Hi everyone, I just took delivery of my new PA900 and have a few questions.
1. Is a Performance similar to Yamaha Registration? If so, why are they named like sounds? It seems if I press a performance like Jimmy Organ, all the instruments in the style Sts change too.... Is that right?
2. If I just want to change UP1, 2 or 3 while playing a style or song, can I do that? How?
3. Is My Setting just like one Performance, but I get to set it up? So it's just one UP1,2,3 and Low; or are the 4 of them, like an STS?

Thanks in advance. Once I get the hang of this OsS I think I'll enjoy every minute of my new main board.

Performance can be whatever you want it to be.. Like registrations on Yamaha. You can onlu use it for sounds or it can call up styles with all the settings too.
You choose UP1,2,3 same like on Psr.
Your setting is like a performance. It's the first thing you want when you turn on your keyboard.

Hello

You also can "re-program" the STS For Each style (OTS in Yamaha lingo), and in the Korg arrangers, is saved actually on the Factory style unlike the Yamaha that has to be saved as User Style. This allows you to customize your sounds, and also if you change some parameters like EQ, Volume, etc. that would also be saved on the Style, if you wish no to do "Performances"=Registrations.

The Performances are the equivalent to Registrations, and they have a unique feature, the "Lock" (Icon is actually a Lock) that locks ONLY the Tempo, just be careful, because if you change style the Tempo would remain if the Lock is engaged.

I use the Performances to have instant access to my go-to sounds.
I use Songbook where I would have used registrations in Yamaha.
It is a very powerful and versatile tool!
Wish I could sit down with you for an hour or so and you would quickly be up to speed.

Also on the STS that you may program can include EQ, FX, and if you may use the Duo, Block, etc...the melody on chord, etc....

I've slept on it and some of this is a bit clearer, thanks. So now, a couple more questions.

1. Can you not use the drawbars live? It seems they are only used to edit sounds.
2. Using just one player, can you load another song while the first is playing.

What helped me understand some of these questions was my brief experience with the Micro Arranger. They were some of the items that hung me up back then.

Cass,
Give me a call. 318965nine7five8

Organ drawbars can be accessed by either picking one of the Organ Performances that start with DWB, or press Organ sound group in Sound Select menu, then press the sound name from the main screen. It opens up the screen where you can change footage, leslie speed, percussion, etc.

As far as pre-loading sequences, I suppose that is best done by using the second player.
Another way is to load the songs you want to play into a directory, in the order you want them to play, then select Play All. They will automatically play in order. Sort of a jukebox function that is not really explained anywhere that I can see.

Plus one even though I'm using the Pa3x not the PA900

cass... a couple of quick tips ...

1) If you are playing a style and want to choose a sound from the Performances, make sure the style change indicator is OFF, otherwise your style will change along with the voice ...


2) If you want to go from one SMF or mp3 to another, as Don said, that is best done using both players ... You can be playing an SMF in Player 1, press Player 2 on the screen, go to your song book (either on the on-board disk or USB drive - I always use a USB drive) find the song you want and hit select ... it will load into Player 2 ... when you want to start playing it, you just press the Player 2 'Play' button (make sure you move the
player volume slider to Player 2)...
that allows you to go from one song directly into the next with the use of the player volume slider (like a DJ [cough, cough ] might) ...

If you are playing a song in Player 1 and go to your song book to find another song, once you hit select that song will load into Player 1 and the current song will stop playing ... you will then have to hit the Player 1 play button for the new song to start ...

I will be christening the 900 tomorrow; wish me luck. I haven't added anything to the Songbook yet and all my style songs are marked in grease pencil in my folder. SMFs are loaded on USB just like in the Yammy. Haven't practiced with the harmonizer, but feel confident it will work as I expect.

It's only for an hour, but I'll have a good read on the pros and cons of the board and my needs for more prep.

You wrote on the display with a grease pencil?

Good luck with the christening tomorrow,

Gary

Go to it cass ... I'm sure you will love it ... just go easy on the VH until you've had a chance to try some of them out and do some EQ ...

Well, I made it thru the hour and the audience liked the entertainment. I wasn't that pleased with myself. Luckily, I reset all my style song so I was well prepared to cover the hour with styles only - which is exactly what I had to do. I couldn't seem to get my SMFs loaded properly, so a good part of my regular repitroire was unavailable. I kept the VH quiet and basically only tried to use it a few times.

I need to work on loading my songs better. I want to see the STSs on the bottom of the screen most of the time; I was weak on that. I've got to that chapter on pedal outs again. I don't know if I'll need my expression pedal with the way the organ sounds are set up, and I want to use a pedal switch to either. Move thru the styles or cut the VH in and out.

I think my years of experience got me thru this one today. I've got a few more sessions before I'll feel confident using all the features, but I do like this keyboard.

One last question or two. Is there a replacement songbook that has the correct titles? Can I make a new songbook or selected list from scratch? Thanks.

If only I knew...

Got a brand new board and bag, but longing for the s950. I've read and experimented and even been successful at making the the Pa900 follow my wishes. But, I'm thinking the s950 does a few things I like better. Let me tell you:

The helicon VH is not as good as my Harmony M, definitely not as good as the G70. So far I'm very disappointed.
The upper voices 1,2,3 are not as easily accessible as the buttons on the s950.
It doesn't seem possible to assign an expression pedal to only one upper voice.
I'm still struggling with the dashboard layout. That I can overcome. But, WTH were they thinking when they tied STS to sound selection? What a Pain in the ass.

I'm stuck with this board for now. I'll continue to work with it and I will get better at maneuvering around. I may even get to really like it, BUT for now I'd be seriously tempted to contact the buyer of my s950 and see if he'd like to trade it back. I'll be looking very intently at any new successor of the s950.

