again - Pa1x vs. Pa500 vs. Pa800

Jabba-san · Post by **Jabba-san** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 9:36 pm

Strange. I'm puzzled - and I know it

It's a joy to play with it. Definitely. But somehow I expected better sound. Sometimes I'm impressed but mostly it's .. flat?

I\m used to Korg Extreme and Aftertouch, so I'm trying to compare Pa500 to it. I was told even by Korg reseller that Pa800 and Pa500 sound the same but I can't help myself... once, my friend bought Juno-G and I bought G6 (I finished one job and have spare money - but it was used) and the comparison was crushing (obviously). All same-named patches sound simply mono and filtered on Juno-G.
I suppose that this is the case of Pa500 - they're not saying that, but I think that most of the sound is simply mono to save memory.

But I have to admint one crucial thing - when I closed my eyes and play Tyros1, I heard CD. When I close my eyes on Pa500, I can almost feel the breath of musicians around me

I still have to think about your PA1X Pro recordings Pete ... they're so "spacy" and rich ... I have to do some comparison - I will record same intros and compare them blindly

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 1:42 am

Hi Jan

You should try some of the EQ setting in the AUDIO set up in GLOBAL mode.
This is what I needed to do on my PA2Xpro.
You should be getting good "stereo" sounds though.

Cheers

Pete

Jabba-san · Post by **Jabba-san** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:39 am

After another night spent with Pa, I think I've got an explanations how it sounds so cheap. I think, that it's because of the solo instruments. Mostly if you play a sax, it goes into horrible loop right from the beginning with no modulation whatsoever to even cover the ugly sample. Maybe, that's where the 80 instruments take their places on Pa800 - which is really a shame.

And when I say horrible, I mean really awful, like back in Amiga days - 4 seconds sample and the loop is the last second regardless of what's in there or how it sounds.

I want as you for a favor. I will sample those few horrible solo saxes along with the horrible loop and ask you guys to try them on Pa800 and PA2X and even PA1X of yours to see if it's really domain od Pa500...

If so, I will really rather pick PA1X instead

Jabba-san · Post by **Jabba-san** » Sun Oct 31, 2010 10:12 pm

Hi, I know that I stopped almost in the middle of the sentence and promised some samples and then play dead but I'm here and alive - and for few hours also with my own Pa1X PRO, which I today changed for my Pa500.

As I learned before, I will not do any statement about anything for at least week or so

, but I need a little help - I've got 3.01 system on it and I'm pretty convinced that previous owner sets some pretty bass-intensive EQ but I can't find any. I read something about "Master EQ" which is by default off and do some amazing tricks and it should be somewhere in the global menu but even with the help of the manual I can't find it.

Plus, how can I reset anything to it's original state? By Downloading latest software from korg and reapply it?

Thanks

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 1:38 am

Hi Jan

Firstly, now that you have the fabulous PA1Xpro, I would recommend that you post any questions in the PA1XPro forum so that you get a better response.

previous owner sets some pretty bass-intensive EQ but I can't find any

There are no EQ parameters on the PA1Xpro (other than in Voice Processor GLOBAL MODE)

how can I reset anything to it's original state?

To reset your PA1Xpro to its original state you need to reload the OS and resources data using the option to clear the SSD (can explain later if you decide to do it...)

Cheers

Pete

Jabba-san · Post by **Jabba-san** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 1:43 am

karmathanever wrote: Firstly, now that you have the fabulous PA1Xpro, I would recommend that you post any questions in the PA1XPro forum so that you get a better response.

I just wanted to preserve continuity of the thread ;)
Thnx

JPWC · Post by **JPWC** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 4:19 pm

I got the Pa500 a year ago, while it is an excellent keyboard arranger, and it's been great fun playing it in the back yard, I wish I held out for the Pa800 or the Pa1X stuff.

When I go in doors (in my studio) I never play the Pa500, back to the workstations (M3,FG,XS).

Jabba-san · Post by **Jabba-san** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:41 pm

JPWC wrote:I got the Pa500 a year ago, while it is an excellent keyboard arranger, and it's been great fun playing it in the back yard, I wish I held out for the Pa800 or the Pa1X stuff.

When I go in doors (in my studio) I never play the Pa500, back to the workstations (M3,FG,XS).

I was this type of guy - I simply layer tracks one by one, loop it, jam to it, came with something and make a decent song from it, but as I have less time now, I realize that I'm spending less time "layering" and more time I'm just playing ... And it's fun with two arpegiators on Korg Extreme76 I've got (and it must be on M3 with Karma - and it wasn't on my G6 I sold very early after I bought it) but I simply found that "i need the fill button".

