The OASYS PCI integrates high-quality synthesis, effects
processing, and computer audio input
and output into a single, professional PCI audio card - the perfect
complement to any MIDI
sequencer or software-based digital audio workstation. No matter
what the power of your computer,
you'll soon find that you want to use more plug-ins than your
CPU can handle. That's where the
power and flexible design of the OASYS PCI comes in, adding significant
extra processing power to
your computer while providing legendary synthesis and effects
to your studio.
State of the Art DSP Synthesis
The OASYS PCI's synthesizers represent a continual evolution from
Korg's legendary OASYS
project, with many improvements and additions. There are hundreds
of sounds based on over 20
great-sounding algorithms, including modeled analog synths, FM,
tonewheel organ and rotary
speaker, reed and tine pianos, physically modeled trumpet, trombone,
sax, flute, guitar, bass, and
vocals, pipe organ, analog percussion, tempo-based LFOs and analog-style
sequencers, and more.
Synthesis algorithms are plug-ins loaded from disk, allowing easy
upgrades and expansion.
Incredible Multichannel Effects Processing
The OASYS PCI includes over 100 stunning effects algorithms. All
of the effects from the
award-winning Korg Trinity workstation are included - everything
from standard reverbs, choruses,
flangers, phasers, overdrives, and amp simulations to unique effects
such as random filter, stepped
phaser, doppler shift, and talking modulator.
Additional new effects include tempo delays, modulation
via MIDI-sync'd LFOs and analog-style
sequencers, envelope and LFO-swept filters, new high-quality analog
EQ and reverb algorithms, an
awesome 160 second maximum delay time, and more.
These effects can process the onboard synthesizers,
tracks from digital audio programs, and live
audio inputs - simultaneously! Using the built-in submixer, chains
of up to 4 effects each can be used
on up to 12 separate channel inserts, 4 sends, and 6 stereo output
busses. As with synthesis
algorithms, all effects are plug-ins loaded from disk, allowing
for easy expansion in the future.
Professional, Multi-format Analog and Digital I/O
The OASYS PCI features a total of 12 inputs and outputs: stereo
analog, stereo S/PDIF, and
eight-channel ADAT optical. Naturally, all inputs and outputs
are 24-bit, and all can be used
simultaneously with compatible multitrack audio software. Korg
knows that in music, timing is
everything, and so the onboard DSP processing power provides zero-latency
record monitoring -
even with effects!
Korg always keeps the needs of professional studios
in mind, so we've provided Word clock and
ADAT timecode I/O to ensure easy integration with other digital
audio equipment.
Seamless Integration with MIDI and Digital Audio Software
The OASYS PCI supports all major audio and MIDI standards, for
compatibility with virtually
every audio and MIDI program. ASIO drivers for MacOS and Windows
provide direct compatibility
with Cakewalk Metro, Cubase VST, Digital Performer, Logic Audio,
Vision DSP, Studio Vision
Pro, and more. Standard Windows drivers provide compatibility
with all popular Windows audio
programs, including Cakewalk, Samplitude, SAW, Acid, Sound Forge,
and more. OMS, FreeMIDI,
and standard Windows MIDI drivers seamlessly connect the OASYS
PCI to all MIDI sequencers.
Complete Automation via MIDI
Almost every parameter can be controlled via MIDI, allowing easy
modulation and automation of
mixing, synthesis, and effects from any MIDI sequencer or real-time
MIDI controller.
Highly Refined Synthesizers
Korg has been making professional synthesizers for
over 30 years, and we bring this indispensable
level of experience to everything we make.
Recently, Korg has also been a leader in DSP synthesis,
as reflected in the Trinity V3, Electribe
products, Prophecy, Wavedrum, Z1, and the legendary OASYS keyboard.
Hundreds of man-years of
effort have gone into the development of the OASYS PCI's DSP synths
and effects - and it shows.
Note that only some of the OASYS PCI's synths are described
below; there is just too much to talk
about! Also, remember that all synth algorithms are plug-ins loaded
from disk, so that Korg and
third-party developers can easily add entirely new synths in the
future.
