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I thought OASYS was a pinnacle. I thought Combi's were the best that could be done with arrangements of multiple instruments.

Now I see the that they are exquisite - but basic. Korg - your work is far from done - you have a long, long path of development ahead of you deliver to inspiring musicians. OASYS was most certainly cancelled far, FAR too soon - you had only begun - I can see that now for sure.

I saw this (and the instrument) for the first time last night and am still in shock 12 hours later. I realise the performer is awesome, but so is the instrument - and firmly puts OASYS in perspective. The future is a little clearer:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKorq7dE ... r_embedded

Interesting and well done... if you're into that type of music.

Hi Kevin.
The only thing the OASYS can't do is switch COMBI sounds without the effects cutting. Everything else that's going on in that video has always existed in KORG workstation since the M1. I play like this myself very often.

Go to the Orchestral bank on your OASYS and select the very first COMBI. Play softly and then play hard and really hit the bottom keys. You will hear the exact same things this Girl is doing in the video. Percussion too and all without turning on KARMA. KNOB 8 will even give you direct access to the Reverb Effect and 4 to release for even more control

The keyboard she has allows her to change to different COMBI sound using the left pedals. Just like your OASYS Foot Switches.

Regards
Sharp

Hi Synthoid - actually I'm fascinated by all music. A cliché but its true. I would have at one time (in my ignorance) turned my nose up at Electrone music but since learning about the GX1 several years ago and all the way to Tyros and now this instrument, I feel extremely humbled by the talents within this genre. But actually, as someone who writes orchestral music, I find this instrument (and other performances I've watched today on www.electrone.tv and on YouTube) very intriguing - these latest instruments present very well thought orchestrations and I believe they alone will be very educational. I’ve already got my notebook open and jotting down one or two interesting facets to some of the pieces being played.

Never the less I'm sure these instruments are not just set up for orchestral arrangements - and I remember reading an article in SOS a few years ago about a veteran TV sound designer - note not a composer but sound designer - who has substituted his ARP 2600 and various other analogue synths an workstations for a Tyros 2, believe it or not. I could not believe reading this but this man was renowned so he obviously knew what he was doing, however unlikely it read.

But to Sharp - I'm not convinced by what you say. I'm not convinced that the OASYS is set up for realtime performance in anything like the sophistication of this instrument. I suspect this instrument, if stocked with good enough voices, would be Jordan Rudes's or Vangelis dream machine – these seem to be after seamless transition of arrangements/combi's. If you look into this Electrone in particular you see it has incredible performance capabilities - including the legendary 'per key' lateral movement for polyphonic modulation capabilities originated in the GX1. I also suspect there is vastly greater management of instrument polyphony, transitions and indeed like all the best 'organ' technology the internal voices are probably very well balanced (unlike OASYS orchestral combi’s which are plain useless).

While I like very much like individual string, woodwind and brass instruments on OASYS, the combi's you mention are utterly unconvincing to me - this girl is playing Prokofiev orchestral music convincingly on this instrument, and whatever the musical integrity of such an effort to classical music followers, she none the less points the way forward in terms of what the pinnacle of instrumentation can do in the hands of astounding players with astounding music. She could never demonstrate that on the OASYS. I'm convinced there is something extraordinary going on here that is new and points to the future; and that OASYS could have become had Korg held their nerve and vision in terms of harnessing the OASYS and Karma in realtime scenarios to the sophistication demanded by the likes of Rudes or the player in this video. I don’t want to be too harsh on OASYS I still love the instrument and will harness it very well in the future; but I’ve just become aware of a better way of doing things than OASYS can deliver with regard to sophisticated realtime management of excellent sounds.

Check up on the instrument and you'll see it is fabulously designed and spec'd.

Kevin.

Hi Kevin.
What part do you find impossible to believe ?.

You already know you can assemble 16 parts to a COMBI and have them multi layered and zoned by velocity. That alone covers everything the girl is doing except for changing to the next COMBI.

The OASYS can do that too but not entirely seamless due to the effect engine. This is the only difference.

