Here are my first thoughts on the KORG PA900 maiden voyage today at a 1hr day care center job with 50 people in attendance.
Pros: 1- The Lightweight is a pleasure to travel with, and the thin design makes for easy handling in & out of the case & into my vehicle!…Love it!! 2- The large display is wonderful, Easy to read and the touch screen is very responsive. It also shows all info needed on screen for performances in real time, Styles, STS, Multipads, Dual MP3’s, Mic settings, VH, all readily accessible at a mere touch. 3- Mic Processor and TC Helicon Vocal Harmony is top notch, two knobs & buttons allow the singer direct On Deck Access which is a beautiful thing!! Producing Crystal clear vocals, amazing tracking, so many great settings, easy to adjust, Korg is on top of its game with this feature over any competition it Made me go back to using VH in my songs again ! Nuff Said!. 4- Controller pedal assignments are fantastic, there are So Many to choose from on the menu pages that can make the pedals do anything you need. And there are three assignment knobs with a nice tactile rubber feel also they can also be assigned to do amazing things for the player in so many ways wow! 5- Editing and getting around the OS is very logical, Menu tabs provide you with direction and families of editing features and its deep.The PA900 lets you change Every part of the styles factory or user, including editing EACH Drum set part which is critical, Roland G70 does this also which I like big time,. ….although the ancient OS Folder system needs to be revised so that styles can be auditioned right off the USB thumb drive instead of having to load sets all the time. But Im used to it now.. 6- I’m glad there’s a Joystick vs a Mod Wheel, it just works better for me. 7- My Pa3x setups & Songbook list, loaded ok but some Style parts & STS levels had to be adjusted which was expected. 8- Did I mention I LOVE the CUSTOM SONGBOOK feature? 9- I was able to make all level adjustments and SAVE them in real time without a glitch,…..something I couldn’t do on the S950. 10- On board speakers are nice, loud enough for monitoring, & convenient for practice etc.. 11- NO AC WALL WART....YAY!!!
I’ll have more thoughts Pro & Con as I go along…….
#404985 - 07/15/1507:12 PMRe: KORG PA900 Maiden Voyage............
[Re: Dnj]
saxxman
Senior Member
Registered: 10/15/05
Posts: 1433
Loc: Niceville, FL USA
Donny - congrats again! I really enjoy my PA900 and I haven't tapped into all the goodies that I know are there. Sure is a great board! Glad you are enjoying it!
_________________________
------------------------------------- Randy
PA4X, SX900 (Baby Genos), Roland U-20, L1 Compact, Way 2 Many Saxes
"My computer beats me routinely at chess - but it's NO MATCH for me at kick boxing!"
#404986 - 07/15/1507:13 PMRe: KORG PA900 Maiden Voyage............
[Re: Dnj]
Mikem
Member
Registered: 08/12/14
Posts: 917
Loc: Quebec, Canada
Originally Posted By: Dnj
Here are my first thoughts on the KORG PA900 maiden voyage today at a 1hr day care center job with 50 people in attendance.
Pros: 1- The Lightweight is a pleasure to travel with, and the thin design makes for easy handling in & out of the case & into my vehicle!…Love it!! 2- The large display is wonderful, Easy to read and the touch screen is very responsive. It also shows all info needed on screen for performances in real time, Styles, STS, Multipads, Dual MP3’s, Mic settings, VH, all readily accessible at a mere touch. 3- Mic Processor and TC Helicon Vocal Harmony is top notch, two knobs & buttons allow the singer direct On Deck Access which is a beautiful thing!! Producing Crystal clear vocals, amazing tracking, so many great settings, easy to adjust, Korg is on top of its game with this feature over any competition it Made me go back to using VH in my songs again ! Nuff Said!. 4- Controller pedal assignments are fantastic, there are So Many to choose from on the menu pages that can make the pedals do anything you need. And there are three assignment knobs with a nice tactile rubber feel also they can also be assigned to do amazing things for the player in so many ways wow! 5- Editing and getting around the OS is very logical, Menu tabs provide you with direction and families of editing features and its deep.The PA900 lets you change Every part of the styles factory or user, including editing EACH Drum set part which is critical, Roland G70 does this also which I like big time,. ….although the ancient OS Folder system needs to be revised so that styles can be auditioned right off the USB thumb drive instead of having to load sets all the time. But Im used to it now.. 6- I’m glad there’s a Joystick vs a Mod Wheel, it just works better for me. 7- My Pa3x setups & Songbook list, loaded ok but some Style parts & STS levels had to be adjusted which was expected. 8- Did I mention I LOVE the CUSTOM SONGBOOK feature? 9- I was able to make all level adjustments and SAVE them in real time without a glitch,…..something I couldn’t do on the S950. 10- On board speakers are nice, loud enough for monitoring, & convenient for practice etc.. 11- NO AC WALL WART....YAY!!!
