In this new Millennium, most musicians now have access to incredibly powerful home computers that are quite capable of performing at least some digital audio processing. But no matter how fast your computer can crunch numbers, the artist in you will soon be demanding more plug-ins than your CPU can handle. That's where the power and flexible design of the OASYS PCI comes to the rescue, adding significant amounts of DSP power to your computer, while providing synthesis and effects for your studio. (OASYS is currently compatible with Korg-approved MacOS computers, with Windows support to follow shortly.)

OASYS features a total of 12 inputs and outputs: Stereo analog, stereo S/PDIF, and eight-channel ADAT optical, and all inputs and outputs are 24-bit, which can all be used simultaneously with your multitrack audio software. But, as you may have learned the hard way, timing is everything in the world of computer-based music, so it's a godsend that the onboard DSP processing power provides zero-latency record monitoring even with full effects!

The OASYS PCI card also provides Word clock and ADAT timecode I/O to ensure easy integration with your other professional digital audio equipment. In fact, OASYS 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 others. OMS, FreeMIDI and standard Windows MIDI drivers seamlessly connect OASYS to all MIDI sequencers.

As a soundware designer I'm most fascinated by the numerous synthesis technologies available from this card. Korg has been a leader in DSP synthesis, as reflected in the Prophecy, Wavedrum and Z1. Those of you who were synth fanatics in the mid-90s may remember Keyboard Magazine's "What's the Next Big Thing?" cover story (Feb. '94) that had several pictures of a too-amazing-to-be-true mega-synth that featured a jaw-dropping back-lit touch screen. Unfortunately, the highly-ambitious technology proved to be far too expensive for us underpaid musicians. But now, science and technology have finally caught up with the whims of the engineering geniuses at Korg, making OASYS (Open Architecture Synthesis) an affordable reality. Hundreds of man-years of effort have gone into the development of the DSP synths and effects and it shows.

There are hundreds of sounds based on 25 great-sounding algorithms, including models of famous analog synths like the Prophet Model featuring specifically tailored filter resonance, envelope shapes, and VCA output nonlinearity, along with poly mod, sync, and simultaneous oscillator waveforms, just like the original. These oscillators are rich, bright, and smooth, with extremely low jitter and aliasing which prevents the unwanted artifacts heard in digital oscillators.

The OASYS filters are warm and fat, with resonance extending to frequencies far above typical digital "analog" filters. They're flexible, too, with many algorithms offering a choice of poles and modes. There's also a special, fully modulatable comb filter, for sounds like you've never heard before! Finally, the envelopes are punchy, smooth, and lightning-fast, and use audio-rate processing just like old-school analog envelopes.

Then there's the Minimoog Model featuring specific and separate modeling of the synth's high and low frequency filter resonances, as well as its distinctive envelope shapes and VCA sound. The Percussion Synth Model is optimized for analog-modeled percussion, with a hard-hitting, punchy sound. It's available both with and without an Electribe-inspired percussion sequencer.

There's also a B-3 Tonewheel Organ Model with Rotary Speaker with perfect tonewheel phase coherency, resulting in pure, powerful sounding chords, just like the real thing. Then, there's subtle and sophisticated features such as complete drawbar control, fully programmable Key Click, true mono Percussion, plus authentic Vibrato and Chorus, and the incredibly realistic Rotary Speaker Model from Korg's acclaimed Toneworks G4. Compare this model to sampled organs, with their fixed drawbar settings, out-of-phase chords, and percussion on every note, and you'll hear the difference immediately.

The physically modeled woodwinds respond to breath pressure (or other MIDI controllers) with incredible realism. The Sax Model features authentic growl and fingering noises, while being free of the formant shifts characteristic of sampled saxophones. You can hear the breath in the Flute Model, and then overblow it for a punchy "chiff." The Vocal Model physically models human vocals, allowing you to control the shape of the glottal pulse, noise components, transitions between vowels, and creating other-worldly melodies, pads, and effects.

But these algorithms just scratch the surface of possibilities. Throw in an FM Model (essentially a DX-7), Tine Piano Models, physically-modeled Trumpets, Trombones, Guitars, Pipe Organs, tempo-based LFOs and analog-style sequencers plus much more. These synthesis algorithms are plug-ins loaded from disk or downloaded, allowing for easy upgrades and expansion.

This futuristic synthesis technology is then processed through an incredible multichannel effects section that 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 and amp simulations to unique effects such as random filter, stepped phaser, doppler shift, and talking modulator.

Even more exciting, these effects can process the onboard synthesizers, plus tracks from your favorite digital audio programs, as well as live audio inputs all simultaneously! Using the built-in submixer, chains of up to four effects each can be used on up to 12 separate channel inserts, four sends, and six stereo output busses. As with synthesis algorithms, all effects are plug-ins which are loaded from disk, allowing for easy expansion in the future.

Microtunings are also possible, allowing any incoming MIDI note to create any pitch, with a resolution of one cent (1/100 of a semitone). You can create stretch tunings, duplicate historic European tunings, build scales with greater or fewer than 12 tones per octave, and more. Tuning can be specified separately for each of the 128 MIDI notes, and each Patch in a Program can have its own Scale. Scales are text files, so you can create and edit them using any standard text editing program, such as SimpleText. And you can add as many custom Scales as desired.

To make things even more mind-blowing, almost every parameter in this card can be controlled via MIDI, allowing easy modulation and automation of mixing, synthesis, and effects from any MIDI sequencer or realtime MIDI controller.

Are you still standing? If not, I understand. This card had the same effect on me when I first began to realize the limitless potential of the OASYS PCI this little card that I can actually hold between two fingers. It really is an amazing era for personal and professional music creation. Give us a call and make your digital audio system ready to create music for the new Millennium!

Daniel Fisher is Director of Soundware Engineering