You also mentioned Jordan, he actually already works this way and has posted videos on how he has his sounds setup in COMBI mode and how he lines them up on a row and uses a pedal to switch from one to the next. He also went into detail in this video showing how he assigns different sounds to different split points. Often having a number of split points within a single COMBI. I'll look for the video but there's so many online it's hard to find that specific one. Not that I should need to prove this to you know the OASYS does everything I just mentioned.

I'd love to sit back and agree with you that what I see this Organ doing in the video is out of this world but it's not. I've been doing all that myself back as far as the KORG M1 days.

Cheers
Sharp

Sharp wrote: You also mentioned Jordan, he actually already works this way and has posted videos on how he has his sounds setup in COMBI mode and how he lines them up on a row and uses a pedal to switch from one to the next. He also went into detail in this video showing how he assigns different sounds to different split points. Often having a number of split points within a single COMBI. I'll look for the video but there's so many online it's hard to find that specific one. Not that I should need to prove this to you know the OASYS does everything I just mentioned.

do you mean this one (or this series of 3 vids)?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0U9oymlEpc
Possibly more in part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23OR-m4P ... re=related (edit: yeah, I think that one will have more of what you want)

I was reading this and realised, because i'd watched that recently.
I agree that the OASYS can probably do most of what she is doing. My TR could do most of what she's doing (but with much less sound quality). especially for that kind of music, you don't need a complicated effects set up. just one or two reverbs...

Hi X-Trade.
That's not the one I was looking for although he does touch on the subject very slightly.

The one I'm looking for is of Jordan on stage before a gig. It's not a KORG video, it's one someone else did of him and but it just so happens he demonstrated the COMBI mode on the OASYS exactly as he uses it during a Gig. He shows all this COMBI sounds all lined up and switched through them really quickly with a pedal while playing. He also demonstrated having a number of sounds split across the keys all at the same time.

It's probably one of the better video's for actually showing off the COMBI mode while thinking outside the box.

Regards
Sharp

Hang on... that second video is a very good example of exactly what I was talking about.

Thanks for that.

Sharp

Hi -

Thanks for the pointers to videos - I'll check them out momentarily. Actually - I'll be delighted to stand corrected on this and do hope you're right - it means that I'll have to think harder and better about how to use the OASYS - if this sort of playing can be accomplished especially with careful setup of orchestral and other instrumental setups then I'll be delighted.

I still at least feel that the Electone instrument in the video points to possibilities for new worktation development. In particular - as indicated by the video and demanded by Jordan Rudess (and Vangelis who developed his Direct system for similar reasons) - imagine the OASYS with:

- Even greater polyphony
- Greater parts per Combi
- Seamless/dynamic transitions in instrument selections within Combi's or across Combi's
- All recordable as MIDI
- More intuitive realtime interface to Karma
- Non interruption of effects when transitioning
- Greater organisation and association of instruments within their programming - for example getting the dynamics, volume and panning really working well across different genres to provide convincing performance possibilities
- The lateral key modulation or polyphonic aftertouch

... I for one believe these features would justify the continuation of the workstation.

Interesting discussion and thanks for the pointers and perspectives - this is what a forum is about.

Cheers,
Kevin.

I don´t see why the Oasys wouldn´t be able to do that! Maybe some transitions problems, but it´s a matter of properly setup your combis, work with lots of dynamics, layers, splits and samples

I recorded a piano/orchestral song that uses and abuses of that principle.. it took me quite some to get it right and even more time to learn how to play convincely

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQj9TI2AI_4

Its not BIG as Prokofiev, but you get the idea.

And if you want the best orchestral sounds in hardware, just go with Kurzweil PC3. Imagine this, if you´re on a deadline and suddenly your Vienna/QLSO HD crashes, you can rely on the PC3 to finish the job. It has all the articulations you may need to keep your client satisfied! I know I am!!

Wow, this guy resembles so much my old Wurlitzer organ I had in the 70s.

This one:


Actually I think you can't compare an Electone with an OASYS. They are intended for different markets, uses and performers. I would see it more like a very sophisticated arranger.

Awesome instrument, though.

