PA4X vs PA3X

mikey224 · Post by **mikey224** » Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:23 pm

Hi everyone,
I am considering going for the 4X from the 3X. Is the 4X really that much better and why? Can anyone give me some good reasons to upgrade and why?
Thanks .. appreciate it.
Mike

kottan · Post by **kottan** » Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:51 pm

the biggest improvement is added KAOSS functionality (my humble opinion). I'm quite certain Korg'll make further developments on this feature, however it enables you already to have entirely different control for your machine.

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 1:03 am

Hey Mike

There are quite a few "PA4X vs PA3X" reviews/comments/opinions in this forum but I know it's not necessarily easy to find them...so
..for what it's worth here is a small list from me:-

PA4X has a newly designed OS
KAOSS is brilliant (version 2 only)
To me the sounds are even better than PA3X
Screen is so much better (different technology)
Styles are still the best - new styles are fantastic and those older ones sound so much better - some are re-vamped and others just sound improved with the improved sounds.
PA4X is structured around SONGBOOK - so, in order to "enjoy" this keyboard you need to fully understand and use SONGBOOK.
IMHO it is a great step from PA3X.
I loved my PA3X - was the best of all Korgs at the time - I took a huge risk and bought the PA4X BEFORE trying it - not usually my approach.
The new KEYBOARD-SETs and SET-LIST features are outstanding and perfect for performing and/or recording.
The chord-sequencer is very useful and these sequences can be saved with a style or songbook entry.
Drums are greatly improved
Guitars also improved and lots of new ones
DNC2 is quite amazing
DIRECT ACCESS you will love - it's a detailed implementation of the DIRECTHD/DIRECTFD introduced on the PA1X - example:- I saved my main live SET on my PA3X, placed the SET on my PA4X hard drive (USB/SD is also fine) and gained immediate playable access to all my PA3X USER/ & FAVORITES styles - it also makes the PA3X PERFORMANCES available as KEYBOARD-SETs - so my band was able to almost immediately carry with the PA4X replacement.

Well as you probably have guessed, I am impressed with the new model.

If you can afford it, you won't regret getting it.
(Be prepared for a learning curve coming from the PA3X)

Hope this helps a little...

Pete

Fransman · Post by **Fransman** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 5:12 pm

I agree with all that Pete has stated on this.

I waited a long time to make the switch from PA3X to PA4X.
In fact, I was very happy with my PA3X and still think it's a great keyboard!
When I went to test the PA4X, I didn't expect the difference to be so big, but it really is to me.
Most importantly: the overall sound: all sounds and styles are much more, well, convincing.

I have a PA4X for about 2 months now and I'm VERY happy with it.
It's an awesome keyboard.

mikey224 · Post by **mikey224** » Fri Dec 15, 2017 10:21 pm

thanks so much Frans, Kottan, and Pete! I am very tempted!
Mike

mikey224 · Post by **mikey224** » Fri Dec 15, 2017 10:48 pm

Hi guys,

Thanks for your input on this. I have some questions about the 4X.

1. What is KAOSS?

2. I read somewhere where the 4X can turn a standard midi file into an "upgraded, much improved sound" that would replace the midi file sound with the great sound of the 4X instrumentation. Is this true?

3. I have created and edited about 200 additional songs that are now in my Songbook on the 3X. They are from various places: downloads purchased on the internet, styles I've created myself, as well as tweaked styles that were already onboard the 3X. Can these songs be transferred to the 4X?

4. Pete, you mentioned something about being able to transfer directly styles/songs between 3X and 4X with a flash drive. Am I understanding you correctly on this? That would be great.

5. The vocal harmonizer: has that been improved also? I do a lot of vocals and I just love the TC Helicon.

There is so much work that I have done and saved on the 3X that I would hate to have to start over .... if I lost all that work. These are songs that I perform regularly, and I wouldn't want to have to go in and do it all again.

Thanks so much for your help. I appreciate it.

Mike

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Sat Dec 16, 2017 12:42 am

Hey Mike

1. What is KAOSS?

It is a mind-blowing tool of effects, arpeggiators and much more - I am still experimenting with it. You need to sit and play with it for a couple of hours and just experiment.

2. I read somewhere where the 4X can turn a standard midi file into an "upgraded, much improved sound" that would replace the midi file sound with the great sound of the 4X instrumentation. Is this true?

Playing any MIDI on the PA4X will of course "use" the sounds that the MIDI references - PA4X has improved sounds so, yes, you are very likely going to hear a difference - you can of course take advantage of all its new sounds and modify the MIDI file to suit.

