well i tried the e-50 for a while, and it was good, but it was just lacking something..so i have now ordered the pa800 (i used to own the pa1xpro)...i dont know if many here have done so but if you visit www.korgpa.com and navigate to the pa800 page and check out the many demos, you might be very impressed as i was...i have to order these things "on spec" as i live about 6 hours from the nearest dealer...so it arrives today and we'll see how it goes...(the T2 was too expensive, although it did figure in the discussion!)
dennis

Best of luck, dennis...

One would seriously hope you are getting a lot more arranger. Doesn't the PA800 cost well over a grand US more than the lowly E50?

Shame, if that kind of money was available, that you didn't get to try the G70 first. You might have felt there was a lot less lacking in that one, and it is cost-wise more of an equivalent to the PA800...

But post back as soon as you get it. It will be interesting to hear your review. So far several SZ members got PA800's, and bailed shortly thereafter. But coming from a PA1XPro background, you are probably more aware of what you are likely to be getting.

I still find it disturbing how tight a rein on supply the arranger manufacturers are keeping. So many of you buying sight unseen because the dealer won't stock them (or so he says!). Good for the dealer (that re-stocking fee is pure profit), bad for the consumer. Seems that some of them do this so much, they might as well be renting, rather than selling arrangers!

I know you are in Australia, dennis, but trust me, things are nearly as bad in the US, especially Roland. Why, if these dealers are given an area-wide exclusive on an arranger are the dealers not forced to carry them in stock? They benefit from the exclusivity, why should that entail no responsibility...? I can't see the point in any corporation taking this from their dealers. If they don't stock 'em, they can't sell 'em... Give the franchise to someone who WILL, or put it on the internet and discount it (no showroom, no costs). Sales will go up either way...

hi diki,
thanks for your thoughts i agree with the rest of your post, although i was surprised to hear its the same in the US...mind you if the pa800 doesnt't work out, it will be returned on monday/tuesday and its the g70 i'll be getting...i also owned a va76 as well way back when !!
cheers
dennis
PS i will be happy to post some views after i play it for a while...

[This message has been edited by miden (edited 05-18-2007).]

The E50 is a very good instrument for the money it costs and so are the PA800 and the G70 and the E80 and other good instruments made by other factories.
For all these instruments I say you have to get used to it for a good judgement and that takes some time.

well, i am still a bit undecided on this pa800, it is good, but i miss the bigger keyboard, and nice firm action (remember i am coming from an s90es)..the only alternatives i can think of are the g70, which in ver 3, does sound like it should and has lots of "tools" and the T2, but the T2 does only have the shorter keyboard and lighter keys too...only have a day or so to make a final decision...
dennis

miden have you thought of or played a SD!+ ?

I just did the same thing. I absolutely love the PA-800 over the E-50. I should, it cost twice what the E-50 goes for but I have no regrets. The sound just pops, it's intuitiveness, 2 powerful onboard sequencers, ability to customize the environment, it's ability to integrate well with Sonar 6.21, upcoming MP3 board, ability to expand with USB connectivity or optional internal hard drive. To be fair, I really liked the Roland E-50. But this thing is really what I was looking for. Worth every penny.

Brian

See what I mean, dennis? Your dealer should not be pressuring you into making quick decisions about VERY expensive purchasing choices, if he hasn't got them in stock for you to compare and play.

If I were you, I would be going 'no sale' without a reasonable tryout period. He needs your money more than you need a new arranger.....

You are going to have to make your own mind up about the G70/T2 decision though... Me, I HAVE to have a 76 keyboard so there was no choice, but if Yamaha made a 76 T2, it would have been a MUCH tougher decision. They are both GREAT arrangers, albeit with a slightly different basic sound (live and in your face from the G70, smooth and polished from the T2, IMO), but either gets the job done in style!

I played a MotifXS 61 recently, and that has the same action (so I was told) as the T2. For an un-weighted 61, it was very good, nice and crisp, but a bit short-throw. Definitely VERY different from the G70 (as far as I am concerned, the best feeling 76 on the planet!) but still very playable. But coming from an S90es, it's going to be MUCH more of an adjustment than the G70.

hi donny, no they are too expensive out here!! but the demos i have heard make them sound impressive and diki, yeah you are right, and they shouldn't be asking for quick decisions...the thing that annoys me is that anyone who lives in the city, can take home the demo board to try first, but because of my location, they won't do the same thing...i have even offered to cover the freight charge!!....
thanks greekidd, you have given me some inspiration...the more i delve into the styles, the more i like them, and the TC harmoniser is very good, and i have reminded myself of just how bloody useful the songbook is too!!! it is just so hard coming from a fully weighted keyboard with an exceptional piano, and the awesome motif es sounds....but maybe a solution is the new yamaha n30 76 note piano....it seems it has a semi-weighted "graded" action, heavy at the bottom end, and lighter up the top...in the states its msrp is 299, so out here thats about 375 and that would make a reasonable compromise...
thanks guys
cheers
dennis

PS...diki, im with you on this.. if the T2 was in 76 note form, it would be sitting on my stand right now, but when its just the choice of a 61 note, the 800 is probably gonna get the nod....

[This message has been edited by miden (edited 05-21-2007).]

Dennis, how does the 800 compare with your PAX-1 Pro?????

All I can see is - more sample memory and less keys (and, I assume a few more sounds n styles).