I was looking (surfing) for some guitar effects pedals for my two sons. I checked out Musicians Friend and Sam Ash and Zzounds and Music123. I don't remember but at one of them they were offering close-out specials on the Korg PA-80. I also saw a few of them on Ebay with the bid prices starting at around $1100. It appears from a marketing and business standpoint that the PA-80 is pretty much a flop. I'm not commenting on the quality of the board just how it has been received. Roland it seems has the same problem with the VA-7 and VA-5. They are cutting prices to move their products. It seems to be a great time to be a consumer. Now if only Yamaha would cut their prices on the 9000 & Pro ...................

Tom

Tom..
To tell you the truth... the PSR9000 and Pro are worth every penny. I wish they could cut the weight... or at least give us a coupon to see a chiropractor.

Just a friendly conversation Tom, if something is available on e-bay cheap does not mean it is a flop item and about the website prices only synthplanet.com is selling it for $1259 + shipping synthplanet is not a US retailer (It is located in Belgium) so warranty is a problem all other music stores here in USA have them for $1999 I have not seen a lower price PA-80 is coming with a new flash card "Oriental Flash Card" if it was abandoned by Korg they wouldn't have been producing new things for it and the rumors are they are working on o.s. 3.0.1 right now PA-80 can read Triton programs and also it can import Triton samples I don’t think that Yamaha 9000 have the same architecture as Motif their flagship synth. So it can not load Motif programs, I think PA-80 was released before it was suppose to release but I think now it is a complete arranger workstation with Triton synth engine.

[This message has been edited by Arbaz (edited 12-14-2001).]

Hi there Tommy,
naughty, naughty !!! Knocking the PA-80 !!!!
I know you mean no harm my friend, and those of you with a brief retentive memory may recall my criticism on the new 3.0 OS recently released by Korg. I may have been jumping to conclusions a bit there, I admit,
cause all in all the 3.0 operating system harbours more alterations and improvements than personally I have ever seen on any update for any keyboard. In this respect I can also understand Arbaz' reaction and I sympathize with him.
For the last few weeks I have been working on and off with the PSR2000 and the PA-80 and
eventually I shied away from the Yamaha. Now I won't go into all their respective merits again, I know Uncle Dave, Don and Scott happily take the 2000 out on the road every week, but professionally speaking the Korg is in another league. (Bluesplayer might testify to that).
One of the greatest improvements on the 3.0 is the ability to load ALL Triton sounds, and
(provided you have the optional and unfortunately so far expensive) flashcard you can even load complete multi samples.
Furhtermore there has been a host of minor and less minor improvements, which does not alter the fact that there are still things to be desired, noticably the DYNAMIC ARRANGER,my hobby-horse admittedly on which I hope to start an issue here shortly.
And, fair is fair, the Korg is a pretty complicated bag as far as programming is concerned,but here goes too: Practise makes
Perfect!!

Tom, de groeten !!!! from Holland.

[This message has been edited by john smies (edited 12-14-2001).]

Regarding reductions on product prices. Having worked in the Hi-Fi Manufacturing a large proportion of my working life. We were very concerned when considering to reduce a products price because of upsetting existing customers. However manufactures reduce there prices to keep a product competitively priced with the competition.
An example of this is when Roland launched the VA3, the PSR1000 was not on the market, but now it is, Roland have reduced the price of the VA3 to be competitive.

Graham

Tom,
The Korg PA80 is not being "closed out". I just received new models from Korg US at exactly the same price we've been paying all year. In fact, with release 3.0's new features, I have never sold as many PA80's as right now. It is true that the price of the VA7 has come down, but this is only temporary and only if you were a dealer willing to buy a large quantity at one time. The warehouse was too full and this was a way of Roland reducing their inventory, not discontinuing the VA line.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene

Here we go. I looked it up. It is a Sam Ash close out at $1799.99. I'm not in any way saying that the PA-80 isn't the greatest arranger keyboard on the face of the earth. We all know the Bontempi is.

What I'm saying is that if a major retailer like Sam Ash or the like is offering close-out prices on a relatively recently released keyboard, that means sales on that product have been poor and they probably will no longer stock it because of that reason (hence the term close-out). If they were selling lots of them and making money they wouldn't be lowering their profit margins and closing them out. This is basic business, Econ 101. I don't think that Korg is going to abandon the PA80. I never said that. It looks like Sam Ash is going to no longer stock the PA-80.

