AMAZONA.DE 02/2011
KORG KRONOS VIP EVENT Scheveningen / NL 2011
Korg Kronos VIP Event Scheveningen/NL 2011
No doubt about it: a major highlight of this year's NAMM Show has been the presentation of the brand new Korg Kronos Music Workstation.
It has been just a few days ago, on 7 February 2011, when Korg presented their fine topliner to a selected few dealers in Scheveningen/The Netherlands. Korg's Vice President John McCubbery introduced the credo of the instrument to be musically playable with sounds for musicians not for scientists. And this is what Kronos truly is.
It has been our sincere pleasure that KARO Sound Design was also invited. It was Kurt Ader who represented us and who was interviewed on stage before the general audience on our products and cooperation with Korg. In Scheveningen, it was publically released that we at KARO have had a close cooperation with Korg with respect to the Kronos sound design, facilitating the availability of already forteen different sample based KARO libraries - their ancestors being well-known from the Korg OASYS - which have been optimized for the Kronos and will be available shortly after the instrument series commercial release. Meanwhile, Kurt Ader and Peter Jung have been working on the finalization of two further Kronos libs which most probably will also be available from the start.
read more... (german language only)
AMAZONA.DE 02/2010
Test report
Test report of KARO's KFM-1, KFM-2, KGS1.
We take the liberty to present a translation of some parts in what follows.
KARO has done it again!
It’s amazing that a German sound development team has been the only third party supplier for the KORG OASYS. And, amazingly, KARO further extends their portfolio of professional sound libraries, although KORG shocked the OASYS
users when announcing the discontinuation of the KORG OASYS. (…)
It has been the small company KARO from Germany to perfectly comfort the maltreated souls of many disappointed KORG OASYS users. After releasing the highly praised electric/electronic pianos and acoustic pianos collections, now, KARO surprises the OASYS fan club with three sound sets which are dedicated to the FM synthesis, MOD-7 in the KORG OASYS terminology.
In order to be able to play these sound sets, the optional EXi MOD-7 must be activated. All who have not yet done this are most cordially encouraged to do so, transforming their KORG OASYS into the most flexible hardware FM synthesizer ever.
KARO FM-1
KFM-1 is devoted to the classic YAMAHA TX-816 synthesizer. The TX-816 synthesizer (cf. e.g. http://www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/tx816.php) contained eight DX-7 modules in the rack format, termed TF-1. (…) The price for as much FM multi-mode power was close to 10,000 German marks in the 1980s. (…)
That was a long time ago.
Now, KARO revives this FM monster synthesizer, presenting eight banks containing 32 programs, each for a single TF-1 module. The 256 programs are used as a basis for 128 combinations reviving the true sound power of the vintage TX-816. Typical strings, brass and DX synth sounds come to life with enourmous pressure and expression. Above all, many programs and combinations use the foot controller introducing the dynamic range of the
TX-816 synthesizer to the KORG OASYS MOD-7. Terrific! All sounds benefit from a tasteful use of the KORG OASYS onboard DSP effects.
The design goal, to emulate the YAMAHA TX-816 synthesizer, has been achieved to perfection. (…) However, there will be many FM friends and lovers of old school sounds who will enjoy this sound set.
KARO FM-2
The first YAMAHA DX7 served as the model for the second sound set, KFM-2.
Our of the most well-known DX7 sounds, 256 programs were carefully selected and polished to form the KFM-2. Numerous variations of FM electronic pianos,
DX7 strings and the well-known DX7 brass can be found. Combinations cannot be found, clearly, because the DX7 was never capable of producing layers and splits. (…) Although KARO call KFM-2 a meaningful extension to KFM-1, I did not have a compelling feeling while playing the sounds. (…)
Of course, also many new sounds can be found in the KFM-2 sound set, but a BEST OF collection from KFM-1 and the present KFM-2 would have been more meaningful for me personally. (…)
KARO GS-1
This sound set, KGS1, is made to emulate the Yamaha classic synthesizers GS-1 (2 x 4 operators) and GS-2 (4 operators). In 1981, two years before YAMAHA introduced the DX7, starting a new era in digital sound synthesis the GS-1 appeared at a price of well beyond 30,000 German marks(…).
KARO’s Peter Jung, also the master mind of KFM-1 and KFM-2, created 128 typical GS-1 sounds, all being based on the same, rather rigid FM algorithm which operated in the FM ancestor. It’s amazing what sound magic can be done with it. A comeback of good memories of pop music ballads of the 1980's which were shaped by the sound of the GS-1. (…) All sounds are beyond any criticism, for sure, if one looks for exactly for this kind of sounds (" Tänzerin" lets greet again once). However: Is this still so exciting? (…)
Alternatives
The best alternative to KFM-1, KFM-2 and KGS1 is also presented by KARO.
Who searches FM in fresh packing, I can fully recommend KARO’s TOTAL CONTROL, KTC. A further test report will follows surely soon.
However, those who look for DX and GS in purity cannot go past the three packages, KFM-1, KFM-2, and KGS1, definitely.
Result
KFM-1, KFM-2 and KGS1 are outstandingly well programmed sound collections of classical FM sounds. Lovers of these old school FM sounds will appreciate the selection and will be pleased that now the TX-816, the DX7 and the GS-1 are available one to one in the KORG OASYS. But even then one should consider
that with the purchase of all three sound sets some overlap will occur. (…)
Plus
+++ outstandingly programmed FM sounds of the classical ancestors TX816, DX7 and GS-1
+++ very good conversion and playability with the KORG OASYS
Minus
-- moldy sound character
AMAZONA.DE 02/2008
Interview
Interview: Kurt Ader & Oliver Rehn-HEADS OF KARO
29/02/2008 - Peter Grandl //
Whoever has paid attention to AMAZONA.de very carefully will know Kurt Ader and Oliver Rehn. The man behind KARO and the only THIRD PARTY library available world-wide for the KORG OASYS is already well-known in the music business. You will be astonished how often you will have probably played sounds which were created by Kurt Ader.
