Where I'm at (and where are you at?) with OASYS these days

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:41 am

I own two OASYS and bought my first one this month six years ago.

The OASYS has been important to me - from raising the bar on what has been available to me sonically in my compositions to beta testing for Korg on the MOD-7 and LAC engines to this forum.

I still regard it as 'new'! It still feels new every time I sit at it, and it excites every time I use it. Few instruments inspire me in that way.

I also know that I only understand about 10% of the technology in it, so 2013 represents a significant time in that regard in that I have just mapped out the Operational and Parameter Guide pages (on my iPad) to study in the coming year on the following: Karma, Wave Sequencing, Vector Synthesis, AMS, Dynamic MIDI, Dynamic Modulation, MOS20EX, STR-1 and MOD-7. I want to understand all of these technologies, utterly, so as to more fully exploit this instrument.

Indeed, until mapping out the pages just recently, I hadn't realised that Dynamic MIDI and Dynamic Modulation were two separate aspects of the OASYS - I had never thought about it hadn't programmed them to realise how versatile each is - and that they pertain to different aspects of the OASYS.

Finally, I also plan to purchase a 3rd and eventually a 4th OASYS - I'm committing to this instrument for decades to come and will need them for spares and for some live events in the planning in about a years time.

Overall, the OASYS is (to excuse the overused expression) the gift that keeps on giving - for me. I realise Kronos is there and may eventually acquire one (though I'm hoping against hope Korg release a module version of it or software versions of the synth engines). For me, OASYS is about the synth engines and other technologies mentioned above; with Karma the Goliath that needs to be once and for all understood in 2013 to get using it in the numerous projects in the planning that need it!!

The only sad part of all of this - just how quiet this forum is these days. Until OASYS was canceled, this was a bee-hive of activity, but alas all good things come to an end!!

So - where are you at with your OASYS, what does it mean to you, is Kronos where you have gone, and what does the future hold for you regarding OASYS????

Cheers,
Kevin.

pilbeam_mp62 · Post by **pilbeam_mp62** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:46 pm

I received my Oasys as a christmas present from my wife - I think it was 6 years ago - just after they were released. It is a fantastic piece of kit and I have never felt the need to change to anything else that Korg have introduced.

My main instrument is bass guitar, and I just mess around on keyboard, and of course the learning curve was VERY steep with the Oasys. Also, I havent played with it much for 2 or 3 years as I have been doing other things, but I am now getting back into it.

I am thinking about buying the Karma software, as I like the idea of being able to create some new GE's and save them. I shouldn't think I would even scratch the surface of the capabilities of the Karma software, but it looks a reasonable price for what it can do.

My main worry is whether my Oasys will break down at some point. I have just experienced that with my Akai DPS-24 recorder, and that is in the shop at the moment. Hopefully it can be repaired.. I don't like to keep upgrading to newer equipment if I can help it because then you are at the bottom of the learning curve again.

Happy Xmas to all..

SoulBe · Post by **SoulBe** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:35 pm

Hi Kevin,

after owning the Oasys for 5 years I still scratched the surface. But I´ve learned enough to get the desired result out of my Oasys esp with the help of the forums members. O is still the center of my gear but I added some vst (Omnisphere, EWQL Symphonic choirs, Garritan IO and NI Komplete) for special components.

So in my case I do not post so often because the time of learning about the basic functions is over and I do more music than discovering the technique and parameters of the O. I think this also is the reason why a lot of other members do not post.

Another point is that the O is not sold anymore so we do have no newbies with a lot of questions like in the Kronos section.

best regards and merry christmas
SoulBe

DH56 · Post by **DH56** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:01 pm

I still regard it as 'new'! It still feels new every time I sit at it, and it excites every time I use it. Few instruments inspire me in that way.

Bully for that Kev! The OASYS (Open Architecture SYnthesis Studio) is still the centerpiece of a large assortment of hardware gear in the Soundworld 5 years on.

