Some of you may already know I'm blind. I may have a method to use a PA via Easy Mode with some markings. I know of two blind men who are playing Pa1x and Pa500 using this method. They can't edit any styles or voice elements but using it out of the box.

If anyone has used easy mode on the PA3x, I would like to know...

1. Selecting styles I can press the family button to move to the styles in that family. Does moving the data wheel move through the list on the screen? If selecting the style field on easy mode screen does a list come up where the data wheel move through a list? I read in the manual this can be done but want to verify.

2. Same with voices as questions above.

3. If the data wheel does move through the list, does the voice or style change to audition? Or, do I still have to hit enter to check what I would have selected?

SongBook Editor seems to be pretty accessible to screen readers so I would use Dennis' method of addressing SB entries via my iPad.

Anything else, looks like I'd need sighted help through the process like tweaking styles and adding effects.

Anyone feel the styles and voices need more tweaking than playing out of the box? The DNC voices seem to sound pretty good for what I would be using the board for.

Any assistance I can get would be appreciated. I haven't decided totally yet, but am encouraged since the two men I mentioned earlier have been using this OS this way for a few years now.

Best

Well I had my discussion with one of my blind counterparts who is using the PA500. Seems he is not using Easy Mode at all. He just has templates setup for the Sound and Style select screens (which are similar from what I read) and marks the Banks on top and pages on the bottom. Since pushing the buttons for Style each family several times will advance the pages the page area at the bottom is not escential and the family tabs on either side don't really need to be used. Same with Sound selection. Editing is another thing and I knew that so would have to go with the specific factory setups or have sighted help (same really even on any other board - Tyros, Audya, etc).

He also told me he can get to the User and Favorite banks easily so that eases the pain of finding everything I would regularly use but Songbook is the preferred method to select for particular settings which as I mentioned would use iPad to send messages to setup songs.

I think I may be able to work most of this out since I had some experience with the G-70...If I do, I may be throwing some questions out this direction.

Wish I could get a PA to try without having to pay out and then return if not satisfied without paying a re-stocking fee.

You can set PA3X to immediately change sound or style when the bank opens, or you can set it to change only when the sound or style is selected.
It's easy to recall Songbook entries by number. You can assign numbers to any or all entries. For example I use 3, 30, 31, 32, etc. for waltz entries, 4, 40, 41 etc. for 4-4 setups, 6, 60, 61, etc. for 6/8 entries--you get the idea.
Not sure how easy it will be to remember where the numbers are on the touch screen, but they are pretty large. I think you could do it without sight, but not certain, and my keyboard is not at home.
DonM

Actually, I was going to set the SB entries up with the numbering and send the proper cc messages from MIDI files on the control channel from my iPad. At least tha'ts accessible and hopefully can find an app which I can setup Play lists or just with the numbering system you just stated since that field is not a sequencial field within the database entries. UnReal book will work and I have that one...yes I know so I setup some text in PDFs with song info since I can't read music any more but that's my solution to call up songs. SB Editor looks like it can work. I found a .SET folder but it only had a Songbook Folder so no User styles or other stuff usually found there and I was able to open and read through the setups including the CC and PC of the styles.

It would be a while for me to get my library up so my wife can help me file from the PA to the SB when I need to.

I want 76 keys so PA3xPro or Audya 76 are my only choices. The Price of an Audya even with discount is not enough to get me to purchase one. Love the drums and all the live stuff on them but I'm starting to feel the factory stuff is not going to suit my playing preferences. Even on that board I could setup Regs and call them up by number directly. 2012 update fills some of my needs and there are some styles for 60's and 70's which may also do it. As long as I can find a board which I can put User stuff out there which I can address easily - not that I have to go through hoops to find the entries to setup into regs or SB entries. Audya seems to be easy to access and the regs are easy to pull up. PAs same with SB Entries for performing with limited TS intervention through control from iPad (most accessible touch screen device out of the box).

Thanks Don,

You can't go wrong with Audya or PA3X. Two advantages to the Korg are price and weight/size.
DonM