Could the owners of the PA2X share some thoughts with me please. Very shortly I'll be placing an order for a TOTL arranger. The PA2X is one of the contenders.., but I need to ask a few questions to the owners here.

I know when released the original PA-80's soundset was Triton based. I need to know how the orchestral patches on the PA2X compare to their workstation line. A good example..., Korg's (now discontinued Micro-X) although a small little diddy.., had a very good orchestral section.

Can the orchestral patches on the PA2X compare to that of the workstation line? Does the PA have those really good (thickly layered and heavily velocity switched) orchestral patches Korg's so well known for.

Overall the PA's spec list is very much to my liking.., as it will def please me with it's synth editing.., but I would want (hope) the PA to have the same quality of orchestral patches as found on their workstations (considering the PA's roots in sound are supposed to be based on their upper line WS's)

CAN ANYONE POINT ME TO SOME GOOD VIDEOS/AUDIO DEMOS OUTSIDE OF THE PA WEBSITE THAT MAY SHOWCASE THE ORCHESTRAL SECTION ON THE PA'S?

Hi Squeak,
if you don't get a great deal of feedback here, maybe try posting on the Korg Forum.
Some of the guys have owned Korg synths,they may be able to give you a comparison. http://korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=50

best wishes
Rikki

I'll tell you something about the PA series, some are my opinions and tastes and
some are facts, we like it or not, at least the PA series is keyboards i mastered the
most in my life and spend at least 10 hours a day every day with:
The PA2X takes its Engine from EDS and OPOS, its not a complete EDS but neither
HI, if you are not familiar with those terms, EDS is M3s synth engine and HI is Tritons.
Sounds vary and also on personal taste, few FACTS:
M3 in no way has accordeons, saxes, guitars and flutes like PA2X does, in fact M3
doesnt even have any accordeons, few presets and thats all...now on the orchestral
side, YES, they are match, both, one sounds as good as the other, in some instances
PA2X sounds even better then M3, the only thing that would kill it its the Combinations.
As i said, Sounds is something we cant discuss and agree on it...
Sounds Editing, the PA2X is still the MOST DETAILED and ADVANCED arranger then
any of the existing...dont compare WERSI and MS to this but include Audya in it cuz
KETRON AUDYA can not even come close to PA2X for sounds editing nor any Roland,
all of them are far away. 90% of the Editing is exactly the same as on the M3 meaning
the PA2X works like a workstation -Combi and -KARMA.
Next, you got a very advanced full 16 track sequencer that no arranger has it yet and
its very close to the seq on the M3 WS. A lot of people would say this and that, they are
right, sounds...we can never agree on but functionality wise i dont care what anyone says,
i have almost every arranger and have access to EVERY arranger and in generally i know
almost 90% what they can offer funcionality wise...we talk about some sequencing on
Roland or Voice Editor on YAMAHA, to a real programmer that really knows its own thng
those are just TOYS compared to PA...i dont know why people talk so much about certain
things, is it cuz they dont know? cuz on purpose or why? I always hear Roland this, Yamaha
that...i am talking about functions, particularly Sequencer, Style and Sound Editing i will
tell you that there is no arranger in the world that beats PA2X, excluding wersi and MS.
When it comes to MS to me is still nowhere near PA2X but i look at it from a programming
aspect, the MS offers sooo much but the way it comes its NOTHING. Useless.
And you still have to think, how experienced are you, what do you know cuz if you tomorow
come to me and buy styles from me then those features are not worth to you if you are not
using them, then buy something where you can just load ready styles or sounds but if you
do your own programming and if you have a little experience in that, trust me, every synth
will dissapoint you...i have next to me SD5, E80, T2, had T3, PA2X, all of them are boring
except PA2X, i learnt all of their functions in few days up to the last function, there is nothing
to them, PA2X goes way deeper, way more detailed.

Everything i said above goes more towards Funvtionality/Programming, not how they sound
on stage, whats easier to use or whatever, all i said was from an aspect of a professional
programmer, not a musican or a live player, i do that too, aim a musician too dont get me
wrong but i always tend to look and compare thing from a Programming view or maybe
thats cuz thats what i mostly do...so dont missunderstand things i said above.

Let me add:
Do not forget that PA series, this goes even for PA50 have THE BEST AND MOST COMPLEX MIDI
Routing of all existing machines, way more complex then any WS or even M3 itself, which
is a good feature for an arranger if you like using modules connected to it.
And yet, so far Ketron has THE WORST EXISTING MIDI Routing and MIDI Communications then any
other synth as of now, including Audya.
If you've worked with an SD5 or SD1 you will know what i am talking about, a stupid synth
having 2 MIDI ins which are useless and dont work.

...and yess...i know the rage spilled over here too.

Nah I think my Tyros 3 has the worse MIDI configuration LOL

Get the PA2x It is a great live Arranger and has a ton of features you will love in the studio, especially if its your only keyboard.
Voices are subjectively great. Although I prefer the Tyros SA2 voices and the rest (except for the drums) are fine when compared as well. HOWEVER I did have to buy a Motif XS to fill the very large Sequencing/Drums/voice editing/Keybed hole.

I don;t think you will have to buy another keyboard with the PA2x. It has everything you would need for live and home use.



[This message has been edited by Kingfrog (edited 05-27-2009).]