How about one of these to pair up with the MicroArranger

Light Weight/Budget Pa3x and Kronos ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llis5tYY9Rg

I'm giving it serious thought, a workstation/arranger that fits in your pocket.

Regards

Col

Hi Col

In your opinion, what benefits would be derived from such a union ?

Bernie

Hi Bernie

People seem to think the Tyros 4 and the Kronos would be the ideal rig. I really like my little keys and thought the micro set up might work asa a dual keyboard arrangement.

Pete (Karmaforever) uses a Pa2x and an M50. This would be a similar setup.

Donny is looking at Roland Work stations and this would complement his KMA and be a lot cheaper.

Regards

Col

Add these and your Micro set up is truly Micro.....

http://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthread...org_#Post338057

John

I would never trade my big weighted piano and synth keys for those little keys... It would give me the cramps and cost me some creativity... after 30 years being accustomed to large keys... thoe small keys are not an option


To me it only shows how cheap one can produce these instruments nowerdays, but if they sold them with normal keysize and good keyboards it would give people high quallity instruments with the same feautures and quallity of the total arrangers.

I think T4 KRONOS, Jupiter 80 and PA3X cost less then $500 dollar to build... most money tough is spend in research and needs to be earned back...

But for these mini instruments research is hardly a point of cost, as they are just reboxing allready available technollogy thats why they can sell these instruments so cheap... But if they sold them with big keys they would ruin their market for their more expensive instruments.

Nor would I. Afterall, in addition to the microARRANGER, i still appreciate and play my Steinway B Grand too, as well as the Tyros 4 with significantly smaller and lighter and comparatively toy like keys too, but there remain situations where taking even a Tyros 4 portable arranger not always convenient or pratical, and I won't even begin to consider moving the Steinway even an inch across the room. The microARRANGER definitely fullfills my grab and go take anywhere need I appreciate. And yes, coming from a classical piano background, I concur with Saswick that the tiny keys, though not idea, are still quite playable. -Scott

Bottom line is the old saying " horses for courses"

Scott being a classically trained Pianist having no problems on the smaller KMA keys says volumes!!Talent & a little adjustment goes a long way.

I'm with you on the small key thing, Bachus, although we might be in a minority...but who cares!

When I'm playing my Tyros 4, I know when I reach my little finger up for a B or Bb, I'm not going to wind up on D or Eb...with a small keyboard, I'm going to have to look, and at very least, pay a lot more attention than what I want to do.

Playing should feel natural...mini keys do not feel natural to my fingers....never have, and probably never will...I've got many years of technique that I'm not going to sacrifice just to save a few dollars and a few pounds in weight.

My biggest surprise is that the PA-50SD, that the microArranger is based on, didn't give so much as a blip on the radar when it came out 10 years ago. Now, when you can buy the same technology, in an awkward mini key instrument, they are raving about the Korg sound and styles.

Where were these people when the PA-50SD came out? Is saving a few quid, a few kilos, and dealing with a technique busting keyboard enough to embrace 10 year old technology as if it just popped on the market today?

Certainly makes me wonder, and probably a few more, like us, who really can't see the fuss.

Ian

PS...I think the really smart guys, are the geniuses at Korg who figured out how to get the Korg sound under people's fingers (even though they will be a little cramped), because it just might get folks to buying the bigger, adult sized instruments. JMO.

Reliable Sources tell us the KMA is totally reworked and tweaked compared to the PA 50SD...

Still the technollogy is over 10 years old...

But then current top of the line arrangers use processor boards that are over 5 years old... So the difference isnt that huge.

It still sounds like a PA-50SD, even with your excellent demos (better than anything by the factory, in my opinion), but, if it is a sound you like, it's gonna work for you. Look at Fran with that ancient old G-70...it's still a beautiful sounding arranger.

I think the best bet is to use John Smies's enhancements to get the most out of a KMA...they are a bargain.

Did you use them, Donny?

Ian

Yes I have used them...when I had the KMA....honestly I wasn't impressed for whatever reasons my personal opinion only...
Has anyone else posted an A/B comparison DEMO using the KMA to these resources...I would like to listen to the exact differences "with and without" them sound & style wise ?....
I found that tweaking the KMA myself was more suited for my style of playing.

I think I'll get a KMA just so I can check out John's resources!
I wish he would get a PA3X and do all that work for it!
DonM

Ahhh...Fran still has his KMA...so you actually got the resources from John Smies, Donny.

You could do an excellent comparison recording, and let people judge for themselves...plus, you are unbiased.

Ian

Yes to answer your question Ian

Great stuff, Donny.

Ian

I thought Fran sold it. But I also thought DNJ sold his, then he didn't, then he did.
Tune in tomorrow for the next chapter of "As The Plot Sickens".

