I'm currently deciding between the two. Any advice?

My use for it is for occasional gigs, and key considerations are: a good piano sound, live band/unplugged styles and a nice key feel.

How do these two keyboards compare?

You are aware ? PA800 is 61 keys. E60 is 76 keys. This could be the decider.

Have a listen to the demos to give you an idea of the difference in the sounds, as to feel then the only way is to try it.
Two more things you should also consider are that the E60 has 76 notes which will allow more advanced piano playing, and also the fact that the E60 is only two thirds the price of a PA800.
Hope this helps

Bill

Yes, I'm aware. However, PA800's keys have Aftertouch and the E-60's don't.

There are trade-offs I know, but I think what would be critical may be the sound and styles .

For live feel of Acoustic/LiveBand styles and and ease of creation, would Korg or Roland have the upper hand?

About ease of creation I think Roland is the best: Style Converter, MakeUp Tools are very very powerful and easy to use.

About styles is a matter of taste, so only you can decide after checking.

Listen to the demos of both but more importantly if you can demo them firsthand i.e. 'live in person', that would be the best way to determine which keyboard is best for you. If you don't need more than 61 keys (the Pa800 does have an Octave Switch) the Pa800 may be the board of choice for you since you prefer Aftertouch.

They are both in the "mid-range" Arranger category but the Korg Pa800 leans more toward the higher-end than the Roland E-60 in my opinion.

If you haven't checked out all the features on the Pa800 you can do so Here

But you can't really judge a book by its cover. You really must play one in person to get a good idea of which is the best Board for your needs; both sound wise and feature wise.

Best regards,
Mike

[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 11-09-2006).]

for me, i had korg pa50 now i'm waiting for E60. this is a upgrade.
but comparing pa800 with e60 is more difficult. you should play them or at least listen the demos, read the specs, find reviews, just to make up your mind!

adimatis, how do you find the differences of the styles between korg and roland?

to me, the funk and soul styles from korg are very interesting, couldn t find so many and so good neither in yamaha or roland.
but the plus is also a minus sometimes. some of them are really not that usable, and the fills could be a little bit complicated and unrealistic. and only two of them.
on the other hand, E60 carries some very nice styles from e80, which are new and fresh, and are at least equal to korg's. but i expect better fill-ins, more appropriate, as roland always had - and six of them.
after all, they are different manufacturers, and of course, they have different views upon the same thing. nevertheless, e60 makes a good point to me and brings a fresh approach from roland, which determined me to choose roland this time.
and of course, like someone said it before, the price is also a factor. if you don t use the keyboard for sampling, vocal harmonies, etc, why pay for it? you can always use the computer for that, with better success. if you only use the keyboard for live performance, i think roland gives you better OS, good to very good styles and sounds and reliable piece of hardware.
again, try to find the two to play it yourself, or at least make a good search for data.