I had my 1st PA3x gig on Thanksgiving day.....
received the unit only a few days before,....

Well it went better then expected, as your always apprehensive using something new on stage until you get used to it,.....
I just needed to hear it at full performance vol, although for the last few days I have played thru my Pa system in the house its not the same as on stage performing.....I made some needed MAXX Audio adjustments to EQ the Mix and baby the PA3x was sounding amazing!! It really sounds so live,with a pro quality resonance which I really like....I love it, it sounds very close to the Audya when I auditioned it with AJ IMO......I can't wait to play again on tomorrows gig...and then at a nightclub dinner gig also Saturday night, wanna use it in different scenarios to adjust things,..................
I got the whole CUSTOM songbook synced to styles, factory, & third party ones that I tweaked,....made a few adjustments here and there, RH sounds, sts, pads, EQ, etc,I was good to go,...that took about two whole days of editing I'd say 20 hrs total, most of the Songbook typing was already done from the PA500,.......The TC Helicon vocal processor is just Amazing, best tracking VH unit I ever used for sure, Uncle Dave gave me some MIC/VH settings to get started..I'll make final tweaking adjustments as I play on stage in real time as I go along, only way to get it right,... I assigned one of the switches to TXT Down which is nice if you ever need lyrics. I find a few buttons are in different places vsv the pa500 but just have to get used to where they are positioned. Touch screen works very well, accurate and responsive,. I was in heaven setting up with only the KB ,Powered Mackies, X Stand, Mic, & a few wires,....compared to carrying & hooking up my Laptop, Mixer, wire box, etc,....I set up in less then 5 min this was one of the major reasons for the "ALL IN ONE" Pa3x for my needs!!
The editing abilities and many of the other features, SEQ, Backing Track recorder, front USB, Dual Mp3 player, Metal construction, Sliders, Knobs, Small footprint, DNC, etc, just adds to my enjoyment.

I'm very happy with the Kb so far and hope to have many enjoyable gigs in the future, I'm not a fan of pedals but might even decide to get the MC5 pedal like I had with the Pa800 to maximize the playing experience & activate features,.....just a joy to play,

To be continued.......

Please feel free to add YOUR own PA3x Experiences also.
___

I also forgot to mention that the keybed and action is very enjoyable to play, key length, very responsive, solid, and just enough push back to make fast runs & expressive playing a pleasure.

Yesterday I played another gig with the PA3x ans as expected I was happy with my MAXX Audio EQ adjustments that I made on the previous gig. Each day let's me get more familiar with the Pa3x and more comfortable playing it, navigating, exploring, etc,..
I have a 32G USB mini Thumb-drive in it with songs also....I was able to try one mp3 during my show & play along with it also, ...it was easy to get to and start, sounded great, linked lyrics .TXT files work perfect if needed & searches thru mp3's almost instantly. I am really enjoying having EVERYTHING On-board again & carrying much less gear to shows..

Last night I played a High End Ritzy Country club restaurant/bar gig...first 3 hours easy listening Dinner music, last hour there was a wedding ending Upstairs in the banquet room & when it was over the party hearty came into the bar for a night cap. It gave me a chance to switch up the pace from live arranger style play and get to try out the dual Mp3 player to keep the High Energy going for a while so the bar could cash in on the business.
It was easy to search for songs and segue between both players, not as fast to navigate as using my laptop but definitely viable in the right situation or when using the KB alone on small gigs.
The Pa3x is a powerhouse arranger & I haven't begun to tap into it's many features, but in time I'm sure i will.......

To Be Continued......

nice mate....Im slowly slowly getting use to it still...Im still thinking maybe to get the tyros 4...:(

What are your experiences with the pa3x so far?

For me today I spend almost 6 hours trying to tame this beast and get my custom songbook repertoire completed and tweak every song STS levels to perfection for my needs,....
lets say you have 10 songs all using the same style in your songbook..........you tweak one of them to your liking adjusting STS sounds, vol levels, etc, etc, saving each one as I go along .. when done I then again go the the Sb and save the STS, in Sb edit & list edit..........now sometimes when I go try to select these songs from my custom list to make sure they are right .....they don't retain the levels I assigned???/and i have to do it all over again.....plus I have to do this for each of the ten songs i use the same style for....is there a way too globally edit the style so I can use it over and over again the same way?

Use Style Recorder and save the edited version with a new name.
DonM

Ah ha.......that makes sense Don.....I'll try it later and save it to user......fingers crossed.

Also bear in mind that the style recorder (which is actually accessed via the sequencer mode) does NOT store patch settings or individual volume tweaks, but it will allow saving to a user slot where you can do these edits and save them.