I’ll have more thoughts Pro & Con as I go along…….
Thanx
Hi Donny,
How would you say the PA900 compares with the PSR-S950 soundwise? Both the realism of the individual voices, and also the styles?
Registered: 08/24/04
Posts: 666
Loc: City of Angels in the golden s...
Originally Posted By: Mikem
Originally Posted By: Dnj
Here are my first thoughts on the KORG PA900 maiden voyage today at a 1hr day care center job with 50 people in attendance.
Pros: 1- The Lightweight is a pleasure to travel with, and the thin design makes for easy handling in & out of the case & into my vehicle!…Love it!! 2- The large display is wonderful, Easy to read and the touch screen is very responsive. It also shows all info needed on screen for performances in real time, Styles, STS, Multipads, Dual MP3’s, Mic settings, VH, all readily accessible at a mere touch. 3- Mic Processor and TC Helicon Vocal Harmony is top notch, two knobs & buttons allow the singer direct On Deck Access which is a beautiful thing!! Producing Crystal clear vocals, amazing tracking, so many great settings, easy to adjust, Korg is on top of its game with this feature over any competition it Made me go back to using VH in my songs again ! Nuff Said!. 4- Controller pedal assignments are fantastic, there are So Many to choose from on the menu pages that can make the pedals do anything you need. And there are three assignment knobs with a nice tactile rubber feel also they can also be assigned to do amazing things for the player in so many ways wow! 5- Editing and getting around the OS is very logical, Menu tabs provide you with direction and families of editing features and its deep.The PA900 lets you change Every part of the styles factory or user, including editing EACH Drum set part which is critical, Roland G70 does this also which I like big time,. ….although the ancient OS Folder system needs to be revised so that styles can be auditioned right off the USB thumb drive instead of having to load sets all the time. But Im used to it now.. 6- I’m glad there’s a Joystick vs a Mod Wheel, it just works better for me. 7- My Pa3x setups & Songbook list, loaded ok but some Style parts & STS levels had to be adjusted which was expected. 8- Did I mention I LOVE the CUSTOM SONGBOOK feature? 9- I was able to make all level adjustments and SAVE them in real time without a glitch,…..something I couldn’t do on the S950. 10- On board speakers are nice, loud enough for monitoring, & convenient for practice etc.. 11- NO AC WALL WART....YAY!!!
I’ll have more thoughts Pro & Con as I go along…….
Thanx
Hi Donny,
How would you say the PA900 compares with the PSR-S950 soundwise? Both the realism of the individual voices, and also the styles?
Thanks.
IMHO Styles can be the only deal breaker in Korg due to limited variety and lack of 3rd party support ( Anglo US/ UK music ) compare to yamaha.Korg (like Ketron) has better style support in Mideast/Balkans/ Euro music. Sounds (punchier drums / bass / pads better but yamaha wins in guitars/ sax woodwind plus mega voices for better realism.Pianos can be a tie with some edge on yamaha . SA still outperforms Dnc.
#404991 - 07/16/1501:50 AMRe: KORG PA900 Maiden Voyage............
[Re: Dnj]
adimatis
Senior Member
Registered: 01/28/05
Posts: 1162
Loc: Oradea, RO
Korg is great in so many ways, that is no question about it.
My three major grips with it (Pa900) are: 1. Very thin snare sounds in all drums kits pretty much. 2. The old file system management. 3. The fill-in issue, whereby with may styles the fills have a sort of hiccup I called it, if you are not PERFECT in timing, the flow of music is broken and the "hiccup" is very audible. Have a look at this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tputto6sCN4 and you'll understand. At 0:57 and 4:08 when fills are pressed. As you'll see many fills sound just fine, while others do not. This problem is present in my Pa50 and even in Pa3x...
Other than that, Korg is great indeed!
_________________________
Yamaha S770, Studio One 3, EMU 0404USB, ESI, ATH, Dell. And others.