Subsequently you will find all and even more in the interwiew below:
AMAZONA.de
Hello Kurt, you are no newcomer in the scene. Since when have you been programming professional sounds and who has received sound libraries from you hitherto?
KURT ADER:
It has started all very early... In fact, it started with purchasing my first synthesizer in 1977, the Minimoog. At that time, I frequented many studios in Gemany which booked me as a sound designer on a free-lance basis. Later followed orders form the industrial sector, for example from Sequential Circuits.
I supplied sounds for the Prophet 2000 and the Studio 440. When Sequential had unfortunately died finally I changed to E-MU and created sounds for Emax,
E-3, E-4 and Vintage Keys Plus.
Kurt Ader
AMAZONA.de
How did it come that you started to develop sounds libraries for the Oasys?
KURT ADER:
I heard the Oasys at Musikmesse 2006 for the first time and became enthusiastic at once. Shortly after having finished the fair I purchase this battleship :-) After having checked out intensively the sounds available, however I had to see that the internal string samples in the ROM were not sufficient for me. Thus, I decided to create my own string library. Now my partner and friend since long Oliver Rehn entered the stage. I told him of my intention to rent a complete symphonic orchestra. It did not last long and we realized our common plan and founded the company called KARO. By the way, the name KARO stands for the initial letters of our names.
AMAZONA.de:
Hello Oliver, how did you see all that?
Oliver Rehn:
Kurt was the first one who purchased the OASYS and who found out that the ROM-based string samples did not meet his requirements. Due to this fact I entered the scene. We met each other and decided to work on string sounds on a common basis. It was not surprising for us to book the Mannheimer Philharmoniker - Mannheim Philharmonic Orchestra - in order to created the sound which we had in our heads. Moreover, the taste in terms of strings lay on the same level.
Oliver Rehn in his studio
AMAZONA.de:
All right - this becomes very clear. "Hey Kurt, somehow the strings do not sound so well - let´s spend 40,000 euros and hire the Philharmonic Orchestra so that you stop grating on my nerves!!". How did it really happen?
Oliver Rehn:
No, of course it was not like that. I think it is like that with many projects that the efforts will wind up higher than presumed from the outset. At the beginning we had not planned to spend such a huge amount of money. Moreover, we had contacts in order to make some initial recordings as a trial. The projects gradually got into shape.
AMAZONA.de
So you had to make a huge investment in advance. Didn´t you fear that you might lose all that money?
Oliver Rehn:
I think, whenever you decide to realize a project there will come up certain risks. As already mentioned, a lot of different things happened until we could finish off our final version.
The same happened with regard to costs and expenditure for Philharmonic Strings. Of course, we had some advantages due to our long-standing contacts. Finally one has to take into consideration the result, since the final product completely satisfied our needs.
AMAZONA.de:
When did you finally get the idea to give access to the library to "Third Parties"?
OASYS Library Symphonic Strings
Oliver Rehn:
During the recordings with the Symphonic Orchestra the idea of KARO was born and converted commercially into a distribution unit which exclusively should be dedicated to market sounds for the OASYS.
How and where did you record the sounds ?
Oliver Rehn:
The strings were recorded in Nationaltheater Mannheim. When making the actual recordings each individual instrument was recorded by means of highly sophisticated Schoeps and Neumann microphones. Additionally to this, we recorded a stereo signal of the room atmosphere which has been supplemented if required in order to get a spacial expression. Exactly this fact is being missed with many other libraries, which in the majority of the cases were only recorded with one single stereo sum which of course results in too much room reverberation.
AMAZONA.de
And what happened then?
Oliver Rehn:
It was a lot of work in order to sort out the samples, to balance the samples to gain a common level as well as realizing a well-tempered tuning at the end. The division of labour was carried out as follows: I had all the DAT´s on my computer and normalized it by means of a special software which I developed for that purpose. Then Kurt got the samples in form of wav-files afterwards. He took care of the mapping procedure and the entire sound processing within the OASYS itself... The result was tremendously good and exceeded everything we had been acustomed to even from the best plugins available.
AMAZONA.de
Kurt, what is it which fascinates you that much as far as the Oasys is concerned?
KURT ADER:
Since long no other synthesizer/workstation could convince me to that extent like the Oasys. A very important aspect certainly is that you can mix different forms of synthesis and that in a quality which frightens the best plugins of other manufactureres. ;-)
AMAZONA.de
As far as we know there is world-wide only KORG except KARO who develops and produces libraries for the Oasys. What do you think is the reason for that?
KURT ADER:
:-) I cannot tell you the reason why either... Maybe the reason is that the Oasys represents a niche product because of its high price and hence many companies might think the profit expectations are too low.
AMAZONA.de:
Does Korg support you?
KURT ADER:
Of course ;-) In the meantime, we have a very good relation to Korg on a very friendly basis!
AMAZONA.de
Last week we introduced the MOVIE COLLECTION in AMAZONA.de. How did it come to produce a movie collection?
OASYS Library Movie Collection
KURT ADER:
We had a questionnaire on our homepage and in forums for the Oasys. Thus, the user himself was able to influence the sounds desired for the KARO library.