Sorry to hear that Cass.... Good luck getting back the s950

Hi Cass

Check your manual!

As an example, imagine you have a Piano sound assigned to
Upper 1, and a Strings sound assigned to Upper 2. If you turn
the Expression switch on on Upper 2, and off on Upper 1, you
can use a continuous pedal to control only the Strings’ volume,
while the Piano remains unchanged.

STS are sound selections do you mean variations linked to sound selections. This can be changed using the STS mode button.

This button turns the Single Touch and Variation/STS Link
functions on or off.

On -- When a different Style (or the same again) is
selected, a Single Touch Setting (STS1) is automatically
selected. The Keyboard sounds and effects will change, along with the Style sounds and effects. Pad sounds will change too.

Flashing -- Variation/STS Link function activated. This function
makes each Variation recall the corresponding
STS when selected. For example, select
Variation 2, and STS 2 will be automatically
recalled; select Variation 3, and STS 3 will be
automatically recalled.

Off -- When you select a different Style (or the same
again), the Style sounds and effects will change,
as well as Pad sounds. The Keyboard sounds and
effects will not change.

Hope this helps

I have just acquired a PA800 which works in pretty much the same way. There is a renamed songbook I'll see if I can find it for you.

Col

The only one that for which there is not apparent fix is the missing sound select buttons. I find it a little inconvenient to have to use the touch screen for that.
Actually I almost always use the Performance banks to change sounds anyway. Just be SURE the Style Change light is off or you will be surprised when the style changes too!

Donny, I'm going to plugging away at it. I was surprised just how well the s950 held its value, and I sold it at a bargain price to a fellow SZer. I feel if I want to go back, the only thing hing that will affect the price would be a newer model. It's still a great board.

Col, thanks for that advice, I'll try it today. The STS stuff I understand, I guess I worded that part inaccurately.

Does anyone know what SOUND DEVICE means? I noticed that I can use an expression pedal to control SD 1 or 2. It seems I can also use one of the assignable switches to turn SD 1 or 2 on or off.

I'm still dedicated to making the 900 my best board.

Hi Cass

Attached a zip file containing a renamed songbook. You may have to re-map some of the styles as the locations in the later models are different.

IMPORTANT:

Make sure you back up before loading the songbook set.


Best I can do:

Col

Cass keep us posted on your Pa900 progress. Ask away many knowledgeable people to help you here.
Exactly how are you using the Pa900 on stage, styles, SMF, etc or?.. that would help people advise you better.

Cass,

I know where you're coming from, a few years back I went from a PSR3k/Tyros2 to a Korg PA800, then the Pa2xPro, it did the job but I missed Yammie, then went to s900 then s910, Pa3x, then Tyros4. The plan was to sell the Pa3x never did, kept it then went T5 ( Amen for Frankieve ). Thought of selling the Pa3x, but somehere along the line took a real liking to the Korg Pa3x and wouldn't part with it. Some times I use the T5 on a gig sometimes the Pa3x. Seems somewhere thru the years I got to prefer the Pa3x on gigs, but still enjoy the T5.

SONGBOOK!! It's terrific!

FYI, I like to use a mix of 75% smf and 25% styles. Of course, I have and will do 100% of either, but I prefer my smf. This Korg may make me shift to more styles simply because they seem to fit my song selections better.

Once I get a handle on some of these controllers I'll tackle the Songbook. It certainly seems more powerful than on the Yamahas.

I think if I give it some time, I will like the Pa900.

cass ... When I first went from a 'lifetime' of technics KBs to KORG, at first I found it very daunting to learn the OS and the 'intricacies' of the pa series ... once I got past the learning curve, I loved it ... I am sure you will too, and there certainy is a wealth of KORG knowledge on this board, so just ask ...

For a newbie question, does anyone have a suggestion for a lively saxophone sound more suited to a rock song? There are many soft patches that sound great for lighter songs, but even the patches with growl in the name seem to be very soft.

Would there be several sounds that would layer together for something like this, from 2:20-2:40.


Or does anyone here know how to create and add samples to the PA900?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Well, of course, Clarence (Big Man) Clemons cannot be duplicated ...
that said, for a growl sound for RnR tunes, I've used various combinations of Tenor Growl, Baritone Growl, and Jazz Tenor ... sometimes all three at once ... I think the Jazz Tenor might have more of a growl than the Tenor Growl ... also, play around with the EQ and EFX settings ...
If YOU find a way to do it, let us know ...
thanks

How much time do I have to give this? Every time I sit down to do some editing, it doesn't seem to stay. Is it only applied to the Sound or STS I'm working on?

I'm open to an offer. I've got a great new bag and a 15ft cord To go with it. At this point I'll happily go back to the s950.

How much time do I have to give this? Every time I sit down to do some editing, it doesn't seem to stay. Is it only applied to the Sound or STS IM WORKING ON?

I'm open for a offer. I've got a great new bag and a 15ft cord Togo with it. At this point I'll happily go back to the s950. [/quote]

Cass sorry to hear the Pa900 isn't working for ya .....it's not for everybody....so what's next, the NEW Ketron SD7 could be a great fit?

cass ... what editing are you trying to save that you can't ?

I was having a listen to some of the saxophone sounds again, and heard something that may work on a patch called Jazz Tenor RX.
I see in the sound mode one of the multisamples is a growl sound. I was trying to tweak the velocity and the output levels, with not much luck so far.

I mostly use Tenor Sax 3 DNC, the octave up effect can work without reaching for the assign switch. This is useful for me while I am playing live, as I keep a hand free to play on a second keyboard. I was hoping someone could help show me how to add this growl layer on to Tenor Sax 3 DNC.

I use that Tenor Sax 3 DNC patch a lot too. I have a pretty good growl sax saved in a Performance. I'll try to see where it came from.