Korg’s Professional Arranger - A Series Comparison

[Paolo@Korg]

Hi,

Lurking here, and not yet sure about which Professional Arranger is right for you? Korg Product Specialist Luciano Minetti explains the fundamentals of what an arranger is and highlights the key differences between the keyboards currently offered in our Pa Series lineup: Pa300, Pa600, Pa700, Pa1000, and Pa4x.

Comparison Video

Here is a comparison chart:

Comparison Chart

Enjoy!
The Korg Italy Team

[Biggles]

Interesting video Paulo.

Anyone interested in any Korg Arranger would be advised to check on when the model was released.

The 300 and 600 are now very old.

The 700 and 1000 both date back to 2017 and are only on v1.5 of their operating system hence a major update is long overdue.

The 4X is older than both the 700 and 1000 and it has been two years since it received its major OS update.

I am no fan of Yamaha but since 2018 they have released the Genos, SX 600, 700 and 900 models.

What do we get from Korg.....a host of new synths?

[siebenhirter]

.. which Professional Arranger is right for you? ...

Pa1000 never was a PA ( "professional?"), because its functions of the StylePlayer of the Pa1000 are not usable with the Songbook as in Style Play mode - but theses functions was ok as we had with previous models Pa500/800 ..etc.

This deficiency was reported to Korg Germany immediately after the first delivery of the last model series, but has only been remedied for the Pa4x to this day.

According to Korg Germany, there are no plans for the existing Korg arrangers to fix these deficiencies with an update. This applies above all to the midrange models, because "Lock Keyboard Sets" and with v1.2 "Fill Mode" were added for the Pa4x at least with Update v3.0.

Why does Korg refuse not to correct the faulty and inadequate function to get a professional midrange arranger as we had previously?

--> http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... p?t=124449
--> http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... p?t=123875
--> http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpbb2/ ... 76&start=2

[Nemydom]

Anyone interested in any Korg Arranger would be advised to check on when the model was released.

The 300 and 600 are now very old.

The 700 and 1000 both date back to 2017 and are only on v1.5 of their operating system hence a major update is long overdue.

The 4X is older than both the 700 and 1000 and it has been two years since it received its major OS update.

I am pretty sure this video is Korg's attempt to flog as many old keyboards as possible before releasing the new model. There is an accent on the fact that the more expensive keyboards sound better (and it is a fact, for sure). They are actually promoting pa4x before they release pa5x (or whatever they call it), so the retailers could sell as many as possible pa4x's to be prepared for the new model... speculating here, of cause, but the photos of the new PA5x model from their factory makes me honestly believe that it's coming very soon. One of the most stupid actions nowadays would be buying a brand new pa4x - just wait a little bit and you will get the new model for the same money

[taichi]

Watch the GENOS online seminar, this Saturday 13th March. Its free, just register for a place. Then comment here later and see if we can "wake Korg up".

The Yamaha Genos seminar should be a good watch hopefully.

Thanks

[dimitris]

Hi Paolo,

I would like to express a complaint. The Korg PA-4X/ PA-3X HD Install. Kit is very expensive and rare! At the beginning of it's release the price were about 70-75 Euros and then went up to 175 Euros!! What happened? So expensive??? In this price you must give minimum an 1TB HD also!!


Regards,
Dimitris

[karmathanever]

Paolo must be loving all this

All this stuff is in the stickies above which I am sure the team has scanned....

Videos great for anyone considering arrangers.

Watch the GENOS online seminar, this Saturday 13th March. Its free, just register for a place. Then comment here later and see if we can "wake Korg up".

Yep - at least they'll know what not to do....

[bensel46]

+ 100 Pete.

[Biggles]

Anyone interested in any Korg Arranger would be advised to check on when the model was released.

The 300 and 600 are now very old.

The 700 and 1000 both date back to 2017 and are only on v1.5 of their operating system hence a major update is long overdue.

The 4X is older than both the 700 and 1000 and it has been two years since it received its major OS update.

I am pretty sure this video is Korg's attempt to flog as many old keyboards as possible before releasing the new model. There is an accent on the fact that the more expensive keyboards sound better (and it is a fact, for sure). They are actually promoting pa4x before they release pa5x (or whatever they call it), so the retailers could sell as many as possible pa4x's to be prepared for the new model... speculating here, of cause, but the photos of the new PA5x model from their factory makes me honestly believe that it's coming very soon. One of the most stupid actions nowadays would be buying a brand new pa4x - just wait a little bit and you will get the new model for the same money

Whilst Iam hoping a new 5X is soon to be released selling 4X at a premium sucks.

I would be pretty pi55ed off if I bought a keyboard and a new version came out a few months later

My advice to anyone considering a PA is Do Not buy one.

Certainly avoid a 300 and 600 and only buy a 700 or 1000 after a major OS update is released.

[siebenhirter]

.. the most stupid actions nowadays would be buying a brand new pa4x - just wait a little bit and you will get the new model for the same money ....