AMAZONA.de
The list of ingredients makes you envious indeed. Do you possess all the devices in your studio like the Synclavier II, the VL1 or the PPG 2.3?
Kurt Ader´s studio
KURT ADER:
Many of the synthesizers used still belong to me or to good friends of mine ...
Legend SP1200
AMAZONA.de
Many sounds were created with the KARMA. Did you use GEs already existing or did you use own ones?
KURT ADER:
Both... Meanwhile there is a Karma editor,which enables us to create own Karma scenes.
AMAZONA:
Oliver, please tell us something about the GRANULAR Library. How did you make the sounds?
OASYS Library Granular Synthesis
Oliver Rehn:
The Granular Atmospheres were entirely effected on a Silicon Graphics Indigo Dream Machine, which for instance is well-known in the movie sector due to the Bluebox recordings. We transferred different synthesizer samples to this computer and processed them and converted them extremely by means of the Granular Synthesis software. It is difficult to describe the whole thing.You better should listen to the demos. This library is certainly an extraordinary production, which differs our product from others on the market.
AMAZONA.de
What are your next plans ? Can we reckon with more libraries ?
Oliver Rehn:
Of course... We are already working on the next project and the one which will follow afterwards ...
However, one thing I can tell you already now: in April we will present a new library called KDC KARO Dance Composer. More information will be provided later.
AMAZONA.de
Thank you very much for the interview. Good luck and a lot of success to KARO.
// Test: KARO Movie Collection for KORG OASYS
22/02/2008 - Peter Grandl //
The Risk Must Be Taken
There are thousands of sounds for hardware synthesizers - at least one should think so if you see the numerous offers for synthesizers in the internet.
However not so for the KORG OASYS. The explanation is very easy:
Although the KORG OASYS fulfilled the KORG sales expectations, nevertheless there have only been sold a few thousand units due to the high price. This quantity is not high enough in order to gain big sales figures by means of sounds.
On the other hand, OASYS owners expect excellent sounds for their Rolls Royce among the existing workstations. If taken both aspects into consideration
- HIGH QUALITY despite LOW DEMAND - it is understandable that prices go up.
Therefore, it is not surprising that besides KORG only one manufacturer world-wide creates and distributes professional libraries for the OASYS. Not even
BEST SERVICE, the mail order house for sounds as it were, has got OASYS sounds in its range of products.
The founders of KARO, Oliver Rehn and Kurt Ader, discovered the OASYS for the first time on occasion of Musikmesse Frankfurt in 2006 and got touched by the richness of the sounds. The decision to render sound development for the OASYS can be easily explained " if no-one else does it, we simply do it ourselves".
A very risky business! Alone the creation of SYMPHONIC STRINGS caused production cost amounting to more than 40,000.-- euros. If someone shows such entrepreneurial efforts then somebody must appreciate it. Consequentely, we are going to present and discuss KARO OASYS libraries every week. At the beginning we wish to present the newcomer:
THE MOVIE COLLECTION
In order to start with - something really pleasant:
Load the DVD, ready ! :-)))
There is no initialization, no response code, no key- nothing!!! FANTASTIC !!!
This compilation of this EXS expansion (i.e. sample library and not sound engine) does NOT constitute a sample expansion in the original sense of the word.
Well, the basis are samples, however what Kurt Ader made thanks to the OASYS sound engine can only be decribed as magic. Rigidity would be absolutely strange and wrong. All sounds are permanently in motion and any key generates a new variety, variations and harmonies. This goes even that far that it is impossible to play disharmonies. Fantastic !
Kurt Ader used the following basis samples for the hardware and software sound generators:
Synclavier II, Moog Voyager, Elka Syntex, Roland TB-303, MKS-80, Oberheim 2 Voice, PPG 2.3, Yamaha VL1, Doepfer A100, Emu Morpheus, Publison Infernal Machine, Neuron PlugIn, NI Absynth 4, Pro-53, Spectrasonics - Atmosphere, Propellerhead Reason, Arturia Moog Modular V, Rob Papen Predator.
However the one who might believe now that it is possible to recognize which basic sound generator is behind the sounds from the outset will be completely wrong. On one hand, the synthesizers were excellently programmed and on the other hand, fantastically "layered".
MOVIE COLLECTION???
Well, this CD does not even make out of "Hänschen Klein" a Hans Zimmer by means of a Korg Oasys. But nearly ;-)!
The application is not only limited to exciting film scores but above all to those who fullfil advertising tasks (like me) - being able to live out of the full if a multimeda show or ad spots have to be produced.
However, who wants to put into tones BASIC INSTINCT and therefore is looing for a huge Hollywood orchestra should clearly use the SYMPHONIC STRINGS.
This library will be presented next week.
Final Assessment
The CD Rom is very useful and can be adapted to own imaginations in a versatile manner. For doing so, you "only" have to make use of the Oasys sound engine. The tool for that would be available.
The only point of criticism is that a booklet is missing. Of course, it is possible to go onto the KARO website in order to download a booklet and other information. However, I am not fully satisfied by that.
The actual shop price amounting to 178,-- euros (VAT included) for the
MOVIE COLLECTION can be considered to be a real bargain. As already mentioned, KARO has not only memorized a few samples which can be played with the Oasys - really comprehensive programming work has been effected - and this fact can be heard with any key pressed.
