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This is a question that I was asking to myself and to many because Korg is way ahead Ketron in light years but how come that Ketron keyboards which are more expensive than the Korg and very limited in features are still in good business shape and selling well.

Today I went to the Ketron distributor in Beirut to check the Audya for another time and to see again why people are still too much talking about this keyboard on the music forums. After another 30 minutes of examining the Audya, I didnt find anything more from what I saw in my last visit, and I still say that this keyboard is not worth half the 5000 USD price because compared to my PA800 it doesn't stand at all.

I asked to the Ketron team there the question of "how people come here and buy Ketron where Korg exists and is cheaper" I asked this question to them because they are my friends and they don't hide their admiration to Korg products. Their answer was that Ketron has a much punchy drum styles and they sound much more natural and that Ketron keyboards are much simple to use. I didn't beleive that the drums are punchier and the styles sounds more natural until the distributor there came and took me to his keyboard studio and there I saw a PA2x pro next to the Audya connected to Yamaha monitors. He truned on the Audya and the Pa2X and they were both connected flat without any EQ setting or boosting and he made the comparison. The truth to be said, yes the Audya sounded more live and much more punchy for the occidental styles while the PA2X sounded more like a machine/band playing right styles with nice sound quality and the styles were more disciplined. To give you a better image, the PA2x sounded like a band playing a song in a studio while the Audya sounded more like a band playing live on stage.

So after all its a matter of taste, but for me I will go for the PA because of all its features and capabilities, while in my opinion, the Audya is an overpriced keyboard with many creativity limitations.

Audya will be a good keyboard somewhere next year, currently its not yet ready for live work because of the many bugs.

PA2X is a very open keyboard that challenges you to tweak and change styles and sounds. Audya does not really let you edit anything, so with PA2X you decide how and what to play, while with the Audya the keyboard decides how and what you play.

Audya has some better sounding (audio styles) but Korg has way better solo instruments.

'Why musicians still buy Ketron while Korg exists?'

Most probably... taste? (The same goes for Yamaha and Roland buyers).

There's no such thing as THE best keyboard-buy, it's always YOUR best keyboard buy.
(And that also depends on your budget...)

Its easier to switch between styles and souds on a Ketron when playing, especially for live performance. With Korg, you can't see both at the same time on the same screen. As for sounds, I think Korg is superior, from my experience anyways (with Vega not Audya).

Tony.M wrote:are still in good business shape and selling well.

Being good machines i guess...dont you think so? I see no other reason, i dont
find them Sexy to be the reason for sales. You are right about many things in
here, in most cases music and instruments is subjective but in some cases it
can be objective and that is:
Not a single person yet ever said Audya sounds bad...and there is tonz saying
PA2X, T3 or anything else sounding bad or worst then the other.
Yes, the Solos suck, yes, it not as advanced but Style wise? PA2X is not even close.

NEDIM, Did you listen To Some USB ,s that offer MORE KB, THAN KORG?
I mean , I buyed a USB , Newly, And DAAAAME, IT,s not PA2X More, It,s PA3 X!

This USB is from Turkey, And It,s not only for Oriental stuff!It contains some great RNB sounds, More Synth sounds, DRums, That is played whit Midi DR, s and programmed by real Musicians, / Studio Musicians and Producers,
They are Young People whit more specifik need,s and they know how to build a Set!

LISTEN AND DECIDE,
The demo Is not the best! But is awesome anyway!
We dont need new KB , we need More sounds/Samples that can give us a new perspective.
DEMO LINK


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcVnHRucLxQ

I think the only power of ketron is that they are fortunate to have good programmers to make for them good styles because their machines are totally outdated in comparison to the Korg or the Yamaha. The Audya is sold for 5000 USD, can any1 tell me what kind of advanced technology this 5K keyboards is offering to its customers except listening to its nice styles and some of nice pianos and sax. I cant make a pattern of my own in the Audya, I have almost zero editing over sounds and styles, the sampler editing is for amateurs and very limited with ram, the effects are horrible etc... and the list is long.

For example in my country Lebanon, we have the Ketron Vega that dominated the oriental music market. That was not due to Ketron but to its distributor there who made from the most stupid keyboard (vega) a dominant machine since 2002 and till now we are still using this machine because of the updates he is making for it and nobody here is using Korg arrangers. more than 10000 Vega were sold. What if Korg will bring like this Ketron guy and make for us the super oriental PA series and what if Korg will bring us like the guy who made the Audya styles and make the super PA occidental.

Maybe Korg is relying on the third party to make for its keyboard the extra library but that is not a professional way. Why we should search for the third party additional sounds and styles and probably buy something that later we will discover its not worth the money. Why Korg does not offer this service frequently?

