OASYS HD1 audio demo - Vector Joystick
Korg OASYS - controllers
Now that I have set up everything new with my MacBook I realised once more how convenient Korg’s OASYS is. Press the button to switch on this instrument and although it needs approximately a minute for boot up, beside that you never get the feeling to sit in front of a computer. Compared to the OASYS and after spending hours for finding the right drivers for Snow Leopard here and there, registrating on several websites, re-registering software, check my iLok and the account, have a look at audioease’s website for new reverb responses, find a firewire cable that is connecting my Apogee Duet with its Firewire 400 port to my MacBook’s Firewire 800 port - I can tell ya, life can be so exciting - I decided that is about time to do what I initially wanted to do - making music.
So I turned on the OASYS and during boot up I got myself - make an educated guess - a Nespresso. After playing thru all my old Combinations I thought it is probably about time to record a new OASYS audio demo. And there was one Combination that I have not played with for a long time. Its name is “Vector Vox pmm”. As usually I assigned chords to the 8 pads and started playing them and moved the Vector Joystick. One of the two used sounds, the pad, consists of three differend programs of which two are factory sounds (I-A039: Arctic Voices and I-B023: Classic Choir) and by moving the VJ I changed their volume ratio and faded between the three sounds. Of course the Joystick could control other parameters as well, just have a look at the subpage “Vector CC” or you could use Vector Envelopes… hm, I just realised how much is there and still not used by me. But I am getting off topic.
OASYS Screenshot - Combination Mode, EQ/Vector/Control, Vector Volume
The second sound is a combination of a Program named “Nay Kirnberger v2″ using the Kirnberger scale and is getting some support from my good old favourite solo sound. Of course and OASYS is offering so many different ones and in a high quality, I used some of the internal EFXs. This brings me to the recording process itself (find recording chain at the end of this blog entry) - not a single plug in of DP7.1 was used. No EQ and no compression was used, neither in the single channel nor in the master channel. What you hear is the pure signal of OASYS recorded with Apogee’s Duet ADA converter.
“ethereal”
OASYS CMB Bank USER-A 026 Vector Vox pmm
In case you are listening to “ethereal” more then once then my recommendation is get yourself a cup of coffee ;-).
Recoring Chain:
OASYS - Apogee Duet - Motu Digital Perfomer 7.1 - bounced and converted directly to mp3 by using “L.A.M.E.”
what you hear is exactly what was recorded into DP, no Plug Ins (EQs, Compressors, etc.) were used
Addendum:
Screenshot Digital Perfomer 7.1
Nice Feedback is always motivation, something that unfortunately only few people in business know and practice (mostly those are lacking who claim themselves to have “leadership” - but that’s another story). Whatever..
Played a little bit with the above track, added drums, used EQ for the Vector Vox (find EQ setting on above screenshot) and automated the Volume changes, to avoid clipping. Used instruments Korg OASYS and Spectrasonics Stylus RMX.
And here is the result, which I dedicate to FC:
“ethereal flow”
alternative version
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DeadZoneMusic says:
Man, that was beautiful! Had to listen it few times. Nice ethereal pad and sweet solo patch. Makes me think, how would this sound with Moog solo. More, please :). How easy it’s make evolving Wavestation -type sounds. That would be nice to hear.
März 26th, 2010 at 21:09
blogasys says:
Thanks a lot for your kind feedback!
Now that I have listened to the demo several times I realised that I could have done the mix better. On the other hand the idea was to record the Combination without any further treatment.
The flute fits quite well in the arrangement in my opinion and having a Moog Voyager sound instead is not really exciting me. Frankly, I am bit tired of analogue sounds and the idea was to use OASYS sounds only. But what is a fact is that I could have played better.. and the more I think about it the more improvement I need :-). Furthermore the chords were recorded first together with the Vector Joystick movement. Therefore the fading between the three different vox sounds do not fit exactly to the melody. Hm.. the more I think about it the more likely I will record it again.
There are already nice Wavestation sounds on board. I remember that one of the KARO CDs offers nice wavestation sounds as well. Have to check which one it was and in case I have an idea I will try to record a short demo.
blogasys
März 27th, 2010 at 09:24
Stephan Bernsee says:
Very nice, well done! If you don’t mind my asking - who is fc?
Cheers, Stephan
März 27th, 2010 at 14:57
Stephan Bernsee says:
Oh never mind, I got it
März 27th, 2010 at 15:13
blogasys says:
Thanks a lot, Stephan.. looking forward
.. and yes, guess you got it
März 27th, 2010 at 15:33
Akos Janca says:
Dear Peter,
Fairy music. I like the evolving and living sound. In fact I prefer the first (drumless) version, it’s like a movie score, or more: you can imagine pictures when hearing it.
Best regards,
Akos
März 30th, 2010 at 08:00
blogasys says:
Dear Akos,
thank you.
Interesting, as I usually start making music without drums. Ten years ago it was the opposite way around. Maybe one day it will be a homogeneous process :).
By the way for those who do not know - Akos has a website with infos for Korg keyboards and of course also for OASYS:
http://akosjanca.com/tag/oasys/
blogasys
März 30th, 2010 at 08:29
Akos Janca says:
Thanks for the ad!
Nowadays when I record an idea or a pattern first I play some tune with chords (on piano, epiano, guitar sound, etc.) and very often the drumtrack is the next part…
Sure it also helps to keep good timing with the additional tracks (bass and so on).
März 30th, 2010 at 08:36
Akos Janca says:
And I forgot to say a Big Thank You for your very good Program settings for OASYS that can be downloaded for free from korgforums.com.
I explored them, I have some favourites including “Peter Gabriel Pad”, “Mercy Pad Peter” Programs or “Shock the Monkey” and “Boiled Oasys” Combis.
März 30th, 2010 at 08:43
blogasys says:
You’re welcome!
This is quite old and was at the beginning of making own Combis. Now I have some MOD-7 ones, probably worth to be demoed here as well.
As I have seen @ korgforums.com that you posted in the iRandomizer thread. You should find in this PCG file also some of my iRandom sounds. If I remember they are in the USER Bank F at the beginning. At the end of this bank there are some more old fashioned sounds like the “in the air tonight” pad, “jump”,”everything she wants” and some more - to be honest outdated - synths I demoed here in the blog.
Funny, you seem to have a similar taste as these are also my favourite Combis, beside the new ones.
März 30th, 2010 at 10:35
Charlie says:
Aaaah - very nice!
Esp. enjoyed how you turned the “major-feeling” of the starting chord-sequence into a more “complex” scenario by the melody played with the solo-sound.
When hearing version 1 I thought: “Well, nothing’s missing here … why another version with RMX?”. Once I heard the 2nd version I knew!
Thanx for sharing!
April 5th, 2010 at 21:27
blogasys says:
A very nice description, Charlie. Thanks for the kind and motivating words. Appreciated!
Will send you a P
April 7th, 2010 at 07:10
dan phillips says:
Lovely!
Mai 14th, 2010 at 09:10
blogasys says:
Thanks a lot Dan !
Peter
Mai 14th, 2010 at 13:01
Hini says:
Great composition!
I love the sounds and the song in general.
It would be awesome to have some of your combis (free ones, of course) I love that combis.
Thank you for your music
August 10th, 2010 at 12:09
blogasys says:
Thanks a lot, Hini.
Maybe at the end of the year I will share some Combis.
Peter
August 11th, 2010 at 15:40