Microarranger vs microstation?

samta · Post by **samta** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:40 am

Hello everyone, i am now considering the 2 machines, so do you guys can give me some advice? i have read many reviews about them already, and i still confuse. I prefer a compact and light, and i love the accompanment too, just wonder any pros that the microstation have? such as better voice, function etc..
thanks a lot for you guys!!

cassp · Post by **cassp** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:18 am

I think the decision balances on whether you want arranger features or not. The arranger still provides a sequencer and a BSQ sequencer, so you still have a powerful workstation in the arranger. If you can make use of the many styles, then the arranger would be the better choice IMO.

samta · Post by **samta** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:14 pm

is it more easy to use the sequencer in Microarranger due to the bigger screen? i just see that the microstation have 16 track buttons at the top right side, so think that it is easy to select the track, also the MS have the loop function under the seq mode, means that you plau a few notes and then it will playback those notes until you stop it, is it same as the Microarranger? and one more thing that is it the screen same as PA50SD?\
Thanks a lot buddy!!

kittlsk · Post by **kittlsk** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:03 am

Hi Samta,

I'm also facing the same problem deciding which one to buy. I've checked out some youtube demo for MA but there are not many (maybe still new) and they don't quite impress me at all. I wonder how the accompaniment really sounds like but I heard some really outdated sound from the videos (hopefully I'm wrong).

Also, I wonder the EDS-i in MS makes a lot of difference in terms of sound quality as I think MA doesn't have this engine?

Let me know which one you opt for at the end.

Good luck,
Kitt

samta · Post by **samta** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:33 am

Oh so glad to hear someone who same with me in this situation..

Actually i am not sure the tone engine of MA, but i know MS is same as M3/M50, should be no doubt about the quality. Why i want MA? the major reason is accompanment, so i am now being put in this difficult moment..
i hope the MA or MS users can give us advices (I knew someone have owned MA already)

kittlsk · Post by **kittlsk** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:04 am

i read from other forum that someone dumped MS for JUNO-Gi. am checking out the youtube video and it does impress me a lot (especially with the mic and guitar input that i don't really need an extra interface).

samta · Post by **samta** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:18 am

dumped MS for JunoG?? is it just copy the voices to JunoG?
Can you share with me the link?
But juno G is quite heavy and i think the market position is different too.
I still prefer to Korg rather than other brands (until Yamaha may launch a light and compact keyboard)

kittlsk · Post by **kittlsk** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 1:25 pm

oh i meant he let go his MS for Juno-Gi

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/sho ... roARRANGER

samta · Post by **samta** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 1:37 pm

oh i see...sorry for misunderstanding...

Seems that MA is not that good(without any pros when compare to pa50 except more compact), so that should be go for MS now? haha

Mahalo · Post by **Mahalo** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:36 pm

Ten days ago I bought the microSTATION. In fact I intended to buy the microARRANGER, tried the PA50 and could not work it, tried the Roland BK7m, works better but still not a great improvement over my Roland EXR5 arranger. The shop assistant advised me that the PA50 (and so the microARRANGER) was maybe 15 years old technology.

In contrast the microSTATION was such a blast of pure fun and originality.

However it is not set up for live gigs. Real time controls are often unprogrammed and the manuals unclear, for example realtime control 1 is set to CC#45, what is that? On another setting realtime 1 is set to knob 1. which you need another manual to find out about, and that quotes something called AMS which appears to be the core of what I want, but which of the 5 manuals on the CD explains what the hell AMS is and does?

ARRANGERS have at least 2, ideally 4, parallel drumbeats, soft to hard, simp to complex. With at least 2 fill ins, up and down, automatically inserted for example on the BK7m. Intros and outros are generally a disaster never YET programmed simply enough for an intelligent live gig, idiots in some laboratory think they can write something better than the others, I just need a song to start and finish cleanly - the Roland EXR5 is appalling, the endings are all unsuitable, and any other stop cuts reverb and arrangements as if a plug is pulled, does nobody play live gigs????

The microSTATION is a studio, not a live gig machine, but given the problems with arrangers, I bought it instead and plan to workaround the problems as it has a more modern and interesting sound.

Although I have very good musical knowledge and worked professionally in computing, even so it takes many many hours to prepare because of the poor structure of the mS interface. I need to use COMBIS, and I need the realtime controls and joystick to just do something, anything would be better than having them useless, Korg??!!! But it seems you need a phD in software programming and years of studio sound engineering, I have neither.

Great preset sounds on the microSTATION, but changing one thing can be extremely complicated, the approach is inconsistent - for example editing an ARP immediately overwrites (deletes) the factory setting for ALL songs using that ARP. Combis save in one way, Programs another, the design team all egos, thank goodness for the creativity, but no shepherd to bring consistency to the design?

Compared to the microARRANGER, it is a hugely individual choice. I am moving into live improvised Chillout music, solo or with saxophone, I would love to have at least 2 drum styles, up and down fill ins, and chord recognition. mostly ARRANGERS are for hotel oompah music, on the other hand the mSTUDIO has great piano and keyboards, superb, but not one waltz, only modern dance beats and a couple of standards almost reluctantly included. For Billy Joel's Pianoman, I have to program the waltz drumbeat from scratch??!!

guitarplayer · Post by **guitarplayer** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 7:16 pm

A similar question. Is there any point in buying the Korg microarranger if you already own the Korg microstation?

Synthesizerplayer · Post by **Synthesizerplayer** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:25 pm

The microarranger is in my opinion geared towards an arranger player. You have music backing in an instant. You can play along with accompaniments and have a good time. If you want to have more freedom and you can invest in more time then the microstation is the one for you. If you want best of both worlds then you can get both of them. As the price that you pay for both is less than the price of a Bk-7m ie around 900$. Not to forget that both are extremely portable keyboards and you can take them everywhere. I have been thinking of getting the microstation but since the PA600 is out I may just get the PA600 instead. But then the PA600 is 1000$. So it depends on your needs and budget

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Microarranger vs microstation?

Microarranger vs microstation?

My decision - MicroSTATION over microARRANGER, but...