Dave,
I would love to see you eliminate the need for the digitech Voc and use the 9k's superb one. It might be worth it to incorporate this new technic for your style of play and in the long run would be a plus for you. I don't see companies changing their vocalizers allowing right hand triggering unless there is a Big call for it by users. But we can hope right?

Tom Tom,

There is not much I can do to tweak the clarinet or Growl sax on the 740. It doesn't have the same editing abilities as the 9000. In fact other than changing effects and using the mod wheel there is virtually no editing ability on it period. The good thing for me though is that I like most of the sounds enough that I don't need to do a lot of tweaking. The exception is of course if you have a program like XG works or maybe another program ( Cakewalk? ) with xg editing ability. Then you can do quite a bit to edit.. XG works also has a basic VL synth edit function which works rather nicely on saxes/ winds and string instruments. When I composed stuff and made midifiles, I'd often send the midfiles through xg edit to brush up a sound or two and add effects to my arrangement instruments. It works very nicely, but will only retain edits in realtime while you are connected directly to the software. Midifiles which have the edits placed into them will however retain those edits when played from disk with or without the software.

Don M.. Mildly surprised to hear that you miss the guitars on the 9k, but I guess that's why we always talk about apples and oranges ....The acoustics sounded very good to me on the 9k from what I remember of it though, but I haven't heard any arranger with electrics that I like overall better than the PA80. I don't care for the Yamaha electrics, particularly the harder edged ones.. but I think much of it is because I don't like Yamaha's guitar effects at all. I listened to that " Carlos " guitar demo from the 9k pro as well, but I don't care for it at all. I made my own " Carlos " performance preset on the PA80 using the New Strat voice and a custom voice which stared with the OD guitar sample.. Man I swear it sounds like the real thing. Even with all of that I still want to see Korg offer a sampling function so I can add even more guitar sounds.. but I can live nicely with what's on there already. If they did offer it as an expansion piece and they come out with a new OS as promised to allow full event level editing on the sequencer, I would have to rate this board at about the top of the arranger food chain for my needs. Still, I'll probably always use external sequencers for any serious editing so I am not overly concerned about the internal editing capabilities. Even as is I'm very satisfied with it and don't see it being replaced for quite a long time. Some of the sax sounds could be better for me tho.. although I can customize them and get them to sound very decent on the PA80. I didn't like some of the sounds at all on the MZ2000 but my favorite one was the Velo alto sax and the next was the feedback guitar. Neither my PA80 or the 740 has equivalents to those...but the PA80 can really get that Strat thing going on... man I love that sound...
I also like many of the styles on the PA80. I always harped on how I like to make my own styles, particularly for composing, when I used the internals of the 740, 9000, MZ, Jammer, and converted styles from Technics, Solton, and Roland, but I like the ones enough on the PA80 that often I can literally get lost just playing to or along with them. I also like that Chord Variation function and see that as a real nice tool as I begin to do some of my own styles.

I'm looking forward to demoing the Karma software as well when it comes out. If it works the way I think it will it will be another great tool on for me to compose with..

Yep Uncle Dave.. sometimes I turn the aftertouch off as well.. especially when doing electric guitar solos... I have too hard a touch with the right hand sometimes and the aftertouch effects are often unwanted. When soloing the pitch and mod joystick ( with the mod effect set up the way I like for a particular instrument ) are all I need..

All in all I like the board enough that my 740 is beginning to collect dust ( or rather its dust cover is .. ) and my M1 is retained strictly as a collectors item. The key action may not suit true pianists at all but works fine for a player like me who was born and bred on organs and later the Korg Poly6. The action is a tad bit stiffer than the 740, which is almost too loose for me when soloing. I can not use heavily weighted or real "piano" feel keys for emulating many other instruments and get them to sound the way I'd like.

AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 06-30-2001).]