You can also circumvent this by editing the style in the main window (accessing the tabs at the bottom to get to the mixer screen) and then if you select "Save Current Style Performance" from the little drop down menu arrow at the far top right of the screen, this will then allow the saving of the style to a user slot as well (or the favourites banks).

Of course if you have the Factory Style and Sound Protect set to off, you can also overwrite the original Factory slot as well

But if you are using the same style with edits for different songs I would not recommend it....it can be done but is a little more convoluted than simply saving to a user slot.

Dennis

Dennis ...all i want to do is edit a style, factory or third party etc.....tweak it with STS vol, sounds etc....save it and REUSE IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN......"WITHOUT" having to do anything to it , except maybe transpose the key...and then save & use it it in my custom song list. I hope I'm making sense.?

Yep...in that case follow plan B..,

Simply select the Volume tab (along the bottom) the use the Track Select hardware button (bottom left of the screen trim) to switch to the parts view, change your sounds for tracks, change your volume levels -then press the little down arrow (top right of the screen) select the Write Style Settings, select a user slot (or a favourites slot) ok, ok....done!

Then you need to adjust your Songbook entry for the song to link to the amended style location. You can also follow the same procedure for the STS for the style and if you also want to save an edited performance with the style.

Seems like you want to have a few different tweaks for many different styles and songs, so my strong recommendation is to ensure all locks are set to off in the Global section. By doing this you can be sure ANY tweaks you make to a style will always be recalled, including an effects editing you might also do...

These locks have no effect on the Performance, Slot 1 that gets loaded by default...Unless you accidentally overwrite it!!! (easy to do and I have done so on quite few occasions!!! )

Ok Dennis and this will also once renamed and save to a user slot SAVE STS sounds and Vol levels also for reuse.. correct?

except for performance slot #1 which I have my default setup on power up ...I NEVER use performances slots for anything .....I only use the custom SB list and user slots for styles..

Look I think i'm just being a wimp and need to get my head around the whole board still....Some issues with volume settings ect..sometimes parts are just louder than others always trying to set it right with the sliders...

I dont think I will sell....Need more time on the thing!

I agree it has to be TAMED!!!...
like a wild stallion but once it is WOW!!!

Simple. After doing your edits, do DROP DOWN MENU > Save current style settings.

But if its a factory style, you can either overwrite it (after unlocking), or, save in style creator as user style, exit, THEN make your edits and "save current style settings"

Hope I made myself clear.

EDIT: JUST REALIZED THIS WAS ANSWERED ALREADY!

Yep that's it

Remember that STS settings in themselves can make changes so ensure these area as you want them too...

Once in a user slot the style will load exactly as saved. If you have the locks applied then these can get over-ridden by Global Style Setup settings and the like. It is why I recommend removing all locks if you are going to do a song by song setup as you are..

Takes a lot longer to setup your Songbook and style base but is really only a "once" job...

Also correct do NOT change your Perf 1 as it is this that you use to have all your basic load-up settings in...

For example if you have the one mic setting for all songs, and by this I mean you don't chop and change the TC preset on a per song basis, then simply do this and save it to the STS and to the Perf 1, then "lock" the mic settings..it will then stay the same for every song or style you do. I don't as I do use various Helicon setups depending on the song....

Dennis

Thanx everyone I will try these suggestions asap......
I appreciate the help that's what the forum is for...

UPDATE:.....just to let everyone know ...IT WORKED!!!
brought style into RECORD mode, ..renamed and saved style in user slot,...made vol, edits, SB adjustments, etc, re-saved....and now I can use each style over and over for many songs without reediting over and over......you guys are the best Thank you to Dennis M, Don M, Shim, and everyone else who contributed to the thread.
Now I can continue setting this baby up for My needs...

....to be continued as I go along.

Yesterday was a good productive day off sitting hear while it was snowing out I used the time to advance my Custom Songbook setup and just about finished for now....I was even able to add my Xmas repertoire with included Jingle Bells PADS, now I'm ready for the holiday gig season.The conversion from PA500 to Pa3x was pretty straight forward, once I got help from people & figured out some of the procedures to revolve some of my "HUMAN error" hold-backs.Most of the changes were in the style vol levels & sound assignments being the PA3x has so many more then the Pa500 to select. The MAXX Audio suite EQ really brings the Pa3x alive, very impressed with the punch this KB gives overall now.I increased the Overall Output 2db and run the run the KB at about 65% to leave headroom to increase with the slider controls if needed while performing. For a short while I was getting very frustrated and second guessed myself, but, with a little help from my friends & some patience, I am now very happy overall with my purchase & look forward to continuing to take my music & Pa3x to another level on stage into the next year for sure.

