IS IT A LEMON?

[Clarence322]

I've read Nedim's and Rob's posts, but I don't get it when they say OS 1.51 is rotten when it comes to sampling!

What I really don't get is this: I have my Pa800 loaded with OS 1.51 and MR 1.5, and I started exploring the sampling mode immediately (to me there's a need for sounds in my own compositions which aren't in the standard sound set). I can do whatever I want in sampling mode: sampling, reading wav's, writing them, everything works FINE! Even reassigning samples after some own stupid faults works good: I can empty the RAM the normal way, I can read USER sounds one by one and the needed multisamples are put into RAM just as it should be.

Rob, Nedim, I've got one BIG question: am I doing things right using OS 1.51 or are most other people doing things wrong? How is this possible? I cannot believe I'm a guru; I'd rather believe you guys are, but now I'm not sure about that... (please no hard feelings about this, I neither don't have against you, guys)

[Rob Sherratt]

Nedim,

Just to say a big sincere thank you for you recent mail. I am very relieved! I thought I may have been someone who has upset you and that is the last thing I want to do!

Best regards,
Rob

[BasariStudios]

Clarence, i understand your topic and you are completely right.
Now you made me think of something else...the COMMON problems
of freezing and this and that we already know that but as i mentioned
many times on here i NEVER had any problems with SAMPLING at all
sine OS 1.51, now i dont know if its me and you or the machines.

[Rob Sherratt]

I have my Pa800 loaded with OS 1.51 and MR 1.5, and I started exploring the sampling mode immediately (to me there's a need for sounds in my own compositions which aren't in the standard sound set). I can do whatever I want in sampling mode: sampling, reading wav's, writing them, everything works FINE! Even reassigning samples after some own stupid faults works good: I can empty the RAM the normal way, I can read USER sounds one by one and the needed multisamples are put into RAM just as it should be.

Rob, Nedim, I've got one BIG question: am I doing things right using OS 1.51 or are most other people doing things wrong? How is this possible?

Hi Clarence,

If it works for you - stay with OS1.51. If something screwy starts to happen please let us know the last operation or function you used before unexplained things started to happen? As you rightly point out, if it is an OS1.51 problem then the failure mode should be repeatable on everybody's keyboard. If you have been editing waveforms using the wave editor, and then successfully writing these samples into user PCM memory, and there is no problem, then my previous diagnosis may be wrong.

The thing that really puzzles me is that Avi's keyboard is now working perfectly having reloaded the OS with the image files on CD (OS version 1.01). He can then edit his waveforms and write to User memory fine. As soon as he "updates" with OS1.51 and Musical Resources 1.50, and then edits a waveform and writes it back to user memory, the failures start again. Anyway Korg are working behind the scenes with Avi about this, so we will wait and see what happens.

Best regards,
Rob

[AVI6520]

I have my Pa800 loaded with OS 1.51 and MR 1.5, and I started exploring the sampling mode immediately (to me there's a need for sounds in my own compositions which aren't in the standard sound set). .........How is this possible?

Hi Clarence,

If it works for you - stay with OS1.51. ......... then my previous diagnosis may be wrong.
.........

Best regards,
Rob

HI ROB,

"my previous diagnosis may be wrong."

I am not sure it's wrong,
I have send a PM to Clarence,
AND his answer can halp us to do the diagnosis more specific,
I am waiting for it,
I am sending to you my opinion with PM.
we will be in touch...

AVI.

[Rob Sherratt]

Here is some information suggested by Avi that we hope will assist Korg engineers:

On two Pa800's (Sandy and Avi) the machines were supplied with OS1.01 installed and the "stand alone" system backup file on CD corresponded to that version. After installing the "incremental update files" that are posted on www.korgpa.com for OS1.51 and Musical Resources 1.50, these two keyboards both exhibit a failure mode where User PCM memory becomes unavailable after any .WAV file is edited and saved using "Write Sample".