3. I have created and edited about 200 additional songs that are now in my Songbook on the 3X. They are from various places: downloads purchased on the internet, styles I've created myself, as well as tweaked styles that were already onboard the 3X. Can these songs be transferred to the 4X?

All the styles should load very simply and should play - sometimes you may wish to tweak the sounds - for example I have a style that I use for "Still got the blues for you (Gary Moore)" and I changed the guitar sound in the style to one of the newer PA4X ones as they seemed much better (the style was using a legacy sound from the PA4X)
Be prepared to spend some time on songbook though. Remember that any songbook entry is merely a set of pointers pointing to styles etc..etc.. So once you have positioned all your "songs" styles you will need to modify/create your songbook entries.

4. Pete, you mentioned something about being able to transfer directly styles/songs between 3X and 4X with a flash drive. Am I understanding you correctly on this? That would be great.

DIRECT ACCESS is the new PA4X feature for this - it saved me a huge amount of time. It means you can take a SET created on your PA3X, save it to a USB, insert the USB on the PA4X, identify that "PA3X" set as a DIRECT ACCESS set on the PA4X - you can immediately play all your PA3X USER & FAVOURITE styles. I am still using my PA3X set now (one day I'll get it all migrated cleanly in the PA4X!!!)

5. The vocal harmonizer: has that been improved also? I do a lot of vocals and I just love the TC Helicon.

The TCH VH is as great as ever - I use it all the time too

There is so much work that I have done and saved on the 3X that I would hate to have to start over .... if I lost all that work. These are songs that I perform regularly, and I wouldn't want to have to go in and do it all again.

You will not lose your work but you may have to do some tweaking and some serious work on SONGBOOK - don't forget there's the PC SONGBOOK editor.
If you have the luxury of having both keyboards for a while then you have even less to worry about.
Also please remember that the PA4X has a new OS and although you will be familiar with a lot of it, there is a learning curve and also the realisation that SONGBOOK is now the heart of the keyboard.

Enjoy

Cheers
Pete

duby2 · Post by **duby2** » Sat Dec 16, 2017 2:36 am

For what I do ,Screen and song book ,and the speed .
and the learning curve coming from the PA3X is easy..
just do it.

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Sat Dec 16, 2017 12:34 pm

So far i have only seen happy faces after upgrading to pa4x...

mikey224 · Post by **mikey224** » Sat Dec 16, 2017 8:19 pm

thank you, Pete, Duby2, and Bachus!! This info is excellent. I can see myself weakening. I probably will have more questions later. Thanks so much!
Mike

ebuzer52 · Post by **ebuzer52** » Sat Dec 16, 2017 10:09 pm

Hi guys, if i wrong please correct me.

I used pa900 and pa3x, everything was ok except sounds, never i could not find soft sounds in those series, than transferred to 4x, it was amazing by sounds and kits. For example i saved a midi song with 3x using fabrique sounds, than i opened and played same midi in 4x, really there were big differences. Tones were softly, kits were as real studio kits.

So i started to taste of musics that i played.

Kaos is also bonus, it is really fantastic for dj palyers. I really enjoyed. It is as echo in echo, studio in studio etc. It is possible to turn music from theme to theme by kaos.
Additional info, pa4x is really quick. It uses pkg or upd O.S. i shared in this blog about differences with upd and pkg.
Sound engine is really does good job.
So if somebody has money for buying 3x please, be patient and just a little add money and let him buy 4x.

One Tatar proverb says; if you wanna love music, first you must listen it.

So, good play, good sound and good listen... Enjoy...

mikey224 · Post by **mikey224** » Sun Dec 17, 2017 6:39 am

Thanks, Ebuzer. I appreciate your input.
Mike

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Sun Dec 17, 2017 8:53 am

Go on..... BUY IT!!!
IT'S CHRISTMAS !!!

mikey224 · Post by **mikey224** » Sun Dec 17, 2017 8:47 pm

Yes ... I am about to spring for it, but I have a couple more questions:

if I buy the 61 key, it says that I have to install the hard drive myself. Is that difficult to do and does having the hard drive not already installed detract from the quality of the instrument? Also, what exactly is the hard drive, just a storage device? I am not clear on what it is. (Forgive my dumb question.)

Also, does the PAas speaker that fits on the PA3X also fit on the PA4X?

Thanks everyone!

Mike

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Sun Dec 17, 2017 11:15 pm

YES - HDD is just another storage device...
The PA4X-61 has a convenient internal 1GB (SDD) plus you can insert a microSD plus you can insert 2 USB devices (flash drives etc...) - unless you want to keep all your photos and e-mails on it (

) you may not need an HDD at all.

Just a thought.....

My understanding is that the Paas speaker is the same.

Pete