Korg Forums

[Bernie9]

Thank you for the very interesting ways you adapt the Pa4X. As one who uses the Pa4X in a band, as well as solo, I have picked up some very useful hints.

Bernie
_________________
pa4x
Audya 76
Yamaha SX900
Hammond SK1

[BR]

[AntonySharmman]

[BR]

[AntonySharmman]

We talking about the same thing ... but my observations & tips have as reference only KBD SET SOUNDs & FXs.
No matter of styles , all my KBD Sets (not a single factory sound used) are all with smooth transition ,
for factory KBD SETs maybe other users can confirm that.
If a Style is not playing , then it's not related to abrupt sonic artifacts when selecting a different KBD Set ...
Note : I do not have to mention that you can't sustain a playing note when changing a sound ,
this multi-timbral sound transition is not supported in PaSeries only on Kronos.
_________________
Music Conductor - Sound Engineer & Developer - Automotive SMPS/RF R&D - Electronics Engineer
PaSeries Demos - WavesArt.eu - KorgPa.gr <> Facebook

Keyboards : Steinway-D, Kronos X, Pa5X 76, Pa4X 76, Montage M7 , Roland-XV88, Emu3,Emax II,Synclavier II,Yamaha DX Series, ΟΒ-8V

[BR]

[Randelph]

I have the pa1000, which for this discussion is functionally identical.

I've had a handful of arrangers over the years, but this is the first one where I actually do use the arranger part of it! Which says alot about the quality of the Styles and Sounds.

However, like you, at times I'm only interested in using sounds, no Styles or rhythyms playing.

It is worthwhile working with Styles for this purpose, 'cause even if you're not using the arranger to create a bass line for you, if you push the Manual Bass button on the panel, then you can play the Styles 3d sound (1st is drums, 2d percussion, 3d is bass, 4-8 are acc 1-5), which means you have a voice available to play your own bass line.

Which means that you can use the panel Balance knob to set the relative volume of your left hand bass playing in relation to what your right hand is doing with the Upper 3 sounds. And it means you've got bass if you want it. With the PA series, Korg only gives you the 3 upper sounds to play with, you don't even have access to the Lower sound (unless its playing when the Split panel button is pushed).


Another thing I've done is to create a Setlist of Songs that are titled
- Piano-
- EPs -
- Organ - etc.
For each of these 'Songs' I've put together 4 of the best Keyboard Setlists for that instrument By putting these 8 'Songs' in a Setlist, I have immediate push button access to pianos, organs, etc. using the panel Setlist buttons.

What I wrote below is wrong:
Another thing that helps is to disable the Global protection of Factory Sounds. Once that is done, you're no longer hindered by the meager number of banks for User Sounds. You simply rename and re-order the Factory Sounds, giving you 16 tabs to organize with instead of only 4. Korg has an absolute numbering of each of the sounds, so that even if a sound is changed, including the name, it can still be found. But of course there's trade-offs no matter which way you choose to categorize and save your favorite Sounds and Styles.

I made some assumptions about the Factory Sounds that were not true. Turns out, after the Global: Media: Factory protect has been unchecked, you CAN delete Factory Sounds from the Factory list, but you cannot move them. Which means I'm back to square one, I'll have to find a way to create a 'Favorites' bank of User Sounds with only 4 tabs to do it with (Sounds 1-4).

So for the time being I'll try to use Factory Sounds and edit with just Style Menu choices, which does provide a lot of customization.

Randy
_________________
Keyboards: Kawai ES920 / Casio CT-X5000
Instruments: Keys / Alto Recorder and Melodica

[karmathanever]

YEAH!!!

Great post Randy
I think there may be several owners who aren't aware of the power of STYLE PLAY mode for just sounds (layering etc...etc..)

Pete
_________________
PA4X-76, Karma, WaveDrum GE, Fantom 8 EX
------------------------------------------------------------------
## Please stay safe ##
...and play lots of music
------------------------------------------------------------------

[Korghelper]

Push comes to shove, if seamless sound transitions are your main thing, you are up against the wall on a Korg arranger without a ton of thinking things through in advance, which isn't really the point of playing with a live band unless you are doing a rehearsed to the nth degree show...