This video is cool too! (well considering that it's apparently a 6-year old playing): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOrhvnhGhjY

Having been taught to play on an organ, I think it's kinda sad that they don't sell the Stagea in Europe or North America...

Well.................it;s an "organ" isn't it?, and sounds like one, i suppose?. The OASYS, however is a professional synthesizer, used by pro musicians (think Jordan Rudess - Dream Theater
Pete Townshend - The Who
Tuomas Holopainen - Nightwish
Keith Emerson - Emerson Lake and Palmer, Keith Emerson Band
Tony Banks - Genesis
Greg Phillinganes - session keyboardist, played with Toto 2005-2008
Herbie Hancock
Chuck Leavell - The Rolling Stones
Sly Stone
Michael Cretu - Enigma
John Paul Jones-- at 2007 reunion of Led Zeppelin )


So I don't have a problem being an OASYS user, and by no means feels "dwarfed" by this organ (or any other for that matter), but to be fair, i don't play my O like Rudess, or make fast changes, so some of Kevin's comments don'rt actually apply to me.

Tony

The Electrone is more in the league of Tyros3 and Korg Pa2x pro (Arrangers).

Why are we trying to compare it to a syntheses tool like the Oasys.
This was never the purpose of the Oasys,

Watch this video with your eyes closed and you can imagine the sound coming from a Tyros 3 or Pa2x Pro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dQnREIh ... re=related

Its about time people stop trying to nit pick the meaning of life of the O.

One man bands should buy the Tyros 3, Pa2x, Electrone type of keyboards.

For synthesizing new sounds and playing live in a band, the Oasys cannot be beat....yet.

Now granted if someone wants composing help (Scoring a movie or whatever...) to kick some ideas around, there might be some benefits to using something like the Electrone. But for that purpose, rather than spend about $12k for an Electrone, get a Tyros 3 or Pa2xpro.

minnkorg wrote:The Electrone is more in the league of Tyros3 and Korg Pa2x pro (Arrangers).

Why are we trying to compare it to a syntheses tool like the Oasys.
This was never the purpose of the Oasys,

Watch this video with your eyes closed and you can imagine the sound coming from a Tyros 3 or Pa2x Pro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dQnREIh ... re=related

Its about time people stop trying to nit pick the meaning of life of the O.

One man bands should buy the Tyros 3, Pa2x, Electrone type of keyboards.

For synthesizing new sounds and playing live in a band, the Oasys cannot be beat....yet.

Now granted if someone wants composing help (Scoring a movie or whatever...) to kick some ideas around, there might be some benefits to using something like the Electrone. But for that purpose, rather than spend about $12k for an Electrone, get a Tyros 3 or Pa2xpro.

The points I make remain valid. This Electrone instrument reveals limits in the likes of the OASYS. I'm among the most enthusiastic advocates of the OASYS (check my posts) – and I now own two of them having recently purchased a second one for longevity - but that is irrelevant to the point I’m making. I'm more interested in the best way to use musical instruments for performance, and this Electrone video reveals capabilities which clearly surpass the OASYS for live performance; yet which could have been so appropriate to the concept of OASYS.

Furthermore, though I own dozens of physical synthesizers including many classics, I also don't differentiate between these from the likes of these Electrone instruments in the way that you others here do. Download the manual and take a look at the specifications - this is far beyond the traditional definition of an organ and far and beyond the capabilities of Tyros - and indeed OASYS – for live control of performance. Its synthesis engines (including Virtual Acoustic Synthesis) are fully editable while its realtime performance features leave the competition standing. It is highly sophisticated and to me clearly points the way forward. I see nothing wrong in pointing this out.

Having looked at the specs in details this instrument seems to me to be nothing less than the modern reincarnation of the GX-1. It certainly re-introduces many of that great instrument’s stunning features.

I'll say it again - the OASYS is an exquisite instrument yet in terms of controlling its features for realtime performance it is limited by comparison to this Electrone. I firmly believe there is huge validity in pointing this out to Korg if indeed they are interested in evolving the concept of the workstation for live purposes and for integrating hardware keyboard playing with capable recording features. I’ve pointed out some of those features above and no doubt there are many more.