Running Korg Oasys synths to Apogee Trak2.Ad/Da?

[El CaCa]

I have a Korg oasys card on a seperate G3 Mac. I'm at the same time running the 001 on a G4 1.25 Ghz...My question is when I'm sending the sounds from the Korg Audio card, should I send them via ADAT Lightpipe and into the Trak2...Or should I send the Synth sounds via the Oasys Analog outs and into the Trak2 Aux 1/4 inch inputs...???When the Oasys spits out sound via analog output is it utilizing cheap d/a converters or is it more in the fashion of an external synth? Just wondering while I finally hook up my studio...

[B.Ray]

...My question is when I'm sending the sounds from the Korg Audio card, should I send them via ADAT Lightpipe and into the Trak2...Or should I send the Synth sounds via the Oasys Analog outs and into the Trak2 Aux 1/4 inch inputs...???

OASYS PCI eh? Very fine kit. The Minimoog & Prophet V emulations are some of the best out there.

As to your question re: interfacing. What I do is run outputs from my OASYS to 001 via ADAT I/O. That way I get 8 channels of instruments into PTLE. Make sure you match up all the sync stuff. There really is no need to insert your Trak2 in between the two.

...When the Oasys spits out sound via analog output is it utilizing cheap d/a converters or is it more in the fashion of an external synth? ...

The converters on the OASYS aren't necessarilly cheap. You may have gotten it for a very cheap price but when it was originally released, it had a MSRP of over $2,000 US (about twice the price of our MX001's). As stated above, there really isn't a need to use the OASYS converters for recording if you have an open ADAT or S/PDIF input.

There used to be a lot of OASYS users here on the DUC. Do a search...you should find lots of info and user's tips.

El CaCa...that's a funny word for a name . I wonder how many people here know what it means? I was raised in the LA, California area...I used to hear it all the time growing up.

[citi]

Yeah but the trak 2 converter blows the digi out of the water. I would suggest going adat out to the trak 2 let the soft limit or saturation kick in and send it out via spdif or adat. Much better conversion happening that way. I have a trak 2. Night and day differnce.

[B.Ray]

Yeah but the trak 2 converter blows the digi out of the water...

Gee...I'm probably missing something in the translation here, but I don't see what the quality of the digi converters has to do with anything I was suggesting. I go out (from my OASYS) via ADAT into my 001 - bypassing the converters on both units. That's what I was suggesting that El CaCa does. Bypass the converters altogether!

As far as utilizing the Trak2 Limiter is concerned, that's another story altogether. If that's what you do, then cool . I've found the on-board Dynamics, EQ & EFX of the OASYS system to be a very nice addition to my set-up. In fact, it has a creamy reverb that I sometimes use with my PTLE tracks...works good for Rhodes and other Keys found on the OASYS.

Case you don't know, the OASYS is a DSP card not unlike UAD-1 & Powercore with the added strength of Soft Synths programmed by the great John Bowen. Plus ADAT I/O so you can interface it with practically anything. It's not in the same class as UAD-1 or Powercore, in the Dynamics, EQ & EFX department because Korg stopped development on it a couple of years ago. Soft synth wise, its miles ahead of those two cards (UAD-1 has no synths and Powercore only has one - their focus is on Dynamics & EFX). Not really an Oranges-to-Oranges comparison here .

The Cadillac of Soft Synth/DSP cards, IMO, is the Creamware stuff (Scope, PulsarII, XTC & LunaII). Their MiniMax, Prophets, B-2003, ModularIII (with Flexor), etc. is second to none! Their STS-5000 sampler could use a little freshening up but its adequate.

Oh! El CaCa, I forgot to mention that you'll need a MIDI interface for your G3 because the OASYS doesn't have one.

[El CaCa]

Oh yeah,

I do have the usb midi interface and I'll be using that for getting midi into the oasys (on the G3)...My only problem is that the oasys can't operate as a standalone unit...I need a sequencer for mac to use w/ the oasys...Is there any freeware out there that will allow me to use 8 channels of adat lightpipe?

As for the A/d D/a, so you're saying that if I connect the adat lightpipe out of the oasys and into the 001 lightpipe it bypasses the converters totally? I'll totally do that when I hook it up if thats the case...Though I may try the hooking it up throught the Trak2 and see what that sounds like also...

