Even at 45+ lbs the PA1X is looking better all the time and looks like a steal compared to the GEM if it really cost $5100.

I need to do more thinking. I have the i30 keyboard and sometimes I'm too lazy to hook up the necessary wires to use the Harmonizer for just 4 or 5 tunes. I like the Harmonizer but wears thin on my ears if I use it too much.

PA1X, 35watts speakers plenty for the retirement centers. Four years ago when I was green and still looking for a gig, I wasn‘t worried about these problems. Now that I’m an old pro again, "I'm Beginning To See The Light."

I can plug the Mic into the PA1X and have Harmony and all the other goodies for the small gig, then if needed, connect the keyboard to the amp system on bigger venues. Right?

Beside, the PA1X has an on board Harmonizer that is probably the best, no? Or maybe one of the better Harmonizers on the market? Seems like a lot less wires and gear to haul around for the small 1-hour gigs.

I'm thinking with the Midjay that it would be another piece of equipment to haul around and hook up! Man! More wires yet.

Again, I find the Tyros CD demo mind blowing. However, it seems to me that the PA1X sounded really like a live band when I played it years ago in the local store. The Tyros that I'm playing at the same store does not excite me as much as the PA1X did and just does not impress me as much as the CD demo I‘m listening to of the Tyros2.

I still like the Korg styles better for my style of music. I don't need the drums in my face knocking me off the bench. With the 8, 12 16 bar loops I don’t even have to worry about the fills. The on board fills can be use on the 4 bar loops styles every 8, 12 or 16 bars like real jazz drummers do.

Now someone can tell me, "Boo you're really cooking with gas now my friend".

I have to keep thinking less gear, less gear, everything I need on board for the small 1-hour gigs and even the big venues will be easier. I can get rid of my 20-outlet extension cord for a three-outlet cord. That will even take less room.
Man! I'll say it myself. Boo my boy! you’re really cooking with gas now.

Go for the Pa1xpro , or the SD1PLus. The keybed is much better on the Korg, the SD1 has better ethnic, type stuff, while the Korg with the Latin Card is fantastic with pop, jazz and latin stuff.

the vocalizer and mic stuff on the PA is the most advanced and best sounding, the SD1 is probably the easiest to use and make sound good fast.

guitars, flutes, organs are great on the PA

Drums go to the SD1 for some stuff, and the Korg for other like Jazz stuff

fwiw boo, i sold my pa to go and try an s90es with a laptop+OMB, no good....tried the s90es with the psr3000, no good...tried the midjay and s90es, no good...tried a t1, no good..sold all of it and then re-purchased a PA1x, thats how good it is..none of the others come near it in terms of the sound quality, style quality and range, synth workstation capabilities, TC Helicon vocal processing (the best in the business!!) and the songbook function is just super, you'll see what i mean when you buy one...so yes, "..you are cooking now with hi-octane rocket fuel !!!"
dennis

Boo just go buy a Korg PA1X pro & give us your review asap......its the logical upgrade for you for sure!!




[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 03-28-2006).]

As we've all said a million times, this stuff is all subjective.....however, since you seem to be soliciting feedback, here's mine. I would personally, never sacrifice musicality just because a board was a few pounds lighter. If you are performing for other people, the only thing that should matter should be the overall sound. However, I'm guessing that in the average nursing home venue, the audience is not going to be too critical of the styles or sound quality of any of the modern arranger keyboards. I own both the Tyros2 and the PA1x Pro, having bought the Korg about a month after purchasing the Tyros2. Despite what others may tell you, if you are a keyboardist with any degree of skill, you will NOT be happy with 61 keys, especially in an arranger keyboard which is usually in split keyboard mode. For that reason alone, if you've already decided on the Korg, I would definitely recommend getting the "Pro" model; the advantages far outweigh the slight inconvenience of having to hook up external speackers. Styles are largely a matter of personal taste and genre' of music but for me, it's the single biggest factor for choosing one keyboard over another. Suffice it to say that since I've had the Korg, I have not played the Tyros2 more than a half dozen times. Sure, a few of the SA voices sound good on a demo and probably even superior to it's direct Korg counterpart, but in ensemble mode I don't think it really matters. It's the overall sound, especially when mated to a style, that gives the Korg my vote. I'm talking about the viceral feedback you get when you play the thing. But again, if "spit and polish" is your thing and saving a few pounds of weight is that important to you (most of us could use the extra exercise) and 61 keys is acceptable to you, then I would say, get the T2. It is, after all, more ergonomically designed and (quite frankly) easier to use. Of course, ease of use is something that only has relevance in the early stages of owning a keyboard. Just my thoughts.