PLUS:
++++ unique multimedia library
++++ excellent programming work
+++ high sound quality
++ moderate pricing
MINUS:
- missing boocklet
KORG Inside 09/2007
Interview
KARO Sounds: Sounds For The OASYS
The masterminds behind KARO Sounds are Kurt Ader and Oliver Rehn - two studio experts who are already well-known in the world of sound programmers for a long time.
KARO started in 2006 while Kurt Ader was walking around in Musikmesse in Frankfurt upon Main. At the KORG booth he could hardly believe what he heard, i.e. that much he was impressed by an OASYS demo.
He quickly organized an own OASYS for comprehensive testing purposes and Kurt Ader narrates:
"I have not been impressed by a synthesizer or workstation that much since long! It became clear that I urgently had to buy one!"
A short time later Kurt Ader got the idea for his favourite synthesizer: "I wanted to engage a full symphonic string orchestra in order to produce samples for the OASYS", so Kurt Ader. He met Oliver Rehn, went with him into a studio and shortly after that the KARO company had been born. It did not last long and the tasks had been distributed and the symphonic orchestra had been booked for an entire week. The recording procedure could commence. After having finished that step, Oliver Rehn cut and optimized the samples in the computer by means of a program written by him only for that purpuse. Subsequently, Kurt Ader went in for programming all mappings, loops, the whole digital processing and finally the Programs and Combis - the Karma environment included.
The result was the initial KARO CD "KPS KARO PhilharmonicStrings". Besides the actual „Philharmonic Strings" Kurt Ader added some more sounds related to this subject in order to deal with the topic STRINGS in a comprehensive way.
"In our latest version KPS 3.1 we added string pads stemming from a series of analog synthisizer, Mellotron and Trautonium samples, as he tells us and continues: "The sounds appear extremely vivid in the Combis.." In doing this, it was important for Kurt Ader to program sounds which differ from the sounds internally available to provide a completely different sound spectrum for the musician.
The OASYS constitutes the utmost for Kurt Ader:" The OASYS offers everything I have always dreamt of: several types of synthesis available at the same time and additionally to that an extraordinarily good sampler. The OASYS project is future-oriented to a large extent.
"KGA KARO Granular Atmospheres" is the second project by KARO. You will find rather "crazy" sounds and moving carpet sounds there. As far as future is concerned Kurt Ader and Oliver Rehn are planning further OASYS sounds.
Korg Inside
KR Keyboards Recording n°220
Test Philharmonic Strings (Only in French language available)
Philharmonic Strings, banque de sons pour Korg OASYS
04 septembre 2007
Que manque-t-il à une station de travail professionnelle ? L’éditeur Karo répond : des cordes. La preuve avec sa banque dédiée à l’Oasys.
Le phénomène désormais classique de fournir des banques de sons pour un outil spécifique ou encore à un format déterminé, a permis à tout un secteur de se développer, en particulier depuis l’apparition du format S1000 Akai. Mais il s’agit ici, non pas d’un standard, mais d’un format bien particulier, en l’occurrence, celui du Korg Oasys. De là à imaginer que l’éditeur germanique Karo ne se contentera pas de rester sur une seule plate-forme… Le format EXS Expansion, spécifique au constructeur nippon, permet donc de stocker échantillons, programmes et combinaisons dans un dossier idoine, qui, une fois le CD-ROM copié, résidera dans le disque dur interne de l’Oasys. Comme le constructeur a prévu large dans les mémoires utilisateurs disponibles, il n’y aura aucun problème pour laisser cohabiter cette banque. Petite précision quand même : avec 2 Go de Ram, et cette banque qui compte aussi 2 Go, aucune cohabitation n’est possible avec le super piano échantillonné que Korg propose, pas plus qu’avec une quelconque possibilité de travailler à l’acquisition d’autres échantillons via le sampling de l’Oasys. Cela dit, en terme de gestion de mémoire, on peut très bien imaginer procéder à un tri sélectif au sein de cette nouvelle banque et ne conserver dans les fichiers à charger à la mise sous tension, que ceux dont nous avons couramment besoin, ce qui limitera la taille mémoire mobilisée pour l’occasion.
COMMENT ?
Kurt Ader et Oliver Rehn, fondateurs de Karo, ont contribué au processus d’acquisition des échantillons. S’ils ont oeuvré en commun pour l’enregistrement des cordes et le mastering, Kurt Ader a travaillé sur le mapping et le sound design dédié à la station Oasys, alors qu’Oliver Rehn s’est concentré sur le portage des données brutes au format de l’OS propriétaire de la station de travail Korg. La captation des cordes s’est effectuée à l’aide de micros Neumann et Shoeps. À l’écoute des samples séparés, nul doute que cette partie a été particulièrement soignée ! Ensuite ces prises ont été dirigées vers un enregistreur DAT à la résolution de 44,1 kHz. On pourrait s’étonner de ce choix qui nous semble un peu dépassé. Cela s’explique, par exemple, par les limites de la station d’accueil. L’Oasys, hormis via la carte optionnelle numérique et en S/PDIF, ne supporte pas les résolutions audelà de 16bit 48 kHz. Nous avions d’ailleurs, lors de notre banc d’essai dans KR n° 200, signalé cette restriction. Donc, ce choix de résolution pour Philharmonic paraît cohérent, tenant compte de la destination finale des sons. Ensuite, une opération de mapping a été nécessaire afin de réorganiser les samples sous forme de programmes puis de combinaisons, respectant ainsi la philosophie de Korg. Cette banque, une fois achetée sur le site de l’éditeur Karo, est téléchargée dans un ordinateur. Il suffit ensuite de glisser/déposer un ensemble de fichiers sur un compact disc enregistrable. Celui-ci sera ensuite lu par le lecteur de CD de l’Oasys et nous transférerons la banque de sons dans son disque dur. Une fois les fichiers « montés » dans la mémoire vive, et assignés dans les bonnes mémoires, il n’y a plus qu’à découvrir cette nouvelle banque…
DANS L’ACTION
Dans cette découverte de la palette sonore fournie par Karo, ce qui sur prend, c’est avant tout l’extrapolation autour des cordes. En effet, les sound designers ne se sont pas contentés de travailler uniquement les cordes de l’orchestre à proprement parlé. Nous avons découvert, comme c’était indiqué sur la documentation, des cordes issues du Mellotron par exemple ou d’autres synthétiseurs mythiques. Pourquoi pas ? Le mélange pourrait paraître curieux et, au fond, pas tant que cela. Il est vrai qu’il s’agit avant tout de cordes, exception faite des échantillons de percussions fournis, et dans cette acceptation du propos, celles, enregistrées ou simulées sont elles aussi les bienvenues. Les timbres respectent en général leur tessiture d’origine, ce qui implique la condamnation de certaines notes graves et hautes sur le clavier de 76 notes qui a servi à notre banc d’essai. On ne s’en offusquera pas, bien au contraire, étant plus dans le réalisme des instruments d’origine qu’avec des tessitures farfelues qu’on entend ici ou là quand un instrumentiste clavier joue à l’orchestre !
