Merits of John Smies Korg MA Resources
BEST MUSICAL PROGRAMMING for KORG Arrangers:
Thank you - I upgraded my Micro Arranger's factory presets with your MUSICAL RESOURCES.
I'm very happy.
John Smies, you've created the best sounding musical programming for a Korg Arranger.
Mine has been given a serious "make-over".
I'm having so much fun with your latest version;
the new programs and improved styles sound so much more "alive".
As for myself, a former Korg Pro Product Specialist, Los Angeles, CA . . . I appreciate you, John.
Thanks again,
David Patt

Thanks David for your appreciation. It's a funny thing really, cause I remember only six months ago with the introduction of the Korg Micro Arranger several folks here on the forum dispensing with it as a toy and a marketing ploy. Well they sure were right about the last thing.
First of all it rekindled overall interest in Korg arranger keyboards, quite a few have meanwhile purchased one to enhance and complete their more expensive set up. Others were taken aback by the size of the small keys but their interest having been roused they eventually decided to purchase the PA50sd , being its large equivalent. And of course getting acquainted with Korg (again) gave rise for some to dig even deeper and buy a PA500, PA800 or even the PA3X like Don , etc.
The introduction of the Micro has enabled me to offer my many years of programming on the PA50 and PA80 to others and I am very proud to know that people as far away as Brazil, Australia, Russia, etc. are actually using (part of) my programming.
Thank you again and happy playing !!!

John

http://pasounds.intropagina.nl/

John,

I have never been able to figure out what you actually do with the Korg range, can anyone do what you do with the programming and if not how much is your software to buy? You know I have a T4 and there must be more FOC goodies out there for the T4 than any other arranger worldwide, I have so much software and styles I don't think I will ever be able to hear it all in my lifetime. There is so much out there that people have done for the T4 all FOC. Can the same be said for Korg.

Tony

Hi Tony,

Whether anyone else can do what I have done for several Korg PA arrangers is not for me to answer,but personally I would say yes if they have some good insight knowledge and hundreds of hours of time at their disposal. Do not forget that as regards my resources for the Micro Arranger I owned the PA50 ( identical as you know) for more than five years, hence my programming on it is very comprehensive and you cannot expect the manufacturer to spend that amount of time on making Performances, sounds etc. Furthermore it should be noticed that there is no accounting for tastes. As mine are pretty much MOR , most of those who ordered my resources have been quite happy with them.
As regards there being a glut of Yamaha software on the market FOC I can only remark that the Korg market is slightly a different one. For starters the Yamaha players lean very heavily on songstyles etc. Soundwise of course the Korg and Yammies have always been different hence my personal mantra "if you can afford it get both brands, at whatever price level.".

I know for a fact that very very few people (if any at all) have delved into sound and performance programming for Korg the way I have, as shown by the testimonies on my webpages of those who are using them. It must be said that in general the Yamahas require less tweaking from the start and most players are quite happy with the factory stuff and the masses of styles they can download FOC or at whatever price.

Talking of which I merely ask for a 25 euro donation which enables me to maintain my hobby the way others do some gigs a month. It does not make me a rich man but has enabled me to move up from the PA500 to the PA800 over the last 18 months. I am sure none will begrudge me this improvement. Furthermore it should be emphasized that I commit myself to refunding this donation should anyone not be fully satisfied. All this can be found on my webpages, for the Micro Arranger see pages 7,8,9.
You being British should know as no one else that "the proof of the pudding is in the eating ". If you do not want to buy a Micro that's quite okay with me, but why don't you try and get one on trial for one or two days. I will be happy to send you my best resources plus guidelines, even how to play it (or part of it) via your T4 keybed, and then you can finally have a well informed opinion of your own. My bet is that you will want to hang on to it......................

kind regards,
John Smies

http://pasounds.intropagina.nl/

Primarily Yamaha users are happy with what they are given by the manufacture, or what is available from others online, whereas Korg users like to do their own thing and sound as they want, rather than playing along to what someone else has produced.

Comparing the 2, the Yamaha is more versatile if you want to sound great with minimal effort, (Even if it isn’t your own work) whereas the Korg is more versatile if you want to achieve a more individual sound and performance.

As per usual, you pays your money and makes your choice

Bill

It appears, from examining Korg and Yamaha forums, that the majority of Korg users are very much like those who use Yamaha arrangers...the number of tweakers is very small indeed, despite Korg's extensive on-board editing, and Yamaha's excellent PC based system.

Most arranger users are continually asking for new styles and voices, created by the few who have an interest in tweaking...some sell their resources, and some give them away for free, and in the balance, only a very few of either are worth obtaining.

Hence the popularity of Yamaha's Premium Styles and Voice Packs, and the Korg equivalents...again, the majority of users of each company's arrangers preferring to have someone else do the work...nothing wrong with that plan.

Some people start out tweaking like mad, but quickly realize that programming sounds and/or styles, is a skill in itself, and best left to those with the ear, the intuition, and the interest for it.

That's why talented third party programmers had a field day back when synthesizers became more common...the factories found that the majority of the instruments in for service still had all, or most of the factory presets, leaving open a huge market that allowed skillful programmers like Bo Tomlyn, to reap the benefits of selling sounds.

Going by what is on the forums, I suspect it is much the same with the bulk of arrangers, and, in my opinion, it won't change much in the future.

Ian

I concur with most of the things said by Abacus and Ian. I would appreciate though giving credit to the contents of this thread started by Newday which is about the Resources that I have made on the Korgs and in particualar on the Micro Arranger. He has argued, as have many others, that my resources are very much worhtwhile obtaining, but that is for each and every individual to decide.( Hence my willingness to refund should one not be satisfied).

So please let's not enter again in the merits of Korg vs. Yamaha or styles or resources offered by others. Unless of course one has them all and wants to express one's opinion on the differences in quality, etc.etc.

In conclusion I would like to remark that my Resources for the PA500 differ from those offered for the Micro (PA50sd), which again are different from the ones that I have on offer for those owing the PA800 or PA2X.

regards,
John

My take on this,

John provided me with thousdands of styles to choose from. After going through all of them, I replaced all original onboard styles with the best out of his selection.

In other words, apart from his own creations which are very good, I also received everything else he's collected over the years.

What took me years to accomplish on my Yamaha, took me only a month or two because of him. Certainly worth the small donation required.

Henni

I would like to also add praise for John's resources. Like others here I have used the best of John's work to replace factory stuff and it makes a huge difference - very much worth what was charged by John.

By the way, I frequently use the little KMA as a stand alone keyboard on gigs and it really has ben well accepted and when played through my two Bose L1 compacts sounds great!

Deane

Are there any demos of John's programming out there..? Couldn't find any on his website.

It would be interesting to hear some A/B's of his work and the factory defaults to see if the donation is worth it.