Korg Forums

Hi all

First post after reading this forum and the karma-lab forum for a week now. What a great community, I realy like the kind people and the knowledge presented here. Also viewed all the videos I can find on youtube and on the karma-lab site and listen to all the mp3's on korg.com/oasys as well. I think I've done my homework in checking this out. But please point me to other sources of information if any (videos in particular).

Sorry if this is too much text, feel free to skip to the last paragraph for the most important questions for me to get answered. Thank you for your time reading this and for any feedback on this post.

A little background on me.
I'm not a pro. Music is just one of my hobbies. It started early with the technics organ back in the early 80's (40 and U90). Also played some brass instruments (trumpet/cornet, alt horn, baritone), clarinet and drums during the 80's and 90's. Even got to try the church organ a few times :)
After all this years I still consider the organ (U90) to be my main instrument. (still playing it today)

Now I'm considering buying a synth to replace the U90 (it's old and starts to fail and sadly I can't find anyone that can fix it)

First I was looking for the Yamaha Tyros 2. But since I'm that kind of person that never jumps on the first offer, I was searching for more and better and what not. So I was thinking: Roland - but couldn't find any synth that could compare to the Oasys - so I gave it up. Now I know that you'll shake on the heads and wondering why I put the Tyros 2 in here for consideration. A quick answer to that is I think it would do what I need. But that's it. In other words, it's not a synth to grow with me into the future.

So why do I want the Oasys if I've already found what could possible be enough (but not perfect)? Easy - I just love all the features it gives me. Though at a very high price (yeah I know, I get back what I pay for it).
The open architecture is what gave it a big star (and the sound of it).
But feel free to suggest other brands/modells if you think I've missed them and should consider them before buying the Oasys.

I live in Norway. And will soon try to find a dealer that has the Oasys on display so I could try it myself before I buy it. But before I travel to the other side of the country I have some questions. Every demo I've heard and seen tend to be at the piano style or symphony style or (most) in the ambient and techno style. Nothing wrong with that, I might try to play some music in all of those categories. But for the most part today, I press the "swing" button on the U90, read my notes and play some swing tune.

What do you do on the Oasys if/when you're playing a swing tune like I would on my organ? Do you need to compose the drum beat and store it, generate the arpeggios you want and store them and then start to play?
Or can you select "swing" (hopefully many other presets too, even tweakable?) and let the karma generate the arpeggios "live" based on the chords, while you play your tune? I might not see the possibilities in the Oasys so it might be more power in it than this, but I'll have to start some place :) As you probably know since I'm from the organ branch and not from the piano "school" - I'm not used to play arpeggios with my left hand, just the chords simultaneously. And I'm not able to find (on youtube at least) a demo to show how this works on the oasys (anyone here feel free to upload some sort of demo of this?)

So, if the Oasys is what I should go for, I'm ready. Just need some time to save up the money - starting today :)

Again, thank you for reading my post.

A lot of KARMA/Combi presets dedicate sliders to Swing percentages and other values. OASYS is at the top, especially for the variety of sounds and synth engines. However, you may want to look at the Korg M3 (which has similar KARMA ability) and cost quite a bit less.

The Yamaha Motif XS is more of the workstation brother to the arranger style Tyros 2. You might want to check that out, while in Performance mode.

papirbit

I'm not sure if you are aware, but Mike has just finished a DVD tutorial on the Oasys and is selling it from his web site for $24.95 US.

I think it would be an excellent way to get a "demo" of what the unit can do, even without having an "O" at your side.

The link to it is at the end of his answer above.

Ken

@Mike
Hi and thank you for the tip on the motif XS.
I've used some hours now reading and listening and watching it at youtube but I don't know, doesn't feel right - like a budget version of the oasys? (the motif xs 7) Or am I way off here? I will look more into it before writing it off completely.

Regarding the workstation vs arranger types I think the arrangers is closest to what I'm used to (the organ) and what I would feel comfortable to use the first week - but I love to experiment and would like to buy a synth to "live with" for many years to come. So I hope I'm doing the right choise when I pick the workstation.

The M3 vs Oasys - well the price is high, but that's not a problem (just can't buy it today - more like in 6-7 months from now) And I wouldn't sit at the M3 and regret that I didn't buy the Oasys but thank you for pointing out that the KARMA was quite similar.

Oh, and I just ordered your DVD (thank's to Ken) and looking forward to watch it :)

I've also read through more then 1500 pages of pdf manual pages for the Oasys today and like what I read :)

You write that there's a lot of karma/combi presets dedicated sliders to swing and others values - is there an overview of those presets somewhere? I might have overlooked it in the manual.



@ken
Hi, thank for pointing out that the video was finished. I had read the tread about it, well not the last page, since it seemd that it still was in production and postponed several times. Shame on me but as you can see I just ordered it. Can't wait to get it and hope it will learn me much more about the Oasys before I can put my hands on one.

papirbit wrote:@Mike
Hi and thank you for the tip on the motif XS.
I've used some hours now reading and listening and watching it at youtube but I don't know, doesn't feel right - like a budget version of the oasys?

Anything other than the OASYS seems like a cut down, budget machine! However, the XS and M3 are good boards in their own right. I just wanted to present some alternatives to compare to.

Oh, and I just ordered your DVD (thank's to Ken) and looking forward to watch it

I think that's a good idea. You will definitely get a feel for the OASYS. This could be a side market for the DVD - which is those people who are "looking" at what the OASYS is about, but don't have easy access to a display model.

You write that there's a lot of karma/combi presets dedicated sliders to swing and others values - is there an overview of those presets somewhere? I might have overlooked it in the manual.

For an example, check out Stephen's

ONLINE INTERFACE

There are 2 rows of menu tabs. Select KARMA GE and you will see some of the assigned parameters - Rhythm Swing, Patter Variation, etc. Those are some of the common values that are tied to the sliders, when you are in KARMA mode.

@ken
Hi, thank for pointing out that the video was finished. I had read the tread about it, well not the last page, since it seemd that it still was in production and postponed several times.

Good point. I edited the very first post and changed the heading to indicate that it is indeed available. Thanks!

Well, I don't like the M3 - why? Don't know, guess I'm trapped in the blending lights from the Oasys :) I just want it all and not settle with less.
And I've spent much time now reading and listening to the XS... Just not convinced by that one either. It kinda looks like the Oasys but with much less rom/samples and all.
When I think of it, Oasys from 2005 and the XS from 2007 - and the Oasys still "wins" - even though the XS is at a third of the Oasys price tag.

I appreciate your kind help in providing alternatives here. It's hard to decide since the pricetag is so different. I guess I'll decide if the Oasys is exactly what I want and need when I get your DVD demo (I hope I get it before christmas). As I said before - I need it to be able to last for many years so I don't need to buy a new one every fifth year or so.

Thank you for guiding me to the right place regarding the presets. Hope that your DVD is showing more of that part too. If not I'll just have to find a dealer with one on display.

A last question.
I see there is another thread on ebay sales not beeing the real deal.
But one that at least seems ok based on feedback etc is this item : 230184449092 - it states "KORG OASYS 76 KEY Discotinued 40GB CD-R Triton Karma" on the top.
I can't find any hold in this any other place - "Discontinued" - not from Korg I hope? (cause it's the 76key "synth-action" keybed I want)
At that price it's also around £1500 less then I can get it for here in Norway.