Here are my first thoughts on the KORG PA900 maiden voyage today at a 1hr day care center job with 50 people in attendance.
Pros: 1- The Lightweight is a pleasure to travel with, and the thin design makes for easy handling in & out of the case & into my vehicle!…Love it!! 2- The large display is wonderful, Easy to read and the touch screen is very responsive. It also shows all info needed on screen for performances in real time, Styles, STS, Multipads, Dual MP3’s, Mic settings, VH, all readily accessible at a mere touch. 3- Mic Processor and TC Helicon Vocal Harmony is top notch, two knobs & buttons allow the singer direct On Deck Access which is a beautiful thing!! Producing Crystal clear vocals, amazing tracking, so many great settings, easy to adjust, Korg is on top of its game with this feature over any competition it Made me go back to using VH in my songs again ! Nuff Said!. 4- Controller pedal assignments are fantastic, there are So Many to choose from on the menu pages that can make the pedals do anything you need. And there are three assignment knobs with a nice tactile rubber feel also they can also be assigned to do amazing things for the player in so many ways wow! 5- Editing and getting around the OS is very logical, Menu tabs provide you with direction and families of editing features and its deep.The PA900 lets you change Every part of the styles factory or user, including editing EACH Drum set part which is critical, Roland G70 does this also which I like big time,. ….although the ancient OS Folder system needs to be revised so that styles can be auditioned right off the USB thumb drive instead of having to load sets all the time. But Im used to it now.. 6- I’m glad there’s a Joystick vs a Mod Wheel, it just works better for me. 7- My Pa3x setups & Songbook list, loaded ok but some Style parts & STS levels had to be adjusted which was expected. 8- Did I mention I LOVE the CUSTOM SONGBOOK feature? 9- I was able to make all level adjustments and SAVE them in real time without a glitch,…..something I couldn’t do on the S950. 10- On board speakers are nice, loud enough for monitoring, & convenient for practice etc.. 11- NO AC WALL WART....YAY!!!
I’ll have more thoughts Pro & Con as I go along…….
Thanx
Hi Donny,
How would you say the PA900 compares with the PSR-S950 soundwise? Both the realism of the individual voices, and also the styles?
Cons: 1- I find the weakest sounds are the saxes and you really have to get in there and tweak them adding EQ/FX to get the sound you require eg: Growl sax. 2- The key feel between the Pa900/S950 is pretty much comparable. 3- Although Korg offers more then enough style varieties I don’t use that many styles besides my custom edited “Easy 30+” which I can cover just about any genre of music unlike many players who don't gig or have ever been in front of hundreds of people on stage we use the arranger KB to back up our singing first. To me Korg is geared Toward the Pro Player. 4- On some Drum sets tweaking has to be done to get the right timber, resonance to the snares, bass drum, cymbals, etc,.. but easily done in Drum edit mode. 5- Many organs have a velocity pressure triggered Rotary effect which I can live with but don’t particularly like vs. some that have the joy stick to manually activate the Leslie. Otherwise great Organ sounds love the Gospel Organ.
I know as I go along I'll have more Pros/Cons to share, today I'll play it again at a 2hr luncheon/dance job, more to come.. I have owned so many KORG Models including the KORG SaS-20, i3, i30, Pa60, Pa80, Pa500, Pa800, Pa3x,... But I will say this,......... There are So Many Great features packed into this KORG PA900 Arranger keyboard that certainly Outweigh the negative in so many ways.
#404997 - 07/16/1507:00 AMRe: KORG PA900 Maiden Voyage............
[Re: Dnj]
Bachus
Senior Member
Registered: 03/02/06
Posts: 7143
Originally Posted By: Dnj
Cons: 1- I find the weakest sounds are the saxes and you really have to get in there and tweak them adding EQ/FX to get the sound you require eg: Growl sax. 2- The key feel between the Pa900/S950 is pretty much comparable. 3- Although Korg offers more then enough style varieties I don’t use that many styles besides my custom edited “Easy 30+” which I can cover just about any genre of music unlike many players who don't gig or have ever been in front of hundreds of people on stage we use the arranger KB to back up our singing first. To me Korg is geared Toward the Pro Player. 4- On some Drum sets tweaking has to be done to get the right timber, resonance to the snares, bass drum, cymbals, etc,.. but easily done in Drum edit mode. 5- Many organs have a velocity pressure triggered Rotary effect which I can live with but don’t particularly like vs. some that have the joy stick to manually activate the Leslie. Otherwise great Organ sounds love the Gospel Organ.
