Two Questions

[KSR80]

Hi Guy's

OK, well thanks to Dan 1.3 is on and working (Thankyou again Dan for that) Pulled new ram out, left stock ram in......perfect.
The ram i got was matched for make, size, CAS time. In fact the only way you cold tell the two sticks apart was by slot location.

So question 1 is:

If I wish to go back to 2gig, what ram can I put in for it to work with 1.3


Question 2

Why was it that when I connected my Oasys to a Korg D3200 via the 1/4" jacks it was so noisey and hissy that it was useless for recording. I had to buy a Toslink instead and use S/P DIF under the advice of Korg UK.

Not complaining mind. I love this digital in /out stuff.

Any thoughts guy's

[Mike Conway]

Is the OASYS noisy and hissy when you route those same jacks to your monitors/stereo? Can you run another synth or source into the D3200 to verify it is only the OASYS? It's possible that you have a compressor or some other effect in the loop.

In Global, you might want to go to the BASIC page and make sure your outputs are set to STANDARD. Try playing with a couple of settings there.

[KSR80]

Yes. It is only the Oasys that this happens with. To be more clear about this, I would say the noise is more like digital switching noise with a nasty hum over it. Could be simply because the Oasys is like a PC with a keyboard bolted on.

[MIDIguru]

The infamous ground loop noise (digital screeching).

This is a typical problem with connecting workstation keyboards to a PC. I've seen it with a Fantom X and Motif ES that I used to own when I connected them to the computer via USB. I am also currently struggling with this when connecting the Oasys to my USB audio interface.

The cause is that the grounds of the two devices are at different potentials. So the solution is either to use the optical connections or try to eliminate the ground problem. You could try lifting the 3rd prong (ground prong) of each device to see if the problem goes away, though this is not safe. If this does work, you can safely lift the ground with an Ebtech hum elliminator. They also make a device that will elliminate ground problems on a stereo pair of line channels. I'm sure that you are going to want to pipe some tracks into the Oasys, as it has a great library of effects processors.

Another method that I used (because I am a cheap bastard and don't want to spend any more money) is to connect the chassis ground of each device together. This is not endorsed by Korg or any manufacturer, though some do provide a ground terminal where you can connect the two chassis together. I have had some success with connecting the chassis ground of my Oasys to the chassis ground of my USB audio interface with a wire.

There could be a defect with your D3200, but it is unlikely since other devices do not cause the noise. This is dissapointing news because I was considering getting a D3200 to round out my setup. I have a MV-8800 connected to my Oasys with no ground loop problems. Another thought that popped into my head is that if you have your D3200 connected to a PC via USB, the PC could be causing the ground loop problem.

Good luck!

[KSR80]

Thanx for that mate.

To tell the truth I got the D3200 just so I cold remove the PC from the setup altogether. So no, the PC is not connected in any way.

However my Yamaha ES7 does not do this at all nor the Kurzweil. In fact none of the large selection of analouge synths I have here do this either, only the Oasys. But I must say the idea of having both audio data and clock sync comming down just one single cable really appeals to me. I so need to keep the amount of cables to a min in this setup.

But what of the ram issue:(

If the ram I had was already matched with the factory stuff then what is the requirement for the ram to work in my Oasys.



.

[EJ2]

I'm not sure whether issue 1.3.0 and non-identical ram is part of the problem or not. Pulling my factory ram out leaving a Kingston stick reduced most of the problems. Pulling my Kingston stick and returning the factory ram worked properly as well. However, since yanking both my factory and Kingston ram and replacing both with identical sticks, my problems reduced significantly. In fact, when I took my Kingston and factory ram into my local computer dealer, he said that sometimes ram can be finicky residing a common home with other manufacturer's ram because there may be minute timing differences (small processing discrepencies). So, he took my old Kingston and provided me with two identical Kingston sticks. Once installed in my OASYS's, most of the problems disappeared.

As you have read from Brandon and Dan, we can look forward to additional fixes in the next update, but I still think identical ram may be part of some of the issue resolutions.
Cheers,
Eric

[MIDIguru]

Thanx for that mate.

To tell the truth I got the D3200 just so I cold remove the PC from the setup altogether. So no, the PC is not connected in any way.

However my Yamaha ES7 does not do this at all nor the Kurzweil. In fact none of the large selection of analouge synths I have here do this either, only the Oasys. But I must say the idea of having both audio data and clock sync comming down just one single cable really appeals to me. I so need to keep the amount of cables to a min in this setup.

But what of the ram issue:(

If the ram I had was already matched with the factory stuff then what is the requirement for the ram to work in my Oasys.



.

Sorry, I skipped right over the RAM question.

Sometimes an electronics vendor will switch something (a process change, quality testing change, or a component on the circuit board) without relabeling the part. So I would suspect that something IS different even though the labeling says otherwise.

I did a little more research on the ground loop problem and found that ART makes a nice 8 channel ground isolator in a rack for like $140.

"The T8 (Transformer Eight) is a totally passive audio interface that uses 8 transformers to separate input and output signal grounds, thereby isolating two systems and reducing hum and ground-loop noise. The T8's audio transformers have flat and wide frequency response and handle high signal levels while maintaining an isolated balanced output. The transformers are wound for 1:1 unity gain and are designed to be used with impedances from 600 ohms to 100k ohms.

The T8 provides balanced XLR, 1/4 in. phone, and RCA type phono connections on all inputs and outputs simultaneously. The T8 fits easily into virtually any audio system and is a clean patch point between all types of systems.

The T8s mounting ears are reversible so you can have either the XLRs on the front or the 1/4 in. and RCA phono jacks on the front. This maximizes flexibility in cabling your system. Whether you need an interface between a computer-based audio workstation and your monitor system, isolation on long cable runs in a fixed installation, isolation of multiple signal sources from your recording equipment, or in many cases, just a safer connection between two audio systems, the T8 can accommodate."

[MartinHines]

Is the OASYS noisy and hissy when you route those same jacks to your monitors/stereo?

I second Mike's question. If you connect the OASYS MAIN audio analog output jacks to external monitors (not to the D3200) do you hear the same hissing sound?

[Drew FM]

Wrap all your audio cables in tin foil. (alot of it) The AC wires lying next to them will have a more difficult time finding polarity in your audio cables to induce hum.

A trick I learn't in my mom & dad's basement.

DO NOT LIFT THE GROUND OF ANY CIRCUIT THAT WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE ONE!

[KSR80]

Hi guy's,

My Oasys is silent on the output if I plug it into a pair of Mackie speakers or anything else. It is only when it is connected to the D3200 via 1/4 that the noise appears.

Even if I set up just the Oasys and the D3200 on their own the noise is still there. I talked to my mate who has both an Oasys and a D3200 and asked him to try ot the same setup and he got back to me today to say that there was so much noise comming out that he thought he had accedently pluged a Moog modular into a old Fender guitar amp and turned it full up.

So that's two differant Oasys and two differant D3200's doing the same thing. You would think that the Korg stuff at least was compatable with each other, all my other gear works fine with the D3200.

It's just the Oasys.

Don't get me wrong here, I have no problem with useing S/P DIF on the D3200. It's just there is no mention in either the Oasys manual or the D2300's that you have to use a Toslink cable or your stuffed.

[kenackr]

Midiguru,

Just so you know, the ART T8 is made in China.

I can no longer buy anything made in China as a matter of principle and complete lack of quality control coupled with their desire to substitute materials without notice. To the point, made in China has never meant high quality and still doesn't.