NKD: Korg opsix

[bnt]

Just arrived today from Thomann after resisting for some weeks. My only other actual synth is a tiny Novation Xio that is OK in a pinch, but it’s hard to use and program and doesn’t sound that great. I like bass synth and wanted something I could potentially use live as well as for sound design. The opsix is a kind of hybrid design: the sound engine defaults to a 6-operator FM structure close to that of the Yamaha DX7, but then expands on that in three major ways:

• A full filter section and effects section, unlike the DX7, which is more user-friendly than FM usually is. 
• Operators are not limited to sine waves only, they can produce other wave types too. (Others have done this too, including Yamaha.) Just playing around with a sawtooth wave and the unison/detune voice modes, it was a doddle to make a fat “supersaw” with just one operator. An operator is therefore like an oscillator in other synths, but each also has its own envelope section, rather than all feeding in to a single common envelope.
  Between that and the filter, you can emulate other analog synths, and there is a decent selection of YouTube videos on this.
• Operators also have other modes of operation that are not FM at all, which opens up other possibilities too. There are Effects operators that can alter their own sound as well as sounds fed in from other operators. There’s one guy who figured out how to use a comb filter to generate plucked or bowed string sounds from white noise, which sounds amazing. 

 

So there’s a lot of potential there, I think. 

Edited February 1, 2022 by bnt
Title

[Skinnyman]

 

Lol

 

Congratulations on the Opsix. I looked long and hard at the Opsix versus the Modwave and Wavestate - in the end I got the Wavestate but I can see a place for all three  on my desk.

 

Revoews suggest that the Opsix can do a lot of what the DX7 did but is much easier to program?

 

I’ll be interested to see how you get on with it….

[bnt]

The Opsix definitely appeals to the maths geek in me. It can load DX7 SysEx files but doesn’t promise to play them perfectly, since there are differences in the operator envelopes (simpler ADSR instead of the DX7’s multi-stage envelopes.

 

My previous experience of FM is mostly through the Synclavier Go app on the iPad, which is an enhanced emulation of the Synclavier II. That uses up to 4 “partials”, each a  carrier/modulator pair i.e. 8 operators total but no flexibility. The carrier is an additive oscillator, so you can get more complex tones that way. Last night, for fun, I programmed the famous Galactic Cymbal sound from Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” intro. I just copied the numbers from the app, and it came out a close match, despite having to skip the 4th partial. 

[bnt]

On the question of programming, just playing with the basic sound is a doddle, with the six knobs and sliders controlling operator ratio/frequency and levels respectively. So you can quickly change the fundamental tone, even live. More detailed editing & tuning means some shallow menu diving. There’s a drawbar organ patch that can be “voiced” live with the controls. 
 

PS if you’re going to check out YouTube videos, on the opsix, be aware that most don’t cover the new Effects operators that were introduced with v2.0 software about 3 months ago. These significantly expand the possibilities for non-FM synthesis methods. Look for videos by Oscillator Sink (yes, with a K). Those are what gave me the final push towards getting one. 

Edited February 2, 2022 by bnt

[Skinnyman]

I held off getting the WaveState until firmware 2.0 was released and stable. The new editor and librarian make programming it so much easier. 
 

It sounds like they’ve made similar strides with the Opsix.

[bnt]

V2.0 did introduce some stability issues, I saw that Korg put out 2.0.1 as a fix for those. I upgraded to that straight out of the box. 

[bnt]

Some technical notes:

 

• There are specific instructions for Windows, which you have to follow before you can talk to the opsix over USB, involving a specific Windows driver for RNDIS Networking. These are in the manual included with the v2.0 upgrade. Once I did that, communication worked straight away.
• I upgraded straight from v1.0.1 to v 2.0.1: no problem with that process, but I noted that some of the presets mentioned in reviews were missing e.g. "KONG's Footstep". It looks like the v2.0.1 download includes about 90 fewer presets for some reason. The full preset library is on the website to download, and I could apply it through the Librarian. This overwrites all presets, so I did first have to transfer the few patches I had already created, save them to program files (a good idea anyway), then reload them in to the new preset library.