Not Just "Me Too" Analog Synths
Our analog synths are audibly superior to other "analog
modeling" products. After listening to the
OASYS PCI, we think you will agree that other "virtual"
analog synths sound...well...kind of virtual.
So, what should you listen for? To start with, our oscillators
are rich, bright, and smooth, with
extremely low jitter and aliasing. We have worked hard to eliminate
the usual artifacts of digital
oscillators.
The filters are warm and fat, with resonance extending
to frequencies far above typical digital
"analog" filters. They are flexible too, with many algorithms
offering a choice of poles and modes.
There is also a special, fully modulatable comb filter, for sounds
like you have never heard before!
Finally, the envelopes are punchy, smooth, and lightning-fast,
and use audio-rate processing just
like old-school analog envelopes.
In addition to several flexible analog synth algorithms,
which allow you to make your own balance
between features and polyphony, we have included a few incredible
re-creations of classic analog
synths, as described below.
Prophet™ Model: Our Prophet™ model features
specifically tailored filter resonance,
envelope shapes, and VCA output nonlinearity, along with poly
mod, sync, and simultaneous
oscillator waveforms, just like the original.
Minimoog™ Model: Our Minimoog™ model features specific
and separate modeling of the
synth's high and low frequency filter resonance, as well as its
distinctive envelope shapes and
VCA sound.
Percussion Synth: This synth is optimized for analog-modeled percussion,
with a
hard-hitting, punchy sound. It's available both with and without
an Electribe-inspired
percussion sequencer.
B3 Tonewheel Organ with Rotary Speaker: We're extremely proud
of our B3
tonewheel organ model. Its awesome sound starts with perfect tonewheel
phase coherency,
resulting in pure, powerful sounding chords, just like the real
thing.
Then, we added subtle and sophisticated features such as complete
drawbar control, fully
programmable key click, and true mono percussion.
Compare this model to sampled organs, with their fixed drawbar
settings, out-of-phase
chords, and percussion on every note, and you will hear the difference
immediately.
Best of all, the organ is fully polyphonic (61 notes at a time),
and yet, even combined with
both authentic vibrato and rotary speaker effects, it uses only
half of the OASYS PCI's DSP
power!
Naturally, with a B3 model this good, we had to have an equally
impressive rotary speaker.
So, we included the incredibly realistic rotary speaker model
from Korg's acclaimed
Toneworks G4.
Electric Pianos: The reed and tine electric piano models both
feature natural, smooth
velocity sensitive transitions from soft, sweet, and bell-like
to loud, overdriven, and cutting.
The models even allow you to adjust the position of the pickups!
Guitar and Bass: Our acoustic guitar model features fully adjustable
pickup position,
damping, decay, and dispersion, allowing you to morph from steel
string to nylon string to a
surreal "plucked iron girder" guitar.
On the other end of the spectrum, the slap bass model offers the
ultimate in punch and cut,
with an over-the-top, nonlinear hyper-slap sound.
Trumpet and Trombone: The physically modeled trumpet and trombone
algorithms feature
modeled lip embouchure, valves and slides, and bells, resulting
in rich tone, magnificent
expressiveness, and realistic "falls" and "rips."
Sax and Flute: Our physically modeled woodwinds respond to breath
pressure (or other
MIDI controllers) with incredible realism. The sax model features
realistic growl and
fingering noise, while being free of the formant shifts characteristic
of sampled saxophones.
You can hear the breath in the flute model, and overblow it for
a punchy "chiff."
Stunning Effects
As impressive as the synthesizer features are, they
are only part of what the OASYS PCI has to
offer. Building on the award-winning Korg Trinity's effects algorithms,
the OASYS PCI offers a
stunning variety of high-quality effects - over a hundred different
algorithms in all.
For instance, in addition to the standard chorus effect,
there is a harmonic chorus, a step chorus
(with rhythmic transitions instead of a smooth LFO - syncable
to MIDI, of course), a two-band
chorus with independent processing for high and low frequencies,
four- and six-tap multitap
chorus/delays, a bi-phase modulator with dual LFOs, and an ensemble
effect.