I sort of transfered myself of that rigid looped tracks to variations and fill-ins and it's not just fun, but whole level for me. I was always sort of "against" arrangers .. I laugh at them and toss my tracks in cakewalk playing them through my E-Mu ProteusFX back in the old days .. but recently, we have been looking with my friend to some ultimate keyboard and he end up on Yamaha Tyros. First, I laugh .. but then we switched keyboard for a while and he get stuck with my Extreme and I spend amazing evenings by his Tyros and realized that the fact that your "loops" gets literally alive, you can transpose them on the fly cleverly, mix them and work with them that interactively makes me thing about the music less rigid than ever before.

And because I'm korg guy, I immediately bought Pa500 for testing that idea and because I loved it, I recently exchange it with little more cash to Pa1X Pro and I'm very happy - I still got my Extreme76 but I found myself simply "playing" with Pa1X Pro like mad .. it's something completely different .. it's like jamming with real people (you know.. sort of)

But it definitely change my way to feel about composition and music quite a lot

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:49 am

If Karmathanever and Jabba-san are still listening, I have a few questions for them. Putting aside the issue of speakers vs. no speakers, and the ECM5 and Songbook, are the sound-sets in the PA50SD and Pa1x identical? I'm not thinking about the converters, just the number of sounds, and the amount of waveform memory. The Pa1x I'm looking at has 32MB (it's been expanded.) But doesn't the PA50SD come stock with 32MB? If so, was a stock Pa1x first released with less wave ROM than the PA-50? I read they both came out in 2004, so that's some reason to suspect they have the same Sounds and Styles (do they? - does the Pa1x have more parts to the same Styles?) and Performances; but is that the case? The PA-50SD I play has Hip Hop, Jungle and Techno Styles. Is it safe to assume that the Pa1x has these same styles? I'm looking in the online Pa1x manual, but so far, I haven't found the Sounds/Performance/Styles Lists. Jabba seemed to be saying that the individual instrument loops were longer on the Pa1x - he could tell when he swapped his PA50 for one. Thanks for any information, much appreciated.

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:18 am

Hi Tommy

Sorry but I cannot give you any comparisons between PA1X and PA50SD - I have never heard or played the PA50SD.
What I can tell you (warn you) is that often the styles between the models are different - I can give you an example:-

When I owned my PA2Xpro, my friend owned the PA588 - these models were in parallel but a lot of the styles (even with the same "names") were different.

You really need to (hopefully) find someone who has owned or used both keyboards.
In terms of Banks capacities sound/style/performance lists etc - the best place to compare these are from their respective User Guides (check "Specifications" and/or "Factory Data")

I'm looking in the online Pa1x manual, but so far, I haven't found the Sounds/Performance/Styles Lists

You will find this starting on Page 286 in the PA1x User Manual (version 252 - latest)
You should find the same in the respective PA50SD manual (I don't have it)

Cheers

Pete

Whoops - forgot to say "Welcome to Korg Forums"

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 12:46 pm

Much thanks, Pete, for the very useful help. I'll check in the .pdf, thanks for the page number!
PS. I have a Karma, so I've been at a 'nearby' Korg Forum, but not for a while.

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:04 pm

I checked the Pa1x .pdf, and compared it to the manual of the PA50SD. There are more sounds in the Pa1x. Including the Wurly EP's I was missing in the PA50SD!

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Sun May 05, 2013 12:51 pm

Just a follow up. I'm

crazy

about my Pa1x. Pete, you were absolutely correct.

imgrshpr · Post by **imgrshpr** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 3:25 pm

is this thread still alive?

i stumbled across this thread while struggling with the exact same dilemma as jabba-san. found a great deal on both pa1x and pa500, and couldnt decide. cant let go of the newer sound gen on the pa500.

karmathanever - can you please reupload those pa1xpro demos? i think it would help push me over to the pa1x

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 4:29 pm

imgrshpr wrote: i stumbled across this thread while struggling with the exact same dilemma as jabba-san. found a great deal on both pa1x and pa500, and couldnt decide. cant let go of the newer sound gen on the pa500.

I still have my PA-50sd at my girlfriend's place, and the Pa-1x in my home studio, about a mile away.

First of all, they're both really amazing. Now, for the WORST of each: PA-50sd - no aftertouch. Pa-1x - to darn heavy! (Unlike karmasaynever, I do like speakers on a keyboard, and my Pa-1x, 61 note, has a KILLER sound system/speakers with lots of power-amp built in.)

In-Betweenies: it does seem like some of the Styles are more modern/contemporary on the PA-50sd. But in the Pa-1x's favor, the extra fill is nice, the sounds are maybe richer and more detailed, but I can't swear to that, and the touch screen has a lot to recommend it.

If I had to have one, I'd say this: for keeping in a studio, the Pa-1x. if you're taking it out to gigs, the Pa-50sd.