Korg Forums

Hi all.

I've been downsizing and selling lots of toys the last few weeks so much that there's even an echo in the Studio now Lots of toy gone, and some hard decision a head to make too as I look towards toys that I do use, but can't justify keeping considering I have an OASYS. I really do love the OASYS and it's the centre of my world right now. It will be for a very long time to come too as it's quite simply the best workstation on the planet ever. Only two problems though with it....

1: The Sequencer
2: The Sampler.

Honestly the sequencer I can live with. It's still a very productive tool for the most part. I've been using KORG sequencers all my life, and so I have no problem visualising Even Edit numbers or the Step Record display as notation in my mind.

The Sampler, well unfortunately the OASYS does not support one single format currently supported by third party developers (Karo and myself not included), and even using conversion software most single sounds I have would max out the OASYS in one go. No streaming and no support for any modern formats like Giga files really is a shame.

So I've decided to make a purchase and I've just ordered a V-Machine:-). This will give me streaming and it will allow me to run Giga files and every other format on the planet from one tiny little box. I've been pouring over the OASYS manual looking into all those external controller features and I have to say that this combination will be very exciting.

I also have a fast PC, but that's dedicated to an Orchestral library and that only. I will be able to use the V-Machine for bread and butter sounds like Pianos, Guitars, and the usual huge Sample Tank type libraries.

Having that all inside a tiny little box will also allow me to take my sounds with me for Choir practice, session work and whatever else I do when need be. A V-Machine and a controller would make for powerful portable setup inside and outside the Studio. Kind of going mad I didn't get the Keyboard assembly for the M3-M as the time now when I think about it as I don't have any plans to sell my M3-M. It would have been a good base to work the V-Machine from outside the Studio.

So all in all, some major changes going on here and a little patching of a weakness the OASYS has.

The recession is the best thing to happen in a long time if you ask me. It's really making people look at what they have and setting priorities straight on many different levels. I'm shocked I lost my job because it of, but I know it's not my fault so I'm happy with that. Just the right time now to stick my head in the sand and weather the storm. So..... give me a shout when this recession is over guys because I'm going to work my little ass off writing my music and I'm not sticking my head up until the world is back to normal again

Have a great weekend everyone. The sun is shining here and I'm going out cut the grass in my garden, then chase the kids around the place. Life's not that bad even during these terrible times.

Regards.
Sharp.

Sharp -

Really sorry to hear of your tough times in this tough recession. Regarding your music - go for it!! I wish you all the success you deserve, and more, in your musical ventures - and looking forward to witnessing you music far and beyond the forum.

Very best,
Kevin.

Sharp wrote:it's quite simply the best workstation on the planet ever. Only two problems though with it....

1: The Sequencer
2: The Sampler.

For some people, like yourself, these areas may clash with their other formats and their style. For other people, it's simply a lack of patience to get to know the workflow. They don't want to work with a vertical MIDI Event Edit, so they.....don't even try. Sad, because there are riches in both of the above mentioned areas. For instance, the sampler can open song audio files, giving you as many audio tracks as you want, with filtering.

I know I'm the exception on this forum. I'm rather old school. I remember getting a Triton, back around 2000' and seeing that it's sequencer lacked some things that my Yamaha and Roland sequencers had.

People say that the OASYS sequencer was no improvement, but try changing audio levels on a Triton, without using up compressor effects. I prefer this sequencer to ..........anything. Chaining up 14 synths to Sonar and my MIDI Sport was a loopback nightmare. I stick to hardware. No Yamaha QY700, Roland Fantom G or MV8800 can bus, multi-record, move audio, sysex automate mixdown and tone adjust modulate like the OASYS can. I often use multiple sound sources and play parts using 2 keyboards, which the OASYS handles beautifully. Mixdown to .wav file is very convenient. I just drop the file into my editing programs.

