Does anyone hook up this module to a Korg PA? Been toying with the idea to add another arranger, something different, fun, etc.

Wondering how easy/hard it is to midi this thing up to my 4X and make real time changes quickly (going back and forth between the keyboards).

Any help appreciated.

For an Arranger Keyboard, Korg has a pretty decent Midi spec, (I believe the later ones have a dedicated Midi section) so you should be alright there.
The BK7 is even easier, you just select what type of instrument you are connecting to it, and it is automatically set up.
I recommend you read up on Midi basics, as this will make things even easier.

Bill

Thanks Bill. Wondering if during a performance, I can easily and quickly switch boards in real time.

Hi Zuki,

If you want to use only the styles of the BK7m, then the hookup is easy. Once you have your midi and audio cords plugged in, then turn you PA on in split mode and put the Bk7m in midi wizard mode. When it asks you to play upper 1 and 2 just push a key to the right of the split zone. For lower and mbs just push a key to the left of the split zone. Now you should be all set. If you want to use the BK7m, just turn on the sync start button and it will play and follow the chords you play in your left hand on the PA. The hardest thing to remember is if you want to use the PA arranger, you need to turn off the sync button or else you'll have the Bk7m playing too. I use a Bk7m with my DGX 670 and it works well (I plug the Bk7m outs into the input of the Dgx 670).

If you want to use the voices on the BK7m, then I recommend using a second midi keyboard with the PA. I have a PA 5x (and had a 4x in the past), and from my understanding if you wish to use the BK7m voices you need to make a dummy voice on the PA that sends the correct midi signal for Upper 1/2 and that does not play the "local" voice on the PA. For me it's much easier to just add an inexpensive second midi board set to the channels of Upper 1 and 2. You can even use MBS as a third voice channel and also play that on the keyboard. There are some midi boards with pads where you can program in the Roland sounds you like best at a push of the button. And of course you still can use the Roland app to easily select voices from an iPad.

I hope that helps. I have 2 BK7ms and just decided to sell the second one of them today since I really don't need 2 and they are hard for people to find.

Hi Mike,

I hope I am finding you well.

Along with a BK9, I have also acquired a BK7m as well. I have connected it to one of my Korgs (I have many including the Pa5x) but for the moment I am using a Pa600. How do I create this dummy voice you mentioned so that I can just use and hear the sounds of the Module only?

Thank you very much for any help you can give on this.

All the best,
Danny

Did you sell your BK7m yet?

One thing the BK7m had that for typical Roland dmbass reasons they neglected to add on all the other BK’s is a nice simple ‘mirror keyboard mode’ that took one single channel from the sending keyboard, and mapped the entire Registration/performance including splits and everything to that single channel, vastly simplifying control by a master keyboard.

It’s a common feature on most other brands, and one more in a LONG line of common features Roland decided its users didn’t deserve. Just in case you needed more proof that Roland arrangers were designed by people who didn’t actually USE them!🤬

And if they added the feature of making your own styles this would of been the perfect module at that time that it came out

Roland have never prioritized style creation on anything. We got one tiny step forward with the Prelude’s Style Composer PC software, quickly abandoned.

Creating a style with a scroll wheel and an enter button (no iPad app for it!) on a tiny display (BK7M display is smaller than most 90’s arrangers!) doesn’t sound appealing in the least. Plus, as any Yamaha or Korg owner will let you know gladly (!) is that Roland have NEVER allowed user access to the codes for voice wraparound and range, plus many other things that the in house style creators have access to.

The BK7m’s display is so tiny, to be honest, I program mine so I never have to look at it, live.

A BK module with a display the size of an SX900 or a mid-line Korg might make a decent platform for style creation, but have you ever seen how small the BK7m’s is?! 😱🤯

Hi Danny,

Sorry for the delay- I’ve been getting caught up in all the Genos 2 chatter-lol.

I had a bk9- what a great keyboard! Regarding creating a dummy voice on the Korg, check out the video on this link “Using the Korg Pa5X as a midi controller by Jon Micheal: https://youtu.be/WPmjXIPxP2w?si=6Gf-I7K1Ro6Pk-xj

It was in this video where I first heard an explanation how to do this. I figure it should be the same process for your pa600 too.

I hope this helps! By the way, I find it interesting that many of the voices on this module are still quite good. In fact I have a Fantom and still haven’t found a Rhodes piano with the bell sound quality as the one on this module. (But with 6000 voices on the Fantom maybe I just haven’t located it yet-lol!).

Hi Zuki,

I just put it up for sale on Reverb about a week ago. If anyone is interested shoot me a message for a better price. I’m not in a rush, I just had too much gear and trying to focus on becoming better with less.

Thank you very much for your reply, this is very useful if I will need to do it in the future. I no longer have the BK7m but instead a second BK9! But still useful to know in case I do end up with another BK7m sometime.

Thanks,
Danny