Few questions here. I'm considering a local purchase of a Korg PA-50 (used, privately owned in mint condition) and will be going to check it out one day this week.

1: How are the patches on this thing? I know it's dated considering what's out there right now, but how would it compare to other budget arrangers in sound quality.

2: Build quality..., My understanding is the PA-50 is made in China. Has this hurt the overall quality of this arranger? Are the buttons and contacts of the same quality as the PA-80 or much cheaper? How is the keybed? Does it compare to a PSR? Is it better or worse?

3: Screen..., any issues with the screen over the years regarding back lighting and failing displays?

4: The poly is 62 note..., how easy is it to blow that out?

To me the PA series (even the older models such as the PA-50) are a good value to people like myself who want an arranger with indepth synth editing. Plus the soundset being Triton based is also a familiar sound set for me as well.

Any user info you guys want to share? What to look for.., what to expect ect. Sadly Korg arrangers in my state are like ocean front property here. You wish it was there, but know well enough you ain't gonna find it

Thanks

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 01-11-2009).]

Squeak,

If you haven't looked here already, it's a good place to start.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Keyboard+And+MIDI/product/Korg/PA-50/10/1

I haven't played a Korg arranger, except for the i3 many years ago...they don't carry the newer ones in my area.

Ian

while i used it, three years ago, i was very happy with it. the sounds and styles are just as good as pa80, meaning very good. the build quality is not great, but the keybed i believe is better than yamaha's. but not a great deal.
the screen is ok, i had no problems for the 16 moths i kept it. but is just old generation.

buttons were rubber, a strange type of. if you pressed and move the finger, you feel it comes off. just like the rubber you use to erase a pencil mark.

the problems i had were: strange noise on outputs, quite audible and anoying when recording something; one buttons of the four OTS would remain down, if pressed too hard; two or three unexpected power offs while playing - couldn't risk that in a public performance.

right now i am considering buying either a pa50 or a roland gw8e. probably the roland will take my money, as is a 2008 keyboard, not 2004, better build quality and smaller size.

goodluck.

Hello :

I had the PA60 (for several years), that was the prior Italian version of the PA50 that like you said, is built in China, virtually the same with the exception that the 50 needs power adaptor and took the HD option out, also, the Keybed is different, not as solid like in the 60, the tone generation is the SAME as the 60/80 with the exception of ONE DSP.
The dynamic allocation is the best, rarely I got midi choke or missing notes, in contrast, the was the reason I gave up my Ketron SD1, the tone generation use a LOT of voices and takes little effort to get missing notes or latency while playing.
Getting back to Korg, I sold my PA60 that still gigs to a colleague that also gigs out, the PA50 I understand was corrected from the not so good introduction, then I got the PA800 and 500.
Only if you get to play the later models, you would not want to go to the 50, the reason is the tone generation is a lot more cleaner and has more RX sounds=S.A.& Mega/Sweet sounds.
I never had screen problems with the PA60 and the 50s I sold at the store (while back), ONLY the first shipments had trouble in several areas, like in the keybeds, some with screen but not the majority, we returned those units to Korg and we gave our customers a new unit that was exempt of problems other wise.

Keep in mind that the tone generation that the PA80/60/50 is from a little over 8 years old, so you know.
Good luck in your quest, let me know if you need more info.

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mdorantes

Do any of the PA-50's voices behave in any way like Mega voices? Are there guitar voices with velocity switched slides..., any of the bass guitars do the same?

One of my biggest concerns would be build quality and how long the thing will last. I don't perform anymore so it will be strictly for home use. However.., when I buy a board I hang on to it for a while (with the exception of the MO8, and Alesis Failsion.., but those are another story). If I were to buy a PA-50 I'd be hangin on to it for some time.

Sadly you can't find any good demos online. 99.999999999% of all PA related demos on YouTube are middle-eastern.., and it's damn near impossible to find any western demos.

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 01-11-2009).]

I do recall the PA 60/50 NOT having any sounds that will be velocity switching by the factory or better said, the technology in those arranger generation did not have it....you may program them using on board sounds, but, the sounds you are talking are the RX, and those where introduced with the PA1X/PA1XPro at the time, and now is available with all the new PA 2X, 800 and 500/588.
By the way, now they have in the PA2X and 800 with the new OS 2.1 added the new tone generation the "DNC Defined Nuance Control", basically similar to the SA2.


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mdorantes

We have it. I messed around with it. Good price point and definitely a Korg sonic signature. IF you like Korg voicings you will like the PA-50. As a live machine it's better then the PSR700. But style support is rather thin.
It has a better build quality in my opinion then the the M50 which feels like a toy in build quality. But has the Triton Sound set. That's a good thing. Seems Yamaha and Korg Keyboard makers are releasing their predecessors in the M50 and MO series.