Hi Bernie,

Why would you want to complicate matters when you are not all that familiar with Korg for starters ? I would simply start by playing the thing itself, but in addition hook it up to your major keyboard, both sound and MIDI wise. In such a way you have all the advantages and it is a much more relaxed manner of getting to know the Micro.
See below what I posted in another thread of mine.

Simply hook up the micro both via MIDI and via AUDIO to your Tyros and you do not even have to bother about the small keys and you have improved amplification into the bargain.
Let's assume your major keyboard is a Yamaha (tyros):
You can start by simply linking up uppers and lower via Midi and also the auto accompaniment. (played on the keys of the tyros but stop/start simply on the Korg itself).
Later on you might want to mute the upper midi channels on the Tyros, giving you the following ideal set-up.

You do not link up the uppers but you do link up the auto accompaniment to your lower half of the Tyros. This will give you a choice by playing the Tyros left hand:
1/ auto accompaniment of the Tyros
2/ auto accompaniment of the Korg

While at the same your right hand know has the choice of FIVE upper sounds, three of which on the righthand side of the Tyros and two on the righthand side of the Korg.....

Okay this is about a Tyros, but it goes for virtually any other brand. And I guess that the Micro will be most sought after by current Yamaha, Roland and Ketron players. Anyone playing a major Korg keyboard at present can hardly be interested in the Micro, which however is incredible value for money.

John

Thanks all

John
I had a PA800 for awhile and traded it for Roland G70. I liked the Korg sounds and styles, and was just beginning to learn the OS. The only reason I traded it was because of the reputation the G70 has, and maybe because it is more impressive looking with 76 keys and super keybed.

I have sold the G70 and my Kurzweil and feel like an empy nester. I am sure there will be help available here from my friends.

Bernie

John Smies

I answered John C before I saw your post.

I certainly value your opinion and thnk you for the help. That is good advice, and taken. You are right in that I easily overly complicate things. I will learn to walk, then run.

The only reason I wanted to couple with the vArranger is because it is on my laptop now, and wanted one kb to do double duty. A much more portable setup.
Thanks,
Bernie

John welcome back to SZ it will be good to hear your inputs on KORG units..

Congrats to you Bernie and to those who also are getting or have already gotten a Microarranger. For those who have never played Korg arrangers, or maybe have had a PA80 or PA50 and enjoyed playing it, this should be a nice addition. Or for someone who wants something ultra small and portable that will sound like a pro quality arranger board, this is probably it. The price is great btw.

Ironically though, for me personally, I pretty much came to the same conclusion as John. For a few minutes at least, I toyed with the idea of parting with my old PA80 and replacing it with a micro arranger. I have also had a PA800 and now have a PA3x. Then I thought a little more about it and I decided that I would be gaining nothing except having a cut down version of the PA80 ( actually PA 50 right ? ) in a smaller package. That in itself is kinda cool, but I have no particular need for it personally. I don't play the PA80 any more, but my grandkids have it along with my original PSR500, and they love them both. The PA80 still sounds and works just like it did the day I took it out o the box brand new.

I came to the conclusion that for me wanting a Micro arranger probably has more to do with my nostalgia for the old Casio and Yamaha PSS dept store mini sized keyboards of the 80's. Most of them were true FM synths that can become quite useful with the addition of external circuitry to morph parameters not available on the boards themselves. I have to say though that I don't mind playing the mini sized keys at all. The appeal for me was that they HAD some older cheesy FM sounds but some of these boards also had some pretty cool analog sounding stuff in them as well. If anyone has any of those laying around and doesn't want or need them, I might be interested. The nostalgia runs deep for some others as well, enough so that a few VSTi's of the earliest Casio's have been created and released.

Welcome back John! Thank you Nigel!!
DonM

Congratulations on your new keyboard, Bernie. Should give you many hours of enjoyment.

Ian

Thank you Donny, Don.

Well you said it as well Bluesplayer, not much point in having a Micro on top of a PA800 or PA3X. As a matter of fact I did the "topsey turvey " thing by purchasing a secondhand Yamaha PSR3000. ( the downgraded version of the Tyros 1 or so I am told). And I am quite pleased with it though I have never been a true Yamaha fan or player. But currently I own a brand new PA800 (last summer) plus the Yammie PSR3000 + Ketron SD2 module for a price below the (barren) PA3X. I have two decent internal speaker systems, two different vocalisers, two full fledged keyboards and the sound and style sytem of the both of them. So yes, I am quite content. If you purchase the Micro not owing any Korg you will have virtually the same set up as I have bar the mini keys on the one keyboard. Still, and I am not getting paid by anyone for saying this, I would heartily recommend any Yamaha,Roland keyboard player to pick one up, certainly at the current retailing prices in the US of A.

John

P.S. my choice for the Pa800 was quite intentional as I already had the choice between the PA800 and PA3X. But for my home playing purposes and in view of all the things just mentioned I prefered the choices that I made. One thing's for sure however with Korg, either Micro or PA3X, if you do not take to kindly to (rather in-depth) programming and tweaking, better go elsewhere...........................

It couldn't be any worse than Kurzweil. This is not a negative for either. Both are deep operating systems whose secrets are not readily revealed.

Hi Bernie,
can't see why you couldn't use it.
As you said midi out to sd2, midi in korg ( via your laptop)

I haven't used my V arranger for a while ( I mainly bought it so I could get my ketron styles into midifile format).
I'll double check, but I think you'd just set your microarranger to sequencer or single instrument mode? Can't remember off the top of my head what setting I used with my PA3x. I'll check it out when I get a chance.

You'll have a perfect little setup going there. Korg, Varranger ( ketron/psr styles) & hopefully one day soon Roland.