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Korg PA600QT VS PA500ORT. Any input?
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 5:08 am
by atef81
Any updates on the PA600QT?
Does it have better or worse oriental sounds and styles than the PA500ORT?
Also, is the oriental set loaded on the ROM or takes part of the 96MB ram? (I heard that the set takes 70-75MB of the ram)
Any updates please ?
Any idea about how many oriental sounds? how many oriental styles?
I am about to buy one on special order, but can't decide before I know about it.
Thanks a lot

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:46 pm
by rbalaa
I never had PA500.
I got the 600 QT model though. It's preloaded with sounds from Fadi Saade, you can youtube them.
I like the instrument sounds, I would say 7.5/10
Styles though, I'm not too impressed. There's only 1 or 2 different styles I found, but built along many variations.
However, there are third party teams out there that make sets. I'm waiting for a good one to come out to purchase.
But overall, I am very happy with the keyboard. Good luck.
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:33 pm
by atef81
Thanks rbalaa.
But are the oriental set built into the rom, or taking the 96MB memory?
As it will be very disappointing if they took the memory.
I found couple of oriental custom made sets for the 600QT, but they are $300-$350 !!
I'll send you links for them.
But they are Way too expensive, especially when looking at the flood of voices & styles on the internet for Yamaha.
I like Korg better, though
Any idea about the memory availability on the 600QT?
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 6:23 pm
by rbalaa
atef81 wrote:Thanks rbalaa.
But are the oriental set built into the rom, or taking the 96MB memory?
As it will be very disappointing if they took the memory.
I found couple of oriental custom made sets for the 600QT, but they are $300-$350 !!
I'll send you links for them.
But they are Way too expensive, especially when looking at the flood of voices & styles on the internet for Yamaha.
I like Korg better, though
Any idea about the memory availability on the 600QT?
No the RAM isn't used and you ar efree to load your own set. But as you said, the sets are approx 350$ ... I can't justify that without demoing it first. Plus they don't tell you exactly what your getting.
I had the Yamaha also, but like korg better overall.
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 1:16 am
by Stratario
You can search for free Arabic sets on line. Here is a list of what can be found on the internet:
http://uppit.com/4kznq98g5ezr/Arabic_Se ... ternet.jpg
The numbers you see in front of the folders' names are the sizes of the set in MB. So you can have an idea how big the sets are.
Here is also a list of the styles. As you can see, many of the styles are copied in various sets.
http://uppit.com/gnxidjto5ax5/Pa800_&_2 ... _Arabi.xls
You can combine sets and make one big set for yourself to your own taste and it would be much better than what you can buy in canned package.
Amoo Farrokh
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 1:23 am
by Stratario
rbalaa wrote:I never had PA500.
I got the 600 QT model though. It's preloaded with sounds from Fadi Saade, you can youtube them.
I like the instrument sounds, I would say 7.5/10
Styles though, I'm not too impressed. There's only 1 or 2 different styles I found, but built along many variations.
However, there are third party teams out there that make sets. I'm waiting for a good one to come out to purchase.
But overall, I am very happy with the keyboard. Good luck.
Hello rbalaa,
I am wondering in which country you purchased your Pa600QT? Depending on the region where the keyboard is sold, it may come with different styles and sounds loaded in the keyboard. So I am wondering in which country you purchased the keyboard and what you got in the ROM and what you got in the RAM, or the PCM? Thanks.
Amoo Farrokh
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 8:09 am
by shahen
Gents
can any one advise the list of the factory supplied styles/sounds/samples included pa600qt. i need to know what genres does it cover.
thanks and regards
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:13 pm
by shefu
I think it's ridiculous that we have to fish for this information from various sources instead of being able to find it on korg's website. They don't even have the manual or a pdf with the styles included with the QT model. So what are we supposed to do, just buy it on a whim and find out that way?
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 8:52 pm
by shahen
shefu wrote:I think it's ridiculous that we have to fish for this information from various sources instead of being able to find it on korg's website. They don't even have the manual or a pdf with the styles included with the QT model. So what are we supposed to do, just buy it on a whim and find out that way?
exactly, i can't understand KORG policy regarding this issue!!!!!!
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:43 pm
by Stratario
We can easily get a list of the styles and the sounds in both the Pa600 and the Pa600QT models by having somebody who has bought one of these keyboards to save the contents of the Style and Sound and performance folders and send it to one of us who have the WaveXtractor software. We can make lists for everything in those three folders. You don't have to send the whole set. The PCM samples are not needed. Just the entire folders for Style, Sound and Performances.
Then we can compare the the 600 and the 600QT models with each other.
Amoo Farrokh
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 2:36 am
by atef81
I think that Korg just depended on the fact that users will buy the keyboard based on Korg's reputation. (which is true to some extent, like my case ).
However, I believe that the only difference between the 600 and the 600Qt is the TA (Turkish/ Arabic) set that they provide on a CD, in addition to the 12 buttons for scale settings and 4 registration buttons for styles.
If the Oriental sounds are loaded on the ROM, then this is a great advantage, leaving the whole 96MB free. but if it is just the matter of Korg uploading the set to the RAM, then it is very disappointing.
I bought a PA600QT, but still waiting for it to come. The shipment should be arriving by mid this month.... CAN'T WAIT...
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 2:02 pm
by Stratario
Hello Atef. I look forward to a report from you on exactly what kind of musical resources you are getting with the Pa600QT. Are they in ROM, or PCM? etc.
BTW, I think the material on the CD is the Korg Turksih/Arabic 8MB PCM card:
http://www.korg.com/RMCPCM02
Amoo Farrokh
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 3:20 pm
by Thoraldus
I think we need to understand that there is KORG the manufacturer and 'Korg' the various sales companies around the world. KORG designed and manufactures a 'standard' PA600 for the US, UK, AUS etc markets and then the Middle Eastern and Asian sales companies spec a QT version for sales in their countries. In the grand scheme of things I would think you need to talk to your local sales companies for support on the QT model as it is their "design". Just a thought.

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:23 pm
by Stratario
Apparently the QT version that we purchase in Western countries like USA, Canada, Germany, UK, etc., do not come with much of any oriental sounds and styles. The ones that are purchased in Turkey and Arabia come with a local set of ethnic sounds and styles. They are loaded in the PCM. When you load your own sets, the original sets are writen over. You can reload those local sets. The trick is that those local sets are recognized by the keyboard because there is a Micro SD flash card planted in the local keybaords that are sold by the local distributors. The Micro SD card allows the keyboard to recognize the sets and load them. You cannot load those original sets in any keyboard that does not have one of those SD card planted in them. Apparently the Micro SD cards are planted somewhere under the battery compartment.
Amoo Farrokh
Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 7:42 pm
by Karimh
I just ordered PA600QT, and my local dealer confirmed with Korg Canada that the QT version comes with arabic sounds and styles that are pre loaded on the ROM as factory styles. In addition, you get the "extra" arabic/turkish styles and sounds on the DVD; which are different than what's already pre loaded.
The Standard PA600 ships with a DVD as well, which has the same content as the DVD with the QT version.
I obviously don't have the keyboard yet (on order), but I'll post vids and demo the sounds/styles.