You can flip up the control surface and get to the battery and the memory by removing one screw at each end of the Oasys - there is no need to take off the end pieces and the silver trim.
Have you subscribed? :-) Hi. And you are absolutely right. However, when I first got this machine it took ages to figure out how to release the control surface to get to the battery and memory area. Maybe I should have read the service manual first lol. Jon
Have you subscribed? :-) OK. Here goes. It is actually 3 screws on my OASYS 88. Start at the end with the OASYS logo. In line with the back rubber foot, 22cm from the back of the synth is a screw that looks different to the others. That's screw 1. Draw a line from right to left. 22cm from the back. The 2nd and middle screw should be just before the middle foot 22cm from the back. The 3rd and last screw again 22cm from the back and about 15cm from the left hand end. All three screw will look the same assuming someone hasn't been there before you. Hope this is of help. Jon
I am going to try that after I see if I can corroborate it, otherwise, with any luck, perhaps I'll have a positive testimonial of my own to share. I bought a cream puff ( = what the used car salesman would call an older car driven exclusively to church on Sunday by someone's granny, for short) used '88 priced-to-move from a reputable local music store, and have been through all of the update procedures and registration stuff a few years ago. Unfortunately, it has stopped working. Regardless of the outcome I thank the OP for sharing so much info about what's going on under the hood. I assume I need to replace the 2032 but after reading some of the other threads elsewhere in this chat I'm not so sure. This keyboard has been a challenge: I can't imagine where I would be with this without the internet and the input from the user community. Fortunately when it works it has a veritable cornucopia of excellent sounds.
Hi - Thanks for the very informative look into the innards of the OASYS, and the battery and memory updating. I'm the original owner of a very lightly used (+/- 100 hours) OASYS 88, which I recently started using again after an extended hiatus. When I started using the OASYS again, it was intermittently looking for “reauthorization codes” during power-on startup. I could power off/on and it would start up normally (except for the "replace battery warning") for 3-4 and function normally, before hanging again on the reauthorization code screen (and restarting normally again). I followed the instructions on the OASYS support site to request reauthorization codes, which informed me that I would receive the codes in an email within 1-2 days. (I never received the email with the reauthorization code). After about two weeks of daily use with the intermittent reauthorization code hang, the OASYS no longer completed startup )with or without reauthorization request), and instead consistently hangs at one of three points, all less than 1/2 way through the the loading progress bar. Korg support says that all they can advise is to reinstall the software (or call a Korg dealer, which I did twice but didn't get a call back). Do you think that these hangs could be caused by 1)the dead battery, or 2) the expired? reauthorization codes, or 3) a software problem, or 4) a failing disk? (I was at V 3.1, and installed V3.3a, but it didn't affect the progress bar hangs). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Have you subscribed? :-) Firstly for what ever reason the keyboard has lost its authorisation codes. These are stored on the hard drive. Have you reformatted the drive or deleted information from the drive? The battery handles normally computer settings and in this case keyboard settings. As far as I am aware it does not hold the authorisation codes in a battery powered volatile memory. So I do not think that a dead battery has caused this problem. I seem to recall that the keyboard will operate for about 2 weeks on temporary or unauthorised codes before refusing to boot. This would seem to fit the behaviour that you have described. So you are going to have to obtain new codes, which you have tried to do. The first thing is did you register the keyboard? Have you changed your e-mail address since you registered your keyboard. Korg instigated through Korg.Net an anti-theft registration which meant that if the keyboard was stolen and sold on, at the point the new user tried to register the keyboard they could notify the authorities and the original user would get their property back. Unless this was properly transferred to you then the codes will be sent to the e-mail address of the previous owner. You need to ring Korg support to get this changed into your name if this is the situation. If it is a case of changing e-mail address then you will need to either access the other account or ring Korg support to get your new e-mail address logged. In terms of the hanging, you might have to re-format the hard drive and re-install the operating system to allow you to enter the codes. This could be signs of a failing hard-drive, but I would try the reformatting route once you have got hold of new codes. If it is the hard-drive then your have the codes to allow you to install a new SSD in place of the current drive. I hope that that gives you some pointers. Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK I was able to finally get the reauthorization codes for my OASYS (purchased and registered in 2005) from Korg support, when the OASYS web site wouldn't send them. I still couldn't get it to boot properly (hangs), so I started replacing the disk, which ran into a variety of problems while trying to format and reinstall from 1.0 and 1.1 CDs. I eventually realized that I had dimm problems, replaced the 2x1GB dimm cards, got a successful reinstall with 3.1 CDs on a 128GB KingSpec SSD (as well as a 60GB Fujitsu IDE, which I tried before I realized I had a dimm problem) and reauthorized the rest of the mods. OASYS boots/loads faster, has more capacity for user stuff, likely runs cooler (fan seems quieter), and the disk will likely last longer. My last challenge was after everything was booting, LCD working, etc., but I couldn't get any sound out of the channels out or headphones, because a small connector on the right side (disk, dimms, battery are all on the left side) had pulled loose when I moved the top panel back out of the way. Everything works great, like new, with faster, quieter, larger, cooler disk. Happy to answer questions from other OASYS owners, others' experiences on Korg/Karma and your own were very helpful.
