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Is the Korg pa 500 a good choice to play for fun at home?

I think it really is!!
I play it now for more than a month and it's WAY above my expectations.
Really great sound & styles. But that sure is also a matter of taste.

It's not always as user friendly as for instance Yam PSR-S700, but in my opinion much better sounding for pop & rock (balads).

You really have to get used to the Korg interface (I used to play Technics), but within a few days you get familiar with it.
Besides the sound quality, the flexibility of the instrument is a big plus. You can adjust almost everyting to your own taste.
Even factory styles! (Which is not possible with most keyboards).

Good luck with making your decision!

ZG827 wrote:Is the Korg pa 500 a good choice to play for fun at home?

It's the Best Choice!!!

Regards,
Dimitris

Remember that you do not have all the favorite banks which are a must for me playing at home

I think that's more a "nice to have" than a "need to have", certainly for home use.
There is enough user bank space and with a SD-card also more than enough other space to store your settings and favorite styles.
Also, the Songbook is THE appropriate tool for organizing your favorite songs & styles; its storage space is also more than sufficient.

PA500 is EXCELLENT for home use (and I think it would also do really fine for gigging)!

I had a choice between PA500 and PA800 about 6 months ago for home use.

I went for the PA800 - I am now glad that I spent the extra money. Good second hand ones available in UK for around £1000.

If you can afford it get the PA800 and you will not be disappointed.

Keith

Noting that:
- not everybody wants to or can spend the extra money (PA800 is almost twice as expensive);
- not everybody wants to buy second hand;

PA500 is great value for money, certainly in its price class.
You get everything you need for home use and more.

Thanks guys for all the comments. I have heard that the keys on the pa500 are small and narrow compared to other arrangers, Is that true? The other question is does one really need the pa 800 to play at home? How much of a difference will there be?

Comparison:

http://www.korgpa.com/pa_root/en/produc ... mp.html?en

Keith

ZG827 wrote:Thanks guys for all the comments. I have heard that the keys on the pa500 are small and narrow compared to other arrangers, Is that true? The other question is does one really need the pa 800 to play at home? How much of a difference will there be?

No, the keys are perfectly normal and play very well! I have compared the PA500 with Yamaha PSR S700 and Roland E50/E60, also great keyboards for home use (in the same price-range!). Korg PA500 has a better keybed than Yamaha PSR S700 and Roland E50. Roland E60's keybed is perhaps slightly better feeling (and 76-keys). Yamaha PSR S700 has a more userfriendly user interface, certainly in the beginning. (Korg can learn from Yamaha, I guess).

BUT: Korg PA500 is much more professional sounding in my opinion. Really great styles & sounds. And it is a much more flexible instrument. For home use: in one word: PERFECT.
You don't really need a PA800. Of course, PA800 is the better instrument. It is also twice as expensive!, so not an honest comparison. In fact, most of the functions of PA800 are also in the PA500. If you don't need a sampler and a vocal harmonizer, save half of your money and buy a PA500. You will not be disappointed. The sound quality of the PA500 is the same as PA800. I sometimes cannot believe my ears when I'm playing on it.
I played a Technics KN1000 for 15 years; this was a top-class instrument in the early 90's. I still own it, but PA500 blows it completely out of the room. I almost haven't touched it anymore, since "Baby Blue" entered the room!

TURK4EVER wrote:i have PA 500. it's very good for balkan music and turkish.

I have PA500 and ONLY play western music; it's also perfect for that!
PA500 is so flexible; it can be used for all kinds of music.

I bought PA800 when PA500 was not around. Perhaps now I would opt for PA500, because it has most of the features I need. Some people who compared PA500 and PA800 say that PA800 has somewhat better sounds, maybe due to speaker quality or maybe other reasons.

LightGreen wrote:I bought PA800 when PA500 was not around. Perhaps now I would opt for PA500, because it has most of the features I need. Some people who compared PA500 and PA800 say that PA800 has somewhat better sounds, maybe due to speaker quality or maybe other reasons.

Of course PA800 is a better instrument! There's no doubt about that. It is also in a completely different price range (and thus: league). If you want to compare, you should compare PA800 to let's say Roland E80 or Yamaha Tyros. PA500 should be compared to instruments in the SAME price-range, so to for instance Roland E50/60 and Yam PSR S700. And if you do that, PA500 is IMHO the best choice. Of course, this is also a matter of taste, so try the instruments inside out. In a good music store, this will be no problem (if it is a problem, buy somewhere else).

When you want to buy something, you begin with defining your budget. THAN you look what you can buy WITHIN that budget that matches your needs. Otherwise, you will always end up with the most expensive things; (and probably huge arguments with your wife! )

I drive an Opel Astra and I know that a Mercedes 500 SEL is a much better car.
Still, I'm very happy with my Astra! (And the same goes for my PA500!)

I think Pa500 is not a Pa800 without sampling and harmonizer. I have seen both in store, and you may see differences.... For example, there are less buttons for styles and sounds groups in PA500 (only eight, when old Pa 50 had twelve!), and so, less place for user styles.
It is very important, because I think these keyboards can't read styles diretly from disquete or usb drive (Roland or Yamaha can do it, and old PA50 if I remember well).

I have two questions abut Pa500:
Are fills better than PA50? PA 50 have two fills, these PA500/800 have three, but I don't know if the usual critique to PAs about fills not well suited to variations as other kbs is true now.

Where is your opinion comparing PA500 with Roland E-50?

I like contemporary music, instrumental, new age, acoustic, slow music, ballads or similar, not rock, funk, nor traditional dances. I prefer improvise or compose music than play old popular songs

Opinions will be apreciated

Some people who compared PA500 and PA800 say that PA800 has somewhat better sounds, maybe due to speaker quality or maybe other reasons.

Its not the speakers, The pa1x 61 key has better speakers than the pa800 yet not better sounds. The pa800 is much more superior to the pa500 in many things. One thing to note is the 120 oscilators of polyphony in the pa800 comapred to 80 in the pa500.