With that selection of choruses, clearly there are
a large number of more unusual effects, as well.
For instance, there is the talking modulator, which processes
any signal through sweeping, dynamic
vowel shapes. The decimator, for adding low-fi grunge and attitude.
The doppler shift, for making
any source into a fly-by. Flangers and phasers with triggered
envelopes and MIDI-synced LFOs. A
MIDI gate with full envelope control, for punchy, lightening-fast
rhythm effects.
And many, many more - overdrives, amp simulations,
resonators, delays, auto-wahs, auto-panners,
vibratos, early reflections, the rotary speaker from the Korg
Toneworks G4, classic organ-style
chorus-vibrato, a sub-oscillator, a ring modulator, a dynamic
exciter, a stereo enhancer, a multi-band
limiter, and still more, as described below!
Even better, all effects are plug-ins loaded from disk,
so it's easy for Korg or third-party
developers to add new ones in the future.
High-Quality MIDI-Synced Tempo Delays: A variety of
recent synths and effects
include MIDI-synced delays. With some of them, however, you might
have noticed a telltale
clicking when the tempo changes - or even when it's supposed to
be completely steady!
In contrast, the OASYS PCI's MIDI-synced tempo delays are smooth,
responsive, and
click-free. They also offer delay times up to 40 seconds (and
you can use up to four of these at
once!), fine adjust of synced delay times to create "swing"
rhythms, individual high and low
cut filters per tap, and more.
MIDI-Synced LFO Effects: Chorus, flanger, phaser, resonant filters,
auto-pan, tremelo,
and vibrato effects are available with MIDI-synced tempo LFOs.
The standard tempo LFO
features six different basic waveforms, with continuous adjustment
between logarithmic,
linear, and exponential shapes, as well as parameterized smoothing
- all of which can be
modulated in real time.
The LFO phase can be reset via MIDI, and the initial phase is
fully adjustable, allowing you
to create just the right feel to fit into a groove. For stereo
effects, the LFO's Left/Right phase
difference is also continuously adjustable.
Multi-Mode Resonant Filter Effects: The filters we developed for
our analog
synthesizers sounded so good, we knew that we had to make them
into effects as well.
So, we included a selection of multi-mode, multi-pole resonant
filter effects, featuring
modulation from triggered envelopes, MIDI-synced LFOs, and more,
available for processing
any audio source - even other synthesizers. Happy tweaking!
New EQ and Reverb: To inaugurate the release of the OASYS PCI,
we've dramatically
improved some of our meat-and-potatoes algorithms, as well. The
new high-precision,
analog-style EQ has smooth, balanced curves throughout the audible
frequency range, in
pleasant contrast to many digital EQs.
And the completely new O-Verb reverb offers separate control of
high, mid, and low
reverb times, a lush, smooth tail, and up to ten fully parameterized,
diffused delays, for
creating complex early reflection patterns and tempo-based effects.
Specifications
Audio and sync input and output
24-bit stereo analog input and output
24-bit S/PDIF input and output
24-bit ADAT optical input and output
BNC Word clock input and output
ADAT timecode input and output/through
Sample rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, external clock
Synthesizers
Synthesizers are plug-ins loaded from disk, allowing
for easy future expansion
Initial release includes over 20 synthesis algorithms and hundreds
of sounds
Effects
Effects are plug-ins loaded from disk, allowing for
easy future expansion
Initial release includes over one hundred unique effects algorithms
Submixer
12 channels, each of which may process synthesis programs,
audio inputs, or hard disk audio
tracks
Channel inserts may each have up to 4 effects
4 sends, each with up to 4 effects
6 stereo output busses, each with up to 4 effects
Compatibility
PCI 2.1-compliant
Audio I/O supports ASIO (Mac and PC) and standard Windows audio
I/O
MIDI supports OMS, FreeMIDI, and standard Windows MIDI