Omg I Played The Oasys And...

[Omega Monkey]

...it was aight.

I mean, it was cool and all, and I wouldn't mind having one, but I wasnt really blown away by it.

To be fair, I didnt get to spend that much time with it, and it was sold in less than 2 days so I probably wont get another chance for a while. But the only thing I really liked about it over other workstations was the wave sequencing stuff, and I could get that by spending $350 on a Wavestation AD. This one was a used 88 key version going for $4500. I still prefer the $3k or so Motif XS from what I've seen so far, but I'd like to get more time with the Korg.

On the other hand, at the same place (GC Rockville), I got to play the new Prophet 08. Now that thing is fuckin sweet! Great sounds, although true to it's analog nature they are a bit unpredictable. The unison feature is amazing. Same price as the PEK, and I would probably choose the P08, for the extra poly as well as the more analog oriented sound (but I still want a PEK too).

Also went over to the guitar side and played a really nice EBMM Silhouette (similar to Steve Morse model I think) through this AMAZING Soldano head (with a run of the mill Marhsall bottom). The head was $3300, but it sure sounded like it would be worth it. The second I turned it on was instant "dirty deeds" tone. It cycled through some great vintage and modern Metallica style tones, smooth Steve Hackett sustain, great dark jazzy cleans, and all manner of inbetweens and outsides. Didnt get a chance to try the VHT right below it, but I plan to on my next trip up there. I like to go at least every month or so just to keep up with new gear and try out fun toys.

[Grey Loki]

Well the OASYS seemed very much to be Korg putting all of its synths into one package without anything really groundbreaking - i'm sure it's a nice workstation and all, and it really does look the part, but it's not really got anything super new and amazing.

Of course, i'd still take one if it was offered ;)

[-=AnatomiC=-]

For 8000 bucks, you have to be blown away, or something!
Oasys is good - but certainly doesn't worth its price.

And I prefer multiple keyboards, instead of one... and for 8000 you can buy few very decent keyboards!
A workstation, a VA and a digital organ, and still have some money left for amps and other stuff...

[Maximus]

is it worth it for U$6K

[-=AnatomiC=-]

I would say, 4000-4500 euro max...

They just made an overkill keyboard, for spoiled brats (no offense :biggrin: ) who can afford anything, just to have a little bit more, than the rest of us...

I mean - Fusion has 2 sound engines, 2x parts in sequencer and much more polyphony and a HD! And for what price? 1000 euro for 88 key version?

[RemcoG]

You've got a good point there with the 8HD.. But, ofcourse (may I hope) that the Oasys is a better machine, with higher quality samples, it has a touchscreen and other cool features.

I can imagine though that you weren't blown away, I mean it's just all pieces of Korg together in a puzzle.
And it costs really, too much.

It seems to be the perfect workstation, but if it isn't that special... That's a serious pity. :tongue: I think you're even happy if you've got like a Fantom or a K2600XS.

[calmar]

I've played a lot with the Triton Extreme, Roland Fantom, I owned a Motif ES8 for 2 years and I now own a Oasys 88 and a Kurzweil K2600, and let me tell you something, the Oasys is totally worth the price, but of course, not for everybody.

And no, I'm not a spoiled brat who can afford anything.

Dave

[-=AnatomiC=-]

Don't be shy - I'm a spoiled brat also :biggrin: , though I certainly can't afford everything...

Sure Oasys is an overkill - it has much more flexibility than any other workstation, but still - If I would have 8000 euro, personally, I would buy something else...
Like I mentioned I would probably go for 2/3 keyboards and PA installation.

I don't know - multiple keyboards just look cooler (and there are also some practical reasons, but I won't mention them now), for me... and I don't think you will get or even need anything else, if you have an Oasys.
I know I wouldn't - and I would be stuck with 1 keyboard, and I would hate it :frown:

Well, everybody has his own taste, and I respect your decision.

[aibohphobia]

Hey Omega...go over to Chuck's in Wheaton, they have an Oasys on display and I have spent many hours playing that beast! It'll give you a chance to really decide if it's worth it or not. I think it is...but I'm also on a musician's salary so I'm not picking one up any time soon.

[Semmi78]

it's funny, because for someone playing a real authentic instrument (like woodwind, brass, piano and stuff like that) the Oasys pricerange is actually the beginning of something professional. So I actually don't understand the whole discussion about its price.
If the Oasys is something really professional and is just the best you can buy in terms of quality, than the price tag is acceptable.

but I agree there is a huge gap between the Oasys price and the other workstations (expect for a fully blown K2600X I guess)

[-=AnatomiC=-]

Agree... Oasys is a pro instrument, and the price isn't that high, really...