A.J.,
I would love for you to tell me exactly how you get the Strat sound you like so much. I will try it!
I do like the light touch of the Pa80, much better than the semi-weighted or full piano touch. But then I was never a piano player.
I like the acoustic guitars and the Club guitars on the PA80, but haven't found a Country type electric that I'm really happy with.
DonM

DonM,

Actually on my PA80, performance page 4, which used to house the accordian and master fisa performances I now have 8 variations of strat combinations... One of my favorites though is a combi of the New strat voice at full level ( 127 ) and the R&R guitar voice ( set at 95 vol level ). I have effect C set on #53 RevSM hall and D set on 82 OD/HG-MTdly. The delay is set very light and so is the reverb. The OD is also fairly light. I love this sound when doing Clapton type solos. I only use the Vintage strat patch in one of the 8 performances. I prefer the new strat sound better for the most part. Another one of my favorites uses the "New Strat" with the Single Coil guitar..Of these 8 performances only the" Carlos " guitar performance I made uses any "made from scratch " patches directly made from the program edit menu. The rest all use the original program ( patch ) presets, some of which are modified a bit using the very basic synth edit functions found right in the performance edit menu rather than the program edit menu. Hope this helps..

I don't play a lot of country music but I did look for that coumtry style guitar Don and I don't care for anything I can find either at this point. Maybe some editing will help but maybe not. Things like that are why I'd love to be able to add samples.
This board is worth it to me and I'd spend good money to add some additional quality sounds.

AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 06-30-2001).]

Thanks A.J. I will try the combinations tomorrow. I should be able to work with one of the strats to make a country guitar sound too. I do like the Steel Guitar 2 sound.
DonM

Life is a circle that goes around round round. I can't keep up with you Dave. X1, PSR9000, VA-7, PA80, 9000PRO, and back to PSR9000. Two years ago you hated the PSR9000 and now it's great. Man, I got lost somewhere . . . no criticism is intended at all. I hope you like your keyboard no matter what you're playing. Besides, I'm sure you make them all sound great.

Steve

Hi Dave
Finnaly today my 9000 arrived.
My first impressions:
1-Uhhhhh As it is weight!!!!!!
2-As it is easy to operate.
3-As it is easy to equalise with external amp.
4-Operating flash styles, I don't go to fell lack of 740.
5-Styles made for 740 are working well.
6-Voices and internal styles are honest.
I'll go to collect my doubts and ask for aid.
MBR,
ChicoBrasil

It's official - I NEED to use the digitech harmonizer for ALL jobs that are more than background music, or a 1 hr senior show.
I hooked it up today with the PSR9k, and my life was so much easier. Ahhhhh, relief. Too bad this now means that the 9000 is again incomplete. I still plan to keep it "on line" until a new option arises - nothing out to date will replace it for me yet.
I was very pleased (NOT surprised) at how the digitech sounded thru the Yammy speakers. It was wonderful. This means I MUST bring at least a small rack bag now, but that is not so bad - I have lots of options in that area.
Quick report card:
PSR9k-
1)sounds - A+
2)styles - A-
3)EZ to use - A+
4)size - D
5)weight - F
6)controllers - A+
7)price - B-
8)reliability - A
9)mic effects - A-

Overall grade - a strong B+, maybe A-
In a home situation(NO travel), or for a non singer - it's a sure fire A.

Hello Uncle Dave, how would you rate the PSR9000 vs the PA80? It's always a pleasure reading your comments/reviews.

They are very different animals, and as you know -I already made the switch from the PA to the PSR. I'll use the same report card for ya:
1)sounds - slight edge to PSR
2)styles - slight edge to PA
3)EZ to use - PSR, by a mile
4)size - PA, by a mile
5)weight - PA, again - BIG time
6)controllers - PSR - MUCH better
7)price - no brainer - PA
8)reliability - even
9)mic effects - both SOUND good, edge to PSR
because of the flexibility
So, out of 9 categories.....it's
PSR - 9
PA - 10
The weight factor, and size gives the PA a slight edge over the PSR if you carry it around a lot. For me - the harmonizer was a larger priority because of the many ways to use it, Unfortunately, I will NOT be singing through it anymore, but I AM excited to use it as a guitar preamp. I am a "unique" user of these arranger keyboards, and my styles are NOT the norm, when it comes down to comparisons. I appreciate the fact that you value my opinions, but remember - they are the opinions of a player that breaks a LOT of rules of convention. My priorities still remain: Vocals, Bass & Drums. The arranger aspects are a great "icing" on the cake, but my needs are quite different from most other arranger players. I really don't consider myself an "arranger" player. I am a bass & chord man, that SOMEtimes uses the arranger to enhance the performance, and compliment my singing. I would never be happy listening to an arranger all night long, no matter which one it was. But that's just me. I have 30+ years in this business, and I'm very set in my ways. Too late to throw it all away now, just because the next wave of products is telling me to do it THEIR way. I want it MY way. Nuff said?