I would like to know how good the Korg PA50 is please in realation to arranger keyboards in its price ranger today. Is it good for live performance ? How well suppported is it for styles etc.

Korg Pa50

Except for the microArranger's smaller physical size and weight, it and the Pa50 are exactly the same. Though the TOTL Pa2X/Pa3X have more advanced sounds and features (touchscreen, songbook, chord seq, tc helicon vh, DNC voices, etc) I think both the Pa50 and microArranger remain a good value for its budget price range and fine for live gigging once you set up performances. As far as styles go, Though they cover most all genres, I feel the Pa50/microArranger's strength is in more modern pop rock, and country genres. Yamaha arrangers support a much wider range and far greater number of styles (including lots of 3rd party) and sound more studio produced, versus a more "dynamically live" Korg arranger style sound, with Korg styles especially suitable for live performance to emulate the sound of playing with a live backup combo. btw I own both a Yamaha Tyros 4 and a Korg microArranger and appreciate the unique benefits of both. Scott

As much as id love a Tyros 4 its way out of my budget. At the moment I have a solton ms60. Looking at arrangers in the PA50SDs price range. But the PA50 still has additional styles available though. It dosnt sound tiny then ?

There are a lot of additional styles available for the Korg PA50SD. Sound thin? It is the best sounding arranger in this price range. It sounds like the Korg Triton synth. Same synth engine.

Thats good. Have looked on youtube but the clips dont really do it justice. Didnt want to get one and it sounded like a cheap casio or something.

Have you listened to the demos on http://www.korgpa.com/en/products/arrangers/pa50sd/pa50sd-demo.html

I will do. They are good for a gig enviroment through a pa then.

Yes

Think im making a good choice. plus sd cards will be alot quicker than floppy disks.

Imo the Pa50 doesn't sound tiny or thin at all.
Even out of the box (no tweaking), both Pa50SD /microArranger arrangers
sound "fuller" (deeper body) than the Yam PSR series models. Again, JMO. Scott

I believe the choice of arranger brand may be best determined by the genre and style of music you do most, and to what audience you are playing to. For an older senior audience perhaps a Yamaha PSR may be more ideally suited, and for more contemporary pop and rock music venues, the Korg arranger a better choice.

Yes you will. I have had the PA50 and still in love with the sound of it.

Is there any input for a Mic. what are good sources of free styles etc for a pa50.

No input for mic. Free styles at http://www.korgpa.com/en/support/bonusware.html
PA50 is compatible with styles from the PA80 and PA60
More free styles can be found at http://www.korgforums.com/?show=1

Has anyone done any "EQing" on the Micro Arranger or the PA50SD? I would like to know what setting you are using if so.

Deane

Will still keep my solton ms60 and pair them both up.

When was the PA50 first released ?

2004

KORG PA50 Release date

Its for my 40th and wasnt sure what the PA50sd is like.

PA50 has stereo instrument inputs. You need a preamp for a microphone. I plug my microphone into a Digitech VL3D harmonizer. It acts as a preamp, and in addition to harmony it has reverb, pitch correction, doubling, warmth, compression, de-esser, and noise gate.

I've done gigs for audiences in a small room with this setup.

Duane

As I ex PA 50 user, this is what I can tell you.

Get PSR s710 or if you can wait for 2 1/2 moths get psr s750.



over all sound wise PA 50 is live/punchier ( drums) and better seq functions.But once you start to use ARRANGER fuctions all the time limitations will show.
If you only use SMF/seq play you won't feel that dif.but sooner or later lack of 3rd part style support will irritate you ( yes including poorly converted styles form Korg forums/irish acts)(remember 2 fills,no XG map and mega voice map limite all Yammy conversiosn so you are stuck with very mediocre few). and you will want to get rid of it.Although some sounds are good it's still PA 80 board from 2001 with Sd slot.


psr blows pa is versatility and OS dept(unlike multi button pushing in PA both style and program/perform mode/starting with display.

and yes fills ( less busy, smoother transition and also more fills).Mega voices ( ac guitar styles, will be great).

large support of 3rd party styles,for thousands of instant styles and mid files

better and more logical display(no dual button pressing for mutes etc)

easier layout and efx section

muti pads
( Pa can't play loops, only single sounds and OS update can't help either)
smf play and arranger synchronization(great features)

over all more useful(less busy)styles,better chord recognition



no wonder yam is getting away with not so great hardware(since their OS,features are hard to beat)


eaiser to get a soft case

downside of psr
---------------
drum samples not as good as pa

overall individual sounds(lacks fullness and punch with few exceptions) compared to pa
but some exceptional RH sounds that are common ( Live!piano, sweet oboe,slide nylon etc etc) ( PSR s750 may have some SA ones)-

not a real seq(pa 's seq is not that easy to use mainly d/t weak layout though functions are sufficient).

more third-party style files available for Yamaha keyboards than all other brands combined.( again, will be not s great ones like anyother KB but also great ones since you also can choose from more styles).also some styles will be backward competible , meaning they will have T4 or 5 styles written/tweaked for MOTL arranger like 710/750.(not for Korg)





If you are comparing to a pa 500 ( it's a different story).But PA 50, not a good choice ( KMA is getting away with the size).

That sounds perfect providing a pre-amp and good vocal harmony.

Hi,

Recently I purchased a Pa50SD and of all the arrangers I've owned, it was absolutely the best value for money!

It cost half of what I paid for my PSR3000 eight years ago, so one cannot even begin to compare with the S710 or other related models. In my country, they are priced more than double.

After downloading and listening to more than just a few thousand styles, I've now onboard got 304 plus 48 styles of my very own personal liking and I have not even begun to play with the emulated Triton sounds as yet.

Apart from my TC Helicon Voicelive 2 that I purchased recently, the Pa50SD was one of the best buys I've ever made and I do not look back in the least.

Go for it!!! You'll have no regrets.

Keep well all,
Henni

With the MicroArranger being almost identical to the PA50 are styles from the MircoArranger compatable with the PA50 ?

Hi Henni,
I own the Korg MicroArranger and I know it will play all the PA50 styles. I too am enjoying my Korg. It has a lot to offer and opens up a lot of new things to learn for long time Yamaha users. I can't wait to see what you do with the styles - your other conversions have been very good.


Deane

I would be intersted in any additional styles for the PA50.

Hi Deane,

Apart from equipping it onboard with the best styles I could find, nothing else is happening for now. My next step would be to see if it is possible at all to change default style voices to some of the emulated Triton voices.

However, my Voicelive2 unit is occupying me seriously for now. I CANNOT recommend this unit ENOUGH to anyone singing live without backing vocalists! It makes for a TREMENDOUS improvement to our overall performance & I'm even starting to use my PSR3000 along with my Pa50SD once again. My wife is now starting to do things with her voice we never thought would be possible and I can now even cut back on some bells & whistles on my arrangers like multipads and lower sounds which I've used extensively before. This unit really inspires us to be more creative.

Keep well my friend,
Henni

Hello are the styles for the PA50 that you have converted available for download? If so where can I get them.

I am now the proud owner of a PA50sd