Can a PA800 be "driven" from an external keybpard

mikeynyuk · Post by **mikeynyuk** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:19 pm

Hi all,

First post here, It seems like a great community, I have done a ton of reading here since I purchased a PA800 a few weeks ago. Here is my problem. I want to be able to play the PA800 from my Roland XP80 as I feel the need for 76 keys, and frankly the action on the XP is much nicer. So when I go into the settings on the PA800 I change it to master keyboard, and it kind of works, except for one big problem:
When playing in style mode the PA800 recognises notes I am playing on my right hand and adds them to the chords I am playing on my left (which means the chords are constantly shifting as I play runs, not as cool as it sounds). I have tried searching both the manual and the internet for a cure to this but to no avail. Can anyone here help.

My settings are as follows.
XP80 MIDI out channel 1
Korg PA800 Master Keyboard mode, Style play, Split, Chord scanning Lower . Its behaving as if the chord scanning was full!

thanks for any advice. If I cant resolve this I will have to go for a PA2x or PA3X (so if you selling one let me know!)
Mike

kisse2katt · Post by **kisse2katt** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 7:28 pm

Hi Mike!

You have to make a split-point on the Roland XP80 and set the
keys to the left of the split-point to midi channel 4 and the
keys to the right of the split-point to midi channel 1.

On the Pa 800 you have to set the chord 1 midi channel = 4
you find it on the midi in control page.

Regards Tom t

mikeynyuk · Post by **mikeynyuk** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:35 pm

Thanks for that. I have done exactly as you say, and for the most part that works. The only issue I have now is that I have transposed the bass up an octave in order to be able to play LHB when in manual mode. The 76 keys give me much lower notes naturally. Anyhow, thats fine, and it works. But when I turn back on the style bass it now plays the style bassline up an octave!!

So, I tried a work around by transposing the lower zone within the XP80, but that means the RH starts playing bass notes as I get into the lower register...

aghhh... I dont think this can work

kisse2katt · Post by **kisse2katt** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:26 am

Hi Mike!

The manual bass is playing on midi channel 9.
Make a zone at the lowest octave on the Roland for manual bass,
and a zone for midi channel 4 between that and the RH-zone,
then you can play all without transposing anything.

Regards Tom T

mikeynyuk · Post by **mikeynyuk** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:11 pm

Hey Tom,

Thanks so much for your responses, I sense "power user"! I am going to play with this idea some and I will let you know how I get on. The only thing is that I really like to have a couple of octaves for both basslines and chords, that way I can play lines more naturally and use different voicings. It was my main concern and why I wanted to drive the PA from the 76 I feel cramped on the 61. I will see if I can get anything reasonable to happen in this regard, Im going to try layering two zones, MIDI channels 4 and 9 and see what happens when I do that...

thanks again, your great for answering an arranger newbie like myself

Mike

mikeynyuk · Post by **mikeynyuk** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:59 pm

I must update just to say that I cant get this setup to work. What I have been trying to do is set 3 zones on my controller (XP80) 1 sending channel 1, another 4, and another 9. 4 and 9 have the lower range which corresponds to the split point set on the Korg. Then I have been filtering these midi messages to send them to their respective parts of the PA800 brain. Bass on 9, Chords LH on 4 and global on 1(so that i can play upper 1, 2 or 3). It worked! Amazing! I played manual bass for 3 minutes. Then I switched to auto accomp mode (turned off manual bass) and that worked! then I switched back to manual bass.. nothing.. no sound. yes, I had written the midi settings in global, no the xp wasnt transmitting anything funky, very simple setup.

My conclusion after hours of painstaking, careful tinkering, is that the Korg OS is a mite buggy when it comes to playing with others. Is there a chance its user error... always... BUT, I really think I got to understand the MIDI implementation of what it SHOULD do, and bar a few minutes of glory, it wont do it. I tried resetting the korg and reproducing every single setting with which I had had my initial success, to no avail.

PA2X for me

Thanks for listening, and for your help. It is a deep machine, maybe a little too deep.