D
dansgold
Guest
So many things need to be said on this topic ... and so little time.
The OASYS is an interesting concept in a keyboard, to be sure. It has to be said right away that - as a simple point of fact - that what you are buying IS a PC + customized Operating System + interfaces + Keyboard + high-quality audio interface.
So, in theory and principle, you don't have any technology which is different from PC + VSTs + Keyboard Controller + Audio Interface. Please don't argue this point, as it's demonstrable by simple observation.
The high price point immediately creates two camps of individuals:
1) Those who CAN afford it, buy it [for whatever reasons seem good to them], and have a vested interest in defending that purchase decision.
2) Those who CAN'T afford it, and therefore feel a need to defend the notion that they really don't need it or want it.
Those aren't the only categories, of course. But they do form a LARGE percentage of the people weighing in with opinions about the OASYS.
I am in a "camp" which says "I CAN afford it, and if it represents a good value compared to other options, I WILL buy it." What constitutes a "good value" requires weighing all of the advantages and disadvantages of the OASYS against similar technologies with similar qualities & capabilities.
I'd like to set some points of comparison in order to keep this as much of an "apples to apples" comparision as is possible.
So, for that purpose, I am going to establish the following:
I'll use the 76-key model of the OASYS as the comparision. This is important as it minimizes the cost as much as possible in comparing against other, lower-cost options.
Other options must include a 76-key (or equivalent) controller as well, just to keep it fair.
Other options must include at least the minmal number of sound-engine choices available on the OASYS: ROMpler/Sampler, Virtual/Modeled Analog and Modeled B3/C3 ... or equivalent technologies.
"Sound quality" is certainly subjective. Even so, any technology or instrument used for comparison should be of "pro quality". It's therefore also unfair to claim that something has "inferior" sound quality if it is only a different type of technology, but still in wide use on stage or in studio. (A MiniMoog is noisier than just about ANY current synth, for instance, but is still considered the "king of synths" by many)
Other solutions must include a high quality audio inteface". This is to prevent unfair cost comparisions based upon inferior onboard PC audio or consumer-quality cards.
The OTHER part of any meaningful comparision must include some kind of "use case analysis". So, for these purposes, I'll deal with the following user types:
1) A "gigging" keyboard player, who plays either solo or as part of a band.
2) A "studio keyboardist/synthesist" primarily concerned with use in professional recording work. For this case, it is assumed that the musician is the owner of the OASYS, and ships/hauls the keyboard himself as required.
3) A "project studio owner", concerned mostly with recording work. The OASYS is semi-staionary, and does not usually leave the studio environment.
In my opinion, these scenarios form the most useful points of comparsion.
(more to come ...)
The OASYS is an interesting concept in a keyboard, to be sure. It has to be said right away that - as a simple point of fact - that what you are buying IS a PC + customized Operating System + interfaces + Keyboard + high-quality audio interface.
So, in theory and principle, you don't have any technology which is different from PC + VSTs + Keyboard Controller + Audio Interface. Please don't argue this point, as it's demonstrable by simple observation.
The high price point immediately creates two camps of individuals:
1) Those who CAN afford it, buy it [for whatever reasons seem good to them], and have a vested interest in defending that purchase decision.
2) Those who CAN'T afford it, and therefore feel a need to defend the notion that they really don't need it or want it.
Those aren't the only categories, of course. But they do form a LARGE percentage of the people weighing in with opinions about the OASYS.
I am in a "camp" which says "I CAN afford it, and if it represents a good value compared to other options, I WILL buy it." What constitutes a "good value" requires weighing all of the advantages and disadvantages of the OASYS against similar technologies with similar qualities & capabilities.
I'd like to set some points of comparison in order to keep this as much of an "apples to apples" comparision as is possible.
So, for that purpose, I am going to establish the following:
I'll use the 76-key model of the OASYS as the comparision. This is important as it minimizes the cost as much as possible in comparing against other, lower-cost options.
Other options must include a 76-key (or equivalent) controller as well, just to keep it fair.
Other options must include at least the minmal number of sound-engine choices available on the OASYS: ROMpler/Sampler, Virtual/Modeled Analog and Modeled B3/C3 ... or equivalent technologies.
"Sound quality" is certainly subjective. Even so, any technology or instrument used for comparison should be of "pro quality". It's therefore also unfair to claim that something has "inferior" sound quality if it is only a different type of technology, but still in wide use on stage or in studio. (A MiniMoog is noisier than just about ANY current synth, for instance, but is still considered the "king of synths" by many)
Other solutions must include a high quality audio inteface". This is to prevent unfair cost comparisions based upon inferior onboard PC audio or consumer-quality cards.
The OTHER part of any meaningful comparision must include some kind of "use case analysis". So, for these purposes, I'll deal with the following user types:
1) A "gigging" keyboard player, who plays either solo or as part of a band.
2) A "studio keyboardist/synthesist" primarily concerned with use in professional recording work. For this case, it is assumed that the musician is the owner of the OASYS, and ships/hauls the keyboard himself as required.
3) A "project studio owner", concerned mostly with recording work. The OASYS is semi-staionary, and does not usually leave the studio environment.
In my opinion, these scenarios form the most useful points of comparsion.
(more to come ...)
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The Karma also has the software to let you do generated effects on the computer and sync to the keyboard. All in all, the oasys is a very nice item. I have played it many times in the local GC here, but to me, i already have a lot of those sounds as well as the Karma features and i find myself using the command station/cubase for sequencing and recording audio. At a lower price point it might be more of a look into, but i would not knock anyone for buying it, if that is what floats their boat