DonM

I gotta agree, and suggest John Smiles do exactly that.
It would give us all the opportunity to both hear and compare the difference for ourselves before committing, as right now,
I think factory presets sound pretty decent (as DNJ showcased in his demo), with only a few minor tweaks needed.
A side by side (factory vs John's tweaked) 'comparison demo' by John would quickly convince me to buy them or not.

What do you say John?

I'm hearing KMA map price has gone up also....should see $599.00 in stores soon....they are selling like hot cakes .

Best idea I heard so far today, Scott...I've been wanting to hear the sonic differences myself, and this would give a great opportunity for John to get people listening to his hard work on the Korg arrangers.

Or maybe Donny could use Fran's KMA and do an A/B comparison for himself, and other SZ'ers who would be interested?

Ian

Ian that's not gonna happen.... I don't have a KMA any longer & Fran wont soon either sorry.

No problem Donny...maybe John himself will do the honors?

Ian

Okay guys , don't say you did not ask for it.

I sent Donny a fair set of some of the best of my Musical Resources weeks ago. He exchanged more than 40 emails with me within a period of two weeks but for whatever reason failed to get my resources loaded.
I am not blaming him though , cause I had no Micro at my disposal and as such could not put my finger on to what went wrong.

Scott, you got a set of mine as well , do not know where it ended up.

Fran too got a full set of musical resources to try out, all without charge , have no idea what happened to them.

Bernie got one set, actually paid for it, and I am trying to get the rest across to him, cause today we finished sorting out what was the problem in loading my different sets of Resources into the MICRO.

Okay, here is the deal.
I am going to send Scott, Donny, Fran and Don M. (just in case) my full offer as announced on my webpages , see page 7. They include all of my programming over a period of 4 years on the PA50. They also include a new handwritten manual of how to go about with them.
I will send it to you via WETRANSFER in a few minutes and would ask you to give yourselves ample time to eplore them the way they SHOULD BE explored. (and it goes without saying not thru the poor speakers of the micro itself). Then I suggest one of you opens up a new thread here for evaluation purposes. If after all that you still think it ain't worth a 25 euro donation that is fine by me. If you do, cough up !

Can't do any fairer than that , can I ?

From Holland, it's goodnight for now,

regards,
John Smies

Yes Ian a simple A/B comparison as Scott Yee requested will settle the whole thing I would assume one way or the other.
Secondly wasn't it a donation vs a charge John upon audition?
I no longer have a KMA sorry.

too late, I have emailed all my resources to the aforesaid persons.
the challenge is all yours !!!!

kind regards,
John Smies

Well, Donny, they are his resources, and his hard work, so any comparisons we can actually listen to would go a long way in helping him promote these enhancements.

It may even encourage more people to buy microArrangers.

Ian

After hearing Fran's microArranger's performance here:

http://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthread...arsa#Post337739

I think it needs some kind of enhancement...perhaps we could hear what John's stuff would do, if you still have the microArranger (which you said you were keeping)?

Ian

This Micro Arranger is driving me crazy.....small keys..but I can get use to them for short periods of time..

I found a way to use a controller keyboard to play what is shown on the Micro's screen...and all the selections from the Micro's panel...

I went into Global, midi in ..selected the in channel and assigned it to "global"...Now any controller plays the Micro's panel settings...

After yesterdays demo session..comparing to the i30 and PA1x..(Micro sounded better than the i30, and as good as the PA1x)...I decided for the 3rd time....to remove it from EBAY...and yes I even had a buyer...he is going to be a un happy camper, when he comes home from work..

I know the price of the Micro will go up to $599 map...so the value will retain...besides where can you get a Korg IA sound source, speakers with stereo input jack, and a detailed arranger unit ...with 61 keys (even if they are mini)....in the $400 range....

Don't let me sell this..or offer it to anyone....again

John, I am downloading your resources as we speak. wow 40 megs.
Not saying I'm getting a micro, but just in case . . .
Rest assured I'll pay for it if I use it!
DonM

Hi John.
I can't speak for the others, but I 'never' asked for them.
You simply volunteered on your own to send them to me, and I made clear to you before you sent them, that I preferred to simply explore my microARRANGER's factory styles & performances for a while first, before even considering trying out your resource files, or anybody else's resource files for that matter.

To be honest, the other reason I've continued to hold off trying your files is that:

1) the ones you sent require not only loading your resource files bank by bank at a time, but

2) that it also 'overwrites' the Korg's factory settings as well. I realize it's possible to later restore the factory settings again, but that too is futher time consuming.

