Donnie eat your heart out.

Just taken it out of its box

Will report ASAP

Col

First point

Pa3x styles will load, several of the new Pa3x styles are loaded but the missing ones can be loaded.

It feels good up to now, thepiano is very nice.

Col

Congratulations, Col...you must be a happy guy.

Ian

Please Please Col, more information!!

How´s the keys? is too far from the pa2x-pa3x?

I thought it was a psr s950

I was just about to order a Yamaha when feedback indicated the viewing screen may not be easy to read in a seated position. I thought the new Pa600 looked and sounded good from the specs and the few demos out there.

Soooo, I'm very interested in anything you have to say!!

Hmmm, a few points to consider -
no vocal mic input;

no harmoniser;

no EC-5 pedal option (which is VITAL, in my view for smooth CS operation);

unbalanced outputs and inputs (could lead to noise issues when used with a P.A. system);

None of the great E.P.s, and only a couple of the basses and guitars from the PA3 (I am thinking this could be a greatly cut down ROM, and may even have sample artefacts and audible loop-points due to the small size);

No MAXX;

Not known for sure yet, but I also suspect it has the dodgy "plastic hinging" from the M50 and Krome keybeds. IE no springs or weights, but merely a folded plastic hinge to give the return...

Hello and Congratulations I love it.

Hi Col
Did you get your Korg PA600 from Hamiltons?
I notice you live in that area.

I ordered one yesterday,should be here (Sheffield) Tuesday)

.Regards George

Hi George

I think yours was in the showroom boxed up ready to go.

Hi the rest of you gents

I'll do my best to answer as much as Ican but at the moment I an still finding a few set up items. I owned the Pa800 and the Pa2x previously and there are some differences I found up to now.

The first thing I noticed is the lack of buttons, so much more is achieved using the touch screen.

The fills work in a similar manner to the tyros if the auto fill is ON reselecting the current variation triggers the corresponding fill if the next variation is selected the corresponding fill is triggered, simpler than the previous models with no dedicated fill buttons but easier to use.

The screen is vast improvement from the pa2x it is very clear and responds very quickly.

I am using an external harminizer and in previous models the master volume did not effect the line inputs the Pa600 does and once again a small change but a big improvement for live use.

The master EQ seems to be very comprehensive with a set of presets for different styles of music. There is also a separate limiter once again with a set of presets. The EQ and limiter seem to bear a strong resemblence to the pa3x Waves Maxx screen.

I have loaded a few of the Pa3x styles in and up to now they work well, no probs as yet. (A real bonus)

I'm wading my way through as much as I can (Thankfully I am familiar with the way the Korg Keyboards function) I only refered to the manual a couple of times (up to now)

I will post more info as I go along. Bye for now

Kind Regards

Col

Listening to the sound and style demos at Korg UK, the PA-600 sounds terrific.

Are there any FreePlay styles (ability to play without fixed tempo) on-board, or available through Korg?

Excellent DNC sounds...again, very nice upgrade from PA-500.

All this, and a Chord Sequencer too. Awesome!

Just a question (perhaps you can answer this, Dennis?)...why is the EC-5 pedal, which is not an option, needed for smooth Chord Sequencer operation?

Ian

Ian it is because the CS needs a double button press to start recording, and again to stop, and if you do not time the presses to be concurrent ( and it IS pretty fussy on the timing, believe me ), it does not start recording...

With the EC-5, record start is assigned to one pedal and playback to another. Which gives a much easier method of activating and playing by a simple one switch press.

Plus it means a user does not need to move their hand off the keybed to use it...which for certain songs, particularly those with busy chord progs is a godsend!

Dennis

Col your killin' me !!! CONGRATS BUDDY!!!
Cant wait for mine hopefully soon also.....
please share all you can with us.....enjoy!!

Poor me I ordered one a month ago and still waiting.
Congrats with your one Col

Col,

I don't see the KMA, what's happen to the little fellow, not weighed him in for this one have you. You love your Korgs, good luck with it.

Tony

Can't see why, if the buttons can't be re-tasked to single pushes (admittedly, they already have a single push purpose, this is why Korg decided to go double button push, IMO), you can't have a single button CS implementation on the touch screen.

In fairness, as your LH is often tied up chording, having the CS buttons where the RH can get to them as well as the left is pretty optimal.

Is there a MIDI command to start and stop the CS, Dennis? You might be able to use a Behringer MIDI pedal or something like that if you can....

Not as far as I know Diki, well at least not using any CC's at any rate.
What I didn't try was doing a "read" of exactly what sysex data was generated by the button push using Midi-Ox..although I am unsure as to whether that data is even "allowed" to be transmitted.