VALEUR AJOUTÉE
L’écoute des programmes est très satisfaisante et chaque son apporte vraiment une valeur ajoutée à la banque déjà considérable de l’Oasys. Les cordes solo sont jouables et sensibles, tout au plus, dans certains cas, nous avons retouché un peu la section effet car les programmes de réverbération utilisés étaient réglés de façon subtile mais pas nécessairement pertinente. Il s’agit là d’appréciations qui se rapportent à des contextes d’écriture bien précis et nous devons donc parler plus d’une adaptation que d’une correction. Les combinaisons nous ont moins emballés, il faut le reconnaître, car en ayant une connaissance approfondie de cette station de travail on imagine sans difficulté ce que nous pourrions tirer de la banque Philharmonic. Nous avons remarqué que, par exemple, les capacités du système Karma V2 sont très en retrait de ce qu’elles proposent habituellement à l’utilisateur. Certes, les « combi », comme on les appelle communément ici, ne sont là que pour donner des pistes de travail au musicien… Nous avons donc écouté scrupuleusement chacune de ces propositions en les situant dans le contexte évoqué. Le « Furusio Strings » est par exemple assez intéressant, car il permet de nombreux modes de jeu, contrairement à ce que son nom indiquait. Le mélange des tendances, ici encore, peut dérouter : on passe allègrement d’un « Spicato Strings » à un « Mellotron Tape Strings » ! Mais qu’importe. Tout cela nous donne surtout l’envie de revisiter nos parties de cordes et éventuellement de les réarranger en fonction de ces nouveaux timbres, et c’est en cela que cette banque mérite le détour : elle incite à travailler avec ces textures ! Enfin, l’écoute des percussions et des textures dérivées de cordes, fussent-elles synthétiques, et même si elles ne sont pas directement en rapport avec l’appellation de cette banque d’échantillons, ne saurait être passée sous silence, tant l’apport est indéniable.
CONCLUSION
Cette banque apporte une palette indispensable à l’Oasys pour qui s’intéresse aux cordes de l’orchestre. Les sons sont très bons en programme, un peu moins en mode combinaisons où ils n’exploitent pas totalement les capacités de l’Oasys dans ce domaine, où il excelle par ailleurs, sauf peut-être dans la gestion des banques via sa mémoire de stockage. Le fond du problème ne vient pas de Karo, mais de Korg, dans la conception de son système d’exploitation qui, ne possédant pas de Flash Ram, oblige à recharger, à chaque mise sous tension, l’ensemble de la banque. L’opération prend à peine une minute, mais le confort d’utilisation s’en ressent. La qualité des échantillons est au-delà de certaines formes d’ondes d’usine de la workstation et va rapidement supplanter, dans le cadre d’un travail d’orchestration, les pré-sélections d’origine.
Christophe Martin de Montagu
Tags: Korg Oasys , Philharmonic
KORG USA 06/2007
Official Product Support from Korg
While I am not the completely "official" voice of Korg, I am located somewhere on the food chain, so to speak.
We have met with Kurt and Oliver on a number of occasions, and have given them some feedback and direction on their sounds. After a very good meeting between Kurt and myself last Musik Messe I agreed that Korg distribution should be promoting their fine work in some official capacity, so we added them to the korg.com website as an "endorsed" third-party:
http://www.korg.com/service/downloadinfo.asp?DID=1307
This is the direct link - you can find them under "For The Product", Support, Third-Party.
I am pushing other distributors to provide links as well - we really like these guys, and appreciate the great work they're doing for the "O".
Kurt and I also spoke about more technical support for them and I spoke to our German Distributor who promised they would help them locally when needed.
As for design issues, there is no news/plans right now to make their products into EXs libraries, nor do we have any plans to add more Banks.
I like the idea of more Banks if it were possible, and Dan and I have been promoting a "sample-auto-load" feature for the "O" since it's inception. Heck - I've been trying to get this feature for the TRITON since it's inception. It will happen someday - I won't forget about it!
I happen to think that the Sample Auto-Load would solve all the main issues talked about here in the most flexible way. After all - the product is a sampler, it has RAM and it should deal with all RAM-based sounds/libraries in a consistent fashion. So it is not essential that it be an EXs. It is just desirable to be able to turn on the "O" and have the sounds you want easily loaded.