Thanks for in put on how replace battery all so I have the 8 buttons under screen that some are not working. Hopping I can clean them win i put in new battery. That fan right next to buttons properly blowing dust on them. I also have some of the red buttons on right side of screen. Some of the program is buttons like the function are very dim .guess I will have to get to under the board and make sure I have the right light. Check voltage. And see whats up. Or may just let it slide. Don't want to get out of my comfort zone. Thanks ever so much showing where is the battery . Ill be hang on to your site .I got a Ensoniq ,mirage key board I want to give to a up and coming kid who just graduated high school and is doing very good .I want to upgrade his keyboard. I know it needs a new belt for drive and a new battery on it ,but I have done that before. Good video Thanks Garry
HI @Garry M You will not regret putting the OASYS back to rude health. It is a fantastic keyboard that stands up to the keyboards of today in terms of sound generation and quality. As you say the pads probably need a clean. You might need to reseat the connector as well. In terms of the LED’s I must admit that I haven’t looked at the circuit diagram relating to them, but I think I would also be looking at the voltages first. Not got a Mirage in the stable so at this point can’t help you with that one. You might want to search for the service manual, however my experience of the EPS 16 Plus service manual is that compared to the Roland equivalent from the same time it is pretty basic. Jon
Hi sir, do you video Oasys how to replace hard disk? Mine about crash…can’t boot to program since on and has system error 5. Do you replace your oasys with SSD? Thanks in advance 🫡
Hi @Hannynco This is one of those yes and no answers. Yes you can install an SSD drive in your Korg OASYS and you will find many commentators on the internet telling you that they have done it. But few say how! The Korg OASYS motherboard does not support the SSD interface natively. You need to use an IDE / SATA converter in between the old interface and the new SSD drive. I had a very similar issue with the MUSE Receptor REV 1.0 C. Unless you can clone the original drive using one of the cloning utilities, you will need to re-load the Korg OASYS operating system and then contact Korg support to get the authorisation codes assuming you don’t have the original authorisation disk. Jon
Hi @Trevor Nelson I own one so I would say that they are worth it. The engines on the OASYS are in essence the forerunners of the engines that have been installed in the Kronos. You can use these to structure your own custom sounds and store then on the internal disk drive. It uses the same AD and sampling circuitry as the 1st Kronos. I think the Kronos 2 made some tweaks (but I am saying this from memory so don't quote me.) Basically the Kronos expanded the OASYS concept by having a Linux machine running custom Korg code that generated the sound. The OASYS changed the way manufacturers looked at the synth and workstation. Remember the OASYS 88 was an $8,000 plus machine when Korg released it, the screen is 10". The knobs and faders can be mapped to control various parameters. The sequencer has enough flexibility to allow you to compose a more or less completed piece. The 88 which is the machine I own has a wonder fully weighed key action. Do you get the impression I like my unit? The problem is that the price of a good second hand version can hit $2,000. And for that money you can get a good second hand Kronos or if I were looking for a workstation like this right now I would be looking seriously at the Roland Fantom. So to answer your question. If you can acquire one for a good price then yes it is worth acquiring. After all Tony Banks from Genesis is using a Korg OASYS on the current Last Domino tour and not a new Kronos or Nautilus. Hope this provided some perspective on your question? Jon
I have an oasys 76, there are five keys that have less intensity or attack than the others, how can I solve that problem??? Do you have a social network to contact you??? I'm Mauro from Argentina!
