Tony Banks chooses Korg Oasys over Receptor ?

[Hybernation]

I remember reading a thread where squids from Sonic Reality was talking about Tony using a custom receptor with all the SR products on there, but I guess in the end he choose the Korg Oasys (if their press is to be taken at face value):

http://www.korg.com/sbytes/article.asp?ArtistID=327

"Not one to hang onto his vintage gear, Tony originally intended to recreate his old sounds using virtual instruments running from a dedicated rack-mounted computer, but eventually decided that the OASYS...was a better bet."

"A lot of people do the same thing using computers, but I trust the OASYS more, and it is much easier because it's a complete system. I find that the trouble with virtual instruments is the latency. Sequencing is fine but when you are actually trying to build up an idea they are not terrifically user friendly."

[Squids]

I remember reading a thread where squids from Sonic Reality was talking about Tony using a custom receptor with all the SR products on there, but I guess in the end he choose the Korg Oasys (if their press is to be taken at face value):

http://www.korg.com/sbytes/article.asp?ArtistID=327

"Not one to hang onto his vintage gear, Tony originally intended to recreate his old sounds using virtual instruments running from a dedicated rack-mounted computer, but eventually decided that the OASYS...was a better bet."

"A lot of people do the same thing using computers, but I trust the OASYS more, and it is much easier because it's a complete system. I find that the trouble with virtual instruments is the latency. Sequencing is fine but when you are actually trying to build up an idea they are not terrifically user friendly."

That was just for the live show. They all still use the stuff in their set ups.

Actually, the OASYS wasn't used so much for custom samples. A few sounds like the choirs and Carpet Crawler piano were used from the built in rom. A lot of the sounds were really the ones he's used on past tours which are custom Proteus modules with his E4 sounds in it.

Anyway, he loves his Receptor. But a lot of bands that have played since the late 60's are used to hardware and it is tough to migrate. Ironically the OASYS IS still a computer. It's mostly psychological. Latency can be adjusted as well depending on the buffer for the audio card. It's not really that much of an issue for live playing. But there is something about "you flip it on and the sound is there with no loading" that appeals to live playing, including myself. But, to get that (such as samples burned into flash roms) there IS a big sacrifice in the quality of the sounds. So, for some people who complained that Tony's sounds on this tour were sometimes disappointing... well, that would be why! Small sized samples squeezed onto those Emu modules or some small rom sounds that are on ALL keyboard workstations (no matter how expensive they may be... it's the only way to have thousands of multisamples fit into their ROMS).

For me, sometimes the sounds worked well. I didn't think the choir sound was bad that he chose on the OASYS. He likes Miroslav Choirs too which he has. He doesn't like the Mellotron Choir unfortunately which I think EVERYONE ELSE in the audience and myself would LOVE to hear (he has bad memories of the Mellotron being a quirky unreliable instrument I think and also the choir sound he said he had to dress up too much just to get it to sound good... I said to him "Yes but it DID sound good!").

I thought some of the lead sounds were really good and some really weren't. I forget which now.

Anyway, that tour was put together without a ton of time to prepare. They did fantastic considering how quickly it came together. There was a chance that all of the sounds could have been pitched "how about this one for this" but in the end Tony just finds the sounds he's comfortable with and that's that. He expresses that he doesn't care what anyone else expects to hear and that he isn't attached to any nostalgic sound from any keyboard either. That said, I think he'd agree that certain sounds just WORK for classic Genesis tunes... just so happens to be Arps, CP70's, phased organs and RMI etc

You never know though. They might play again. If they do perhaps there will be more classic sounds in there. For Keith Emerson who recently opened for Led Zeppelin I programmed his GX-1 Fanfare samples which were imported into the OASYS. I have an OASYS too and it is a great axe! Not something everyone can afford but if you can then more power to ya! If you are just playing a multisample though a Receptor will work just fine or even your laptop. It's not a battle in my opinion. If something can play samples then why not use it? I have samples in my Motif and Tritons. I did some sounds for the newly release Nord Wave which I am getting for my live rig. Now that one is cool because it has a lot of flash ram memory on board.

The one thing though that is cool about the Receptor over all of the other hardware sample players though is that you can use your plug-ins with the sound presets you used in your sequences. If you use hardware still in your home studio recordings and save the patches in an organized way then that doesn't matter. But since most of us use plug-ins in the studio... well... very convenient to take your plug-ins live!

Ok some thoughts on the subject from me.

Cheers.

Squids

[nl3]

Hi Hyb,
Tony massively used Proteus 2000 presets, following up his typical way to "take it quckly and use it as soon and easily possible".
In Tony's Receptor (he has two units) Muse fitted few custom installations, as i confidentially knew from Muse, such as Korg Legacy, Sample Tank and Sonik Synth etc. Anyway, search amongst Squids' Genesis Related topics and will find Squids talking about Tony's thread.
Finally, i was here in Rome and saw at Genesis fantastic gig, and...the worst sound i heard there was Tony's "In The Cage" solo synth (the same in the "live Over Europe" live cd), really the worst solosynth sound of this era!!!
Long Live Genesis!!!
Ciao,
NL3-PGi

[Hybernation]

Squids, thanks for your comments and insight, as always.