IT, does not matter, KORG is KORG, But as you say, There is some people around the world, That undarstands how to make a keyboard better!
Above is a link fallow that and just imagine what will come after that!
I dont wait for a new KB , i Wait , and search for better Årogrammer, LIKE EMO USB, ECO USB, MR DEE, And Musitronics, And many many more, So , Guys from Solton, Vega , Ketron are welcome!

ASENA the DEMO is just the BEST Turkish SET I've heard ever for now! How to get that USB?

'Why musicians still buy Ketron while Korg exists?'

I must admit I was knocked out with the sounds of the Ketron Audya after watching and listening to the Youtube vids and sound demos on Ketron Website.

It has the best Hammond B3 sounds and leslie sim I've heard from any arranger keyboard ( imho on a par with the Nord Electro3 )

Yes it's overly priced compared to other makes and it doesn't seem to have much information online for support, styles and things that a customer would want.

Korg, Yamaha, and Roland all have more places ( forums ) like this one where we can go and find help when needed, which is a big plus when considering purchasing a new board.

I'm now considering the korg PA500 ( due to the new low price ), I checked out the PA2xPro but I think it has too many features for my needs right now as I'm basically retired from gigging after 40 years as a Pro musician in the UK. ( now living in the US )

I've owned the Tyros original for the last 5 years and was considering updating it to the new Tyros3 but after hearing the sounds and styles on the PA series I'm seriously thinking of keeping the Tyros and just adding the PA500 to my rig.

I also have the Korg M3 ( up for sale at the moment ) and the new Nord Electro 3 bought for it's incredible B3, Leslie sim and light weight.

Any input from PA500 owners would be welcome

Hi stkeys,

I own a PA500 for about a year now.
I have it only for home use and my playing skills are far from professional.
So I don't know if my opinion is any good to you.

Still: I play every day and with my PA500 always with a big smile on my face.
The instrument sounds so very good, both styles and sounds!
In particular the Unplugged styles are superb! Great sounds IMO are synths, accoustic guitars, electric piano's, saxes, strings & vocals.
And organs!

I play mainly pop (balads), rock and other modern music.
I never use a vocal harmonizer and I also don't need sampling.

The instrument is very flexible; the Songbook-feature is awesome.
STS-s are great!. Touch-screen works amazingly good.

I think using a PA500 next to a Tyros is a very good line-up.
They are quite different soundwise, so you can mix all the good parts from both instruments.

BUT, perhaps, for a professional, the PA800 is an even better choice (but twice as expensive).

You can also have a look at the new Roland.


Good luck!

stkeys wrote:............It has the best Hammond B3 sounds and leslie sim I've heard from any arranger keyboard .....

I might be wrong but I only think Z1 and MOSS board can produce better B3 organs especially when you turn on the valve force within TritonExtreme.

Maybe I'm out of topic, how about having a synthsizer or an arranger keyboard that has Kurzweil sound engine + Korg Technologies?!

Hi Fransman, thanks for your input.

I just now sold the M3 so I'm considering getting a PA500 especially with the $300 rebate and extra $119.82 Bing Cashback which would make this keyboard a no brainer I guess lol

There is a deal on Ebay now from a Korg authorized dealer with another $75 cash back on top of the ones mentioned above which would make the total price for a PA500 $1004.08 ( if my math is correct ) incuding Free shipping. Oh and another $30 in Ebay bucks.

Like you I don't need the Harmonizer or sampler so no need to spend moeny on features I'll never use.

The only thing I would have liked to see on the PA500 is Aftertouch.
Do you know if the sounds would respond to aftertouch from the Tyros keyboard if I use it as a midi controller connected to the PA500?

I don't see why it shouldn't work as the sounds in the PA500 are supposed to be the same as the M3 and all those sounds respond to aftertouch.

Are all the PA800 styles compatible with the PA500 ?

Hi stkeys,

The Pa500 can load any Pa800 styles.

I believe the sounds will respond to aftertouch from a suitable external keyboard. Set the MIDI IN channel 1 to "Global" and the external keyboard will behave the same way as the Pa500 internal keyboard as far as triggering UPPER1, 2 and 3 all together.

Best regards,
Rob

Thanks Rob, good to know.

Is there anywhere you can recommend to find good Styles for the PA500?
( free or otherwise )

Also are there any PA styles not campatable with the PA500 ? ( maybe PA2xpro styles )

Thanks for your help, I'm almost certainly grabbing one of these while they are such a good price.

Regards,
Steve.