I'm not much of a manual reader so have also barely scratched the surface but learned a lot about basic functions and some cool editing features from that excellent "unofficial" OASYS DVD by Mike Conway as well as the great videos by Stephen Kay on Karma Labs. The one where he built that fantastic KARMA drum groove had me feeling like I was listening to Neil Peart banging away on his magnificent kit!

I still have the Electronic Musician and Keyboard magazines from the late 90's where the idea for the O was first mentioned, and then so much time went by that I just forgot about it. When I finally went and saw it I was floored and continue to get that same feeling every time I look at it or play it.

The OASYS was and will continue to be pure INSPIRATION to me.

UCanDream · Post by **UCanDream** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 10:04 pm

Hi, Kevin.

Good to see ya buddy. I have to agree with you; with the Kronos getting all the forum buzz, it seems like the Oasys forum is beginning to collect dust. My Oasys was down for nearly a year as I tried to figure out why my screen stopped responding. I couldn't afford the thousand dollar bill it was going to cost to buy the entire screen assembly. But with the screen inoperable, the Oasys is dead in the water. Eventually, I did the screen overlay replacement that was originally mentioned in Karma Labs and then was migrated over here thanks to "mixingboard." Otherwise, I would have never know the make, model and part number. The task is definitely not for rookies...and I happen to be a rookie, but I was so excited to get my mighty O running again!...'cept, the replacement did not work! Man, talk about getting the wind sucked outta your sails. Anyway, I opened the O back up and took a look around. I had just done a basic repair on a Wavestation EX and something occurred to me as I examined the ribbon cables around the Oasys' display. The wide one looked like it had a bit of a crunch in it, though no wires in the ribbon were exposed. In the WS EX fix that I did, there was a similar issue with a cable. So I got my electrical tape out and secured the suspected ribbon cable to the metal cover behind the display. Then I dropped the hood (not really dropped, lol) of the Oasys and powered up. That was the longest two minutes I've ever waited for its boot time! I knew my fix wasn't even close to what the real issue was so I nearly just shut the O off during boot up. But guess what?! BLAM! The display worked like new! I didn't even need the new overlay...not to mention the second one I purchased that remains in the box! LOL. Anyway, after a year, I have forgotten more than I remember about this beast. Wanna know something really crazy? While I waited for the screen overlays to arrive, I ended up with a Kronos X 73 in my studio. I just didn't think that I was going to be able to get the Oasys fixed and I needed to get back to my CD project.

In any event, I haven't signed on here much lately until about now. I'm not too technically savvy so I haven't been much of a contributor to the group when I was coming around before. But once in a great while, in the past, I'd been able to help one or two people out. I've had my Oasys since 2007. Like a lot of you guys, I have only scratched the surface. I'm pretty stoked having the Kronos but it seems redundant to have both. So guess what I'm going to do..? Yup! Keep 'em both! Hehehe. When I discover something new, maybe I'll just get in here and share it. If anyone needs help with the frozen screen, I am certainly willing to share what I did to fix mine, both with the overlay and the ribbon cable. I do have a spare overlay, of course.

I've got some new tunes coming up soon. They will be on my website when my developer gets finished up with getting me online. In the meantime, here's some oldies that I redid on my Oasys 2-4 years ago. I may have posted some of these quite a while back.

https://soundcloud.com/#youcandream

Anyway, it's good being back here with a functional Oasys. Hope the whole gang from way back when and all the new peeps are doing good and enjoying their keys of choice. Talk to you later, Kevin.

~David aka UCanDream

Post by **Sharp** » Wed Dec 26, 2012 1:30 pm

I've actually sold my OASYS. Since getting the KRONOS, I found myself using the OASYS less and less until it got to the point where I was not using it at all.

It's hard to imagine, but the KRONOS just bests the OASYS in every aspect of it's operation and ability. It has everything the OASYS has, plug way more. The ability to stream samples is by far the biggest bonus of them all as it makes the KRONOS a vast source of instantly available sounds.

Regards
Sharp.

AnthonyB · Post by **AnthonyB** » Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:07 pm

+1 as per what sharp says.

