A lot of money (can get 2 900s) but the keybed itself is worth keeping. It is the best 76 I have played.

Why I will keep:

1. Motorized screen (neck surgeries) is a blessing
2. Speaker bar (optional to take or not) is incredible in combination w/Nano
3. Keybed fabulous
4. More controls on panel
5. Vocal harmonizer
6. EC-5 Pedal (cannot believe how this would be missed since I used it extensively with my past 800).
7. Quality build and beauty

Just a few for starts. 800 stick didn't match up but they have the software work-a-round. I'm just starting over and redoing my songs anyway. Might never play out, depends on how I think I sound








Those are the main things.

I knew you'd love it Jim.
Reasons I changed: I don't care about 1, 2 and 3.
4, 5, and 7 are good enough on 900.
Yes, 6 is a big minus. I'm investigating midi foot controls as we speak.
Plus the 900 weighs 10 pounds less than the PA3X 61, and has speakers.
Costs a "little" less too.

I don't know Don, after hearing Botti's band last night and then my playing and singing - the 3X might be overkill

It took me six months to really get to know and love the PA3x. Give it a good chance!

so now what back to the Pa900? or?

How in the world can you have overkill in an arranger keyboard????

well done Zuki - I love my PA3x. the keyed is AWESOME!
that alone makes it a winner!

More than one needs, based on talent.

Awe zuki - talent always needs a challenge. :-)

The pa900 has supposedly the same keybed as the 61 pa3x version... Which is the same build of the 76 version but then with 15 keys less...

I personally however could not live with having 15 keys less.. But then ias a former organ player, i consider me more of a piano player with every day passing..

I think that is an overstatement.
I do not recall reading this on any official KORG releases or specs or even ads.

It is a true statement - the 900 and the 3X have the exact same keybed. Have owned both at the same time for comparison.

Bill G

I Owned both, and while I like the 900s bed alot, I don't believe its the same as the 3x series, and I've never seen documentation to support such a statement.

Seems like lighter action to me. But I could be wrong, I've been married three times.

I've seen it in print from Korg, but damned if I am going back searching to find it.

Me neither!

I had the 900 for 2 days and it is not in the same league as the 3x76 - don't know about the 3x61.

I think it's in the same league, maybe even on the same team, but if the 3x is Babe Ruth, then the 900 is Yogi Bera. It's missing a few things that the big bruthah has, but the stuff that it shares ... well, it goes head to head.
Granted the Harmonizer is a step behind, but still a solid hitter, and the sliders are missing, but if you're fast enough .... who needs to slide?
(OK, enough baseball metaphors)
All in all - for what you DON'T pay in dollars ... you get a solid, dependable piece that sounds fantastic and on any given Sunday .... (Sorry ... switched to football) Does a terrific job. If the 3x had built in speakers - I'd still have mine

UD ... NEVER enough baseball metaphors when you're talking Yankees ...

I agree ... the 900 is SO much board for the price ... and ESPECIALLY for what I paid for mine !!! ... and I still have so much to learn about the board ... one problem is, every time I sit down to explore and learn, I get wrapped up in PLAYING and enjoying the board ...

I just don't understand the thinking behind not having built in speakers on ANY AKB ...

Tony,
I really do wish the 3x had speakers ... I was in love with that board from the first moment. The 900 is an AWESOME second choice, but I do miss a few things.
My Korg wish list is for them to PUT BACK the guitar input WITHOUT loosing the harmonizer! PLEASE ?!?

UD ... MY KORG wish is for an XLR mic input, and separate outs for KB and mic ...
... oh yeah, also separate outs for bass and drums ...
... am I asking for too much ???

UD, to clarify, I was only referring to the keybed I just wanted 76 and that is the remarkable difference (IMO), I love everything about that 3X and finally settled in.

Going back for a moment to Dave and Tony's points, I think if the 900 had an EC5 socket and an XLR, I'd have one in front of me now.

The XLR socket is a non-factor if you get a transformer cable. I had one made, so the end jack is not so large and sticks out, but you can get around that problem with a 90 degree cable end, so it lays flat against the back of the kb.
As for pedals ... that's always going to be a personal choice. I find that 2 is all I can handle - one for sustain and one for harmony. I'm so used to triggering fills and variations with my hands - I'd rather not complicate the process by adding more bulk to the rig.
Between the 2 foot-switches, and the 3 assignable buttons ... I get all the fast change I need.

The line input would be huge, so I didn't have to use an outboard harmonizer to get the guitar, trax and vocals all through the monitor speakers. This is old news .... we've said it all before, right?

I am looking for a midi foot control pedal to use with the 900. Mic input is just a matter of changing cords.

Don,

Don't you already have a Behringer FCB1010?

I know it is more pedals than you want, but you can get by with just the lower 5 if you want.

Bill G

Thats thing is a MONSTER to carry especially if your not going to use most of it...

http://www.behringer.com/en/products/fcb1010.aspx

I bought one when I had psrs950, but I couldn't get it to do what I wanted
Plus it is pretty big and heavy. I returned it.

So is the MFC-10, but what other choices are there for a similar pedal setup that will work with the 900?

Yeah, it's a comfort-zone thing. I like five pedals - don't need that honkin' great Behringer behemoth.

Maybe I'll try midi moose. I don't know how to set up but I guess it's possible.

Dave,
I have two inputs on my PA80 . When working in school music classes I would have my mic in one of the inputs and my guitar in the other. Does the PA 900 not have the same?
God Bless,
Don

Hi Don,
Sadly, that PA80 was the last one to feature the guitar input. I really miss the option. The 800, 900, 3x etc all have stereo ins that work DRY as a line in, but if you want to use the harmonizer, the second input is rendered dead.
It's weird too, because when the 900 came out, the input did NOT shut off when a mic was plugged in, but the Korg people disabled that function with a quick OS update. Rumor on the street is because they wanted to make it MATCH THE MANUAL DESCRIPTION. Geeeze...

Thanks Dave! That is unfortunate. All the more reason to hang on to my PA 80. I just put it back to work in the Everly style song. I just wrote.
https://app.box.com/s/do44i0uz8c58m18fxvox

With my new desktop Digitech VL3D working so well I might wait for Korg's next offering.

God Bless,
Don