# Oscillators

How the selected sound is built: its oscillators (layers), their key and velocity ranges, octave, transpose and tune, and which multisample each one plays.

Web page: https://pasetexplorer.com/tutorials?c=oscillators

In this chapter:

- What an oscillator is
- How to read the HIGH and LOW boxes
- How to mute an oscillator to hear one layer alone

## What is an oscillator?

A KORG sound can stack several **layers** that play together — for example a soft accordion and a hard accordion, or a piano plus strings. Each layer is an **oscillator**. Every oscillator plays a **multisample** (a set of samples spread over the keyboard) and has its own range, octave, transpose and tune.

Select a sound in the [Sound Library](https://pasetexplorer.com/tutorials?c=sound-library) first, then click **Oscillators** in the sidebar.

## Reading an oscillator card

![Oscillators of “Acordeon Juzi”: OSC 1 plays “AC JUZI” on hard strikes and “Grand Piano L” on soft ones.](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/oscillators.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. The sound you selected in the Sound Library.
2. **OSC n** with a tick box. Untick it to **mute** this oscillator when you play the sound.
3. Key range (e.g. C-1 – G9), velocity range (Vel:1-127) and **Vel Switch** when the oscillator changes sample with velocity.
4. **Octave**, **Transpose** and **Tune** of the oscillator.
5. **HIGH** — what plays on **hard** key strikes: source (RAM or ROM), multisample number, level, and the multisample name with its number of zones.
6. **LOW** — what plays on **soft** key strikes.

| Text | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| src=RAM | The multisample is stored in the SET (portable). |
| src=ROM | The multisample is one of the keyboard’s factory multisamples. |
| num=N | The multisample number. |
| lv=N | The level (volume) of that layer, 0–127. |
| → "Name" (N zones) | The multisample name and how many key zones it has. |
| → ROM: "Name" | The factory multisample used. |

**Tips:**

- Untick every oscillator except one and play the on-screen keyboard to hear that layer **alone**. The ticks reset when you select another sound — nothing is saved.
- If a sound has HIGH and LOW layers with **Vel Switch**, play the keys softly and then hard to hear the change.
- Drum kits have no oscillators: the section says “No oscillators in this sound”. Use **Details** in the Sound Library instead.