AGREED! Too much Steve Gadd, and not enough Ringo for my taste.

I used that EZ-8 card in my Pro-E, and E-20, and it was a complete band, just like the the organic patterns on board.
As to Korg busy patterns - yup ... On my 4x (as well as the PA900) I always used one of the programmable switches to mute parts 1-5. I often play with just bass, drums and RH.

Drum patterns are the main reason I started using arrangers in the first place. I always played manual bass, and Rhodes, and carried a drum machine. The arranger combined all three in one. I really prefer basic, simple, generic patterns for almost everything I do live. I use my bass lines, and chord comping to generate the feel I'm going for. I want simple bass, and simple drums, unless it's a swing tune, then I want a swingin', walking bass line, and a drum pattern that lays down the groove without putting too much fluff into it.

The patterns in the Yamaha kept me happy last Saturday at the winery. Solid. Simple. Just what was called for.

Hi Rikki,

I'm hearing every word you say...and relating to it all. I remember when you and I were working on converting those Roland styles for that reason.

So...it's NOT my imagination. These Korg styles really say nothing. (I still can't find a decent cha-cha and some other basic styles). Korg styles...rather unexciting and "over-blown!" Not terribly inspiring. But I think only those of us who have been playing for years have a benchmark to compare them with (the early Yamaha's and Roland's)

I went to a concert over the weekend and the band (for a change) was really terrific. Then it hit me. The keyboard player was mega-good and he was playing on an old vintage Yamaha stage piano. No one noticed...no one complained...no one cared. He got standing ovations. So I'm thinking to myself...why not go back to your old equipment...the Roland Pro-E, etc just for the styles. My intuition tells me to sell this "untouched" PA3x and maybe look into the new Yamahas even.

I don't agree that Korg styles are unexciting ... in fact, I think they border on "too" busy lots of times. I prefer generic beats so I can use fewer patterns to cover more songs. In a live situation, a drummer will play a standard 8 beat the same on many different songs, with only minor modifications to fit each particular song. This is what I like in an automatic version. Believe me, if the samples in the Pro-E (cymbals, specifically) sounded as good as modern day gear, I'd still own one.

So UD...I didn't know you and Fran had Pro-E's. I still have mine in mint condition. And you're talking about this which I also have?



...and the "Pro-E rhythm style cards?"




How do you think the styles AND the sound fare against today's stuff. All those demo's I posted that I did were done with the Pro-E rhythms. Newer isn't always better.

For the piano, the Yamaha P-121 seems to fit me perfectly. I think I'm going to go with that myself.

That to me is why they are "unexciting." Too busy. Gets in your face. The style controls your playing....you don't control the style (unless you're editing it).

I remember years ago when I first discovered the Ketrons. Couldn't get enough of hearing/playing them. But the more I played them the more they wore me out. Great styles and great sounds, but (to me)....the styles were overpowering. The musician should make the total sound, NOT the style.

I still have this never used Ca30, with power supply, manual, and YES the EZ eight card.

The cymbals are the largest shortcoming. The samples are so much shorter than today's (memory limits, I suppose), and it's really evident as the sound dies out. I still have a Korg i5s, and I could definitely get by with those sounds, if I needed a backup. Since much of my live work is a stripped down sound with mostly Vocal, Rhodes/Piano, Bass, and Drums ... I appreciate how far the tonality has progressed, and I enjoy hearing the sound as realistic as possible.
A good friend of mine still uses a Pro-E for his live bass lines. He uses a dedicated bass amp, so that helps the realism, but the core sound is still 1980s Roland.

Hi Mark,
I’m guessing the styles might be fine or maybe even brilliant for certain genres, unfortunately not for the old fashioned ? music I enjoy playing. Haha.
What I have really enjoyed about my Korgs over the last 10 years is the technology ie the style creation and editing capabilities. I’m a tech junkie , not a musician. .Sadly my musical abilities don’t match my ability on knowing how to go about it.

First time in 30 years, I’ve lost interest in trying to convert styles across . Had about 8 months off not being able to use my right hand properly, thank goodness things worked out ok, back to normal, and spending time playing , instead of messing round.
I did find my psr had more styles that suited the songs I enjoy playing, even though soundwise not a patch on my Pa4x.

Think I may get the new psr when it arrives. Don’t like the feel of the keys on the psrs950, too soft. Doubt the new one will be much different, hence I may get a piano as a controller ( with interface or whatever it needs) or midi it to my Pa4x if I keep it.

Rikki....I didn't know that. What happened?

UPDATE on pedal/sustain issue:
Yamaha missed the boat on this, but it's not a deal breaker. As the manual states (p.15) the 3 pedal unit operates the way it should, with the LH ignoring the damper pedal in split mode. Unfortunately, the dedicated damper pedal jack on the instrument (the one MANY players will use) does not support this. I'm currently modifying the pedal unit to attach to a traditional, portable stand (not sure which one, yet). The 3 pedal unit is larger, and heavier, and needs serious support to function comfortably. I'll post my findings when I sort it all out.