Korg Forums

[Rotefluh]

Hi!
After long time out of music world. I would like to come back.
First thing I need …the instrument, and here it is de problem. 25 years ago I was a Yamaha fanatic… I already have a PSR-100!!! But as I said I need a new one.
My first think was I will buy the PSR S950, or and Tyros2 used… but in the store I was able to check de PA900…. And Oh my good!!!
As you can check I have been disconnected from lots of years …. And my heart say buy the PA900 but the only doubt it is that in Yamaha forums there are lots of news styles, etc , and in the Yamaha music store you can download the song you like… on the other hand in korg forums I was not able to find this huge support that Yamaha has.
Could you help me with the decision please? I have read lots and lots of forums and I don`t know what to do.
Best regards!
Javi
_________________
Comeback to music!

[Nemik]

go get Pa900 !!

You can find a lot Korg styles too.
Besides Korg is more flexible for creating your own styles.
_________________
Nemik
Korg Kronos2-61, Korg Pa600, Novation UltraNova, Akai Professional MPK49, Akai Professional MPK225 , Alesis QX-49, APC25 Keys, Launchpad MK2, Korg nanoPad2
MOTU Midi Express XT, FCB1010 with UnO, Behringer X2222 USB, TASCAM Model 24 Mixer, Presonus AudioBox96, M-Track Plus
Fl Studio 12, Ableton Live 10 Suite.
Performers Heaven

[Snorkum]

Hi Javi:

I know what you are talking about. I was in the same boat a couple of month ago. Didn't play music for 12 years. Technology had changed drastically. I was a Yamaha fan also. It took me 3 months of research to decide on a keyboard. It came down to S950 or PA900. I had people listen to both and got their opinion. After 3 month the choice was clear. Nemik is right. The PA900 was the clear winner, and I am extremely happy with this choice. The 900 is lots more flexible, with everything, not only creating styles, but also creating new sounds. As far as styles, I have already collected over 3000 styles for the 900. Their is the DOPAMINE SET which will keep you bussy for a long time. It's free.
The keybed is much better than the 950. People who I had listen to both keyboard said the sounds are btter in the 900 than Yamaha. Of course it's always a personal choice. However, so many people cannot be wrong.
There was a time when Yamaha was the clear choice, but over the years I guess Korg past them by with lightning speed. There are features in the 900 which you won't even find in the Tyros line. Alone the aftertouch feature in the Korg, which the 950 doesn't have, is something I use often. By using the aftertouch I can introduce another sound in the song I play.
It's just awesome. So many possibilities, unbelievable. I could go on and on.
Maybe you can find a store where you live and try both keyboards.
My choice was clear and I never looked back or second guessed myself.
However remember, there are fanatics on both sides. Get opinions from your family members and friends. Let them listen to the sound without seeing the keyboards.
Hope this helped and good luck.
_________________
The only stupid questions are the questions that have not been asked.
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GEM SX3, PA900

[BillyHank]

Javi,

I was a Yamaha only owner for the last 12 years and owned the PSR and Tyros models, but when I compared my S950 to the Pa900, I had to switch to the Korg.

The Pa900 is head and shoulders over the Yamaha in every respect.

Bill G

[Rotefluh]

Nemik, thanks for your answer.

Snorkum, thanks a lot, I didn´t know Dopapine set, I will check it. Your comments are helpful for me. I have tried only 2 minutes a PA900, but there was not any S950 in the store.

BillyHank, thank you to tell me your experience with Yamaha and Korg.

After your comments I am decided. I will buy the PA900
I will let you know when I receive the keyboard.
I guess it may need some help


Best regards,
_________________
Comeback to music!

[Nemik]

Don't worry!
You are in good hands, here is best Korg support you can find on Earth.
_________________
Nemik
Korg Kronos2-61, Korg Pa600, Novation UltraNova, Akai Professional MPK49, Akai Professional MPK225 , Alesis QX-49, APC25 Keys, Launchpad MK2, Korg nanoPad2
MOTU Midi Express XT, FCB1010 with UnO, Behringer X2222 USB, TASCAM Model 24 Mixer, Presonus AudioBox96, M-Track Plus
Fl Studio 12, Ableton Live 10 Suite.
Performers Heaven

[Snorkum]

Javi, I second Nemik comments, don't worry.
This forum has helped me everytime I ran into unknown for me.
This is the greatest PA900 support group you can find.
I am extremely happy to be a part of it.
I am certain you made the correct choice.
_________________
The only stupid questions are the questions that have not been asked.
-----------------------------------------------------
GEM SX3, PA900

[jimsweb]

Go for pa900 - I did that and i'm happy now!
My friend went for Yamaha - now he is planning to sell it on ebay and go after Korg!

If you are worried about styles - there are plenty of them available already and moreover, you can create new one in a shot!
_________________
Life's music - www.myoozic.com

[Rotefluh]

Ok! Thanks very much!
I will have the PA900 next month
_________________
Comeback to music!

[Dikikeys]

I'd give the styles a VERY careful listening to on both arrangers (and try some others while you are at it!).