A more practical solution might be to simply use a lightweight second keyboard workstation so you can have more options without tasking the voice switching problems. Alternatively, current Roland arrangers (and their newer WS's) have seamless sound switching and make great live band keyboards. A used BK5 or BK9 might be just the thing to add to your PA4X, as they are light as a feather!

If you are doing pickup work, fill in work, or situations where time is insufficient to carefully plan your sound transitions between each song section's needed sounds (cabaret and show work e.g.), two keyboards are far better than one!

[patpsc]

For me, I use the keyboard set in style mode but turn off the split and auto start buttons. In style mode, you can take full advantage of using all of the EFX’s and 4 STS buttons for additional sounds for fast switching sounds during a song performance.

[Mitzie]

In top worship bands I've notices the keys' provide mostly a 'synth pad' to the accompaniment and what the other musicians are playing. Using the entire keyboard and using both hands

The split comes into play for solo-ing melody and counter melodies with the right hand using the other voices and sounds from within the keyboard but invariably with the synth' still playing in the left hand. Pads might be used but generally no auto-accompaniment (Style) is used

[Scott]

[Korghelper]

That's kind of the issue. If the sound doesn't NEED an insert effect (or doesn't already have one programmed in) you can get away with it. But if the sound has an insert, things can get ugly. Then you've got the issue of whether there's a change in volume of the Part during the switch (say from a quiet string sound to a louder piano Part, in which case any sustaining string are going to suddenly jump in volume to the new Part's volume!).

The problem with pickup live band work is that you never really know what transitions you are likely to make (bandleader calls a tune, off you go!), you never know what the next tune will be, you never know if you are going to segue to the next tune or stop (and give you time to change without glitches). And arbitrarily restricting yourself to sounds that you know won't glitch restricts your choices.

I've been playing live bands with arrangers since the early 90's. I really like how well balanced the soundsets are compared to many workstations (change from a piano to a synth sound or horn section on a workstation, you often have wild jumps in volume) and that the layout of sound selection is in nice families/groups, unlike many WS's where sounds are shotgunned all over the place. WS's are cool for what they do (I've got Kurzweil's and Korg's, used to have Ensoniq's and Yamaha's amongst others) but live pickup keyboards they are NOT! Unless you've spent a ton of time preparing setups for them, an arranger is by far the better live band keyboard, IMHO.

My solution to the glitch issue has been to try to have all the basic sounds I might need on different Parts ready to go, and switching between Parts rather than Registrations or Performances rarely brings glitches. If you have four or five Keyboard Parts, you have four or five sounds ready to go. A few of those with good sound selection (the typical keyboard sounds for jazz, for rock, for R&B etc.) and you can jump around pretty well. But the glitches, well, if your keyboard does them (as many slightly older WS's did, as well) you just have to grin and bear it!

Pretty much everything boils down to whether the live band you are playing with does setlists in advance, which gives you time to prepare, or is someone just going to throw things against the wall and call stuff on the fly, which puts you in a harder situation. I get a lot more of the latter than the former, these days!

[Biggles]

Korghelper said

The problem with pickup live band work is that you never really know what transitions you are likely to make (bandleader calls a tune, off you go!), you never know what the next tune will be, you never know if you are going to segue to the next tune or stop (and give you time to change without glitches). And arbitrarily restricting yourself to sounds that you know won't glitch restricts your choices.
.
.
That seems very amateurish?

Not knowing what comes next that is.

The heart of any PA is using Songbook and Setlists where all the customising has been done off stage and if you are not using these functions then surely you are using the wrong keyboard on stage as it is in this case.
_________________
Biggles
Lancashire, UK

[karmathanever]

I would hate to perform live not knowing what I was going to play.
Of course things might change during the gig but by organising your SONGBOOK and SETLISTS you can find any song as fast as your guitarist searches his iPad. Also, if the "bandleader" is announcing the next song being a "surprise" to the band then he/she must expect a short delay whilst the band prepares.
SONGBOOK/SETLISTS feature is simply awesome - couldn't live without it now

Pete
_________________
PA4X-76, Karma, WaveDrum GE, Fantom 8 EX
------------------------------------------------------------------
## Please stay safe ##
...and play lots of music
------------------------------------------------------------------