Thanks for all your help...The oasys is a great unit...and more people should take a look at buying one...

El Caca "the shnizzle"

for all you mexicanos....

[B.Ray]

The Chupacabra! One of my friend's dad said he saw the Chupacabra late one night about 17 years ago. People only see it late at night.

...My only problem is that the oasys can't operate as a standalone unit...I need a sequencer for mac to use w/ the oasys...Is there any freeware out there that will allow me to use 8 channels of adat lightpipe?

OK, sequencers. What's wrong with Pro Tools Free?

If you want to run your G3 as stand-alone (without the G4 running at all), you'll need a sequencer on the G3. But if you turn-on your G4, you can just drive the G3/OASYS combo from PTLE! In other words, use the G3/OASYS combo like it was a MIDI sound module. Just run MIDI cables to & from the two computers and you're all set. PTLE is your sequencer!

[guitates]

I think Oasys is Only 8track with the Optical I/O...8 does not go in to 2...

If the trak2 is S/PDIF, this is the very best output for the Oasys...

[El CaCa]

OK, sequencers. What's wrong with Pro Tools Free?

The only thing w/ PT free is that I cant use the Adat I/o...if I'm correct PT Free only allows 2 analog inputs?

Quote:

But if you turn-on your G4, you can just drive the G3/OASYS combo from PTLE! In other words, use the G3/OASYS combo like it was a MIDI sound module. Just run MIDI cables to & from the two computers and you're all set. PTLE is your sequencer!



My only question on that is how does the oasys software recieve my midi signal? In the oasys there are only options for channels a1 a2 etc. You see when I had PT hooked up on my G3 the oasys midi channels would show up in PT mixer outputs..I cant do that on OSX...How do I get that midi signal to the Oasys w/out a sequencer on the G3 ...I guess my question is how do I "drive the G3/Oasys combo from PTLE"....Even if I run midi cables to and from the G4 and G3, the midi inputs wont show up in the oasys software....See what I mean...But if there is a solution and I can run the oasys' midi from PT on the G4 I'm all for it...I just dont get how I would do that?

[valvebrother]

As for the A/d D/a, so you're saying that if I connect the adat lightpipe out of the oasys and into the 001 lightpipe it bypasses the converters totally?

Yep, absolutely. I have an Oasys in another box (PC in my case) and that's exactly how I have it setup (Oasys ADAT out to 001 ADAT in). No reason to involve any conversion unless you plan on processing the Oasys sound in the analog realm prior to laying it into ProTools. I do that quite a bit to take advantage of some tube gear, etc. to thicken the sound up.

Incidentally I clock the Oasys to my master clock (Crane Song HEDD) via the Oasys's word clock input; helps the sound out quite a bit if I do feed the Oasys into the analog world for processing.

I also have the ability to patch the ADAT out of the 001 set to go into the ADAT in of the Oasys to use the Oasys for some occassional effects processing if needed.

D

[B.Ray]

My only question on that is how does the oasys software recieve my midi signal? In the oasys there are only options for channels a1 a2 etc. You see when I had PT hooked up on my G3 the oasys midi channels would show up in PT mixer outputs..I cant do that on OSX...How do I get that midi signal to the Oasys w/out a sequencer on the G3 ...I guess my question is how do I "drive the G3/Oasys combo from PTLE"....Even if I run midi cables to and from the G4 and G3, the midi inputs wont show up in the oasys software....See what I mean...But if there is a solution and I can run the oasys' midi from PT on the G4 I'm all for it...I just dont get how I would do that?

Man, I'm not sure how to solve that one...I'm on PC and MIDI is built into Windows. May I suggest you pose your question at the OASYS user's Group at yahoo! OASYS USERS - YAHOO!

You may also find some helpful info in the Korg OASYS site HERE. They have a FAQ and Manuals on-line.

Another place to check out is Dan Phillips' site Dan's Page Here. Dan was the OASYS Program Manager when it was still in production. He still provides low level support occasionally (i.e. he develops free plug-ins, contributes to the Yahoo Group, etc.). You may be able to email Dan directly from his site...haven't really checked.

If you must have another sequencer, I'm sure you can "google-up" a freeware one somewhere.

Good luck on sorting this out.