What's OASYS' best - or your favourite - features?

[Kevin Nolan]

Hi -

Plenty of negative talk on this forum recently. Had a thought - a thread that lists OASYS's _BEST_ features.

Reason's for this post:

- to say something positive about OASYS
- to accumulate a tight list of OASYS best features, perhaps offering new insight to many of us on features we're not aware of.

Rules for answers:

- No Negative features or missing features
- No debates
- No off topic disucssions
- Try not to repeat features - try to read the existing list and offer your own
- Maximum of two best features allowed per reply!
- Every post, even if response to another, must contain a favourite feature
- Snappy answers - no essays (I'm the most guilty one on that!)


I'll start -

To me, among OASYS's best features are:

1. Having numerous stunning EXi's AND being able to combine two EXi types in one program - provides for awesome flexibility in synthesis performance.

2. Karma Manual Advance - the best kept secret in new modes of synthesizer live playing (check it out a karma-lab if you haven't come across it)


Kevin.

[Pilgrim]

Thanks for the thread, Kevin

First two, still most important since the beginning:

Karma-Lab and Stephen Kay for Karma and superior
support and continued development. (I still have
my Karma Workstation and recently re-loaded MW to
my portable computer,. . . for when the O is far away.)

KORG, for the People and the consistency (for years)
And the extreme talent of KORG developers (Dan), the
massive talent of KORG programmers (Jack, Ski, Stephen, etc.)
and the depth of their product/work, which I will always be learning
from. I plan to NEVER overwrite the Factory Programming!
And Jerry K., for sure, for REAL sure!

Those two were the top of my list when purchasing and still are
there.


Pilgrim John

[baboon]

Sounds

[Daz]

*generally*

The quality of the sound: it sounds like an $8K instrument and distinctly better than anything else that I've heard. It's the synth equivalent of going and buying a PRS or Martin guitar.

Flexibility: regardless of whether I am working on a more gentle acoustic singer/songwriter piece or a more gnarly electronic/synth piece the Oasys will go there.

*specifically*

The EXi: the AL-1 and MOD-7 in particular are just fantastic sounding, offering incredible depth for sound design, and take their respective synthesis models into new territories. Fantastically well implemented and lavishly specced. Multi-Filter is icing on the cake of both.

HD-1 with Wavesequencing: it's the Wavestation for the noughties.

Daz.

[sirCombatWombat]

The quality of every last detail! From the feel of the keyboard to the welded aluminium chassis. From the userinterface to the sounds and back again!

The flexibility of sound programming, including the ability to route the different engines through each other enabling completely new synthesis possibilities. Again with the aforementioned quality!

[curvebender]

1. The concept of the Oasys: multiple synthesis methods in one machine.

2. The concept of the Oasys: upgradeable with new synthesis algorithms.

[Mike Conway]

1) Deep accessible synthesis. This is the first synth in a long time to really get me over the top excited about a single piece of gear. Nothing else compares.

2) Fast, fast sample loading, from the Internal HD! Not only that, but large sample storage capability, when compared to other hardware.

3) The bus system - being able to route audio through other synths or re-effect tracks, etc. is almost endless.

[przemm]

the touchscreen interface - it is a real pleasure to use combined with knobs, buttons and sliders.

[EJ2]

- fantastic sounds, multiple synthesis models HD-1, Al -1, Str-1, LAC-1, MOD-7, all integrated within the same workstation
- KARMA and the onboard KARMA RTCs; what an awesome control surface to work with - sliders, knobs, switches, buttons, touch screen etc. etc.
- build quality: the keyboard and user interface is the best I have ever worked with; and it will probably remain that way for quite some time
- the best of online user communities: KLF and KF
- super support from veterans, Korg leaders, voicing team etc. Jerry, Dan, Brandon, Ski, and of course Stephen Kay

There's more, but I'll let someone else chime in here.

Thanks for doing this Kevin. Frankly, I was starting to get a bit tired of negative whining, especially by those who really haven't spent enough time learning their OASYS; so this is a welcome thread.
Cheers,
Eric

[Kevin Nolan]

Great replies so far - excellent reminders of the myriad of incredible features (and reminding me I still need to explore the features discovered/explored by Mike and SirCombatWombat in particular).

A few more come to mind:

- Sheer colossal number of GE's, especially across Drum and Percussion patterns
- MS20EX's Oscillators - they are so hard-edged, piercing and sharp.
- A program using 2 AL-1 EXi's, each with 2 Osc. + 1 Sub Osc; and Unison set to 16 voices implies no less than 96 Oscillators - on just one note!
- Ability to radically modify STR-1 and MOD-7 sounds using the Vector Joystick in realtime - unprecedented realtime control of Virtual Acoustic and FM synthesized sounds.

Kevin

[kenackr]

Kevin,

I think you & Eric are breaking your rule of 2!

I know I'm repeating, (but if you can break rules so can I).

I really love being able to layer 2 different engines in one program and crank on the unison, chorus, and great O reverb for an ensemble like sound of an instrument that's never been heard before but seems like it's been here forever.

The search for realisitc pianos for me has finally stopped with the EXs2 Steinway. Well, not really stopped because after Kevin's review of the Bosendorfer, I've got to get that and all the other Karo pianos as well. But having just moved across the country into my own house it will have to wait a bit. I had been accustomed to layer 5 or 7 pianos from different synths to get what I want, but no more.

Ok, this Karma thing is incredible for stirring up new thoughts, new rythmns, and new progressions. oooh, oooh, oooooH ........ Meg Ryan - eat your heart out!

Ken

PS - I can't wait to get my studio set up properly again in the new place.

[Drunky]

With one machine you can have the best in averything. Sounds, effects, Hd recording, Karma, touch screen, mixing instrument, help on-line. And the community helping everyone in every field 24 hr/day.
For me there is not only 1 issue to describe how I'm lucky to have this gear.

[thekeymaster]

Ok ...

The blue ring around the Vector Joystick.

The beauty of the instrument on stage,makes me look good

hahahahahahahahahahaha


......yeah ok ok ok i know seriously..

Karma Wavesequencing....unique and wonderful I(if only i can master it properly)

Realtime Control of sounds...utilising modulation sources via the sliders,joystick,switches,ribbon controller make the playing experience a pleasure .No other hardware synth comes close in my opinion.

[Daz]

1) OSS - Open Sampling System

I came from the Triton Classic, rather than a Studio or TEX which had this feature, so the Oasys was my first exposure to it. This is such a powerful tool and a solution just waiting for a problem to solve, and offers many creative opportunities.

Resampling is great sound design tool; creating your own samples to use with HD-1 by using the full power of the EXi engines, Combi'd together with effects and then going even more nuts in sampling mode and using the auto-resamping through effects allows you to create some amazing material.,which itself is not too poly-intensive when played.

2) No Page Select Button

On the M3 and Triton before it, you have to press a separate button to change the page on the LCD. On the Oasys you just touch one of the tabs on the lower row. It makes an immense different to how quickly you can navigate your way around the system. A small touch, that makes a massive difference.

Daz.

[Sharp]

1: Top of my list is the EXi / EXs / HD-1 Sound Engine and it's quality. Which is simply mind blowing. There's really not a lot one can say about it other than to truly understand the quality, you have to own one.

2: The Samplers memory size and it's ability to load huge libraries in seconds. As far a hardware samplers go, the OASYS now has the largest memory there is and it's loading times are in another league altogether when compared to other workstations.