Some of you want the sounds to load faster, or immediately, but if it's a large EXs it just means your boot-up screen will take longer. So you're spending the time one way or another...
Anyway - we appreciate and "endorse" the fine work KARO is doing and look forward to their new/next developments.
regards,
Jerry Kovarsky
KORG USA Product Manager
Keyboards 1/2007
Test Philharmonic Strings & Granular Atmospheres
KARO Granular Atmospheres & Philharmonic Strings
New Sound Food for Korg OASYS
After having obtained a few synthesis sound expansions by Korg themselves, now the first independent manufacturers go in for offering new sounds for this battleship workstation to the OASYS user. The initial projects of the new sound programmer KARO located in Mannheim are strings sounds, called Philharmonic Strings and the synthetic Granular Atmospheres.
Mastermind behind KARO is Kurt Ader who worked as a sound designer in the past for well-known companies such as Sequential, Waldorf or E-MU. After having talked with musicians and film composers who own an OASYS, he knew what was missing and commenced to realize these two libraries mentioned above together with Oliver Rehn.
Philharmonic Strings
... The string sounds become really vivid if played in the Combination mode. In this case the ensemble sound advances considerably in terms of quality: by means of the combination of different ensemble sizes, by thickening with string pads and by stiring with the vector joystick, which is able to control the dynamic range to a large extent. By the way, typical playing styles of string instruments are suggested in different KARMA models. Caused by this, very often you are inspired to new ideas as far as the line guidance is concerned with the consequence that own composition work might be enriched.
Any keyboarder playing "live" will receive sounds which are clearly perceived and which are also suitable for rather soft ballads. Any film composer will be able to use the product very rapidly and will be inspired to Hollywood-typical schemes by the mostly natural attacks and by means of the impressive sound volume. Hence, the price of 298 euros is a very good investment.
Granular Atmospheres
... In total there are 90 patches, which all are concentrated on the good and old EM times. The user will look in vain for thrilling techno sounds and non-dynamic minimum sounds. The basic samples used stem from the following synthies: Minimoog, Oscar, Wasp, Prophet-5, Prophet-VS, OB-MX, VL-1, PPG Wave, Waveterm, DX5, D-50, E-MU E4, Morpheus, TR-909 and CR-78.
According to the manufacturer the majority of the samples were transferred into the Indigo Dream Machine high end computer system by Silicon Graphics with using a special procedure of re-synthesis, and then the samples were processed by means of a granular synthesis porgramme in real time. ... The material gained by granular synthesis and silicon morphing is especially suitable for film an experimental music.
As far as aesthetics are concerned numerous pad, bell and FX-sounds tend to remind us of the virtues of the good old Wavestation because of the availability of new wave forms. Sound programming has been realized with good taste, with great variety and entirely on a high level. ...
+ entirely good sound quality
+ creative sound design (Granular Atmospheres)
+ excellently sounding Combi patches for all purposes
Keys 03/2007
Test Philharmonic Strings
Sound Support
The OASYS offers an enormous potential for sound programmers.
Kurt Ader and Oliver Rehn know this fact, too. They intend to use KARO in order to expand this battleship effectively as far as available sounds are concerned. The initial project is called "Philharmonic Strings" and comprises 83 Programs and 90 Combinations. It is an
EXS expansion which contains authentic solo and ensemble strings and some synthesizer creations (Solina, Oberheim, Mellotron) .
Above all, the strings pads sound excellently and can be played in a fantastic way. Highly appreciated will be that the Karma system has been integrated with which we tested
Karo sounds individually (karo_prog+combis.mp3) and which we provide besides the demo songs
on the CD by KEYS. By means of the largely classical strings, the OASYS attains a reasonable and new impulse among arrangers who often work with orchestral sounds. By delving into details with enthusiasm, a new highly sophisticated collection of sounds was created – the price of about 300 euros reflects the high level of production. The sound expansion can be completely loaded into an OASYS which possesses 2 GB of RAM memory.
The set "Granular Atmospheres" is being prepared at present which is based on additional samples as well. Intention is to cover the sector of traditional synthesizers.
blogasys 02/2007
Test Granular Atmospheres
KARO Granular Atmospheres
In fact, one should think that anyone owning an OASYS will have enough sounds for the next time to come. False! By no means! Indeed, the technical quality is simply overwhelming. However, only that alone does not make happy as we know. The quality in terms of sound wants to be used correspondingly and - to be honest: will we ever really possess enough good sounds? No! What I say!
Precisely that might have thought Kurt Ader and Oliver Rehn and founded their company KARO for that reason – a sound programming company which has been exclusively formed to provide new sound food for the OASYS. If one can believe the positive reactions of users then one can say that they were successful with their launch of Philharmonic Strings.Since I programmed myself some of the sounds – a major part of Oberheim pads in the Programs as well as one or the other Combination stems from my side or was selected by Kurt Ader as a basis for other sounds, there will be no test of the Philharmonic Strings because of obvious reasons.
Ah?! I already hear you say – what can I expect of this test then, if there is a connection to KARO? The answer is very easy and hopefully will become completely clear: neither there is a capital share from my side in KARO nor do I make profit due to sales in the past or in future. Moreover, there is no other form of support, with the exception of getting the one or other positive posting in order to keep this blog alive. Well, you will think – let´s wait and see – what does it offer?
