without the obvious feature comparism that you already knew


PA 800

well constructed,good bass response,better keys,better seq(Yam's is limited),good piano with pad ,synth and drums,better VH

PSR s 900

a suprise to me.Acostic guitars blow me away ,better than G70,PA 1x,800.

Style programming and style flow(and fills)

-very versatile for the arranger player,singer -no unwanted suprises, very smooth and well covered for almost all western music styles.
all those guitar music styles (ac guitar,bass drums) is near perfect with simple and not too in your face bass lines- meaning -a listener will not be bored with a style.VERY realistic guitar strums(both pattern and the sound itself)!

navigation - better than PA no -double button pressing,quick and fast!

Sounds - Piano -I can live with both
Yam- higher range -not as good as korg,

EPs- PA is better
Strings -Yam is fresher type strings ,Korg has more traditional pad type - both works


Saxes -both are good

Synth - Korg +

Drums - Korg +++

Harmonica and organ - KORG

Ac and El guitars - AC guitars in Yam (++++++) , clean El guitar both are OK,Dist El guitars -yam _++++

bottom line- KORG :more workstation type with traditional good sounds (like a good ROMpler),plus more playback features

-Yamaha -true OMB with no headache in finding a style that would match all current popular songs (nor rap or hiphop).Style flow is excellent.backing is not over done.Fills super smooth and natural.


My advice is if you do >75% of arranger play with instant song creation via arranger-the choice is clear - YAMAHA

if you play in a band ,if you use SMFs alot and mp3 and mostly playback gigs,and studio work -KORG



[This message has been edited by jamman (edited 01-18-2008).]

Thanks for the great review, jamman.

Personally I have always found the S900, and other Yamaha arrangers, to be "player's instruments"...that is using styles and playing "live"...I have no use for "karaoke" type playback features (SMF, or MP3), other than making home/studio recordings.

Dave Boyd (Uncle Dave) said in another thread, "...the PA800 is a "Singers" machine. It is the best vocal processor, harmonizer, monitor on the market".

Perhaps he's right?

I have yet to try a PA-800...the dealer nearby won't carry them, and the local arranger players all use Yammies, so I need to rely on unbiased reviewers like yourself.

I agree about the S900's piano...it's "livable"...I find it sounds great when used with the arranger...not as good solo.

The S900 is FAR less expensive than the PA-800, is it not?

About $1000 less in some places.

Thanks again for your candid and unbiased review.

Ian





[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 01-19-2008).]

i am curious to see how pa500 does compared with s900. i think that would be a closer comparission, considering the price tag.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the PA -500 doesn't have a vocal mic input or harmonizer...probably more comparable to the PSR-S700 which, if the Korg price is correct at around $1500 USD, is again far less expensive, and has more polyphony.

Hard to find a direct comparison in either case.

Ian

.

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 01-19-2008).]

Jamman thanks for a good unbiased review.

One of the primary reasons I became interested in the PA800 was the vocal harmonizer and the songbook feature. I'm a newcomer to doing some vocals. I thought the harmonizer could help that department Have to say as much as I enjoyed my Yamaha boards, I'm happy I switched to the PA800. It's not perfect, but neither are any of the other brands. But for today and the immediate future the PA is doing what I want it to do and it's keeping me happy. In a year from now that could change and where the dice land is anybody's guess.

I loved the Tyros 2 and really enjoyed the G70 once I get acclimated to it's OS. But, once I got the PA800 I only played the Tyros2 for one additional gig. I didn't even bother to turn on the Tyros2 the night I packed it up for shipment to it's new home. Some of that comes from using Yamaha boards the last 4 years. I just got tired of the styles and needed some change. Just my opinion and what is working for me.



[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 01-19-2008).]

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[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 01-19-2008).]

You're right, jamman...Yamaha styles, especially with those Mega voice guitar strums, are definitely much more musical than the PA-800's and far from boring.

Also, no one has even come close to the S900's SA Guitars...no one...they are simply the most realistic of any arranger...except the T2, which has even more of the same.

Definitely designed for the player.

Ian



[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 01-19-2008).]

Ian,
you stated that you have not yet been able to try a Korg PA800 and that the Yamaha Mega Guitars are the best. I carry and sell both boards at my store and would just like to point out that the Korg's Guitars have the same technology as the Yamaha for producing realistic guitars. They use multiple samples on different velocities to achieve the realism of acoustic and electric guitars. I too love the Yamaha Mega and Superarticulation guitars but I don't think the Korg lacks in this area as well.
I think that Korgs thinking is that the PA50 at $895.00 will compete with the PSR700 and that the new PA500 will compete between the Yamaha 700 and 900 for those wanting the styles and sounds and touch screen of the 800 but don't need or use a vocal harmonizer.



------------------
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com

Korg's guitars are probably close to the Yamaha's Mega Guitars, George, but I will have to try them myself.

Do the Korg guitars respond differently to staccato and legato playing?

I'm talking about right hand voices.

Yamaha's SA Guitars will differ the attack according to playing technique, and also do pitch bends if you play within a certain interval....very cool and very realistic.

I wasn't aware that Korg's guitars were capable of doing these nuances.

That's what gives the Yamaha SA Guitars the edge in my line of thinking.

Again...a player's instrument.

[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 01-19-2008).]