This may be true for the Pa4x, but for the Pa1000/700 it is certainly not true. For a subsequent model, it should be checked beforehand whether and which functions have been left out again, because such deficiencies have not yet been remedied with an update for these models. If the same thing happens with a successor model, you have the same problem as is known from the Pa1000/700!

... certainly avoid a 300 and 600 and only buy a 700 or 1000 after a major OS update is released....

.. .. and if the above deficiencies really are corrected with an update!!

[Biggles]

... certainly avoid a 300 and 600 and only buy a 700 or 1000 after a major OS update is released....

.. .. and if the above deficiencies really are corrected with an update!!

Whole heartedly agree

[siebenhirter]

.. this video is Korg's attempt to flog as many old keyboards as possible before releasing the new model. There is an accent on the fact that the more expensive keyboards sound better (and it is a fact, for sure)...

I do not consider the recurring speculations about operational processes in connection with new models in this user forum to be expedient.

You can take the Korg video as it is - a comparison and nothing else. Regardless of whether and how new keyboards will sound at some point, it presently is interesting that the deficiencies that have been compensated in an update in the Pa4x have not also been done in the midrange models for more than four years, although they are still advertised in that comparison.

These models are not speculation and the shortcomings have been known for years (both no accents but real facts), but Korg does not provide an update, but a comparison video - what does Korg really think of this video?

Maybe we get an answer and the long overdue update so as not to have to worry about the comparison video or to cause pointless speculations.

[taichi]

I posted something a bit negative a few days ago and I was wrong to do so. On reflection I am more than happy with my 4X and 1000, the best money that I have ever spent. Never had one problem.

Today I downloaded (free) “It’s a Heartache” Bonnie Tyler. Converted to a style using Converter Bot on 4X and 1000. The results were fabulous, unbelievable on both machines. Just a few observations since that post.

1 I feel sorry for posters that are not happy and getting no help from Korg regarding updates to solve their problems.

2 I am happy, Harry (what would we do without him ?) is happy.

3 But Biggles hit the nail on the head. What do you need from a new keyboard ? Some need more than others. I am basic, others need much more. We are all different but that should not stop us supporting those that are not happy and would like updates.

Where does that leave a new buyer ? How does he choose a keyboard for his needs ? Sorry for being very negative earlier.

Take care

[Musicwithharry]

I posted something a bit negative a few days ago and I was wrong to do so. On reflection I am more than happy with my 4X and 1000, the best money that I have ever spent. Never had one problem.

Today I downloaded (free) “It’s a Heartache” Bonnie Tyler. Converted to a style using Converter Bot on 4X and 1000. The results were fabulous, unbelievable on both machines. Just a few observations since that post.

1 I feel sorry for posters that are not happy and getting no help from Korg regarding updates to solve their problems.

2 I am happy, Harry (what would we do without him ?) is happy.

3 But Biggles hit the nail on the head. What do you need from a new keyboard ? Some need more than others. I am basic, others need much more. We are all different but that should not stop us supporting those that are not happy and would like updates.

Where does that leave a new buyer ? How does he choose a keyboard for his needs ? Sorry for being very negative earlier.

Take care

I am happy with the PA700 and all of my other Korg gear. It serves me well and with programming, I can get even more out of it.

Korg would do well to look at the other companies to improve their own gear. I am sure that they do keep close tabs on the competition, but there are features on the PSRSX700/900 that would certainly put the PA700/1000 over the top, especially with the EFX routings.

There are a couple of things that I wish would change about the PA700, but by and large, it is a powerful instrument that you can get a lot out of. This will require programming on some of the things. Fortunately, I am okay with that

Korg should offer more updates so keep up a bit and maybe listen to their customer base a bit more. After all, they are designing gear for us to buy and use. I am sure that they do, but maybe they should do more.

Grace,
Harry

[Korghelper]

I think there’s a couple of areas that Korg could do with improving...

Firstly, there’s a few legitimate complaints about lost software functionality which, seeing as the legacy code for the function exists, shouldn’t be a major re-write for the OS. If a new hardware model and total re-write aren’t being fully in the works, what better use of the software team’s time is there?

Then there’s the hardware itself. Korg’s arranger hardware trails its WS hardware in a few significant areas, primarily the extremely poor insert effects architecture (compared to its rivals). It’s going to be an uphill battle for Korg if the next series of arrangers is saddled with the same effects architecture limitations that have plagued it for over a decade. Other arrangers no longer have any difference between the keyboard version of a sound and its style version, as there are sufficient inserts to take the sound that the keyboard section calls up to the style engine along with its associated insert FX.

Although it’s not the total solution, at least the Nautilus’s 12 stereo insert effects gives us enough to use one on every style and keyboard part so there’s no longer any head scratching over how to best utilize the insufficient effects between keyboard and style Parts.

So, I think best case scenario for now is continued attention to just the OS, further refinement of NEXT and the return of some functions inexplicably dropped, and no new hardware until the Nautilus chips can be used...