Until now we have not been able to explain why some people's keyboards with OS1.51 and Musical Resources 1.50 have not shown the same failure symptoms.

Here is a possible explanation, and I'd be grateful if any forum members can confirm:

The later Pa800's have apparently been shipped with OS1.51 and Musical Resources 1.50 pre installed. Presumably the system backup "stand alone image" file on CD corresponds to that version. These owners would never have loaded the "incremental update" files from Korg's web site.

The current theory is that the failure mode is only exhibited on older Pa800 keyboards that have been updated by the owner with the "incremental update" files posted on www.korgpa.com.

In other words, is it possible that the "incremental update" files or the "incremental update" mechanism itself is responsible for the keyboard failures on just the older Pa800 keyboards?

I continue in my belief that this is a software problem not a hardware problem because these older keyboards work fine when the OS is restored from the "stand alone" OS1.01 file.

A way of testing the theory would be for Korg to publish the full "stand alone" OS image file for version 1.51 on the www.korgpa.com web siteand allow Avi and Sandeep to download that and test it.

Best regards,
Rob

[sandy39]

Yes, that's a million dollar idea Rob... I would love to give it a try... provided a complete file is available to us...

I very well remember when I was taking the delivery of my Pa800 from Audio Plus, Mumbai, India, my Pa800 was updated with 1.51 and resource 1.50 was also updated. Thereafter, Hitesh had taken the full backup of his machine and loaded the complete thing on my machine. His machine and my machine became parallel. He was also using O.S. ver 1.51 & resource 1.50.

With my machine, the CD that I have received, contains the following files:

(1). Pa800_os_v102.pkg which is of 4.85 MB

(2). Pa800_os_res_v102.pkg WHICH IS OF 126 MB

One more interesting thing I will tell you Rob... That Hiteshs' backup Folder I still have on my pc ... that is around 28 MB... yesterday when I took the complete backup of my Pa800 before reinstalling O.S. 1.51 and res 1.50, the folder size was JUST 4.8 MB . I was again zapped as I have not deleted any file that Hitesh had loaded on my Pa800, infact I had loaded many .wav files [I loaded Shahids kit and later deleted so that's =0]. The folder size should have been around 38 or 40 MB.

I cannot explain that...

But, it's a good idea to have One complete file and load it on Pa800. If it is made available, I'll certainly give it a try.

Regarding your PM Rob, i'll send u an email shortly

Thanks & Regards

SP

[AudioProCT]

I've been a Korg dealer for about 6 months now and I have sold to date about 70 PA800s, I have had exactly 1 keyboard that was bad, and Korg replaced it.

Unfortunately the customer had to take it to a repair facility then they had to decide but Korg did make good about it.

You can call me if you guys have questions

(888) 374-6076

Frank

[Rob Sherratt]

I've been a Korg dealer for about 6 months now and I have sold to date about 70 PA800s, I have had exactly 1 keyboard that was bad, and Korg replaced it.

Unfortunately the customer had to take it to a repair facility then they had to decide but Korg did make good about it.

You can call me if you guys have questions

(888) 374-6076

Frank

Hi Frank,

That's great sales figures for just 6 months of being a dealer. Will you also be selling the Pa2x?

Would you be so kind as to tell us which OS version was on the Pa800's you sold, and which OS version was on the backup CD provided with the keyboard? Do you have any idea how many of your customers have upgraded to a later OS? Do you perform the OS upgrades or do your customers do this?

Best regards,
Rob

[rikkisbears]

Hi,
I don't know a great deal about how the backups & loading the operating system etc works in the PA800,
but is it possible you're transferring problems when loading backups and files from other peoples machines??

I know when I used to load updates to my KN7000, the files always went thru a checking system to make sure they weren't corrupted before loading into the machine. One had to be pretty careful not to load in corrupted data.

