Korg OASYS
The Korg OASYS is a workstation synthesizer released in early 2005, 1 year after the successful Korg Triton Extreme. Unlike the Triton series, the OASYS uses a custom Linux operating system that was designed to be arbitrarily expandable via software updates, with its functionality limited only by the PC-like hardware.
| OASYS | |
|---|---|
Korg OASYS | |
| Manufacturer | Korg |
| Dates | 2005–2009 |
| Price | $8,000–$8,500 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Polyphony | 172 for HD-1, CX-3, & PolysixEX; 96 for AL-1; 52 for MOD-7; 48 for STR-1 & MS-20EX (all maximum; may vary depending on other sounding voices and effects) |
| Timbrality | 16 |
| Oscillator | depends on synthesis engine |
| Synthesis type | PCM, Wave Sequencing, Vector, Physical Modelling, Sampler, Analog Modelling |
| Filter | depends on synthesis engine |
| Aftertouch expression | yes |
| Velocity expression | yes |
| Storage memory | 1GB RAM, upgradable to 2GB. No physical ROM. Preloaded samples include 314MB "ROM" (loaded into RAM automatically at startup), and optionally-loaded 313MB EXs1 "ROM Expansion" & 503MB EXs2 "Concert Grand Piano." 0MB to 1.5GB available for user samples, depending on memory configuration and loaded EXs. Internal 40GB HDD. |
| Effects | 12 insert, 2 master, 2 total |
| Hardware | 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor |
| Input/output | |
| Keyboard | 76 or 88-key |
| Left-hand control | 2x Joystick, 2x Switch, Ribbon, KARMA |
| External control | MIDI |
OASYS was a software implementation of the research project that ultimately resulted in the OASYS PCI, a DSP card which offered multiple synthesis engines. The original OASYS keyboard concept had to be scrapped because of excessive production costs and limitations of then-current technology.
Production of the OASYS was officially discontinued in April 2009. Korg sold just over 3000 units worldwide. The final software update was released on November 24, 2009.
In 2011, Korg Kronos, a successor of Korg OASYS, was introduced at that year's NAMM Show.