As the FCB1010 (Behringer) can be programmed to send sysex data, it might work...

Having the control on the touch screen would be handy too - I mean they already use the touchscreen for midi markers (no panel buttons can be assigned this function), so programming the CS control surely would not be too much of a stretch???

Dennis

Col,

If you have a problem with the buttons on the left hand get your Doris to press them for you when you nod your head, better still watch the mighty Tostie how he does it, he doesn't have a Doris. Col I suggest you get a set of bagpipe next times, I doubt our experts can play the bagpipes, however I wouldn't like to put a bet on that.

I wonder if that fussiness can be corrected, or greatly diminished, by an OS upgrade?

We had an issue with the sync-start not engaging properly on the midi recorder (Tyros3) that was remedied with an update, so maybe the PA-600 can be fixed similarly?

Ian

Ian it is a deliberate operation of the OS, not a glitch. That is how Korg designed it to work!!

The question has been asked, and WELL in advance of the latest OS even being announced as coming. But like the markers, these requests fell on deaf ears I'm afraid!

Some folks don't have an issue with it, but as I tend to use an arranger in very limited "combo" (ie 3 instruments including me) fashion and using full keyboard, I always found it awkward at best without the EC-5...

I just feel it could have been done better...much the same as the midi markers could be more like Roland and Yamaha and have dedicated selection buttons on the panel...

Dennis

Hi Tony

You can have my KMA for a reasonable sum it's just heavy enough for an oldtimer to carry, I been re-juvinated.

Col

I think Korg made a major mistake choosing WHICH buttons to double-task... Using the Memory/Bass Inv/Man Bass buttons was a problem, as those are buttons you tend to use a LOT (or at least, some of us!) so Korg had no choice to make the double press needed.

Personally, if no extra buttons could be added (and why Korg didn't think this through is a problem) my choice would have been to use the Mode buttons. Re-task the Demo buttons (maybe simultaneously pressing STS Mode and Auto-Fill) then use pressing Style Play and Song Play simultaneously would change the Sequencer and Sound buttons into CS Rec and Start/Stop.

The trouble, of course, is that Korg have silk-screened the functions onto the case now, so our chance of getting a more logical layout is slim to none. So, I guess our only hope is a redesign of the touch screen layout. There's room at the bottom for a couple more tabs. Maybe far left CS Rec, far right CS Play/Stop (so you don't accidentally hit the wrong one).

Hey Korg... How about giving me a call before you design the NEXT PA with a CS? LOL

I agree Diki, there is plenty of room left..It could even be incorporated into the midi markers page which is accessed by pressing the buttons on the side of the screen...very quick.

In fact the more I think about it, the more sense it makes to have the CS control AND the midi markers together in the one section.

It can be achieved relatively easily with software, but Korg do not see the need and so will not spend the development resources (small as they would be) to do so.

Believe me it was asked for, and a few times in private messages with Korg Italy reps!!!

A good concept , poorly implemented in my view.

Dennis

I agree. The problem is that bringing this arranger concept to a set of players that have never had it before, and then making it unnecessarily complicated tends to ensure that it won't become a go to feature, and may eventually get dropped.

TBH, I am not sure that the reason Roland dropped the feature was, they kept placing the buttons for it FAR away from the keybed, and may have made it 'out of sight, out of mind' for the majority of Roland players. And it never was an FC-7 option...

But I think I disagree with moving the CS touch screen buttons to the Marker page. Having them front and center (ok, front and edges!) on the Main Page makes them more likely to be used, and more likely to be convenient to the player. Anything that moves you off the main page tend to be a more marginal function.

I still think that re-naming the function the 'Third Hand' makes the concept more understandable to the average player. 'Sequencer' simply brings too many associative impressions to mind, and I still find myself having to explain, time after time, that the CS is NOT a 'Chord Track' like older arrangers used to have.

If you have any email addresses for the development team at Korg, forward them to me, please. Perhaps I can articulate a good reason for them to improve this?

Diki, just contact Paolo Trammanoni (the "public" face of Korg at the forum) via a PM at the Korg forums...James also has a contact higher up in the Korg Italy arranger division..I am not at liberty to tell you the persons name, but maybe James can, or would be kind enough to pass on your details so they can contact you..

So as well as sending to Paolo, if you write James a PM via the Korg Forums, that would get the ball rolling I would think...

Dennis

BTW, I agree, on reflection, having them along the bottom of the main page would be FAR more beneficial!!

D

I personally would never use it,just like some other included features on any KB, it's pick and choose for YOUR needs......it's a gimmick for the few that do....just another feature they come and go.... CS isn't for everybody....if you need to play on top of something get a KB with "Audio Backing Tracks"