Korg Forums

I'm trying to record an audio track with a vocal on it. But I can't get enough gain in my headphones to hear myself sing. The MIDI tracks on the OASYS drown out the audio track. There must be some simple way to adjust the gain on all MIDI tracks relative to the gain on all audio tracks. But I can't figure out how to do it. Does someone know the answer? Thanks.

It's best to plug and XLR mic (or with adapter) into Inputs 1 or 2. Those have levels that you can adjust. The level knobs are on the back of the OASYS.

If you have to use Inputs 3 and 4, you will probably need to add a compressor to IFX1 and run your signal through that. The compressor will add all the volume that you need.

Thanks. I'm using a Groove Tubes GT 55 Class A FET that I bought a few years ago at the Guitar Center. It's a good but not great microphone. I've plugged it into Line 1 and turned on the phantom power. I've also turned the level for Line 1 on the back of the Oasys to the max. The MIDI tracks completely drown out the audio. Incidentally, I even simultaneously record on 4 audio tracks to try to pump up the gain; but still the MIDI tracks are too loud to be able to monitor my singing through the headphones.

I think that my MIDI tracks have already used up all 16 IFX options. So, to add a compressor on IFX1, as you recommend, I would have to take away some effect that I am currently using on the MIDI tracks. (Or is there a way I can simply "borrow" an IFX for compression while recording the vocal on an audio track, then redeploy that IFX to the particular effect I was using before for the MIDI track(s)?) I presume that there is no way I can have 16 new IFX options for the audio tracks, in addition to the 16 IFX options I am currently using for the MIDI tracks--right?

Does your recommendation imply that there is no way on the Oasys to adjust the total gain on all MIDI tracks vis-a-vis the total gain on all audio tracks? That would seem to be the easiest solution.

I know exactly the problem you are talking about.

Quite often the MIDI tracks are so loud in the headphone that you won't hear your Audio-signal loud enough, no matter what you do to the gain on the back of input one or two. I use a high quality AKG XLR (phantomepowered) microphone and usually I cannot open gain more than a half without getting a distorted signal. Nevertheless I won't here me singing once MIDI plays in the headphones.

My workaround is not a professional one - but it works for me:
1. save your song with your so far decided fader positions in one song slot
2. copy the whole song to another song slot for audio recording
3. go to the new song slot and reduce the MIDI volumes by half using the faders
4. turn up the volume of the oasys up to 90%
5. sing (you will here your audio signal now loud enough) and record
6. copy your audio tracks back into the original song slot to finalize your mix there

The even shorter workaround for less systematic people is to start directly with 3. and therefor skip 1., 2. and 6.

Hope this helps - for my singer it was ok that way.

I tried your work-around, and it solves the problem. However, I found that I had to pull the sliders on the MIDI tracks down to about 25% of the levels I had used before adding the vocals.

Knowing this trick going forward, I will intentionally set my MIDI sliders at a lower level and crank up the master volume. Then, when I want to add vocals, I might not need to reduce the slider values on the MIDI tracks at all.

Thanks for this tip.

Maybe you can answer another question. Is there a way that I can have a separate set of 16 IXF options for the audio (vocal) tracks as opposed to the MIDI tracks? Or am I stuck processing the signals on the vocal tracks with the same effect that I have already selected the MIDI tracks? (Assume that I have used all 16 effects for processing my MIDI tracks.)

Yes, pull your mixer sliders for the MIDI tracks down - so that you can clearly hear your voice. Remember, after you record your voice, you can bring them back up!

As for IFX, use whatever you need for your voice and record to an audio track. Once your effected track is recorded, your effects are freed up to go back to your MIDI tracks.

Alternately (now that bounce tracks is working again), you can bounce all your MIDI tracks to a pair of Audio tracks. Now, pick a new SONG slot. Either copy the first song to the second slot......or use COPY TRACKS to bring in the bounced audio tracks. Now, you have all 16 IFX available for you voice or whatever else. Record you voice through your Compressor, Pitch Shifter, Chorus, Reverb (or all of those at once).

I like to record my voice both dry and effected to seperate tracks, so I can go back and tweak the dry track, if need be.


Need to go back and tweak MIDI tracks. Not a problem. Go back to your original SONG slot. Only this time, you can use COPY TRACKS to bring in the voice tracks from SONG 2.


For some ideas, watch my

MULTI-BUS Video

The master has spoken - I have absolutely nothing to add ...
Thanx Mike - that were some usefull tipps for me as well!