I l loved the OASYS, brilliant piece of hardware etc. However, I felt compelled to "move-on", as the OASYS was being suppported less and less (karo withdrew etc), and also the big improvemnts to piano/E-piano, and what sharp listed above (streaming etc). I guess you can love an instrument that you want to keep it- always, but I grew out of this "OASYS is superior hardware etc, and elected for not superior hardware, but superior soundware and so on.

Tony

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:24 am

Sharp abd Anthony B- while I agree from a Sample point of view Kronos is an improvement; from the stand point of editing, interacting with and performing the synthesizer engines, Karma, vector synthesis and sequencer mode and so on, Kronos is a step back because it has a smaller and fixed screen, poorer physical controllers, no pads and arguably a poorer keyboard implementation (given the plethora of problems).

And there is also the effect (for some of us and admittedly not for everyone) that you perform better when at a more expensive, classier instrument than at a cheaper implementation. I certainly feel that - I'm very prone to feeling better within myself as a musician even when a particular instrument is seated better. I found the Kronos (admittedly only when trying it out) to be physically acceptable if not admirable, but when I sit at OASYS it feels like a special experience and affects my whole demeanor.

But that aside, to repeat, while sample wise Kronos is superior, synth engine wise I'd argue Kronos is inferior because when programming, sound designing, performing and recording those; OASYS offers a better user interface experience - so crucial in any hardware synth experience. I realise your not so much a synth man as you are a sample man so you may not agree, but as a life time synthesist, I can assure you, every ergonomic and physical advantage with hardware synthesis is precious and in this OASYS is surely superior. In this regard, moving to Kronos would be a significant step back for me, and not a move on as Anthony otherwise feels.

Kevin.

(cranking up the old 'debate' starter-motor here ....

).

Post by **Sharp** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:02 am

Hi Kevin.

Kronos is a step back because it has a smaller and fixed screen,

The only thing I miss there is the ability to tilt the screen, but this does not in anyway effect my ability to operate the keyboard.

The screen in the KRONOS is actually much higher quality than that in the OASYS. It's has a higher resolutions, it has a way better viewing angle. Colour reproduction is way better. Blacks are very black. The GUI of the KRONOS looks much better, even the wires for the Legacy Expansions look much better and far less gagged as compared to the OASYS. The KRONOS GUI even uses graphics on every single sound which the OASYS doesn't do, like Images of a Piano where you can move the lid. Photo's of Choirs, effects pedals and vintage keyboards... and so on.

The OASYS screen also had issues with dead pixels. There has not been one single single report of dead pixels here yet for the KRONOS, yet most OASYS users here had this problem. There's no wavy electrical pattern rolling through the screen view like there is on the OASYS. The screen is also silent on the KRONOS when running unlike the OASYS which produced a hight pitched noise.

So yeah, OASYS screen tilts, but that's about all it has over the KRONOS.

poorer physical controllers,

The OASYS controllers do feel very expensive, but they are not without their own issues.

People have been replacing button switches, and a number of people have complained about the rubber feeling like it's melting.

Sure the KRONOS doesn't feel as expensive, but it does the job and it feels good quality.

no pads

No argument there, I do have to use the Virtual ones on the screen or my AKAI MPD32.

and arguably a poorer keyboard implementation (given the plethora of problems).

All of which KORG has addressed, and the RH3 keybed is superior over the OASYS. No question of it. The action is really really good in fact.

OASYS is built better, but the KRONOS is not an inferior product as far as Quality Standards goes.

And there is also the effect (for some of us and admittedly not for everyone) that you perform better when at a more expensive, classier instrument than at a cheaper implementation.

There is a feeling you get when standing at the almighty OASYS, but in all fairness, it does not in anyway effect my playing ability.

In fact, I actually play better on a KRONOS because I have better sounds that allow me to do more thanks to streaming. This is why I ended up using the OASYS less and less until I stopped using it altogether.

synth engine wise I'd argue Kronos is inferior because when programming, sound designing, performing and recording those; OASYS offers a better user interface experience - so crucial in any hardware synth experience

Sorry but I don't agree.
The KRONOS has every single controller the OASYS has except for the dedicated Pad buttons. It also has every sound engine and function the OASYS has. It also has sound engines the OASYS doesn't have, Drum Track Features, Smooth transition between sounds which the OASYS can't do, and streaming.