You aren't getting very good advice from here about how easy it is to make your own styles. Truth is, to make styles as good as the ROM ones, IT IS NOT EASY! In fact, I think I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of user styles I have EVER heard that are as good as the factory ones..!

If, at this point and without assuming you can make your own, you still feel that Yamaha has the better selection of styles for what YOU want to perform (including their style shop and extensive user style availability), I'd carefully consider what you are going to do if you buy the PA900 and then find out that creating your own styles isn't as easy as some make out...

Korg's are still great arrangers, quite possibly the best if you are into deep customization and tweaking every little thing ad nauseam. But, in fairness, you don't sound like one of those. If you just want to buy it and play it, the styles that it comes with and the quality of whatever third party support exists is of paramount importance.

The best technical arranger in the world, if it doesn't have the styles you want (or very few of them) isn't really of much use.

Please ignore all the above if you are an incredibly gifted player, with a deep knowledge of style creation and programming..!

[BillyHank]

The truth is:

Hard to know?????

It would really be best if we could all take each keyboard home with us to try for at least a week before committing to purchase.

Making really, really top sounding and playing styles is an "ART!".
It seems all artist become so through much, much suffering.
And so it is with style making.

Bill G

[karmathanever]

[Nemik]

I don't think any retailer allow you try period, unless you pay re-stuck fee.
Before you buy try to read manuals:
PSR-S950: http://www.fullcompass.com/common/files/17793-psrs950_en_om_a0.pdf
and Pa900: http://www.korgpa.com/images/stories/pdf/pa900/Pa900%20User%20Manual%20v100%20%28English%29.pdf
Try to pay attention on Chapters :Recording Styles.
Maybe I miss, but I didn't see recording styles in PSR
Decision still yours, but before also check prices on Expansion packs, which you be needed to your PSR-S950.
http://www.yamahamusicsoft.com/en/instrument/Keyboard/PSR-S950/category/VSE/catalog?currency=USD&nav=4
Unless like Dikikeys said :

[karmathanever]

[Dikikeys]

To a certain degree, when asking advice from a forum dedicated to ONE make of arranger, you have to remember who you are asking this of!

Go ahead... ask the same question 'What should I buy?' at a Roland forum, or a Yamaha forum, or a Ketron forum... You will get the same answer: Whatever THEY are playing!

There really aren't many people on dedicated forums that will bother to ask the uncomfortable questions. To be honest, most of us know our arrangers' strengths AND its weaknesses, but you'll rarely see anyone ask questions about how much the person asking the question needs the features OUR arranger is worst at! But we should...

I believe there is no one 'Get THIS one!' answer to such a simple question. Many, many questions need to be answered before a 'Get THIS one!' is truly good advice. You probably need to answer some of these before the final answer is of any real value, and goes past the 'Play what I play' typical response.

What type of music do you PRIMARILY like to play? Is it Oldies, Jazz (modern or big band?), Smooth Jazz, Funk, Rock, Praise and Worship, Classical, Latin, Arabic and other non-equal temperament styles, Disco, Hiphop and Rap, contemporary alternative, etc., etc.?

I believe that each style you pick is best served by only ONE arranger. Some excel at rock and modern alternative, some nail big band music, some kill at Latin. But, IMHO, no ONE arranger excels at them all. So the answer to this goes a long way to narrowing down your search.

Then there's the issue of, how good are YOUR playing skills? Some arrangers excel at doing almost everything for you, but their styles tend to leave little room for anything other than a single note line solo on top. Some are sparser, and leave a lot more room for what YOU are doing. How compfortable are you at taking your hands off the keys to run buttons and sliders while you play? Some arrangers make foot control and gestural control easier, some make it harder.

But for me, the PRIMARY thing to nail down is, how many GREAT styles are available once you have exhausted the ROM styles the arranger comes with? I'm not talking quantity, I'm talking quality! A million really bad user styles doesn't do you any good! How often does the company itself come out with new ones, how easily and well can you tweak styles from older models to sound as good as the ROM styles? How easy is it to take style Parts from a ROM style, and insert it into a User or legacy style? One of the things that is rapidly advancing is the realism of strummed guitar Parts. How easy is it to take a strummed pattern from one style, and replace out the not so good one from an older arranger?

Or do you even think you'd try to do something like that?

Personally, I feel that, if you ARE a veteran tweaker, or have the patience to learn how to, Korg offer the best tools to minutely edit your sounds and styles. No-one even comes close! BUT... if you are looking for something that you turn on and play, and want as little extra to that as is possible, and want the largest available library of good styles ready to go, it is worth taking a long look at Yamaha, Ketron and Roland. You lose out on the customization, but you gain ease of use.

Simply remember WHO you are asking questions of, and their advice will become more useful, or at least you will gain an insight to its value. Basing your purchasing decision on asking only ONE group what to buy, or only playing ONE arranger in a store (who knows what your opinion might be if there was an S950 and a BK-9 sitting next to that PA900 when you tried it!) doesn't really give you a good answer...