John, I hope you understand that one person's 'personal' keyboard settings probably won't sound the same on another person's keyboard, even if it's same make/model, as we each go thru a different sound source (PA/speakers) as well as the fact that personal taste (as evidenced by the constant member debates) varies widely, and the reason I usually never swap Tryos 4 Yam registrations (aka Korg performances) with my Yamaha keyboard buddies either.

Though I appreciate you volunteering on your own again sending me your complete resource set this time, to be honest, because I've now already created my own resource file setup to suit my own song repetoire & personal taste, I probably won't have time to try yours out very soon. That said, I wish you all the best in securing sz member donations for your work efforts.

Scott

John I got a chance to load the first set (your resources)...and you did some nice work on them....I will try to check out the remaining sets over the next few days....

The first set I tried are song specific..this could be great if this is the preferred way to use styles...

My personal way to use an arranger..if I want song specific, I have sequences that work better for me...When I use arranger , I need/want generic styles that fit many tunes....and at that, I prefer to turn off the auto stuff...just play bass with drum patterns and a selected group of sounds (maybe 6 sounds)..

I am sure folks that have a Micro arranger can benefit from your resources...

BTW: John , how hard is it to make a set (160 performances), from all your collection (one at a time)....I am guessing it would not be too difficult, once you log the performances you want to add as a collection....This info may be helpful to owners considering your resources...

I will mention my final thoughts after I review the rest of your work...Again...nice job ..so far..

I have John’s work for my Pa800. Coming from Technics I missed good big band styles; John’s converted Technics styles are flawless, my Pa 800 just went up a notch.

John C.

Hey the best person to do that would be John. It shouldn't be up to someone else to spend the time doing it. Besides John is the one who knows best how to use his work to improve on the factory sounds. And of course he will be the one who benefits from convincing people.

Nigel I agree 100%....I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Good Morning to you all,

Nigel,

In my view you are both right and wrong. Right in as much that I could show folks how I used my Micro (= PA50) but I did so abundantly by recording TWO CDs in my livingroom during the years I played it and put some of those up on my youtube pages. Due to health reasons it is amazing in itself I keep appearing here at all ,but I do want to.
In so far you are wrong imho that demos don't say all that much cause they are very personal. Like Ian remarked " a good tweaker is not necessarily a good player, and vice versa " . I am definitely in the first category.

Nevertheless etc.etc.etc. I sent my COMPLETE works to Don ,Scott, Donny and Fran. (Bernie has already got part of it). I spent hours making a decent manual and they have that too. And I included my complete PA collection of styles. They should be busy sorting things out and evaluating for days if not weeks...........

As to a demo, the best I can do ( and that is telling) I will simply send you the two CDs I made with the Micro in my livingroom. I guess meanwhile there are over 100 copies worldwide that were always given away by me , it has nothing to do with money . I will send you an email to explain the contents.

Scott,
You are correct in that you did NOT ask for my software. For the rest of the story I do not see eye to eye with you but heck that is your prerogative. My view is that it is silly to stick to the factory presets, my view is that my programming adds significantly to what is in the box.
And , for the record, I have also included the complete factory presets in one file that I sent to all of you. In other words you can restore it within a minute !!

The Korg story is complex. If you are not used to Korg discipline it takes some doing but it is definitely worth the effort. As to Fran's question about composing a favourite set out of all of my Resources my answer is: yes it can be done . Sometimes it is quite easy sometimes it takes some doing. I will help those along who have or will have the Micro over the next few weeks in as much as I can.

I am now sending my two CDs to all of you and if there is anyone reading this who wants them as well , just mail me: pasounds@zeelandnet.nl

kind regards,
John Smies

P.S.
I am copying this to another thread as I feel it is not about the ultimate rig anymore but heavily concentrating on the merits and faults of the Korg Micro.

I know this shows my ignorance of the Korg OS. but isn't there a way of having both factory and John's Resources for live play ?

Maybe I have been spoiled by Technics, for one, that lets me store performances(registrations) on an SD card ready for instant retreival. Or, is it because the PA50SD didn't have those capabilities ?

John's work is very good(IMO), and I certainly would keep them if I had to choose, but why do I have to be so restricted ?

Bernie,

see my response in the other thread.
http://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthread...ourc#Post338256


regards,
John

I agree with you, John. I have more than enough performances, being new to Korg.

Patience comes hard for me.
Bernie

Of course you are correct Nigel. Since John would be the one benefiting most from convincing people that his resources are worth using, he should be doing the demos, not the clients.

Ian

Scott

I got my Micro after you did, so I am in the opposite position from you. I downloaded John's Resources first and immediately began to get my gig material together, although I did go through the factory styles first.

Eventhough I wanted it all available to me at first, the quality of John's work convinced me to go ahead with his first before I start tinkering with factory styles.

My own conclusion is that at some point in time you will be missing some great styles in not audtioning them at least.

Bernie