Dnj

didn't you own the Audya or A5 recently? you seel it?
i can't remember

if so, what do you think of your PA3X in comparison?

where do you play in NJ? i'm in Newark area

I was in La when I first heard the Audya.....then only demoed the Audya with AJ in DE when it was introduced......truthfully I think they are pretty close in many ways sound wise, they both have that LIVE sound to them vs Yamaha units which have a more compressed Cd like sound but also very good just different...
I gig mostly in South Jersey & Philly. I ued to live in Newark also north ward and occasionally gig up north NJ and SI/Bklyn/NYC etc, also..

I owned an Audya for a year and a half, and now own a PA3X. They both are outstanding instruments and it would be hard to go wrong with either one.
The Audya has Audio drums and guitars and as such sounds like a live band playing, even the non-audio styles and drums. The Korg sounds more live than Yamaha, somewhere in between.
Both have outstanding vocal harmonizers and processors. I think overall I prefer the Audya's, but it's a close call there.
I prefer the lead guitar sounds from the Audya. Most of the lead sounds are excellent on both. Yamaha, which is not really in this discussion, imo, has better lead sounds than either.
I prefer the Audya operating system, although the Korg Songbook feature is really great. Korg has touch screen but both have multiple buttons and switches, both fixed and programmable and are wonderful for live play.
I had zero problems with Audya. I have had one problem with Korg and I have been waiting for a part, under warranty, for almost three months.
In short, I am proud to have owned both of these wonderful arrangers. You can't go wrong with either choice, if you have a dealer who will stand behind you just in case of trouble. When I bought my Korg, neither Frank nor George had one and didn't know when they were coming. I needed to purchase before the end of the year, so I bought it from a reputable on line dealer at a great price, with 45-day return available. My problem developed after 7 months and the dealer said he tried but couldn't do anything except ask them to hurry. I guess that didn't work.
I have decided to sell the Korg out of spite. I know it is and will continue to be a top of the line arranger with all the features I need or want, but I'm old and stubborn so will move on, to a PSRS950 for now. Who knows what later, maybe Ketron, maybe nothing. The audience doesn't know the difference.
DonM

thanks Don, Dnj

i have the Audya4 module, have had it for just over 2 years
i LOVE the Audya, so i'm now gonna buy the Audya5, (maybe should have gotten it from the start)

then i'm gonna sell my A4, or i'll have to foreclose on my house lol

Good choice with the A5....let us know about your progress afterwards!!

Should I become disenchanted with the Yamaha, Audya would be on my radar. Good choice.
DonM

Hi everyone reporting back,....... Yesterday after my gig I can now truly say that I love the KORG pa3x & I am so glad i bought one. I would say that after some intense diligent editing and setting up the KB, Songbook, Sounds, Styles, Efx, etc, to MY liking that I have "FULL" confidence in this KB now to perform with it to the best of my ability using this unit. It is not an out of the box unit by any means but, that is a good thing. I want to be able to custom tailor it to my needs and this KORG arranger lets you do that to the fullest degree possible with so many editing features to mold the sound & set up navigationally any which way you desire. There is a difference between the Pa500 & Pa3x in regards to the Quality & Richness of the sound offered with the Pa3x, instruments can be heard heartier and more robust to a more "LIVE" "REAL" sound degree with more OOOMPH !! Probably due to better Samples & Rom I don't know but, I know one thing,...........I'm enjoying performing with it! ....I'm 90% done editing & heading into my Xmas gig season and I'm sure by years end & after all these gigs coming up it will be 99% done.If your thinking of the KORG PA3x..GO FOR IT!!

To be continued........

Additionally I am happy to report the problem with the continued Lingering Pads playing after the style ends for an extra bar or so has been fixed!....
I don't seem to hear this problem on the Pa3x vs the Pa500/Pa800, etc,...

Last few gigs I'm starting to notice that many of the PA500 factory styles,...sound "much better" using the same factory Pa3x styles,..bass slides, Brass stabs, Ambient drum kits, & many different things going on within the styles that I didn't hear on the Pa500....better variation progression and much cleaner fills also...I can understand why as the Pa3x has more deeper sound structures DNC, RX, Etc, & style abilities to show off,....it sound amazing. I haven't tried the CS yet, but will fiddle with it down the road. Display brightness adjustment is a nice feature also.

To be continued.....

Well today I bought myself another Xmas present...even with my dislike of using pedals,I bought a new KORG EC5 for my PA3x, it just arrived FEDEX,......I had one before for my PA800 a few years ago but figured, to control many of the features within this power house KORG Pa3x Arranger KB I should get another pedal, VH, Fills, etc,etc,...... there are so many assignments you can make for the 5 switches, ...
I'll put it to good use as I go long.....

to be continued....

It's getting pretty cold down here in Hell... Someone light a match!

