Korg Pa4x vs. Yamaha Genos

[Tom04]

For example: When being in step record mode, I can't find any feature to turn on the keyboard to hear the chords that's played.
Recording chords is easy but being in this mode you can't play recorded sequence. On the Yamaha's it's easy to play the recorded chords and they're even visable in a vertical row.. whereas the Pa4X only shows one chord for the actual event that's displayed. Scrolling through the events is easy but before you're able to hear anything you first have leave this mode by saving it and get back to sequencer mode. But when playing the sequence the chords aren't presented on the display then.

The quick record mode seems more suitable to layout some chords while playing the keys, but this mode seems to lack the feature to add or change some chords afterwards. So when composing and want to add a new songpart you need to re-record all the parts over again.. in one take!!
I just wish there was a punch-in for the quick record but this mode doesn't seem to offer a ability to start halfway or after the recorded chords.
Composing music has become so easy with nowadays sequencers.. I know the Yamaha PSR's aren't that comfortable when composing but what they've put together in the Pa4X?? I just can't believe it..

It's a question of your workflow.
I wouldn't start with the Step recorder.

Use Quick Record and then edit evrything in Step Mode. Thats easy and offers a lot of opportunities.
Just try this:
Record your song in "Quick record". If you have stored "chord sequences" in styles, you can use this as usual. You can even change styles during recording.
Stop recording with the STOP Button in Player1
Press RECORD again and then choose STEP Recording
Now you can edit measurewise evrything, chords, variations, even the styles can be changed on each measure. You can cut and insert measures . Yes, the only way to hear your expierences is to stop Step record and work in the normal sequencer mode. It's not so comfortable as a normal punch-in during quick record but inserting, cutting or editing measures in step mode is ok.

At least save in sequencer mode

[Korghelper]

Two things that I still think give quite an edge to the Genos is the vast increase in insert effects compared to Korg, and the fabulous four part chord sequencer, a huge improvement over the single one in the PA series.

The ability to use 28 insert effects, and to be able to apply multiple effects to one Part is a huge improvement over the PA4X’s almost 90’s level FX section. Plus, Yamaha’s FX quality is exceedingly high, some of Korg’s algorithms are a little long in the tooth... Imagine having an insert FX on every single style Part and several per keyboard voice! That’s some serious sculpting power.

Here’s hoping Korg are taking a very long hard look at how they have been one-upped in this department. The measly few FX’s in the PA series force some serious compromises when choosing sounds. It’s next to impossible to use the same sounds for styles as their keyboard versions due to the lack of insert effects. Not so with the Genos.

And Yamaha’s four part chord sequencer is a game changer for how usable the CS is on songs that don’t simply repeat one set of changes ad nauseam. Finally, storable CS’s that address different sections of one song, or multiple songs (for medleys) freely selectable. It is the logical progression of a great feature, if you use it at all!

Obviously, this being a Korg forum you are going to hear the majority side with Korg, and indeed there are considerable reasons to. But don’t think there aren’t equally good reasons to choose the Genos (or even the SX900, which also has a vastly better FX section and the 4-part CS), some of which may be not so obvious, but useful in practice...