Korg PA 800
- Sounds - overall it has additional sounds in all categories (mostly RX sounds and alot more Synth Voices)
The main areas that shine over the PA500 are strings / voilins / EPianos / Organ and Synth Lead.
- After touch
- better key feel
- additional Assignable Slider and u can have up to 2 functions each on each slider - all customizable
- 2 Assignable switch buttons as opposed to 1 on the PA 500
- more sound and style locations
- USB storage (SD on PA 500)
- TC Helicon Harmonizer (I don't sing.. but its there)
- the DACs are much better on PA 800 (when u use the PA 500 through a mixer and external monitors - you need to put the volume alot higher for some reason. it also effects the overall quality and richness of the total sound (some might not notice it - but the overall ambiance was just a bit better when i went from PA 500 to PA 800.

In Australia - Second hand PA 500s are around $1200.00 whereas PA 800s are $1800-$2000. so its definitely cheap for PA 800s here. there are even a few PA 2Xs now under $2500.00

-Nick

It just arrived UPS 7pm.....opening boxes as we speak......looks great!!.....................

Brickboo,

No offence taken , whatsoever. In fact you have a valid point as regards sounds, not so much in quality but in numbers. I have a complete essay in my head on that subject which I will post in the next few weeks.
Anyway Nick already answered part of your question here ( I hope) , he certainly completed my summary of the differences between a PA500 and a PA800 admirably. All in all it is safe to say that the PA800 is defintely a better board than the PA500, without knocking the latter. And as he also stated the price differences are becoming smaller thanks to the introduction of the PA3X
.
Briefly getting back to Brickboo cause I do not want this thread to get off topic: There is more than 10 years difference with the i30. Hence virtually all sounds ( based on multisamples) have improved considerably due to newer sampling technics and most of all due to the fact that more sampling space (in Mb) is available on the current keyboard generations. So even if you basically only use 10 major instruments from your keyboard you will always be better off with those instruments residing in a ( fairly) recent model.......

regards,
John Smies

P.S. Nick, did you manage to audition my 2012 Resources for the PA800 in the meantime ?

Korg PA500 is a fine arranger, I'm enjoying it so far, the right choice for my needs, .....
I will make it sound great as I do with all my units. I set all my kb's up to MY specifications and edit & tweak all styles & sounds, fx settings to MY High Standards. i have never had an arranger do what I need out of the box...the factory or any third party programs can never set up styles/sounds and sts, efx, etc, to the way I use it to perform, & personally that is what makes it fun for me to create a UNIQUE sound on stage that no one else has..people have asked me in the past to take their arranger and make it sound like mine.....
I tell them do it yourself....why? because what I do should not be what you like & the way you play vs me..., and you'll be much happier to do it yourself...yes, it takes time, yes, you'll get frustrated, and yes, when finished YOU will have much greater satisfaction knowing YOU did it by yourself and your happy with the sound you created.. I would never let the factory or anyone create MY personal sound to use live on stage....everyone is different, everyone plays different,.....YOu drive the arranger....dont let it drive you..yes, ask MANY questions, ....but, do it Yourself & be proud of the result I say!