I really enjoyed your QY700 video and it is a great sequencer. I rarely use patterns, but I like having the RPPR function and think the OASYS, using the KARMA O software could make original patterns with note changes and way more complex live interaction (using scene changes and other controls), at the cost of figuring it all out. That is the dilemma with the O - it does a lot, but needs time to be figured out.

I don't have any sample ROM discs, so I find the sampler to be a dream. The sample libraries I have are those for hardware (Yamaha, Roland and E-MU), a couple of Audio CDs (Techno Trance and Steve Stevens Guitar library), which the OASYS "rips" nicely, and Karo (Strings, Movie and Granular). I also sample a lot of my own stuff, much of which is on my E-MU E4. I simply plug my hardware samplers into the OASYS inputs and .....sample them. I think a lot of people are too spoiled to even try this anymore.

I don't mind making my own programs, so it's not a big deal. The payoff is being able to save and load huge chunks of audio data, in mere seconds. Some other hardware boards would take 15 minutes or more to load up all my stuff (ever work on the Yamaha A series samplers? Very slow.) In fact, I often load well over a gigabyte of data, so many of the other workstations can't even handle that amount.

A lot of board members have expressed their feelings of disappointment, so I feel obliged to share my counter-take on it. The OASYS is a rarity that very few will experience. The more I learn about it, the more I love it. And, there is so much more to learn.....

Sharp wrote:The recession is the best thing to happen in a long time if you ask me. It's really making people look at what they have and setting priorities straight on many different levels. I'm shocked I lost my job because it of, but I know it's not my fault so I'm happy with that. Just the right time now to stick my head in the sand and weather the storm. So..... give me a shout when this recession is over guys because I'm going to work my little ass off writing my music and I'm not sticking my head up until the world is back to normal again

The recession is sadly having the opposite effect on the time I have available for making music with my Oasys. I had the good fortune (or misfortune, however you want to look at it) of not getting laid off while many others at my work did. But my workload has doubled as a result, and I'm now working 6-7 days a week in an effort to keep my boss happy and hold on to my job.

Hi T-Man.
Very sorry to hear that. Please mind yourself and take the time to breath as working long hours like that in the environment your in will only make you ill.

Hang tough mate. You are a musician and inside you you have the best gift in the world. Buy yourself an iPod if you don't already have one and try use it at work.

You will be surprised how much of a difference it will make. I used to do the hours your doing now and the only think that kept me going was internet radio.

Kind Regards.
Sharp.

Sharp, this is a beautifull statement you wrote! Most people do not look at the other side of a coin, once it landed in your palm. You're ready to flip it around and discover other possibilities experiencing your situation. I believe this attitude to be very valuable - no matter what the times are like.

To Quote Winston Churchill

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty"

Sharp wrote:Hi T-Man.
Very sorry to hear that. Please mind yourself and take the time to breath as working long hours like that in the environment your in will only make you ill.

Hang tough mate. You are a musician and inside you you have the best gift in the world. Buy yourself an iPod if you don't already have one and try use it at work.

You will be surprised how much of a difference it will make. I used to do the hours your doing now and the only think that kept me going was internet radio.

Thanks Sharp, that's really good advice. I did use to work to music all day, & then just stopped doing so a few months ago, for whatever reason... maybe a reaction to my increased workload, thinking that I'd be more productive if I worked in silence.

As I think about it now, that's probably been counterproductive -- I'm sure that working long hours in dead silence hasn't been helpful to my stress level or sanity. I'm going to bring back the ipod this week.

I'm going to bring back the ipod this week

I'm really glad to hear that. Hope it makes the day fly along for you.

Enjoy....!!!

Regards.
Sharp.

"A lot of board members have expressed their feelings of disappointment, so I feel obliged to share my counter-take on it. The OASYS is a rarity that very few will experience. The more I learn about it, the more I love it. And, there is so much more to learn....." quote Mike

+1 Mike! Appreciate your take on it.

nitecrawler

Thanks, nitecrawler.