Korg Forums

Lorenzo · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:33 am Post subject:

Oh well yes but it costs more than 300 euros over the XT (BTW the V-synth is a different kind of "synth", I think that it's difficult to find something similar).
BTW I think that all the modern synth and rompler has low polyphony and I wonder why and how difficult is to implement such a feature...
regards, Lorenzo
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morpheus · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 1

I currently own a Korg OASYS and a Roland X7. Both are great boards for the money. However, the OASYS blows the X7 away. And I mean it is not even close. That is not to say the Roland is not good, it is just the OASYS is that much better.

I don't know everything about the M3 because I don't need or want it. However, I am sure it is a great board for the money also. As for which board to buy, the Motif, the Fantom, the Triton are all good. If you can't make great music with any of them, don't blame the keyboard. So whatever workstation you buy, you would be set.

With all that being said, the OASYS is still way better. However, I think Roland and Yamaha can introduce a board to go head-to-head with the OASYS. Here is what I think using the Roland X series as an example.

Roland can use the same sound engine as the Fantom X series but up the polyphony to 1024, up the ROM to 32 GB, and up the number effects processors to like 128. The key is that the patch sounds can be moved to performance mode without any changes in effects routing and the sound.

Make it 32 part multitimbral, add the sequencer and screen from the X series, have it be able to playback user samples with up to 4 GB RAM, and you have a great synth at a great price. I'd also throw in four channel audio playback too.

The kicker would be that Roland does not have to sell the synth fully loaded. They could introduce it with 128 polyphony, ROM at 4 GB, 16 part multitimbral, and with 32 effects. However, one can expand the synth with more polyphony, RAM, ROM, effects, etc. So Roland could offer a synth that can hit both the high end and the low end, and every point in between.

With good DACs, a good keyboard touch, a tilt screen, and 8 outputs, the workstation would be serious competition for the OASYS. The workstation doesn't need exotic synthesis methods or complexity but if it does, hide it from the user. Use a computer program for digging deep into the architecture and also as a librarian.

I would use the computer for sequencing, sampling, and recording and would stay mostly in the Midi domain when I record the synth. I could also take it on the road too and play back two audio tracks to the house and two tracks to IEMs for click and cues. The same sounds I have in the studio are the same ones I have on the road.

Put all this in a 76 semi weighted key workstation and sell it for $1500 entry level and $4000 fully loaded and I think many people would pick this over the Korg.

One of the keys is for the workstation to be simple. Leave all the complexity for a computer DAW/sequencer. So on my synth, if I hear a patch, I can more it quickly to a performance. Use it and move on. When I go on the road I load in my audio tracks, set up my performance sounds quickly and I am ready to go.

The OASYS tries to be everything a computer DAW/sequencer is. While it is not too shabby, working on 30" LCD with Logic blows it away. A company like Roland should not even try to make a workstation be a computer based DAW/seq.

But neither do computers make a very good gigging synth. I still have yet to try MainStage but I doubt it will be what I need. I am not going to take my Desktop computer and huge LCD on the road and I really don't want to buy a laptop just for gigging. I would rather put that money into a synth. Thus the workstation needs to complement the desktop computer.

So the OASYS has a little too much complexity and DAW baggage. I don't have to use it but I still pay for it. Roland and Yamaha have room to step up and challenge the OASYS.

Now this is just one idea and I could mention many more. But I wish one of the big three synth makers would try and make a synth like this because it what keyboard players have wanted for the last two decades - stay in the world of midi for keyboard parts but not sacrifice sound or speed in recording or gigging.

wuss88 · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:35 pm Post subject: my 2c

Ive been a Korg owner all my life so i might be biased. Consider myself semi pro with 15yrs of experience, having played in dozens of bands, on hundreds of gigs.

Had a go at the new Fantoms, didnt like the sound. Theres something I cant quite put my finger on, maybe its the compressed waveforms, but it actually hurt my ears sometimes. Had this gut feeling that this thing (ie the Fantom) wont quite cut it for me. Especially live. Looks nice tho.

Spent some time with the Motifs, really nice thick sound, very cluttered user interface, too many buttons for my taste. Spent ages (well minutes) trying to figure out how to change patches, wasnt intuitive for me at all.

Once you got used to a touchscreen theres no going back.

Cant afford the Oasys, very happy w my M3 despite the flimsy buttons.
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dorremifasol · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:36 pm Post subject:

In contrast, I found the Motif easier to manage. The extra buttons for soloing, muting and selecting channels is what I really miss in my M3.

I hate having to use the the touch screen for everything. It there were cursor buttons I would use them a lot instead.

I specially hate the PAGE button. If the touch screen had tabs with all the pages (I think the OASYS has them) probably I wouldn't be so angry with it. What makes me grunt is having to move the arm to change between the screen and the PAGE button when I'm creating sounds from scratch.

Dr.InnoVation · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:59 am Post subject:

Sina172 · Platinum Member Joined: 29 May 2007 Posts: 1194

Synthoid · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:48 pm Post subject:

Dr.InnoVation · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:29 am Post subject:

KarmaKazi · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:51 am Post subject: Which keyboard to get...

sishan

Play them all. Idea

Buy the one you like. Laughing

If it is a Korg product, then well be glad to visit again.

KarmaKazi
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KarmaKazi · Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:51 am Post subject: Which keyboard to get...

This might be of some interest.

Grab some headphones and check this out:

http://listentokeyboards.com/

KarmaKazi
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My KARMA ran over your dogma

burningbusch · Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:10 am Post subject:

Regarding Roland's broken promises let me say this:

They have provided all of the updates to the V-Synth for free. The update to version 2.0 gave us a number major enhancements including a new sound set, rhythm mode, the multi-track step modulator, and enhanced oscillators. Some people complained that they preferred the original sound set (which was no longer compatible). Roland stepped up and provided version 2.0 with both the original and new sound set, again at no charge.

When they updated the Fantom X to version 2.0 which added eight audio tracks to the sequencer they charged a whooping $49 as that covered the cost of the CompactFlash card and adapter which was how they provided the upgrade.

I'm sure those people who bought into VariOS system when it first came out felt burned. Probably like the people who bought the Korg OASYS PCI when it first came out at over $2,000. I bought mine when they dropped the price to < $500. I was disappointed when Korg discontinued support (it doesn't work with XP or OSX so it's basically worthless) but I didn't feel burned as I knew its days were limited. Still the story is really the same for both companies, i.e. they brought an innovative product to market at a high price point, it didn't sell well, they dumped the remaining inventory on the market for a fraction of the original price and finally discontinued support. These things happen.

I don't for the life of me understand the criticism of the XV-88. The S90/S90ES and Kurzweil PC1/2/3 are synths with no sequencers. There is a market for performance synths. Most live players have no use for sequencers and most studio people use DAWs. Those who use onboard sequencers are in the minority. I wish performance synths were even more prevalent.

To the original poster, if you're looking at Roland, by all means wait till NAMM. The Fantom X/XR was announce in Jan 2004. Four years is the expected life-span.

Busch.

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I guess you're supposed to list your relevant equipment: Korg M3-73; M3-88

silverdragonsound · Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:05 pm Post subject: Re: Which keyboard to get...