I hear from reliable sources that the arrival of the Korg PA60 is right around the corner. After playing with the PA80 (a SECOND time) I am beginning to think that I might give the 60 a whirl IF...and only IF - the key feel is the same (or better) and the sound system is AS LEAST as loud and clear as the big brother. To be honest, the PA80 breaks up a little quick for my taste, but it's not too bad. I think it's because of the "auto loudness" feature. You can't shut that off either.....or can you?

I've made a few decisions about the PA80 so far:

1) The drums sounds are as good as ANY out there, but the patterns are a little erratic. Many are too busy, and the fill-ins do not always match up well with the style. Lots of things need to be rewritten, but fortunately .... the entire rhythm bank can be replaced with whatever patters the user likes. Great feature.

2) The sequencer needs to support long file names. I'm so spoiled by the laptop screen that when I leave the pc home ... I can hardly tell what song is WHAT!

3) The acoustic piano still needs work, as do ALL Korg synths.( Very weak point in the Korg lineup - I don't understand why) I really like the electric pianos, so it's only a small sacrifice for me, but in the price range that it falls into - it SHOULD gave a better grand piano sound. The basic tone is not so bad, but the harmonics are blah, and the dynamic timbre change is too subtle. It just feels unresponsive compared to the other sounds. Maybe it's "tweakable" but so far .... it's weak.

4) I prefer the Korg, Roland, Ketron chord recognition to all the rest so far. Yamaha, Technics, Casio ... they all use that "idiot" method of selecting major/minor/seventh chords. I use one finger for major chords, but when a more complex chord is needed - I can finger it any way I like. It recognizes it as long as the root & third (at least) are played.
e.g.:
Korg) play C & Bb together = C7
Yamaha) same thing = Cm (woah!)
Lots of "Unmusical" chord triggers. Makes basic theory knowledge a hindrance.
Three finger chords are not in my arsenal as of yet - remember ... I'm a left handed bass player first! I don't really want to learn complex chords fingerings with the left hand. I want easy - I do too much already !

5) The only thing I really miss is a working "Chordal mode" harmonizer. The Korg uses a "vocoder" method, so it only produces the notes played. Unacceptable for me, so I am forced to lug a rack bag with my TC harmonizer in it. Not such a big trade off - it sounds better than ANY built-in harmonizer out there anyway. The basic tones of the voices are pretty good in most of the high end brands, but the effects and features of the TC are above the pack in all areas. It's clean, quiet, versatile, and works as it SHOULD. Chordal, scale or vocoder mode. The user gets to pick the trigger method. I really hope Korg addresses this. I love the idea of leaving the bag home more often!

6) TWO sequencers, and TWO audio inputs !!!
Great, great thinking here.
Mic & guitar at the same time - very smart.

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So the reports are good. The new operating system has improved this keyboard and made it a contender, finally. I'm sure I will find more things that I like or dislike, but for now - I'm an ALL KORG guy again. The Farfisa is going to sleep in my studio .... just in case I need a quick, nursing home piece in a pinch. I sure wish everyone else had that cool mic stand that's built right INTO the keyboard base. That's the best feature about the G7. The piano sample is identical to Roland's GM sound, and the speakers are very good, but the modern styles are terrible and there is NO 3rd party support for new styles so far.
As a totally "live" piece, or a simple standard and ethnic rhythm gig piece - it can really shine, but try playing "Mustang Sally" or "I can't help myself" and you'll think you had the Lawrence Welk orchestra as your backing band. This is not a bad thing for polka's, but when it comes to R&R ..... it's very weak.

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In conclusion - I'm almost satisfied with the PA80 again. I am still in search of a keyboard that has the kind of vocalizer I need, but until that is a reality - I'm reasonably happy with these compromises. It's a game of balance - give up this....get that....you know how it is.
In the working world, as a musician I can use this keyboard for now.(Deja-vu)