It's also faster than the OASYS at doing everything. Not just because of the Solid State, but how it operates. The OASYS for example, if you fill the sample RAM with samples, it will take a very long time to save that data back to the hard disk. Maybe upwards of 20 minutes even. Where the KRONOS will save the same amount of samples in less than 1 minute.

I realise your not so much a synth man as you are a sample man so you may not agree,

Not true, my original music is heavy synth based. I use AL-1, STR, LAC, and MOD7 a lot. What I don't use at all is the CX3 engine. The only time I get very heavy into HD-1 is when I'm doing orchestral stuff or backing tracks.

but as a life time synthesist, I can assure you, every ergonomic and physical advantage with hardware synthesis is precious and in this OASYS is surely superior. In this regard, moving to Kronos would be a significant step back for me, and not a move on as Anthony otherwise feels.

And the OASYS is a masterpiece, no question of it.

I'm not trying to convince you to do what I've done. A question has been asked, and I've given my 2 cents and my reasoning for selling my OASYS.

The OASYS is a work of art, and a better build machine in many ways. But the KRONOS is by far built to acceptable quality, but most importantly for me, it exceeds the OASYS in every ability.

Regards
Sharp.

Mike Conway · Post by **Mike Conway** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 10:04 am

Kevin Nolan wrote:OASYS offers a better user interface experience - so crucial in any hardware synth experience.

Definitely. My eyesight is diminishing and the angle and smallness of Kronos' screen requires me to wear glasses and hunch over. The OASYS 76 keyboard action is much better than that of the K61. I was going to compose my recent Sandy Hook tribute song on the Kronos X, but I did everything on the OASYS because it was easier for me.

I do love the Kronos' streaming, as sampling is very important to me. I also like the 24 bit recording/sampling implementation. The combination of the OASYS and Kronos are the best of both worlds - OASYS as the main controller and Kronos for its streaming capability.

Since this picture, I've actually tilted the Kronos more vertical, to better see the screen.

I really appreciate the portability of the K61 - all the power (and more) of the OASYS, even while on vacation at 8,500'.

Like Kevin, I'm into the OASYS style of working for the long haul. I bought my OASYS in 2005 and it still works like a champ. But I know it won't last forever, so I'm very glad to see it continue and evolve with Kronos and hopefully beyond.

Dany · Post by **Dany** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 11:18 am

Sharp wrote:...The OASYS screen also had issues with dead pixels. There has not been one single single report of dead pixels here yet for the KRONOS, yet most OASYS users here had this problem.

I own two OASYS-88. No dead pixels here!

Sharp wrote:...The screen is also silent on the KRONOS when running unlike the OASYS which produced a hight pitched noise.

No noise here on both of my OASYS-88!

Sharp wrote:...All of which KORG has addressed, and the RH3 keybed is superior over the OASYS. No question of it. The action is really really good in fact.

Astonishing to hear such a nonsense, especially from Sharp. The RH2 keyboard of the OASYS-88 was of course custom made by Fatar for KORG and is an expensive high-end quality keyboard. The Kronos RH-3 design instead is based on the Technics design and is obviously cheaper to produce and the build quality and the play quality is of course not comparable with the RH2. Compare them in disassembled form and at least then you will have to realize this fact, even if your playing skills doesn't really allow you a serious assessment of the play quality...

Also see my posts here:

www.korgforums.com/forum/phpbb2/viewtop ... 180#446180
www.korgforums.com/forum/phpbb2/viewtop ... 242#452242

nitecrawler · Post by **nitecrawler** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 11:52 am

Dead pixels, noisy screen? Meh! Not here. Although I don't own a Kronos, I have played several and found the experience to be wanting except for the Piano sounds. I always left the store knowing "in my heart" that the Oasys at home, although a touch greybearded, was a superior instrument. Completely my own personal taste.