For instance - my teacher (classic harmony) is a pro trumpet player - well he has 4 different trumpets (I think it has something to do with tuning... well the fact is that he really needs 4 trumpets) and the price of each trumpet is... 4000 euro! It means, he has spend twice the price of the Oasys on his instruments...

But I can imagine - all his trumpets are customly hand-made from top quality materials, by respectable craftsmen, and keyboards are manufactured in mass production with common materials in big factories... and there are large amount of pro keyboards that feels like trash.

So here is your explanation... still - Oasys is not the only professional keyboard there is... and why should you pay more, when you can pay less, and still get very good instrument?

[Semmi78]

Agree... Oasys is a pro instrument, and the price isn't that high, really...

For instance - my teacher (classic harmony) is a pro trumpet player - well he has 4 different trumpets (I think it has something to do with tuning... well the fact is that he really needs 4 trumpets) and the price of each trumpet is... 4000 euro! It means, he has spend twice the price of the Oasys on his instruments...

But I can imagine - all his trumpets are customly hand-made from top quality materials, by respectable craftsmen, and keyboards are manufactured in mass production with common materials in big factories... and there are large amount of pro keyboards that feels like trash.

So here is your explanation... still - Oasys is not the only professional keyboard there is... and why should you pay more, when you can pay less, and still get very good instrument?

I fully agree with your last sentence. i think the M3, K2600, Motif (and other related) do the job more than perfectly for most of us. And for a maximum of 3500 euro's (except the K2600), it is actually a bargain for what it does for us.
A friend of mine plays drums and for that money I can buy both the M3, Motif, K2600. And drums are also massproduced.

[Semmi78]

[QUOTE=Semmi78]I fully agree with your last sentence. i think the M3, K2600, Motif (and other related) do the job more than perfectly for most of us. And for a maximum of 3500 euro's (except the K2600), it is actually a bargain for what it does for us.

[Liquidkey]

And for a maximum of 3500 euro's (except the K2600)I bought my K2600XS used for about 2500 euro's, full of samples, and I think many of those sounds are at least as good as the Oasys'.

I would never bought it new though :P

[-=AnatomiC=-]

Hmmm - Drums are mass produced, but I still think they are hand made - at least expensive drums.
Also - materials have to be right for the job! Drums have to be robust and yet sound good... and with "digital crap", you get like chips and transistors etc, made from cheapest materials. For example - golden wires would be the better, than copper wires.

Demand is also a big factor - there are not much keyboard types in comparison to guitars and other instruments. So they can afford to sell it at lower price.

Acoustic instruments are very expensive, indeed... for 8000 euro, you can't buy a very good acoustic grand... Top grand pianos - at least 50 grand!
Top acoustic guitars are very expensive too - +-6000 euro... but what is it really? It's a piece of air, surrounded buy wood and 6 strings!

[Spacehog]

IMO it's talking about two different things comparing the price of a professional orchestral instrument with that of a synthesiser. A decent violin or trumpet etc will last the buyer tens (hundreds?) of years and will most likely be worth at least as much as when it was bought (often many times more). The most forward thinking and highly specified synth in the world will be yesterday's news in a couple of years time, and while there are "classic" synths out there that have achived vintage pricing and cult status, they all went through long periods of being out of fashion and worth very little, and it's very much a limited few good ones that have survived the test of time.

[-=AnatomiC=-]

Maybe - but some instruments do have an unlimited life expectation, like a violin... but let's say an acoustic guitar doesn't - it will last maximum +-15 years, even if it had a good maintenance.


I guess we, keyboard players, are product of digital era, where new technologies are born, and old ones die...

Still, I would like to have something like Jupiter 6-8, or TB-303.... but I wouldn't pay much for it....

[Spacehog]

Still plenty of great acoustic guitars kicking around from the 40's and 50's, if not earlier - I'm sure Steve Howe uses a couple of instruments from the 1920's regularly. An acoustic guitar doesn't quite fall into the same category anyway - the greatest acoustic guitars in the world are made by Jeffrey Yong in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (they've won blind tests for both playability and sound quality at major guitar festivals against some of the most famous guitars in the world), and will only set you back about €3000. I've had the priviledge of both playing the guitars and meeting the guy himself and being shown round his factory. An outstanding craftsman and a truly lovely guy.

[Semmi78]

Well, I do not care about the technical lifetime of an instrument in the discussion about the value of an instrument. It is a fact that computer driven instruments lasts only a few years before they are old, do not match current sounddemands etc. But it is a fact I take for granted and I think we all do. do we have an alternative anyways?

I do compare my synth with a piano, an oboe, a saxophone etc because it is an instrument, and I happen to play synth. My friends happens to play Oboe and pays 10000 euro for a professional oboe, with which he can play all the parts he wants. I pay 3000 euros for a professional workstation that can do the business I want.

So yes, I think my hobby and synths overall doesn't cost that much comparing to other musicians. :cool: