Hello, for those of you who like to hear some PA80 sounds, here are some samples in my website.
http://www.geocities.com/mcchen2k/PA80_page.html

Michael,

I enjoyed your songs on your website, especially "Lionhearted" it would make a great Theme Song for a TV Show or Movie. The Pa80 sounds bright and clear. Nice Job!!
Thanx for sharing.

Donny NJ

Michael: I too enjoyed your songs. My favorite was 'Tornado'. Moving performance. The PA-80 really sounds CLEAN and realistic! You beautifully showcased the famed Korg contempory Triton sounds which they are so famous for. GOOD job ! Thanks for sharing.

Very very nice Michael. I could only listen to the first two songs. When I went back to here the last song I got the following message. "The web site you are trying to access has exceeded its allocated data transfer". Looks like a lot of people are trying to hear your songs !! Keep up the good work and share some more when you get the chance.

Nice work,
All songs were done great and recorded very nicely..

Thank you guys for the compliment and the kind words. I have to admit that because I'm an amateur who only plays at home, it was frightening at first to share my music in front of many masters in this forum. But I think I got over that hump when I finally realized that music is about sharing, not trying to live up to certain expectations. Plus, it is always great to hear songs & sounds from different arranger keyboards. So I hope to encourage other musicians (pro or amateur) to share their music.

Thanks Scott for signing on my guestbook. I reside in Irvine of Orange County, CA.

[This message has been edited by Mikey (edited 09-06-2001).]

Hello Mikey,

If you don't mind, may I ask what method did you use for the recording from PA-80? do you have a stand alone recorder or do you use your computer? and are mp3 done at 128 ? cause they sound really nice and clear, these are purely optional questions and you don't have to answer a single one if you don't feel like it, actually I too have PA-80 and I would like to record my music.

Hello Micky,
Your music was great! I'm glad you shared it with us! The notes were so clear & clean sounding. I liked Tornado the best. My computer takes so long to load. I started it and went to do something else, I had the sound up high, need I say more? Ha!
Anyway I liked it!
Keep it up,
Nobby

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[This message has been edited by Nobby (edited 09-06-2001).]

Believe it or not, some professionals out there get away with playing at an amateur level but there are MANY more amateurs out there who play at a high professional level. Professional just means that you are getting paid, and it does not necessarily reflect the quality of your musicianship. Just something to think about.


I concur. I hope EVERYONE on this forum will feel 'safe' to share their arranger keyboard produced music here. We all come from diverse music backgrounds and each are at different stages in our musical path, but we all can benefit by sharing our music with each other. Afterall, music is the key to our soul, and music has no language boundaries.

Mikey: I'm wondering if you could tell us 'what method' you used in constructing your tunes? did you use stock PA80 styles or construct or create/customize your own? Was the intro on "Tornado" a stock PA80 intro or? Any style or song sequencing tips/tricks you can share? Is the PA80 your first keyboard or? If you owned another arranger board before, how does the PA80 compare? What are the PA80 features you like and dislike the most? I don't mean to appear so probing, but I think it will be very productive for all to hear something about how 'you' create music on your PA80.

Mikey: Thanks again for stepping forward and sharing your songs. You are a talented guy. I know there are many other forum members out there that are talented as well, but may be 'too shy' to contribute (yet). I hope the fact that Mikey came forward, will encourage others to begin sharing their music here as well.

Hello and thanks again guys!

Arbaz & Scott: I used a PC and a SoundBlaster Live soundcard (Line in) to record my PA80 (L/R Mono Output). Can't really afford a quality soundcard right now, but it does the job. I used the soundcard's recording software (creative recorder) to record my songs to wav format, and then I used audiocatalyst (xing tech) to convert wav to mp3 format.

All 3 songs were recorded in realtime in back sequence mode, meaning it records when I'm playing with a style. All of the styles are preset (I'm still learning how to make custom styles). The intro from Tornado (I assume you mean the various SFX sounds like the thunder, the wind, the helicopter...ect) are from the PA80's 4 custom pads. Then I selected the style (pop ballad 2), and I started playing the piano intro and so on.

The PA80 is my first arranger keyaboard, and I almost bought the PSR740, but I really like the PA80 sounds. I wish I could have tested out the Rolands, the Technics, or the Soltons, but unfortunately the only available arrangers locally were the PSR9000 and PSR740. Luckily one of the local Sam Ashe had a PA80 for me to test out before I purchased it. I'm very satisfied with the PA80 mainly because of its sound, drums, and the styles (I like pop/rock/hipop/R&B). I felt the PA80 sound best suited for my music. I'm actually starting to get into many different genre like the jazz and the Latin because of PA80's preset styles.

Things I don't like on the PA80...hmm...the plastic structure...the keys could be more sturdy because sometimes I hear a tiny "crack" sound if I press too hard. The OS can be a bit friendlier (although I got used to it after a few days and reading the manual). Oh, the Fade in/out button don't work in back sequence mode, and the synchro start button don't work either (maybe next OS?) I wish they would have a numbering system on the program sounds (this means a 10 key numbering input like the PSR740 would be nice)...but the good definitely outweighs the bad.

Like I said, this is my first arranger keyboard, and I am so fortunate to have found out about this forum before I purchased my PA80. Thanks to many who have previously voiced their opinions (good and bad) on the PA80 in this forum.

PS: Now I have some questions (for forum memeber). How do you record your music onto mp3 if you're not using a PC and its soundcard? Also, I would like to get a microphone for some vocal recording for the PA80. My budget is around $100. Is there a recommendation in that range? Thanks for any suggestions.

Mikey

1st choice - EV N/Dym 727 (about a hundred)
2nd choice - Samson R11 ( 3 for $69! )