Post by **Sharp** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:32 pm

Guys, I'm not out to get into a debate about this to try convince you of anything. I've been on this forum since day one obviously, and I pretty much never forget. It's a curse in many ways, but I do pretty much remember everything.

If your happy with the OASYS, good for you. I was too. It was and will always be the most amazing keyboard I ever owned.

I also have no issue with the build quality of the KRONOS vs the OASYS. The OASYS is quite possible the best built KORG keyboard ever, but the KRONOS is also built to a quality standard I've come to expect from KORG.

So, quality is not even an issue for me. My reason for moving from OASYS to KRONOS exclusively is quite simple. The KRONOS bests the OASYS in every single function, and it does many many things the OASYS can't.

As for other issues that never effected me like the RH3, ok, KORG has fixed the problem and no KRONOS X has this issue, plus anyone with this problem on the original KRONOS will be looked after.

The OASYS is by no means flawless by design either. As I said, I remember everything and so I know that OASYS keyboards within a certain serial number range need to be modified if you install the ADAT option.

Certain M3 had the text wearing off the buttons.

Batches of Triton Studio within a certain range had a low voltage midi out problem which made the midi port almost useless.

Ranges of Triton Classics had a master volume noise issue which required a circuit board mod.

Ranges of Trinity had a number of problems. The output problem, the HDR circuit board problem when the ADAT was installed. HDR-EPROM upgrade.

Pa3X, every single one had to have it's internal battery replaced due to a risk of explosion.
The 61 key models also boot from a 4GB memory stick which is glued into place. This causes problem on some units and has to be replaced.

Ranges of Pa2X had faulty blue LED boards which it kept on blowing unless they were replaced as well as the entire LED driver board.

Pa80, common problem was the cable going to the internal speaker would disconnect due use.

I could go on, right back to the 01W and it's sticky keys.

The OASYS is a fantastic machine, but it's not alive, and it's not the most advanced KORG workstation any more. The KRONOS has greatly surpassed it and I will sell my KRONOS in time too when the next workstation comes out that exceeds that too.

I used to hold onto all my keyboards once upon a time, but there's just no point. Sentimental value doesn't help me perform any better.

Regards
Sharp.

Davidb · Post by **Davidb** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 5:44 pm

Sharp wrote:
As for other issues that never effected me like the RH3, ok, KORG has fixed the problem and no KRONOS X has this issue, plus anyone with this problem on the original KRONOS will be looked after.

Not really.

There are, as you and any other members of this forums are aware of, a lot of keybed issues regarding the KRONOS 73/88 yet unresolved, till today.

Some of them waiting almost half a year, maybe more (like myself) and having yet not date of delivery for a working unit, traying one after another faulty unit (again like myself: I have evidences of all I´m stating here, if anyone require them)

What its worst: Probably, acording to what users satate here in Korgforums alone, there may be a lot of faulty units still for sale everywhere in the world in the Korg distrubutors warehouses, so this story of bad quality KRONOS branch construction is still far yet to be resolved.

DH56 · Post by **DH56** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 10:36 pm

So yeah, OASYS screen tilts, but that's about all it has over the KRONOS.

The screen tilting is not the BIG issue here! We are talking about size...and in this case size does matter!

Pictures of pianos, blacks are blacker, less gagging...what in blue blazes do those have to do with making music? I instantly recognized so many of the screens (although much smaller than what I'm used to) and while I certainly applaud the nice additions on the Kronos, it does not make me "feel" like the O does, especially when navigating the KARMA section with those big easy to find and hit on the fly red scene change buttons and those lovely green LED's everywhere.

The one thing Sharp mentioned that is way cool on the K is the streaming. I saw Qui Robinez' video about that and it is a mighty nice feature that I wish the O had.

And by the way, the patch cables on the Kronos screen have the gagging too. It's just harder to see because it's so small!

The Korg OASYS...it's not for everybody, but for those it is for, is it ever!