compared to pa 800(or is it hidden under sub menus?).I think is very essential to make arranger backing sound like real bass player .

Eg. Bass will not play root all the time,you can change your fingering and it'll follow.(we are not talkin' about manual bass here).


Good thing is the price and weight (yes 3 pounds lighter than PA50)-around 21 Ibs.

[This message has been edited by jamman (edited 01-30-2008).]

that wouldnt be good!
but in the technical specification on korgpa.com bass inversion in right there, in the list.
most likely, if there isnt a button for it, it is in a submenu. which is not good either!

The PSR-S900 has it's fingering modes, which include bass inversion, called "fingered on bass" in Yamaha speak, in a menu...it's no problem at all to get to it...even whilst playing.

The PA-500 looks like a great instrument...light and easy to transport, with some terrific features.

Ian

ian, off topic, wish you all the best! god bless!

I always set my fingered on bass to the global default setting and never change it..

I store the Fingered bass, default split under Reg#1, and Fingered On Bass, split at G2 under Reg#8 for all my registration banks.

Then I just turn off FREEZE select the reg and put FREEZE back on.

Works for me.

Ian

I am glad I have the dedicated button..always there when I want it..without worrying about registrations and menus..

Both the G70 and E-60..

^^^ it is actually very nice to have it right there!

The PA 500 does not have a dedicated button, the PA 800 does

Frank,

Does the PA-500 have dedicated transpose buttons?

That's an important feature to many players.

For example, the Roland E60/50 (and the G70?) require at least two moves to transpose.

Ian

Ian...teh Pa800 has 2 transpose buttons +/- on deck ONE touch up or down.

The Roland's (at least, the E and G-series) always have a front panel button for this function (and an FC-7 and Footswitch choice for E80/G70). For those of us that play in Pianostyle Mode, this is one of the more important buttons to have easy access to, yet alone it's general use.

The G70, BTW, has front panel buttons for transpose... no sub-menus there.

G70 has dedicated up/down buttons for transpose...one push..The E takes two..

G70 has the best design for realtime transpose..

Yeah, I knew the Rolands had a dedicated Bass Inversion button...I don't mind the Yamaha's setup too badly, you can get used to it pretty easily, but it would be better with a dedicated button...there is also a pedal option on the Yammies as well....that's quite handy.

The Roland Piano Mode is cool...don't quite have it as well implemented on the Yamaha...at least not yet...maybe they'll come up with their own eventually.

Only being able to access Transpose via a menu would be a more serious issue with me...thankfully you've got dedicated buttons on your G70...makes doing those cool transpositions on turnarounds a lot of fun...transposing up/down a 4th or 5th is a real hoot too.

I figured the E-60/50 didn't have dedicated transpose buttons....just wasn't quite sure about the G70.

Now, I wonder if the Korg PA-500 has them....that looks like a cool little 'board.

Ian

PA 500 has both transpose and octave buttons.no sub menus.


I thick it's not wise for an arranger manufacturer to put the transpose (or octave)button in sub menu and sell it for more than $1000.It's a must have feature.

[This message has been edited by jamman (edited 01-31-2008).]

One of the coolest things Rolands do is almost any front panel function button, you hold it for a couple of seconds (rather than just press and release) and it jumps the display to the edit page of that function.

So, with transpose, call up the screen, and there is a large keyboard display, where instead of winding up (or down) to those larger transpose intervals (and sometimes getting some weirdness as you step through quickly) you can hit the interval you want and jump there directly...

Cool!

Diki,

Does the Roland G70 and E-series transpose work like the Yamaha...it waits till you come back down on the keys before it transposes?

I'm guessing it would.

Having the keys represented in the display and being able to hit the one you want to go to is neat for those big trans-positional jumps...with the buttons you HAVE to be fast and accurate.

I usually store jumps like that in a Reg memory...it works okay.

Too bad the E-50/60 don't have dedicated trans buttons as well...bit of an oversight.

I really liked the E80, even though I only had a brief time with it, but I think my next major purchase will be either the Nord C1 or an 88 note reasonably lightweight piano with hammer action...or both, once I get back to work full time and get off this damn disability stipend.

I'm using a CP-300(on my sample account) for now...lovely instrument, but VERY heavy.

Looks like I'm going to have to wait for a lightweight piano (20-30 lbs)...I didn't much like the CP-33.


Ian



[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 01-31-2008).]

That new Roland RD700GX sounds amazing, but I know it is way too heavy for you (don't want to end back where you are with a hernia, too!)...

You MIGHT consider a Fatar or M-Audio (or your choice) 88 controller, and get a Sonic Cell. That's got a seriously good piano in it (sounds like my G70's one), plus SRX slots for their SRX-11 and SRX-12 Grand and EP expansion cards. SERIOUSLY good sounds, IMO. Plus, you could add it to your S900's arsenal when you don't need the 88... Food for thought (at least, better than hospital food!)

Get well soon...

Thanks for the recommendations.

This is new at NAMM I believe, and I could get it at my employee's discount.
http://www.musiciansbuy.com/Yamaha-KX8-88-Note-Graded-Hammer-.html

But...if I use it I'll still end up with having to use the S900's piano, which works well for arranger duties, but is not really my favorite for solo.

The CP-300 sounds and feels awesome...especially with the built in speakers...it vibrates back at you like an acoustic piano...very impressive.

I may have to wait after all...I'd rather have it all in one than use MIDI or a module.

The food is actually not bad at the hospital where I'm going and where they did the first surgery...better than my cookin'...and it's free.

Ian

You could eat at Spargo's (for a week!) for what a stay in a US hospital would cost you. Free food? Damn you socialists!

The only reason I suggest a module and a controller is, at least that way, you can use that piano sound (and the rest of it's tone palette) with JUST the arranger, no need for both if you don't WANT to...

Yep...our health care is pretty darn good...no complaints...I actually used to work in the hospital kitchen as a summer job when I was in college.

Maybe the KX8 and the Sonic cell would be a nice combo...and, you're right, the sound palette would compliment/contrast my arranger as well.

Once I get my ass back and all this surgery stuff is behind me (literally) I'll have to check the combo out.

The KX8 looks pretty good for the price, too.

Thanks,

Ian