With almost 20 gigs under my belt so far using the KORG PA3x I know I made the right choice!... WOW!! is all I can say!!
I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what this incredible Arranger KB can do as I had to rush into the Xmas season and perform with it in a mere week. But come January after the holidays when I have more time I will dig deeper and explore the OS even further, try the CS feature, and see where all this takes me. I'm learning new things every time I play it, I'm proud of my patience and desire to learn more as I was stuck in that "MOTL" mode for a while..lol...more to come...

Ha bloody ha! Try a foot and a half of snow and minus 20 up here in the Great White North this morning. Can't worry about that, though. Got to fire up the huskies and get to two gigs today.

While you are at it Donny.....try the sustain pedal too..

Pedals - Donny don't need no stinking pedals!

Gary

I tried the ec5 at my first gig today......not a great fit using the apex stand as the legs and pedal plug conflict to get a good position.....might be better using my X stand we will see.........all I really need is a single pedal for VH on/off....or maybe use the ec5 for recording.....I don't know yet..just like the CS......its not for me.......time will tell.....I'll try again tonight.

Give it a chance. You're an old dog who needs to learn some new tricks. You can control CS with it too!
Put VH on/off on #1, put Break/Fill on #3, and what ever else you might use on the middle three.
I still use separate sustain pedal most of the time.
You have to get used to it, then it will be second nature.
DonM

I'll try again tonight at my gig......thanx.....it is certainly weirdto use vs my fingers

It's going to take time. Took you how long to learn ten fingers?

And yes, I'd recommend a separate sustain pedal. Put that where your right foot rests, put the EC5 where your left foot rests. Most of the switches in multi-switch units aren't designed for the same continuous usage that sustain pedals get, and also are placed higher up from the floor, making resting your heel on the floor and operating the switch more difficult.

I still feel 5 switches ain't enough. Once you get used to using your feet for Variation changes (with auto fill), that's going to tie up 4. Then Chord Sequencer's 2 (far better than the double button press the front panel makes you endure) and VH on/off (and you probably will need that a bunch) and even 7 get tied up quickly.

Just think... most organists had NO problem, with a bit of practice, running 12-24 'switches' to play basslines. Getting used to hitting a mere 5 occasionally will be a doddle.

Donny ... maybe these will help

Round two and still undecided.....

Fran Pianos/E Pianos are my least used RH sounds when I play,..... sorry but pedals hold me back from performing the way I like to,....some love them,....but I'm not one of them.
I'm not a "two hand Piano full keyboard arranger KB player",
I much rather use my fingers for Live navigation changes, fills, etc,..everyone has their own style of playing.
One On/Off is enough pedal for me, ..
I'll stick with what works FOR ME! There are NO rules..

As an example:..This setup pictured that I found is NOT for me at all ...keeping my knees together is SO uncomfortable while playing with a pedal setup like this, ....I like to spread my legs very wide & sit very low in the chair,...this leg configuration, with the Spider or Apex KB stands that I have limits where you can put the EC5 pedal....

I only use 2 pedals ... one to turn the VH on/off, the other a sustain pedal ... I use a Quik Lox X stand and the VH pedal is just outside the stand on the left and the sustain is just outside the stand on the right ... I position it so I can rest my foot on the base leg of the stand and just apply a little toe pressure on the pedal for sustain ... comfy for me ...

The setup in the pic would be very uncomfortable for me as well ...

Yeah, that's a horrible setup in the photo. Like yourself, Tony, I use a single X stand with my EC5 in the centre and it's gaffer-taped to the floor. I use the far right pedal on the EC5 for sustain and never had a problem with it.

If you find yourself somewhere where you can't gaffer down your pedals, that rubberized non-slip matting they make for kitchen shelves:
works very well to stop pedal 'creep'! Just cut to the appropriate size...

Donny, are you wedded to having the volume pedal at your left foot? If you can get away with it on the right (generally, if I'm doing organ, I'm not using the sustain pedal at the same time) then bring the EC-5 further to the left and bring the expression pedal over to next to the sustain (maybe on the outside). That's how I set mine up.

Admittedly, the stand isn't helping. Maybe a move to an X-stand will give you room to get them further apart?

I realize it is jury riggin, but, when I was using my Apex, I made two small ramps with notches cut out for the legs. It made a small incline, but, it was secure, and worked very well.

Bernie although I would never use or carry more stuff Luke a ramp I would love to see your design.

Diki that is not my setup....but just an example picture.

I don't like the Spider stand...the PA800...or the pedal set up.......and I also dislike the carpet..

^ Bah, humbug!

Diki: I've tried a couple of those non-skid mats but, well, I must be leaden footed.

BOSS FS6

This is more my style pedal..

Got a picture of yours, then? We might be able to help...

Diki,..Kinda late for that, But additionally on the PA3x I love that the rear inputs are off to one side so that the column Apex Pro stand I use doesn't block anything well thought out by KORG! also the Fader feature works with Mp3's...