Yes, I too wondered about that "latency" comment, knowing that Oasys, like Receptor, is really a "computer inside"!

Agree with you about him not using real Tron sounds...in fact, I think he could have nailed it with MTron on the receptor run through a few effects (I think MTron + GMO-1 chorus + CSR reverb pretty much nails the Tron sound heard on many records, but that's just me ) For that matter the Sonic Synth Trons are pretty sweet too!

After posting today I listened to the "Live over Europe" on Rhapsody and I was pretty disappointed in some of the keyboards sounds, though like you say, some were spot on. What surprised me MOST however, was how many of the songs were transposed down for Phil's sake. Kinda reminded me of the ELP Live verion of Karn Evil 9 on "Welcome back..." where everything was played down a step or two!

OT: have you posted anything an the Emerson/Squire/White set? I know you were hoping to get to return the favor and be KE's roadie for that gig? did that happen?

Cheers,
John

[Squids]

I was offered to go but I just couldn't. Too much going on with Ocean Way Drums being released and NAMM coming up. Although just the gesture from him was enough for me. Okay, I would have liked to have gone! But you can't do everything.

MTron is very good. I like it. I just finished SampleTron which I am sending over to The Farm so maybe Tony will fall in love with some of those sounds all over again. He actually likes some of the Chamberlin sounds as well like the Flute. SampleTron differs from MTron in that it has vintage effects and programming that can be done with it... spring reverbs, delays, phasers, filters, envelopes, stretch etc. It goes beyond just the tron itself and into vintage tron "production"... which ironically is what a lot of bands like King Crimson, Yes, Moody Blues and Genesis DID back then. They ran it through Space Echoes and Echoplexes, MXR pedals and all sorts of stuff (you know the phaser in SampleTron/ST is modeled after MXR stuff). So, SampleTron is a LOT of fun. MTron is too for the purist side of things. I like GMedia and Arturia products for that. Although I admit I use our own samples most of the time just because I know them so well and they're made to my taste so... naturally.

I am going back out to The Farm some time this year (2008) to record drums in the famous stone room with Nick Davis, their co-producer/engineer. I am setting Tony and Geoff up with some of the sounds from an upcoming... ok, Sonik Synth 3. Shhh.

[nl3]

Oooh Squids!!!!
Your words everytime sound fantastic!!!!
PGi

[Hybernation]

SampleTron differs from MTron in that it has vintage effects and programming that can be done with it... spring reverbs, delays, phasers, filters, envelopes, stretch etc. It goes beyond just the tron itself and into vintage tron "production"... which ironically is what a lot of bands like King Crimson, Yes, Moody Blues and Genesis DID back then. They ran it through Space Echoes and Echoplexes, MXR pedals and all sorts of stuff (you know the phaser in SampleTron/ST is modeled after MXR stuff).

I'm gonna have to have it!

I am setting Tony and Geoff up with some of the sounds from an upcoming... ok, Sonik Synth 3. Shhh.

You are SUCH a tease!

[Robert Karasek]

I saw them twice in germany this year.
one thing I didn't like: LOS ENDOS - it didn't really kick ass like the wembley-version...

(but again: phenomenal light-show!)

anyway - has been a blast !!

[seamonkey]

Very interesting Topic, thanks for all the info regarding Tony's choices for the tour.
We were fortunate to see the show here in Detroit and it was one of the best I've seen of theirs in years.

It's too bad Tony didn't choose Muse, I would've loved to have heard how a rack of Muse would sound from a great master like Tony.

I've always found the Korgs to be a bit thin sounding but as with all sound it's subjective. They are nice because in a group setting they don't overpower the other instruments and sit nicely in a mix.

I think one reason why some people may be disappointed with some of the sounds on this tour is because the songs were transposed lower as mentioned earlier. One instance that really stood out is the intro to No Son of Mine, the sample of Mike's geetar that sounds like an elephant. Everytime he played that I felt like I was in some surreal dream, especially with all the lights going on.lol

I'm glad they play the songs in a lower key because now I can sing along and not be screeching.

[Miguel Martínez]

Hello,
I saw the Genesis tour twice this last year and I have to say that the "In the cage" solo was not made by Korg Oasys, it was played with the Korg Wavestation, one of the two that Tony has. Why receptor is still in the Tony's rack? Because it was.. I do not know, By he played many few times the Oasys.
Regards
Miguel

[nl3]

The "in the cage" solo sound was really bad, it seemed to be without any kind of legato, showing as Tony was lacking its proverbial legato playing...
Regards,
PGi

[sonicfire]

lol....i would also choose Oasys over Receptor if i had the money

[Hybernation]

lol....i would also choose Oasys over Receptor if i had the money

I've been thinking about that one, and comparing dimes to donuts...

well, think about it...for $8K US you can get two pretty loaded up receptors and some software.

Receptor can run MANY different VST's. Oasys does sound good, but you are at the mercy of Korg Almighty to decide what new things get's added to their "open platform" going forward.

I played with one at the music shop and lusted a little bit, but then I came home to by OPEN Receptor and was happy.