I did upgrade my PA800 from operating system 1.02 to with the files from the korg site ( 1.51 plus 1.50 resources)
so far I haven't had problems . I've only used the sampler in the context of loading audio loops for groove files ( no editing onbord reqired except for slicing.)

I very well remember when I was taking the delivery of my Pa800 from Audio Plus, Mumbai, India, my Pa800 was updated with 1.51 and resource 1.50 was also updated. Thereafter, Hitesh had taken the full backup of his machine and loaded the complete thing on my machine. His machine and my machine became parallel. He was also using O.S. ver 1.51 & resource 1.50.


One more interesting thing I will tell you Rob... That Hiteshs' backup Folder I still have on my pc ... that is around 28 MB... yesterday when I took the complete backup of my Pa800 before reinstalling O.S. 1.51 and res 1.50, the folder size was JUST 4.8 MB . I was again zapped as I have not deleted any file that Hitesh had loaded on my Pa800, infact I had loaded many .wav files [I loaded Shahids kit and later deleted so that's =0]. The folder size should have been around 38 or 40 MB.



SP

[Jurone]

Hi guys,
Hope I haven't stirred up too much of a hornets nest with this topic but felt the problems had to be aired.
The replacement board I received is working fine, though I must admit all I have done is switched it on and played it not being game to do anything else with it until we hear something definite from Korg regarding a new OS.
The replacement board came with OS 1.51 already installed, whether by the factory or by the importer I'm not at the moment sure, as the box had been opened. The Accessory CD-ROM supplied said it was Version 1.01 but when I went to downloaded it on my computer to check, it came up as a blank disk. ????????????????????????????????????
Cheers, from a puzzled Jurone

[BasariStudios]

Dear Pa800 Owners,
After analyzing a few cases, we discovered that the problem of disappearing Sample RAM is due to a fault of the internal 64MB RAM memory module.

[macboy]

So it was a hardware problem (for some).

I think it is really bad that a big firm like Korg is coming up with such keyboards with so many bugs all over. Then they came with a new OS which was even worse, and within some days/weeks there came a new OS.

The question is whether this makes the PA800 a lemon ?

For me NO !

The PA800 is a wonderful machine, a great keyboard with many capabilities, great sounds and great live performance.

I have gotten nice SET's from people all over the world, i have mixed some things from different sets, with different samples etc

I have never had any freezings, only a drum sound loop that wouldn't stop, but going to SOUND mode was enough to stop it.

For me (having own a i30, PA80) it is the best machine around (having played all the others).

For people going down on stuff (like Nedim) is sure bringing major conflicts, but maybe it's with all KB ? Do not forget, this time people want more and more giving pressure to the developers (althoug everyone is certain that bringing more with problems is in fact bringing less).

The problems occur to the same problems: sample problems in general. Also Nedim states that it differs from the keyboards.

For people wanting to buy the PA800 i can only say go for it.

Mine works perfect for what I want and that is to party !!!!!!!!!



Korg now only needs to bring ONE BIG OS with no faults, let it be tested first here Bob by the users before putting it online.

If possible, reduce the starting time (load time on start up)

[roadster_32]

Hi guys,

I bought my pa800 about 3months ago, and now it is at the repair centre and the repairer is not even sure what the cause of the problem is! He thinks it might be the ram.

I might have to wait 5-6 weeks and possibly more, which I dont like to at all!

The problem that I am having with my pa800 is that when I load user samples after saving, these user samples become dsitorted and corrupted.

My pa800 was supplied with OS 1.02 and then I upgraded to 1.51.

I will update you guys on the progress and see what Happens..

If you guys have any suggestion as to what could be the cause plz let me know, I am guessing it is the user partition of the SSD-U but the repairer thinks sd-ram!

[Rob Sherratt]

Hi roadster_32,

Could you please re-send your information onto Paolo Tramannoni's (from Korg) thread which is here? I think Korg Italy need to help you:

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=31240

Best regards,
Rob