much easier to control. I would have wished for endless rotays on the knobs though... The knobs sliders have many layers controlled by buttons, that makes them even more flexible.

 

And the user interface is the best ever on a synth. Period.

 

So is it all great? Well it is expensive,.... And it is heavy. The sequencer is not comperable to software, it is not all that powerful, but ok. I wish they'd but a bigger HD in there, 40 GB is not all that. And I hope they get a new software version that supports 2Gb of RAM out soon. (Today you can not load all of it's samples in one. That means the 500 MB piano can not be in the board at the same time as all the rest of the samples, a reboot is required to load it in.)

 

It is hard to write about these things, since in the end, it is all about the sound (and music you create on this).

You got to try one of these babies.

 

Well, I have some playing to do...

[MikeT156]

Ericg:

 

Congrats dude! I sincerely hope you didn't go in debt up to your eyeballs to buy the Oasys.

 

I'm curious how you intend to use it, e.g. why did you feel the need for an Oasys??

 

Sequencer, to what extent do you plan on using it?

 

What kind of music do you primarily intend to use it for?

 

Are you planning on moving it around for gigs?

 

From reading a few things by Korg reps, the 2GB upgrade should be along shortly. I didn't know that you can't have the piano sample loaded with everything else you need and it requires a reboot if you want all the other sounds. Can you select what sounds or group of sounds you can load so you don't have to reboot all the time?

 

Thanks for any additional info you can provide, and enjoy the great new keys!

 

 

Mike T.

[EricG]

Hi Mike!

Well, I am indending to use my OASYS both in my home studio and at gigs playing live. (I am not going to take it around to every gig. I am going to use it with my main band, and on some projects when I feel i need it.)

 

I feel the OASYS would fit my live setup since it can do so many tasks in one board. It has different synthesis that it does very well and great realtime controllers. The possibility to play backing tracks from the HD recorder when needed is great. (It has many seperate outputs, for click, backing vocals, loops,...)

In the studio it will provide great sounds, insperation,...

 

I think the sequencer will not get used that much. In the studio I use Logic, soo... But for live backing tracks. And I guess for capturing ideas fast.

 

For live playing I will use it in my popjazzfunk band, and in jobs with theatre and on different projects when I am hired to play. In the studio it will serve in alot of different styles from composing TV music too my own songwriting projects.

 

Yeah I guess the 2GB upgrade will be here soon.

About the current 1GB RAM limit: Here is the deal:

The ROM is divided in 3 parts. ROM, 300 MB (Well it is RAM, but it will always loaded). EXs1, 300 MB (additional samples, stereo drums, piano and other sounds), and EXs2 500MB (The big piano). ROM will always be loaded, then you can chose between EXs1 or EXs2. If you chose EXs2 alot of sounds will not sound corectly since the EXs2 samples is missing. These sounds is generaly located in its own bank and iot has EXs1 in the program name so you know that it uses EXs1 samples.

 

Well, I must admit buying the OASYS is not all rational, it is kind of falling in love... So maybe love has made me blind... Well I hope not, it is an amzing board

[Botch.]

Sounds cool Eric! I'd be a bit timid about having anything that expensive in a club, hopefully you play better places than I do

[MikeT156]

ErigG:

 

The way you described the method of loading what you want to use into memory doesn't sound too limiting. I'm sure the 2GB memory expansion capability will solve that problem, if it is one. Thanks for the update on the loading procedure and what you want do with it in it's current setup.

 

If you're going to move it, be sure to buy a good strong case for it, it's a heavy beast. I guess you already know that, but just a reminder, if you invest in an instrument like that, you certainly want to protect it. Personally, I would freak if it got a mark on it!

 

Typically, buying musical instruments doesn't fall into the category of being anything rational, does it? If you found a way to swing it financially and its what you want, don't worry about justifying it, play it!

 

Enjoy the music.

 

 

Mike T.

[EricG]

Botch: I must admit I am a little worried about taking it out in the clubs, but we mostly do more concert like gigs, so the places is not to bad and wild. After all it is an instrument and they should get used/ played.

 

MikeT: I have ordered a custom made case for it that I will pick up next week. It would be insane not to have a good case for instruments like these. I will look after it like my little baby.