Korg Forums

[feenix]

Is there one?

[hazabikit]

Which Pandora are you talking about?
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"It was really like jewelry work, working precisely." -- Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo

[conundrum]

Like a mini+, or px6, whatever that may entail? Has the mini been discontinued?

(Shouldn't this have been moved to "Effects and tuners"?)
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M50-61, KLC, Korg iApps;
Roland A33, Mac mini

[Pepperpotty]

[feenix]

Really? I'm betting the other 100+ viewers know what I'm talking about.

This is a Korg forum.

I'm asking about the future of the Pandora.

What does "which one" mean?

Like a lot of folks, I'm wondering if the series has been discontinued.

[charlie67]

Korg UK. has details of the Pandora series. It still appears to be fully supported by Korg, so it looks as if it does have some kind of a future.

[feenix]

The PX4D and the AX3000G have been removed from this site recently.

All that's listed under Guitar Effects now are the PX5 and the Mini.

And since it's generally agreed the PX4 was the last 'major' upgrade and with nothing new on the floor since the now discontinued 3000g, it sure looks like Korg is bowing out of the guitar effects market altogether.

[Yoa]

Also bear in mind that Vox is part of KORG and they use the same technology. KORG is still there, just under the Vox name. And many people use the PX5D and Mini (when they work, lol), so I'm sure KORG's got something planned. I personally want them to go back to making separate pedals, though. These tiny processors are cool, but are really bound to the studio.
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Cheers! Yoa

Current electronic equipment: Korg Kaossilator, miniKP, microKORG, nanoKEY, nanoPAD, nanoKONTROL, monotron, Pandora PX5D, AX1000G, M-Audio Keystation 88es, Casio VL Tone, Soundcraft 102 mixer, laptop (which, among other things, has the KORG Legacy Collection and various NI stuffs), Acer Iconia a100 (has many music apps), Stylophone, Yamaha DX7

[MatsEriksson]

I think as the world starts to cram in amp sims into their iPhones, like iRig, AMplitube, and so on, we will see more and more of incuded software into all cell phones INSTEAD.

I think Pandora series will be put on a slight backburner, because it's hard to compete with a hardware that is locked to one and only type of effects. Today you have at least 3 different amp sims that can be loaded into any iPhone, and use your interfaces accordingly.

If KORG is going to develop this, they should release a version of Pandora that is like that pedal of Digitech, the iStomp, that's a pedal that you can load with anything, say if you'll have a chorus pedal or a fuzz or anything else.

I e the best thing would be if KORG would allow third party releases to be included in the same size as a Pandora PX5D unit. Say, I would love to have the Scuffham Amps S-gear loaded into that little sucker. It's only a matter of time anyway before something like that is possible. Of course, there are such "boxes" as the DLL units from SM-pro Audio, but I've heard that those things doesn't work as expected. You can load any DDL from software synths into it.

[feenix]

Semi Annual Thread Top

[MatsEriksson]

It still has limited users, compared to those who uses iRig on iPhones and so on. The overall design and concept has had run its course. Past Date has been reached. If they release a new pandora macro or mini they're just milking it. Flogging a dead horse.

[feenix]

Hehe, the hardware platform isn't going anywhere.

And I'd be very surprised if Korg saw mobile apps as anything more than another fad.

[MatsEriksson]

If they could come out they probably will. A Looper with changing key in the bass is just another software, no matter how you turn on it. As I said, limited users. Roland, Yamaha, has released iPod, and versions of iPhone where you can slow down, change keys, and it has a radio format, i e like an old boom box and it's even wireless.

If everything is in the iPhone anyway, there's little use of releasing hardware. FWI I think the Korg Pandora is a bit too tiny and the "half moon" controls that regulates bass/treble and gain are too hard too reach properly. And yes, mine has become ever worse now, when joggling the data wheel. It jumps and skips on levels, and there's nothing you can do about it, since its pretty much tight screwed together, and there's no serviceable parts inside.

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However, they could and should release some hardware version BUT only with updatable software. Just like those iStomp pedals from DIgiTech. That you could load with whatever effects you fancy. And upgrade loopers and background backing tracks as you like. WITH changing keys in the bass and slow ups and downs without any artifacts. FWIW I think the limited "SONG" today, that is run by MIDI inside Pandora has long had its past date. Today, most backign tracks are of MP3.

I do wish that they sorted out some kind of bugs with this version, and it would be nice if you could download new firmware and updates. They had this song updater, but it was software for PC and MAC. I still have some minor uses for it today, mainly for metronome practice, and tuner, and a few selected clean sounds. Occassionally I use drums for practicing now and then. But there's nothing the Pandora can do, that can't also be done on any iPad or laptop PC provided that you can combine the software. In latest edition of Band In A Box with RealBand you can change key and tempo as much as you like to pre-recorded REAL recordings, not slowing down pitch with artifacts and so on. So there are numerous alternate software that does as well. And sometimes, I don't want too much crammed into as small space as possible, just like the pandora. You have through walk through quite a few menues to get to here and there. Sometimes you'll better off looking at a bigger screen and see what's going on in real time. If they should have some merit, and let Pandora PX5d live beyond its past date, is to release drivers for it to function as a REAL sound interface card. It does so today, but with the effects and sound "run through" the output at all times. If it just was able to mute the direct monitoring, it could be a HUGE improvement, because latency times is among the lowest on both Mac and PC although it's the "older" USB interface. So you can use other software to produce sounds and not its own. It would be a stellar improvement. Today you always hear the clean/clear signal through it, and it's not possible to turn that off, and just listen to the "software send/return" as it is called.

I do think Pandora is seen as a past fad, by most guitarists out there anyway, considering what's going on in the iPhone, iPad and mobile phone market. I e the competition. Otherwise iRig, Guitar Rig wouldn't release interfaces for that. If you record something on those phones, you can call up those databases within a split second that will "recognize" your tune, and give examples of what it sounds like. So you have instant information if the song you do, has already the same meloy in it or not.

It would be all different if Pandora was a floor based unit with pedals, but now it's in the form of an old cassette cartridge, and thus have to be operated just like anything on any cell phone. Through menues and display and a button here and there. Lifespan has run out. 3-5 years. Period. Oh, and one thing. Regardind the distorted and amp sim simulations inside Pandora, there's too many freeware today, that has topped anything iniside Pandoras amp sim by a ten inch nail. LePou, etc, and even if you pay a little, S-gear from Suffham amps is too far ahead. I very rarely use anything distorted inside Pandora today. Sounds too dated and harsh.

I think time passes on too quickly, and if everything is made by software today, KORG has to re-think totally. By the time their hardware comes out, someone else has topped it already, for free, with either PC or Mac versions of the same sound effects. They have to think of something else entirely. Development moves on much faster today, and it's not rocket science anymore to produce great distortion sounds, amps, and reverbs. If they released something again that is locked into hardware, they would be left astern within 3 months due to the competition out there. This is for sure, not only KORG but the rest of them too, Zoom and so on.

[feenix]

I guess we were both right. In a way... The Stomp is kinda both but kinda neither.

It does nothing to clarify Korg's vision for Pandora and I don't think Digitech or Zoom have anything to worry about.

I'm not really sure what it is but I'm not impressed or interested.