what the OASYS can do: new recording called "Freedom&qu

jgsidak · Post by **jgsidak** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 12:37 am

I finished composing a new song today on the Oasys. Here is what two years of getting to know the instrument enables one to do. Scroll down to the bottom of the following webpage (second to last song):

http://www.gregorysidakmusic.com/compon ... lbum_id,2/

My emphasis is on trying to replicate the sound of a conventional rock ensemble, not using electronica. This song is for a suite of songs inspired by a quotation of Winston Churchill (you'll have to check the website for the details).

Total time to compose, arrange, and record: about 4 hours.

Enjoy,

Greg

Charlie · Post by **Charlie** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 3:36 pm

4 hours?

Reminds a bit of ELP. Esp. the parts where Guitar + Organ go together.
Did you use Karma for this?

jgsidak · Post by **jgsidak** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 3:00 am

I used lots of Karma. However, there is no organ. There are acoustic and electric guitars, violin, bass, multiple drum tracks, and a brief vocal track.

Keith Emerson was a big influence for me, but far less in recent years than in the 1970s and 1980s. He has a great analytical technique, but he lacks the transcendental, intuitive feel of players like Jaco Pastorius, Bill Bruford, and Allan Holdsworth.

Charlie · Post by **Charlie** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 2:11 pm

Ooops - I must have mistaken one of the sounds for an Organ ...

fdspeck · Post by **fdspeck** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:20 am

Interesting! Greg, you stated that most of the songs on your website are recorded on the Oasys. Do you mean by that that the Oasys was the only instrument used or also that they were recorded with the internal sequencer and without the aid of an DAW?

What was the mixing process like? Were the songs also mixed inside the Oasys or did you, for instance, transfer track by track to the audio tracks of a DAW and mix it there, with the help of plug-ins and so on?

I would be intersted to learn a bit more about your production process.

-Frank-

jgsidak · Post by **jgsidak** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:56 pm

Of the 92 songs on my website as of June 29, 2009, only one has an instrument other than the Oasys. (The song is "The Naval Aviator (The Last Man Standing)", which features my vintage Les Paul on one audio track.) Everything else on that and the other 91 songs was recorded exclusively on the Oasys. All "guitar" solos are really synth solos performed on the Oasys.

The songs were recorded with the internal sequencer of the Oasys. I have read lots of comments about the limitations of the sequencer, and I certainly have encountered my share of frustrations. But I find that, as I learn how to use tracks more efficiently and how to arrange songs more carefully, I can work within the technical limitations.

The mixing was entirely done on the Oasys. There has been no transfer of tracks to any other medium. No plug-ins were used.

So that is why I say--this is what the Oasys can do. It really is a very powerful instrument.

Charlie · Post by **Charlie** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:06 pm

I agree 100%. In the end you can do with the internal sequencer what you want. But sometimes it is not very comfortably. But esp. if you record lots of Karma I believe the "stand-alone" version to be the better solution. And I always enjoyed the mixing using hardware-faders instead of a mouse etc.