What's the difference between PA500 & PA800?

key28 · Post by **key28** » Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:32 pm

Hello,

I understand that the PA800 is a more sophisticated arranger and has much more features to offer a professional player but it's also double the price of the PA500 ORT.

I am debating whether I should buy a PA800 and buy the oriental library/kit for it or buy the PA500 ORT which already comes with the oriental library included? What are the differences between both keyboards?

It seems that most people on this forum have a PA800. I also noticed that PA500 owners are not happy with their purchases.

I truly apprecaite everyone's help.

neverkorgagain · Post by **neverkorgagain** » Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:59 pm

pa800 can read and load samples so u have 64mb ram to load whatever u want... and pa500 doesnt have that option... only wht factory give u.

key28 · Post by **key28** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:17 am

neverkorgagain wrote:pa800 can read and load samples so u have 64mb ram to load whatever u want... and pa500 doesnt have that option... only wht factory give u.

I believe that the PA500 ORT can also read and load samples but it only has 16 MB and you can use an SD card to expand the memory capacity.

Thanks.

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 11:01 am

key28 wrote:I believe that the PA500 ORT can also read and load samples but it only has 16 MB and you can use an SD card to expand the memory capacity.

Nope. The SD Card is for loading Sounds and Styles that use the factory samples built into the ROM of the Pa500 ORT. There is no sample RAM, there is no sample recording or editing capability. Download the user manual and read the section called "Sampling". It's very short, in fact it doesn't exist!

Regards,
Rob

Joe_PA800 · Post by **Joe_PA800** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 2:43 pm

Hi,
I had to do this comparison at some level before buying the keyboard.
Here are some of the differences:
Main differences (exist on PA800 not on PA500):
-Sampling
-More Polyphony (120 for PA800 vs 80 for PA500)
-Bass inversion
-After touch
-Favorite style banks
-More memory locations (User styles/user sounds/performances)
-DNC sounds
-More Amplification (2x22 for PA800 / 2x15 for PA500)
-Micro input and Voice processors
-More sliders/assignable switches/External switches
-Import of styles from 1 SMF with markers (I'm not sure although I compared the section in both PA800 and PA500 User manuals)

Other differences:
-Colour touch screen for PA800 vs monochrome touch screen for PA500
-USB for PA800 vs SD card for PA500

Thoraldus · Post by **Thoraldus** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 2:09 pm

Joe_PA800 wrote:Hi,
I had to do this comparison at some level before buying the keyboard.
Here are some of the differences:
Main differences (exist on PA800 not on PA500):
-Sampling
-More Polyphony (120 for PA800 vs 80 for PA500)
-Bass inversion
-After touch
-Favorite style banks
-More memory locations (User styles/user sounds/performances)
-DNC sounds
-More Amplification (2x22 for PA800 / 2x15 for PA500)
-Micro input and Voice processors
-More sliders/assignable switches/External switches
-Import of styles from 1 SMF with markers (I'm not sure although I compared the section in both PA800 and PA500 User manuals)

Other differences:
-Colour touch screen for PA800 vs monochrome touch screen for PA500
-USB for PA800 vs SD card for PA500

Bass Inversion is available on the PA500 both as an ON-OFF switch and via velocity switching. (See pages 86, 205, 239, 270 & 274 of the English Manual) You can import style parts via SMF but markers are only used with the Songbook for indexing.