Hi @mauars21 Greetings to Argentina. And to answer the last question first Instagram: @themusictechguyuk Facebook: The Music Tech Guy UK. You can contact me through either of these platforms. You don't mention whether these keys are in the same area of the keyboard. If they are it is possible that you have track damage. If not it could be that a light clean of the contacts or even re-carboning the contacts might be required. What ever the issue is I suspect that you will need to strip the key bed down. Jon
Hi @tudor horia I would be looking at the screen connections to the internal boards. If the back light has gone then you should be able to see a faint display of information on the screen. This would indicate the replacement of the light. Although I have not done this repair myself. If there is no information on the screen at all, then you could have a dead screen or a component that drives the screen has failed. You may need a service tech to diagnose for you. Jon
Thanks for this. I know that in the base OS 1.0.1 back in 2005, the keyboard only addressed the first DIMM slot. After that, and I don’t know which release it was, the second DIMM slot was capable of being addressed. The Keyboard itself, being a 32Bit OS can theoretically address 4Gb of RAM, but most of these devices are limited to 3.5Gb as other operating system ‘bits’ end up in the other 0.5Gb. Two things I wasn’t aware of: 1. You can upgrade the memory unevenly. I.e. as you stated a 1Gb and 2Gb RAM chip being added to the 2 memory board slots. 2. If you added 2 2GB chips to the memory slots that the OASYS would address as much as it could. The OS is well written not to error. I may well in the future add 2 2GB DIMM’s to my OASYS.
Hi, I have just aquired an Oasys 88 key also, beautiful thing and waited along time for it. I am going add an extra 1g of memory also. My question is since you installed that extra ram, have you had any issues at all? Is it fairly stable? Thanks for your time and look forward to hearing back 😀👍
Have you subscribed? :-) Well done. It is a beautiful keyboard. I am happy to report since I upgraded memory, OS, installed the additional engines and replaced the battery I have had no issues with this unit. Jon
Yes just subscribed now, I have wanted one of these for some time and it’s always just been out of reach financially, finally one came up so I thought Sod it and bought it, I have all the expansions and am waiting for new memory to arrive, was hoping it was today so will be next week. Thanks for getting back in touch, next I am considering cloning hard drive to ssd swap??
Hi @tudor horia The battery has no effect on the display. The OASYS should still boot with a dead battery, just all the settings and computer config will be lost e.g. time and date. All the other stuff is stored on the hard drive. Jon
Have you subscribed? :-) Oh I hope that it isn’t a door stop as these machines are Wonderfull to work with. When you say 4 disks it is unclear whether these are hard drives or CD’s? Like any computer the OASYS boots from the internal hard drive. If your machine is not booting then that would be my first port of call. Is it correctly connected to the motherboard and has power? If the hard drive is connected but not booting you might need to re-install the OASYS OS. If you don’t have this then you can get this from Korg Support. They supplied me with the updated OS’s when I acquired mine and also generated the licence file for me which I had to burn to CD and then install. The installation process for the OASYS OS is a Next, Next, Next style process. Hope this helps? Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK Hi Jon - yes I've subscribed - I have the 4 cd's that came with the oasys, but not the license file - tried to register on korg website but it rejected my email adress as it was not the one connected to serial number/16 digit code - hoping they will support me or this will be parts for someone-cheers
@Mitch Lazer. Most other people I have spoken to said as long as it does not flash up in a stolen list you should be able to swap the registration into you name. Jon
Hi Jansen. Have you subscribed? :-) Again a fair price for a 76 key version of this keyboard. And I take your point on technology moving quickly. But what I will say is that the OASYS is a worthy keyboard to be mentioned in the same conversation as the KRONOS. The KRONOS has many of the same features developed for the OASYS. If performs the same functions with the exception that the computer power of the KRONOS, KRONOS X and KRONOS 2 means they can have more notes play simultaneously, deeper wave generation, bigger sequencer memories and larger sample manipulation. But in essence the the functions are the same. The other thing about the older equipment is that I am getting increasing concerned that the modern equipment which requires USB connectivity to work correctly, will cease to function correctly quicker than some of this legacy tech that was built in the assumption connectivity to another device was not required to function. Jon
@binsinc. A number of people feel the OASYS was superior to the KRONOS in sound generation. It is such along time since I have had both boards in the same place. Although I will say the the Keyboard on the OASYS is better. The other point is an OASYS was $8,000 new where as a KRONOS on $3,000. Yes technology has moved on, but I suspect a fair chunk of the $8,000 was R&D. Jon