I know as I go along I'll have more Pros/Cons to share, today I'll play it again at a 2hr luncheon/dance job, more to come.. I have owned so many KORG Models including the KORG SaS-20, i3, i30, Pa60, Pa80, Pa500, Pa800, Pa3x,... But I will say this,......... There are So Many Great features packed into this KORG PA900 Arranger keyboard that certainly Outweigh the negative in so many ways.
In the end... You will end up being happy with a Yammie once again, but if youre smart, you fall innlove with a used T5 instead of the psr s970...
Enjoy your PA for now, because there is nothing as much fun as discovering new gear ( thats in my book offcourse)
_________________________
Yamaha Genos, Roland Jupiter 80, Ipad pro.
I don't think Bachus goes out of his house, either. T5 looks a tad hefty for gigging.
You have to be in the trenches to experience what us everyday giggers are talking about and the NEEDS we all have on stage. It's a never ending battle for comfyness...just sayin'
#405008 - 07/16/1512:22 PMRe: KORG PA900 Maiden Voyage............
[Re: 124]
Bachus
Senior Member
Registered: 03/02/06
Posts: 7143
Originally Posted By: 124
I don't think Bachus goes out of his house, either. T5 looks a tad hefty for gigging.
Well you are right... But you are also overexagerating the weight difference
PSR 950 is almost 12 kg, where the 61 key Tyros 5 is 14 kg...
If you want to do some weightlifting, try my Kronos 88, thats 23 kg, and i know quite a few people that use it for gigging..
I thiink that those 2 kg extra for a T5 are worth it in every aspect espescially the better keybed and UI, SA2 sounds, organ world, ensemble voices, sound expansions(memmory)
However, s970, pa900 and SD7 are all good keyboards.
Edited by Bachus (07/16/1512:24 PM)
_________________________
Yamaha Genos, Roland Jupiter 80, Ipad pro.
"I tried & I tried my best to love the Ketron SD7 & make it mine., as it is one Really Amazing New Arranger KB with killer sounds & styles, Etc,. But, after 3 weeks & endless hours in between a busy schedule & setting it up for "MY Needs" in the end I decided it wasn't the right fit for me right now. I appreciate All the help everyone has given me these past few weeks & will continue to help anyone who asks about the Ketron SD7 if I can. This has nothing to do with the SD7 itself but more of "MY" quirky personal "navigational" needs using it on stage when performing. I already miss it but Life Goes On!"
I tried the new raised rear X Stand contraption on today's gig and it went pretty well,...due to my very LOW seating style I am also thinking of using the many many "Favorites Slots" for the songs vs the Custom Songbook list as it offers a much brighter & bigger view of the song titles more like the Yamaha registration pages did... we'll see?
A weak point with the PA900 is the snare drums many times you have to use the drum edit feature to change the sound resonance to shape the snare to you liking within the many drum sets to choose from, working on that, ...
#405080 - 07/17/1501:42 PMRe: KORG PA900 Maiden Voyage............
[Re: Dnj]
saxxman
Senior Member
Registered: 10/15/05
Posts: 1433
Loc: Niceville, FL USA
Thanks Donny and all for your varied opinions. I've been down the S3000, T2, T4 and S910 route.... now have a PA900 and enjoy it quite a lot. Although I might upgrade my S910 to the S970, for me, the PA900 so far is definitely a keeper. Thanks again Donny for sharing your thoughts on the Korg on the bandstand!
_________________________
------------------------------------- Randy
PA4X, SX900 (Baby Genos), Roland U-20, L1 Compact, Way 2 Many Saxes
"My computer beats me routinely at chess - but it's NO MATCH for me at kick boxing!"
Dont forget to look in places where you would never think a style would be?.........let me explain further,...I was looking for a certain style for a song,.......I looked everywhere, being it was a POP tune I never thought to look in the World SHLAGER styles banks,...But I don't know what made me lok there and BANG!!!! aside from the intro which is "Shlagerish" persay the rest of the style and variations work perfectly for the song...... Then I changed some sounds in the intro/ending to my liking and I have a NEW Style that's quality sounding and usable for my needs!!... Go Figure!.....
Dnj, you should really try Dynamix drum kits.. Everything sounds totally different , and Bojan is really good guy to deal with.Also I recommend bass samples too..
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