Some OASYS questions.

[SpiralTrance]

Hi,

I've been looking at the oasys and was wondering how many simultanious instruments can you have loaded at once. Can you have both the EXs1 and EXs2? And how many more EXi instruments?

1) Can you install an extra 1GB ram yourself or do you need to take it to an authorised dealer?

2) Is the OASYS a good controller for VST instruments. Can you create profiles to let the knobs/sliders control different VST instruments and load up as you see fit?

3) Can you also go through the presets on a VST instrument using program +/- buttons?

4) If you just want to use the OASYS as a controller do you have to turn the volume down on the output of the OASYS or is there a dedicated switch?

5) Are the 16 Audio Channels for instrument outputs or for recorded audio?

Thanks.

[Daz]

Hi ST,

I've been looking at the oasys and was wondering how many simultanious instruments can you have loaded at once. Can you have both the EXs1 and EXs2? And how many more EXi instruments?

If you install the extra 1GB you can use both EXs1 and EXs2 at the same time. You can use 16 Programs simultaneously, if those Programs are EXi based each EXi Program can be on 2 EXi instances ... so the theoretical max is 32 instruments. There are some limitations on how many EXi you can use due to polyphony limits and also the "fixed resources" that they use.

1) Can you install an extra 1GB ram yourself or do you need to take it to an authorised dealer?

You can install it yourself. The procedure is detailed in the manual and it only takes a few minutes.

2) Is the OASYS a good controller for VST instruments. Can you create profiles to let the knobs/sliders control different VST instruments and load up as you see fit?

There is a "remote mode" that makes the faders/knobs/switch into a user configurable control surface, so you can use it to control a DAW/VST/AU or whatever.

3) Can you also go through the presets on a VST instrument using program +/- buttons?

There isn't really a yes/no answer for this one. It depends on what mode you're in on the Oasys, whether the VSTs respond to Program change messages etc. Personally I wouldn't use it this because hitting the data inc/dec buttons will always be doing something on the Oasys according to the current context.

4) If you just want to use the OASYS as a controller do you have to turn the volume down on the output of the OASYS or is there a dedicated switch?

If you're using it with a DAW then typically you will have local control turned off on the Oasys and your DAW will be routing the MIDI generated by the Oasys to whatever software or hardware is currently assigned to the active track.

5) Are the 16 Audio Channels for instrument outputs or for recorded audio?

Both. You can record audio from the external inputs onto the audio tracks or record from the Oasys itself via busses. So you can record an external vocal/mic or a guitar onto an audio tracks, or simply record the Oasys' own output to an audio track.

Daz.

[SpiralTrance]

Thanks for the replys Daz

If you install the extra 1GB you can use both EXs1 and EXs2 at the same time. You can use 16 Programs simultaneously, if those Programs are EXi based each EXi Program can be on 2 EXi instances ... so the theoretical max is 32 instruments. There are some limitations on how many EXi you can use due to polyphony limits and also the "fixed resources" that they use.

So let me get this right. In the Oasys you can have up to 16 programs at once. Programs can be made up of up to 2 presets, each from one EXi instance? So the main emphasis is not the sound source EXs or EXi but layering EXi to make programs. And how many programs can be loaded from the EXs modules?

You can install it yourself. The procedure is detailed in the manual and it only takes a few minutes.

Do you void your warranty?

There is a "remote mode" that makes the faders/knobs/switch into a user configurable control surface, so you can use it to control a DAW/VST/AU or whatever.

Can you set up more than one profile in remote mode for different soft synths and load them as you need?

Both. You can record audio from the external inputs onto the audio tracks or record from the Oasys itself via busses. So you can record an external vocal/mic or a guitar onto an audio tracks, or simply record the Oasys' own output to an audio track.

I assume the busses are what the output of the programs connect to. And you have 16 stereo busses?

[Daz]

You're welcome ...

So let me get this right. In the Oasys you can have up to 16 programs at once. Programs can be made up of up to 2 presets, each from one EXi instance? So the main emphasis is not the sound source EXs or EXi but layering EXi to make programs. And how many programs can be loaded from the EXs modules?

In Combi or Sequencer mode you have a multi-timbral environment that lets you use 16 Programs layered, split or separate MIDI channels etc. All fairly traditional stuff. Each Program can be of one of two types :

HD-1 - These are the sample based programs. An HD-1 program can optionally operate in Double mode allowing you to have two sets of sample oscillators, filters, amps etc. HD-1 programs can use ROM multi-samples, User created samples, or wavesequences.

EXi - These are the Programs that use the non-sample based synths engines. Currently those are AL-1, STR-1, CX-3, MS20EX, PolysixEX. In each EXi Program you can one or two engines. You can mix any pair of engines in a single Program.

In Korg terms Program = Preset or Patch.

Do you void your warranty?

No.

Can you set up more than one profile in remote mode for different soft synths and load them as you need?

There are multiple profiles and you can switch between. I must confess I haven't used this facility much, so I'll leave the details to someone else

I assume the busses are what the output of the programs connect to. And you have 16 stereo busses?

There are 2 internal FX busses, 10 audio busses that representing the main L/R outs and 8 individual outs, and 12 IFX busses. Tricky one to explain to someone new to Korg gear. It might be worth taking a look in the manuals online for a more detailed explanation of their buss system.

http://www.korg.com/service/downloadinfo.asp?DID=1213
http://www.korg.com/service/downloadinfo.asp?DID=1214

You might find it useful to look at the Oasys virtual GUI too :

http://www.karma-lab.com/oasys/o_main.html

... it lets you explore through all the modes/screens and get a feel for how it works.

HTH,

Daz.

[TagPass]

There are multiple profiles and you can switch between. I must confess I haven't used this facility much, so I'll leave the details to someone else...

I believe there are 128 "slots" for this. I setup my Oasys with the 1st group of default settings to control the ACT feature in SONAR, so the Oasys physical controllers control whatever softsynth, effect, or track parameter is in the 'focused' window on my DAW. Works perfectly -- took about 10 minutes to get it going, and all I have to do to control my virtual setup is press one button on the O!

Of course, you can customize the settings for whatever you need. Some of the factory settings for the control surface are already setup to control popular softies -- NI Pro53, and Reason stuff (oddly, no KORG Legacy though?!) -- but there's lots of room to edit from there...

The only thing missing is the ability to name the control surface setups, so you have to remember which number 000-127 is assigned to which software... or use SONAR's ACT!

[SpiralTrance]

Thanks for the replies. Damn!!!! Just checked out that online GUI - oasys is one heavyweight synth. It seems a bit complicated. I know cubase sx and vst inside out and also have a good understanding of how synths work ,so is it likely I could learn how to operate oasys in pretty short space of time?

Also what's it like for real hands on control? Is it quick to alter parameters in the synths using the faders and knobs? I like the way you have all the detail and precision of a soft synth interface though do you have the quickness of hardware?

[Daz]

I know cubase sx and vst inside out and also have a good understanding of how synths work ,so is it likely I could learn how to operate oasys in pretty short space of time?

I personally think so. At the end of the day it's just 16 instruments sitting in a rack connected to a mixer and you can specify which MIDI channel each instrument responds to and which effect busses each instrument's audio outs are routed to.

A little re-orientation is required. Anyone coming from Cubase or Logic or whatever would find the Korg use of the term Insert Effect to mean something slightly different than they are accustomed to, as the IFX's behave and are used more like a hybrid of insert/send effects.

Daz.