Easily standing out with its tilt-up 10.5-inch color TouchView screen and well-lit multi-function control surface, OASYS is actually three synthesizers in one: Korg's all-new HD-1 High Definition PCM synthesizer plus two additional EXi Expansion Instruments, the powerful AL-1 Virtual Analog synth and an enhanced CX-3 Tonewheel Organ. OASYS is not only a new instrument but also Korg's new development platform for years to come.

The 172-voice HD-1 has a 627 MB PCM library full of the natural detail and ornamentation of real acoustic instruments with up to 4-way velocity crossfade/switching to recreate an instrument's complete dynamic range. Extended-length samples preserve each instrument's natural decay. Classic Korg technology, Advanced Vector Synthesis, blends four different mixtures of sounds to create evocative, motion-based timbres while another stalwart, Wave Sequencing, can play back a series of selected waveforms over time, creating either rhythmic timbres or continually evolving sounds.

The AL-1 virtual analog synth engine has up to 84 notes of polyphony. Two ultra low-aliasing oscillators per voice offer eight waveforms for a wide palette of modulatable shapes. An adjustable "Edge" parameter, sync, FM, ring modulation, noise and 21 unique filter types offer ample tone-shaping possibilities.

The CX-3 Tonewheel Organ engine is an enhanced version used in Korg's stand-alone combo organs (CX-3, BX-3). Control over every nuance of the sound, including a complete rotary speaker simulation, is possible.

16 Programs can be split and layered across the keyboard. These Combinations freely use sounds from the HD-1, AL-1 and CX-3, with dynamic voice allocation and second generation KARMA technology to enhance the trio of synth engines.

OASYS also features 16-track audio recording, 16-track MIDI sequencing, and Korg's Open Sampling System. The back panel hosts numerous analog and digital ins and outs along with four USB 2.0 ports. OASYS 88 sells for $8,499 and OASYS 76 for $7999. More from Korg at www.korg.com.