This object of desire has been available since the beginning of December of last year – either in form of a download or as a CD ROM. The price is 238 euros plus 7 euros for dispatch. In future an online store is to make any ordering smoother – which I assess being another indication for new KARO products to come soon.
For the money spent you will receive 70 Combinations, partly by using KARMA, 90 Programs as well as 91 Multisamples. At this place, maybe there will be those of you who are astonished at not finding all Banks filled completely up to the rim with sounds. I suppose that the remaining space is being used to memorize own variations and creations within the same Bank. For people like me who like using new sounds as initial material for own creations this constitutes an excellent approach.
Names of Combinations and Programs can be taken from the graphic presentation. The multisamples are being largely composed of various pads – granulated ones as well as non-granulated ones, atmos, synth basses, percussive sounds, wave sounds, FM sounds and VL sounds as well as a CR-78 kit and a gated Snare. Should you have become curious and you are looking for individual samples then you will find them between the numbers 604 and 1499. However, that does not mean that you will find 895 individual samples but rather it is a distribution maybe for safety reasons. I think it is pretty confusing.
Loading of the complete library from CD ROM takes 3 min and 40 seconds. After loading the Programs and Combinations you will find them in the corresponding USER BANK C. If you load onto the internal harddisk of the OASYS, the loading time will only last 17 seconds with the next start. That is almost suitable for live conditions – as I believe. Nevertheless, some users might wish that KORG should integrate external libraries as OASYS Ex in future, too. On one hand, this would be a nice gesture of KORG opposite to external companies to make accessible the supposedly open system to others and on the other hand, it would certainly be very convenient – as it is called today – for a lot of people. I agree with the former reason without any restriction – and at present I can live with a loading period of 17 seconds very well because I like making the decision - depending on the situation – which sounds are to be loaded into the OASYS and which ones are not.
It is possible to recognize which sound sources have been used from KARO´s website.Among others, you will find there the Minimoog, Oscar, Wasp, Prophet V as well as VS, OB-MX on the digital side – Yamaha´s VL-1 and its DX-5, PPG Wave, Waveterm as well as Emu´s E-4 and Morpheus. For the multisamples TR-9093 and CR-783 the corresponding drum synthesizers of another famous Japanese manufacturer were used, whose D-50 was honoured as well.That already sounds well right? – however, of course, I know that reading the names of instruments used is like smelling pictures.
I suppose that KARO got enthusiastic in the course of the work for Philharmonic Strings and thus obviously decided to transfer again some samples into the Silicon Graphics Indigo Dream Machine in order to be processed there. As soon as they had arrived there, they were calculated anew with the help of a real-time granular synthesis programme to be transported then to the OASYS for receiving its final polish according to KARO. At this point, we have already reached the sample processing. This subject will be discussed quickly, for it corresponds totally in terms of quality to the OASYS.
If you listen to the individual multisamples, you will notice that not all will sound across the complete keyboard range. Only in order to name examples, let me mention two sounds: MS#22 GRANULAR and MS#26 PROPHET1. In the case of a bass sound - of course, that makes sense - it does not sound up to the most upper octave, since in the majority of the cases basses are located in deeper regions – didn´t you know that? All right – wait and see – you will find some more useful hints.
It is a matter-of-course that the attack phase runs the risk of losing audibility in the case of percussive bass sounds if transposed. However, it is no problem with the example mentioned and hence – as I think - the multisample MS#26 can be heared with F1 as a lower limit. As far as MS#22 is concerned, I am really surprised because evidently it is a GRANULAR sound – it represents material which cannot be more artificial than that and the multisample neighbour #23 GIANTALIEN reaches far lower.
I promised you more hints and here they are coming. Any OASYS user who has already gone into details of the sampler will face no problem and what follows next will not interest him at all. For beginners however: go to subpage SAMPLING Recording then hit the field Index and select 001/003, put field Top Key B1 to e.g. A0. Ready.
By the way, there is a very comfortable way to select the key desired –by pressing ENTER, keep it pressed and by pressing A0 at the same time on the OASYS keyboard. Nice, well I have known this since the Kurzweil days. But that is not the end yet – and because I talked in plural, I can say that there is a very elegant method in the OASYS to jump between the sample regions within the multisamples. The principle is similar: keep pressing ENTER and then simply press the rubber pads 1 - 8. What? It does not work with your OASYS? In this case make sure that you selected the Index field – i.e. it illuminates in black. You can believe me – it works and that in a very convenient manner.
In reality, we are talking about KARO´s Granular Library. Let´s summarize what we have said hitherto – excellent basic material, professionally processed, only in the case of multisamples I would love having them available on all 88 keys – if it makes sense at all of course.
In order to be complete, I would like to add a tiny remark as far as multisamples are concerned: you can hear the loop at the end of the loop with one bass sample within the MS#30 MOOGBASS. Either it is a side noise or the loop point has not been fixed in a proper way. However, that does not mean that it is a tradegy since the actual sound event ends earlier anyway and peak is very low in this region – nevertheless, I did not want to leave it unmentioned.
The names of the Programs can be taken from the graphic presentation – as already mentioned above – but as you already know - pictures smell and so on. Maybe you know the one or other ultimative Memorymoog pad, which however just has that much in common that both need mains to be played. Here the samples also sound as their supposed sources and in order to remain with Moog – these basses cannot deny their origin. That only a Minimoog sounds like a Minnimoog will certainly be no secret and even the Voyager – coming from more or less the same stable – does not sound like its ancestor and at this place, we do not even talk about digital sound generation. Even Manfred Mann still uses the small woodden case on stage today. However, a great plus is that it is stable in tuning and above all an authentic sound. Let´s stop here talking about the Minimoog. Waveterm and Wavebell do not cheat on us either, the same is valid for DX, FM – just in order to mention a few.