About DX7 patches:

• I downloaded some DX7 SysEx banks from here and loaded them in to the opsix using MIDI-OX. When the opsix receives patches over SysEx, it stops and asks you where to put them e.g. 401-432 are usually free, so I dumped them there.
• I've only ever spent time with DX7 factory presets in Dexed and they are a bit bland without effects, which the DX7 really needed IMHO (It wasn't until a few years later, with the Roland D-50, Korg M1 etc. that synths with onboard digital effects became a reality.)
• From what I can hear they sound pretty close, but I did notice one FX sound that didn't work at all. In general. you can sound like an original DX7 from 1983 if you want to, though I don't particularly want to, personally.

A couple of additional notes after a fair bit of playing around:

• Every program can include a sequence with up to 6 "lanes" of polyphony and 6 lanes of motion sequencing (parameter changes). You can record these in real time or step time and edit the results on screen. It has a transposing key trigger mode for live playing e.g. program it in the key of  C, then hold down a G to play the sequence transposed down a 4th. (Chromatic only, no Diatonic key support here.)
• The Arpeggiator is a bit boring, but the Sequencer makes up for it e.g. where another synth lets you create custom arpeggio styles, here that falls under the Sequencer functions. You can combine the two for added complexity.
• The opsix can create some truly obscene, headphone-murdering sounds. Watch the levels and think of your hearing. I haven't had it through loud speakers yet, but I imagine the aforementioned "KONG's Footstep" would have the neighbours calling engineers to check the stability of their house's foundations.
• My first attempt at Karplus-Strong string synthesis would peel the paint from the walls in high registers. Low notes sound like that scene from one of the Star Wars prequels when (IIRC) Jango Fett was trying to kill Obi-Wan in the asteroid field with some odd type of missile that produced shock waves. And that doesn't even use FM at all, but rather a single operator in Effects / Comb Filter mode: I still have 5 more operators to play with if I want to, in a single patch. Not very musical, but of course you can dial back the madness with more programming, filters and effects.
• The opsix is not a workstation, it has only a 3-octave keyboard and doesn't do workstation-style splits or layers of multiple programs. But programs do use layering of different tones as standard, up to 6 layers if you don't stack the operators e.g. organs have up to six variable "manuals" with the faders as drawbars. You can use the operator keytracking at its limits to create splits e.g. one preset uses three operators for an electric piano and the other three for a bass sound.

 

[Skinnyman]

The Opsix sounds like a hell of a beast. I’m still getting my head round the depths of the Wavestate. The actual programming is relatively simple, especially through the editor. The challenge is turning the concept in one’s head into a usable sequence without it becoming yet another pad. It’s an easy way to lose a few hours though and the sheer flexibility of the thing is incredible. 
 

I use it mostly with an external controller so I have the full 88 keys available. I’m also playing with driving it from my GR55 guitar synth and turning it into the world’s most elaborate delay pedal 😂 

 

The other project is to hook it up to the workstation and have sequences running on the Wavestate use the voices on that.

 

My only beef is that they need to improve the filter/search capabilities of the editor to make it easier to find patches and presets. 
 

 

[dub_junkie]

Congrats on the Korg Opsix. Looks a really nice synth! 

 

Just to say I really like the lowly Xiosynths and I’ve still got two of the 49 key ones. I play a bit of keys in my band and the Xio49 has become a fave rave of mine. I never played a better sounding synth for £100. 
 

Keir

[bnt]

I still have the Xiosynth 25 and it has its place, but struggled with the programming and ran in to some limitations. (I couldn't get envelopes to retrigger correctly in mono mode - kind-of important for bass synth - and once I started adding multiple effects and modulators to a patch, the sound quality audibly degraded.)

 

I'm definitely happier with the opsix as a bass synth so far. I set up a custom Favorites bank with the best bass presets I found so far, plus a few of my own. Sounds great (lots of low end), lots of tonal variety, and very controllable with velocity & mod. Quick changes to the core sound are quick with the faders. Aftertouch would have been be nice, which is why I considered a Hydrasynth, but that would have bumped up the price.

[bnt]

Quite the surprise from Korg last week: they released software versions of the opsix and wavestate synths, fully compatible in both directions, with major discounts for owners of the matching hardware. So for $50 extra I can now run multiple instances of the opsix in a DAW, with my own custom patches right there and sounding the same. Now all I need to do is find some talent ..!

Edited March 28, 2022 by bnt