Peace,

chas

Chas,
I touched a Pa1x 3 or so years ago and I agree just from owning an i30, that the Korg styles are the most important feature to me. Being a sax player who does left hand chording and a bit of improvising with the right hand while performing vocals, the 76 keys are not important.
I would miss the great Backing Sequencer on the i30. An X i30 owner who now has the Pa1X says the sequencer on the Pa1x does not compare with the i30 sequencer.

I'm the only lone wolf here that even cares about a sequencer on an arranger and I understand it's because I'm the only one who performs using sequences playing a horn on this forum
Boo.

I'm pretty sure the Genesys can be found for less then $5100

Jerry

boo, just to clarify, i am a keyboard player, and i also use midi sequences for some songs, probably a ration of 65-35 sequences/arranger+solo piano...so the sequencer had to be effective and solid...on the PA there is actually TWO of em!!!
dennis

boo ... not by a longshot ... I use the sequencer on my technics kn6000 quite a bit ... and I can change voices/volume/effects etc. 'on the fly' or make 'permanent' changes to a midi file, including recording & saving my own playing 'over' the midi file ... the technics on-board sequencer is a powerful tool...
t.

Tony,
The Backing Sequencer mode on a Korg i30 is not a midi file. It a special file that not only allows the things your technics does but also allows change variations, fills having the intro play in the middle of a song and even clicking on the Ensemble mode which is the harmony voices for the right hand program etc.

I may be wrong, but I don't think midi files allows all of these things to happen do they while performing?

boo ... I have not used it to that extent, and I am not sure what the capabilities might be when used with the 'composer' feature ... but to my limited knowledge, you would be correct ...
t.

[This message has been edited by tony mads usa (edited 03-28-2006).]

Even though the PA1xpro has 2 sequencers you can change stuff on the fly but you can't save them unless you open the file in the sequencer, when you are playing live you would open the song up in song play which doesn't allow you to save what you do to it

if the sequenceer is an issue then the option has to be the PAX. The Tyros sequencer is in reality just a record and play function. Very very limited editing onboard the machine. The PAX is quite detailed but i have never tried editing whilst actually palying which if i understand you correctly is what you said the i30 could do.

I have the PAX 61 built in speakers and its awesome B00 !

Spalding,Frank,

In Backing Sequence mode you record the song with any fills or other variations etc that you want and save it as a Backing Sequence file.Then you actually use the Backing Sequence mode to play back the song even when playing live and you are able to use all of the functions on the fly as Frank said.

So there's no need to resave anything unless you want to and then as Frank said you open up the recording phase while in the Backing Sequence mode and edit, re-record or whatever at home not on the gig.Ha! Ha!

The song Play mode of the i30 plays just MIDI files. You can convert Backing Sequence files to MIDI.

hi boo, on the PA you can play sequences, and you can have two ready to go at once, BUT sadly you cannot play a style at the same time..
dennis

SOrry I haven't been on in a while...too busy right now....in fact leaving for a 3 day gig in Denton in the morning...


Speaking from a professional stand point, I rely on my keyboards to earn my living and I have not found a better keyboard out there in arrangers than my Pa1X Pro... I hae had it over a year now and am still descovering things on it when I get extra time.

I do the one man band thing for our church and ministry full time and it has been awesome!!!!

Go for the Pro and you won't be disappointed.

Jeff