If you have a close look into individual Programs, then you will see that the multisamples have not been imported in a quick move. Not only have they edited the soundforming parameters, they also used the excellent effects of the OASYS as well as the EQ - and which has been abundantly used with some sounds. If you are in the opinion that one can expect that then I could mention some other products in this respect, too. In order to stick with the equalizer – I think it is worth adjusting it to bypass for a trial. Above all, the initial Programs sound equally well without equalization. Caution, at the end I noticed that I had been comparing sounds A/B to find out whether it sounds better with or without equalizer? Thus, I like more the first Program, Granualr Atmospheres without EQ for the time being. After having switched over several times I was no longer sure and thus my own version landed in one of the free spaces in the back which were fortunately still free. That quickly one advances to become a sound programmer.
At this place, perhaps some more words as far as the volume of the sounds is concerned. On an average they possess a slightly lower volume than most of the original Korg sounds, on the other hand, one notices that the Korg sounds do not have the same level either if one listens carefully. Thus, some AL-1 Programs possess a lower volume than HD-1 sounds.
That is no problem at all in the case of Combinations, since it is possible to adjust the volume parameters of the individual Programs on the first page correspondingly – the same is valid for the total volume. Additionally, it has to be mentioned that the EQs of some sounds have been lowered in its frequency range by 300 Hz which automatically leads to a lower volume level and the sound as such results thinner. Should you think that this fact constitutes a disadvantage, then you will rapidly notice when mixing that the contrary is correct very often. If the evil cannot be found in the region of basses, then it can be found in the region between 250 and 400Hz.
Of course, it would be possible to write endlessly about the Programs and Combinations … but I suppose that auditive beings want to hear some sounds. If so, then do not hesitate to go on KARO´s website where you will find two demo files. The two sequences of mine represent however a short excerpt of the sound spectrum, which moreover has been created in a very short period of time. In the case of “Program Mix” you will also hear this since everything was recorded live and “without any break” – no MIDI, no quantisizing, simply I pressed the Record key and then I recorded one sound after the other.
The title of the library promises sound carpets and correspondingly are the demo files as subsequently mentioned. The first pad, indeed, could be a nice sound for Jean Michel Jarre and follows after a short “Stereo Noises” Intro. “Moog Bass 2″ utilizes the preset KARMA GE. However, the author allowed himself to add the Ribbon Controller. Some time later “Waveterm 1″ and “Prophet Indigo Pad” will start which additionally obtains an “OB-MX Pluck” in a homeopathic dose.
In the case of the Combinations I made it even easier for me. You will hear nine different Combinations one after the other in the second demo file. As far as the first six are concerned, I just wanted to make audible the course of the sound and the differences between the individual Combinations. This is also the reason why all pad sounds only use a Dm7 chord, and the basic tone was doubled in the bass region. After that follows KARMA once again. At the end follow two Combinations which … but listen yourself!
The recording chain of both mp3 files was as subsequently mentioned: OASYS ADAT Out -> Lynx ADAT In -> MOTU dp5; as a 16bit 48kHz file in dp5 “in a bounced way”, and afterwards they were converted into mp3 with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz.
Of course, there would have existed a great variety of files which would have been worth being played. However you must not forget that there are the two KARO demo files – have I already mentioned them? – and yet it is a good thing if a bit of excitement still remains, or do you prefer to see the best scenes of a film already at the beginning when publicity is made for a film? Of course not!
In general, Programs and Combinations have been programmed excellently. The only thing I am missing is that the 8 rubber pads of the OASYS should be used for chords which would give the user an idea or maybe an impulse for own creations/compositions when pad sounds are being used.
However, one of the Combinations cannot pass without any comment - Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight“ is one of the best pieces of music and the drum sound – if I am not wrong – was an AMS RMX-16 reverb which generated the cut-off reverb flag and which represents a milestone and constitutes a kind of trademark for Phil … for that reason I can describe the drums used only as “lovely” at best. However, this point of criticism should not be overvalued, since Granular Atmospheres is no Phil Collins sound collection and a drum library either. It is a matter-of-fact that the Prophet V pad is impecable and yet one notices at this point that there is still some OASYS potential left.
By the way, Roland´s CR-78, which plays a not unessential role in the song mentioned above, constitutes a nice supplement and fits like the TR-909 very well. Undoubtedly, both drum boxes are classic devices which you get with the library in addition.I think one can live with that – well, or what do you think?
After having made this excursion, I would like to return to the Granular Atmospheres.I have got to reiterate – since doubts are posted again and again – yes, the sounds are professional. As we know, the taste might differ and hence everyone has to decide on his/her own whether the library offered meets the requirements. Should it not have become clear, I tried hard to utter criticism – however, this does not affect my general positive result. The sounds are excellent.
Maybe it is possible to programme the one or other sound inside of the OASYS with using AL-1, but I am sure that it is not after the taste of everyone and certainly is only valid for few sounds. Indeed, the “granulated ones” are an appreciated supplement and fit very well into the landscape of already existing sounds. This fact is also shown in the case of some Combinations which make use of OASYS´factory sounds. Undoubtedly, I can imagine that Granular Atmospheres will find many satisfied customers.
We are awaiting with some excitement what KARO will do next in order to surprise the OASYS community – in the view of the Philharmonic Strings and the Granular Atmospheres tested the expectations will be pretty high now.