Donny,
OK...here is my HO.
IF you really want to do MORE editing, programming PRO level MIDI stuff, and want all the PRO features (as to functions) you can get today....get a PA3.
BUT, Do not expect the sounds to be like Yamaha.
Some are really super, and for on stage, jazz, dance, and the younger crowds...the PA# will kick butt.

BUT if you like the Yamaha sound and smoothness as to the sounds and how they are right out of the box especially how the STS's are and how the sounds work together) ......don't bother with a Korg. Also, If you want to play more mideastern etc. usic the Korg is the way to go. Go to youtube and the factory sites (KOrgPA.com) and listen to LOTS of (all you can find on the PA3 so far) and Yamaha performances and decide if you like the sound....Also, I find the orchestral stuff lacking in quality/quantity in the Korg...and that's fine as most Korg players don't care I guess.
for me the sound HAS to rule...or the inspiration goes away.

My inspiration goes away with a Tyros 4 or whatever Yamaha arranger. Everybody sounds the same. Quite boring actually.

And the drums sounds of the T4 are still very weak. Don't understand why Yamaha don't bring out an overpriced drums package.

But Yamaha did their marketing very well.

Have you listen to the Korg PA3x in person Leeboy? The orchestral stuff is better then you think.

Lee, the reasons you state are shared by most of us who have purchased a Tyros4.

It sounds great right out of the box.

I play many genres, Jazz/Big Band, Pop, Dance, Latin, Soul, Movie&Show, Ballroom, R&B, Country, World and it works great for them all, not just orchestral music, although it does excel in that area.

The sound has to rule for me too, so the choice was easy...Tyros4.

Third party support is terrific, and the OS is easy to use.

Just look around SZ and see who's buying Tyros4, most of whom are advanced home players and/or professionals...we all can't be wrong.

Ian

FransN,
No I have not yet...but I plan to.
Quite honestly with the music I play I would be quite surprised if the Orchestral sounds were even close to the T4.

The PA2 had so many problems with the sounds I really got frustrated......3 pages of detailed issues sent to Korg, no answer.
If, only IF they used all new smaples will it be different. EQ, and DSP will not fix these problems.....but I will see if any ever show up here.
I have YET to hear a demo or performance that shows any real Orchestral sounds in a way I can evaluate it. DID you even listen to the performance I linked in my post for 'One reason I am going for the T4) ??
If not go listen to it...and then show me anything close on the PA2 or PA3.

Leeboy I have listen to your links and Telmo's demos and a lot of videos but just can't get excited by the Tyros sound and that's the reason I went to Korg. I told before I played Yamaha for years but they still sound the same. Yes better but still that cheesy sound. We all have different taste and that's a good thing. Like I also said before you have to play one to believe what I say because the videos says nothing. The real sound is so much better.

Yes, there is no "One Size Fits All" when it comes to keyboards. It is a personal choice and eveyone makes that choice on which sounds best to them and suits their playing style the best. And when you hear demos that are built around the strengths of a particular keyboard then they all sound pretty darned good. The big difference is when you want to play some sound or style in particular .... then the results are very different from machine to machine. And it's not only the styles and sound design that is unique to each, each has it's own tonal properties ie. I have often found Rolands to be bright and present while Korgs tend to sound warmer and more mellow, Yamaha's sit somewhere in between. All those can sound great in the right setting .... and likewise can sound not so great in the wrong setting.

Nothing is black and white here. Personally I wouldn't buy a keyboard based solely on recommendations. Nothing beats getting out there and trying them side by side and making up your own mind.

For years now I have been using a Yamaha Motif 6 for live band work. It's not that I am all that thrilled with the sounds and I really don't like the UI at all .... but as a practical package overall it works well for me on stage so I balance the negatives against the positives and if the positives win then I can live with that. I don't expect any keyboard to fit me perfectly. But knowing that allows me to carefully weigh the choices I do have against eachother.

FransN,
Yes...I agree one has to try it himself...and I have tried the T4, not the PA3.
So...I do wander why MANY, MANY performances of all the stuff 'I like' are done on Yamaha...and hardly any on Korg???
Seems all I can find is mostly Mid-Eastern or fast dance music on Korgs...why do suppose so many have chosen the Yamaha T2-T4 (and S-900 etc.)instead of the Korgs? Why are people not doing the same kind of musical performances on their Korgs as Yamaha owners??

Really, who knows? This is a bit of a circular thesis. Listen to Nigel, he pretty much nailed it.

Hi Frans,
do you actually have a PA3X??
If so, could you confirm something for me.

Does it have some XG Mapped Drum Kits??

I also had a few minutes to spend on a PA3X in one of the stores.. The idiots at the store had it hooked up to a single PA type speaker. Any chance of hearing what it should sound like was dashed.
I tried to listen to the XG drums but I couldn't really tell because I couldn't hear if the brush sounds ( 2 or 3 notes) below the bass drum ( Note 35 ) were present in kits, other than the brush Kits.
XG kits were on my wish list only insofar as it would make converting some of my old yammie styles across to korg a lot easier if I don't have to remap the drums manually to XG..

Hi Rikki,

Yes I have one and he sounds amazing and yes it has XG mapped drum kits