Yes, business will reduce prices to remain competative. I wish Yamaha were selling 9000 pros for $799. That would force everyone else to price their products lower to remain competative. Business will also reduce prices to move slow selling inventory. Look at the auto industry, 0 percent interest. This is a disguised effort to lower prices in order to move product. At this point I don't think that Korg has reduced their price on the PA80. I think that Sam Ash is trying to move the PA80 either at or below their cost. They can then take that investment money and buy Bontempies that they can sell for $49.95.

The great thing about out market economy is that we the consumer will determine its fate. When the marketplace consumer determines that the product is priced correctly for the value received it becomes a success.

Is the PSR2000 causing the other companies to lower prices. I hope so because when that happens we the consumer benefit. Like I said, it is a great time to be a consumer.

John,

Lustig Kerstmis!

Tom

You've all heard me say this before but here I go again! In my opinion (and the opinion of the Korg, Yamaha, Roland, Generalmusic, Solton marketing people) most of the chain stores do not have qualified and trained people to sell these arranger keyboards. They tend to sell by price alone and not by features and benefits. Very few of the big chain stores do well with any of the arranger keybords unless it is the inexpensive Yamaha and Casio models. Sales have proven this point around the country. This is not the case in every store, but in many. If Sam Ash lowers the price in this instance, it is probably because they do want to get rid of the PA80's and not replace them. It has also been a hard retail market place since Sept.11th and reducing prices might just be something Sam Ash needs to do to raise money. Look at what Ford did with interest rates on new car sales!
George Kaye

Hello Again Tom,
I think you have overlooked the prices the samash is selling the B-Stock PA-80's for $1799 and only 2 are left well what can I say I have seen better prices for B-Stock keyboards :-) and I thought we all are talking about brand new factory sealed PA-80!

John Smies,

Right on the money ...Couldn't have said it better myself if I tried, especially now that I have both boards. In a way, getting the 2000 inspired me to go back and work a little more to better understand and be able to use the rest of the features on the PA80 that maybe I wasn't as familiar with before, and in doing so and practicing as you said, I now find it to be just as easy to navigate as any Yamaha board I've ever had. The 2000 is still a good board for the price, but the PA80 is just so much more for me.

AJ

Hey Tom, I have to defend my PA80. Yes, there are some on Ebay, but they don't sell them below $1500.00. I happen to have a PA80, X1, KN6500, Psr740 & Psr2000 and I seem to be using the PA80 a lot lately, though I have to say, it isn't the easiest to navigate. I am not too happy with the fills, but get around it by subing w/ the intro's & endings and I do like being able to break w/ just hitting the keys harder. I think the PA, is just in a learning curve.

HI ALL...
first i wanna say that the pa80 is a good sounding KB.But the features is not so good like sampling.yes you can load Triton sounds but you cant load multi samples in sample memory.Like Akai/Kurzweil/Roland or KORG Cd roms.There is no USB/Digital in out.Its 2002 right???
We all waited 3.00 & from the begining they said it would be able to load multi samples.
no!!!it can only sample drum kit samples to drum kit sesion.I hope there will be a new 3.05 out soon there we can load multi samples.I would be heapy if someone could say i,m wrong.Is there any one.(Planing to by a 80 anyway!!!
I also hpe that you guys out there can look at the WK 8 SE From GEM.Not so good sounds but you can sample(Stereo) SCSI, VHarm, Translate samples, Edit sounds & Styles,Drumkits,Ewen the oriental, ( You Can,t do that on Pro/Psr 9000 series!!!), Just look at the Functions on WK???The futures is just the best on a KB ever.The KORG & others must buy a Gem and learn from chader.By the way where is the mem card,s to pa 80???You can,t find them on other electronic stores.Korg may be wanna make even moore mony by selling self???
Hapy New Year all out there.
Timor Sakka Global Music Sweden....
Sory My ENG.....

[This message has been edited by *Messenger* (edited 12-15-2001).]

[This message has been edited by *Messenger* (edited 12-15-2001).]

Messenger,

On the subject of loading multisamples into the Korg PA-80, this can be done but you need to have a flashcard installed. The problem is that, as you more or less stated, this flashcard is hard to come by, apparently Korg have used a somewhat outdated type of memorycard here, and what's more the price (at least here in Holland) is a staggering $ 320.= !!! which is way over the top of course. I have recently emailed the KORG people in Italy who are coordinating the whole PA-80 business and asked for an explanation.
So yes, you can meanwhile load multisamples, but .....at a price.
I wonder if George Kay could inform us about the situation in the States considering the price of these flashcards....???????

greetings,
john.