Style Compatibility for Pa series keyboards

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 11:49 pm

Korg published the following information on style compatibility on their web site:

Style Format
Pa80 format: can be loaded in all Korg Pa series models.
Pa1X format: can be loaded in all models except Pa80, Pa60 and Pa50.
Pa800 format: can be loaded in all models except Pa1X (all versions), Pa80, Pa60 and Pa50.

The Pa2x keyboard saves its styles in Pa800 format.

Owners of Pa1x keyboards need to be careful not to load Pa800 series styles that may be published from time to time by owners of the Pa800 or Pa2x keyboards. The load operation will appear to succeed, but you will get very strange results due to the sound and FX assignments being wrong.

As a partial remedy, Korg processed all the Pa800 styles together with 12 new styles and saved them in Pa1x OS 3.x format, as the "Bonus Collection", which many forum members already know about. These styles are extremely useful, especially when loaded as recommended by Paolo Tramannoni to the Direct HD style locations. They are available here:

http://www.korgpa.com/pa_root/software/ ... ection.zip

P.S. to Paolo: Owners of Pa1x keyboards request Korg to publish a "style converter" utility which will take Pa800 series styles and convert them as far as possible to Pa1x format. I'm aware that some sounds and EFX can not be mapped due to hardware differences, but it is still possible to make an approximate mapping that will not sound like the kitchen cupboard has just fallen off the wall.

Best regards,
Rob

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 2:31 pm

Hi Rob

I guess it is usually a problem to implement backwards compatibility between models.
Sorry in advance if I have misunderstood you here...

Owners of Pa1x keyboards need to be careful not to load Pa800 series styles that may be published from time to time by owners of the Pa800 or Pa2x keyboards. The load operation will appear to succeed, but you will get very strange results due to the sound and FX assignments being wrong.

I have the PA800 styles on my PA1XPro and have no problem with them - yes, occasionally there may be a slight SOUND difference but I am using a lot of them with success. Can't say I've encountered any strange results as yet...
I obtained mine from this thread..
http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=30370

Cheers

Pete

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 3:32 pm

Hi Pete,

The styles you have, obtained via a circuitous route, are the same as the "converted" Pa800 styles "the bonus collection" published by Korg on the korgpa.com web site. In other words Korg have already done the hard work of editing the Pa800 styles to swap around thebank and PC numbers so the sounds will work on the Pa1x.

Try loading a style developed by someone on the Pa800 onto your Pa1x and you will see what I mean about sounding like kitchen cupboards.

Best regards,
Rob

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 3:45 pm

Thanks Rob - but my confusion was that the "Bonus Collection" has just a few of the PA800 styles - the downloads from thread above has most of the PA800 styles in it (17 STYLE banks $\:D/$ ) - a lot more than the BonusCollection...

I would not expect direct loading of PA2XPro/PA800 styles to work (PA1X is not backwards compatible), and thanks for that warning - in the mean time I AM enjoying 17 banks of PA800 styles....

cheers

Pete

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 3:48 pm

Hi Pete,

My understanding is that the Korg Bonus Collection contains all the different/new styles and the styles on the Pa800 that are basically the same as those on the Pa1x are not duplicated.

Let me know if this is incorrect?

Best regards,
Rob

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 4:37 pm

Incorrect - check them out...

Pete

calaf · Post by **calaf** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:46 pm

I would agree with Pete, I seem to be able to load and play the styles without any glaring issues.
One of the banks in the set I have seems to be corrupted, but overall they offer further possibilities.
Perhaps it is that through headphones I am missing something.

Chris

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 9:01 pm

I'm reporting Korg's statement (see www.korgpa.com) that Pa800 styles are not compatible for loading on the Pa1x. Also, I loaded several Pa800 styles that sounded terrible on the Pa1x. It is possible to edit them to fix the patch problems, so maybe someone has done that already on the styles you loaded? There are also many Pa800 styles that just use GM patches which are identical between the Pa1x and the Pa800.

Chers,
Rob

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 8:03 am

Update:
Quote from Korg OS 3.01 Update manual:

"Compatibility (of Pa1x OS3.01) with Pa800 data:

Pa800 data can be read by any Pa1X fitted with Operating System v. 3.0. However, keep in mind the following:

• Pa800 has a more extensive range of effects, that might not exist on the Pa1X. When loading Styles created on a Pa800, the FX Send might be set to zero (dry) to avoid unwanted results. This parameter can then be reprogrammed, and the Style saved again.
• Some new Sounds may be missing.
• Due to the different content and organization, the Song- Book will point to different Styles.
• The Global is not compatible. Please do not load the .SET folders, or delete the GLOBAL folder inside the .SET folder, before loading.

At the same time, you can load Pa1X data to a Pa800 exactly as if they were Pa800 data. Minor differences might exist between effect parameters. Loading the Global is not advisable, due to the several differences."

Conclusions are:
1. Pa800 style data was not compatible on a Pa1x prior to OS3.0I, but is as compatible as it can be now.
2. Korg's Bonusware page is currently out of date on the information posted about compatibility, presumably applying to Pa1x prior to OS3.x.
3. I must have loaded Pa800 styles before I did the OS3 upgrade on my keyboard. They certainly didn't work right!

Best regards,
Rob

dimitris · Post by **dimitris** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:55 pm

Sorry folks but, PA1X OS Version 3.00 was compatible with PA800 OS Version 1.00 only!!!

Now it's NOT!!

Regards,
Dimitris

NavidSyed · Post by **NavidSyed** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 2:27 am

Hey Pete,

how are you using those styles? I downloaded them the extension of those files are .STY, when I try to load them in my PA it says not a Valid PA file? I have the latest OS on my PA, help me out I would love to try those PA styles, thanks mate.

Regards.

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 10:42 am

Hey - how are you? great to hear from you and on CHRISTMAS day too!!!

I can't understand why you are experiencing problems - I simply unzipped the files and placed them on my PA1XPro hard drive. Then I simply loaded the ".STY" file one at a time to check them out - I have since copied the ones I want into the DIRECTHD style banks.

If this doesn't work for you, I think you should try a download again - I assume the zip files were not corrupted.

Let me know how you go - happy to send you my copies if you are still having problems.

Cheers

Pete

NavidSyed · Post by **NavidSyed** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 1:40 pm

Hi there Pete Happy Holidays to you and your family,

I tried downloading the files separately and as winrar on two different machine, unrar them in my pc, copied to PA hard drive but getting the same message not a valid PA file when I tried to load them? not sure what am I doing wrong? would you be able to email me those @ navidsyed@hotmail.com or navidsyed@cox.net thanks.

Regards,

Navid

pepin · Post by **pepin** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 2:42 am

The styles of yamaha keyboards are compatible and can be played in keyboards of inferior models except for some tracks of style due to a the new voices of keyboards of the superior model.... because Korg does not allow to play styles of superior models in the Pa80, Pa60 and Pa50?

Greetings
Pepe

Jano · Post by **Jano** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 3:43 pm

When I bought my pa xpro, three months later pa xpro elite appeared on the markt, I wanted to bring it back, but they refused to take it

. I lost for about 500 euro. Now Pa 800 and pa X2 appeares on the market which are not compatible with pa xpro. I think xpro users are excessively disadvantaged

.

Jano!