Korg Pa500 Demos

At $1,000 and @ 20 lbs, the Pa500 looks like a very appealing economically priced mid-weight Korg keyboard (with full sized keys) option, esp during our economic auster period.

One major appeal about it is that the Pa500 includes Korg's acclaimed 'songbook' feature whereas the KMA (Pa50/Pa80) doesn't.
This leads me to the question, priced at $1800 less than the Pa800, what features does the Pa800 have that are missing on the Pa500?

These clips demonstrate how Korg's Pa sound is dramatically different (more live & raw) than Yamaha's (studio produced & polished)

Scott,

Not the best demos we have ever seen!!!

Still scratching my head here Scott

This is from 2008

http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/017303.html

Good question Scott. Man, $1800 could buy two more PA500s probably on eBay. One to gig with, one in the studio and one in the closet. Does the PA500 not have a place to load and save more styles like my dinosaur i30, if there are 80 less styles on it?

I assume there is not a vocal harmonizer on the PA500? If so, I wonder if the Korg ih harmonizer would work with it. I already have two of them.

I used to think along the same lines. Surely such a huge difference could not be justified. After having been in limbo for four years ( before I was rather addicted to the PA50/PA80) I started out with the PA500. Within six months I sold it and got myself the German version instead, the PA500musikant. Why ? Not because I am enamoured with German schlagers etc.etc. but for the simple reason that the Musikant version held approx. 50 extra multisamples, 20 organ orientated, 10 drums samples (much better snare drums than on the standard PA500) and 20 various, inlcuding better trumpets, a meritable Les Paul etc.
The amplification of the PA500 is the first area in which the PA500 is considerably less than its PA800 counterpart, which I now have owned for well over six months. Second there is the keybed and aftertouch.
Third there is the mike in with vocaliser. Fourth there is the external sampling and Ram 64Mb memory. Fifth and perhaps most important of all the total number of multisamples is more extensive than on the PA500 and (though I have no numbers here to substantiate my claim) I think that probably the internal (multi) sample memory is probably twice the size of that on the PA500. Subsequently the PA500 has to sound less than the PA800, though it holds its own quite well and is still a steal given its price tag. Here in Europe the PA500 is about half the price of a new PA800. Whether that is worth the difference is a personal matter. I for one am extremely happy owing the PA800.

regards,
John

Diff between PA500-PA800


PA500 PA800

Styles 320 - 400
Style Loc 448 - 960
DNC sounds No Yes
Option MP3 No Yes
Amp 2x15 2x22

Certainly not anything to make one run out and buy a PA-500.

I'm sure Donny will be able to get a much better sound out of his instrument...he's familiar with the Korg OS...mmm...come to think of it, he should be getting his anytime now.

Ian

Hi Brickboo

The iH works well with the KMA so I assume it would work with the Pa500.

Regards

Col

I can't wait to hear some demos by Donny. I'm sure he'll make that instrument shine.

John I must admit, after 10 years of rebirth for me entertaining, I mostly use a jazz guitar or piano for comp along with my vocals. I have a few old R&R tunes that I layer trumpet and sax to play the original licks on like "I don't Know Why I love You But I Do" by Clarence "Frogman" Henry.

I still do not have a clue what muti-sampling and other terms in your post mean. What am I missing here? No offense, I'm really curious!

My i30 has more styles than I could use and way more sounds than I would want to use.

Saswick, maybe the ih is compatible with all Korg arrangers. Thanks for the info friends.

Korg PA 800
- Sounds - overall it has additional sounds in all categories (mostly RX sounds and alot more Synth Voices)
The main areas that shine over the PA500 are strings / voilins / EPianos / Organ and Synth Lead.
- After touch
- better key feel
- additional Assignable Slider and u can have up to 2 functions each on each slider - all customizable
- 2 Assignable switch buttons as opposed to 1 on the PA 500
- more sound and style locations
- USB storage (SD on PA 500)
- TC Helicon Harmonizer (I don't sing.. but its there)
- the DACs are much better on PA 800 (when u use the PA 500 through a mixer and external monitors - you need to put the volume alot higher for some reason. it also effects the overall quality and richness of the total sound (some might not notice it - but the overall ambiance was just a bit better when i went from PA 500 to PA 800.

In Australia - Second hand PA 500s are around $1200.00 whereas PA 800s are $1800-$2000. so its definitely cheap for PA 800s here. there are even a few PA 2Xs now under $2500.00

-Nick

It just arrived UPS 7pm.....opening boxes as we speak......looks great!!.....................

Brickboo,

No offence taken , whatsoever. In fact you have a valid point as regards sounds, not so much in quality but in numbers. I have a complete essay in my head on that subject which I will post in the next few weeks.
Anyway Nick already answered part of your question here ( I hope) , he certainly completed my summary of the differences between a PA500 and a PA800 admirably. All in all it is safe to say that the PA800 is defintely a better board than the PA500, without knocking the latter. And as he also stated the price differences are becoming smaller thanks to the introduction of the PA3X
.
Briefly getting back to Brickboo cause I do not want this thread to get off topic: There is more than 10 years difference with the i30. Hence virtually all sounds ( based on multisamples) have improved considerably due to newer sampling technics and most of all due to the fact that more sampling space (in Mb) is available on the current keyboard generations. So even if you basically only use 10 major instruments from your keyboard you will always be better off with those instruments residing in a ( fairly) recent model.......

regards,
John Smies

P.S. Nick, did you manage to audition my 2012 Resources for the PA800 in the meantime ?

Korg PA500 is a fine arranger, I'm enjoying it so far, the right choice for my needs, .....
I will make it sound great as I do with all my units. I set all my kb's up to MY specifications and edit & tweak all styles & sounds, fx settings to MY High Standards. i have never had an arranger do what I need out of the box...the factory or any third party programs can never set up styles/sounds and sts, efx, etc, to the way I use it to perform, & personally that is what makes it fun for me to create a UNIQUE sound on stage that no one else has..people have asked me in the past to take their arranger and make it sound like mine.....
I tell them do it yourself....why? because what I do should not be what you like & the way you play vs me..., and you'll be much happier to do it yourself...yes, it takes time, yes, you'll get frustrated, and yes, when finished YOU will have much greater satisfaction knowing YOU did it by yourself and your happy with the sound you created.. I would never let the factory or anyone create MY personal sound to use live on stage....everyone is different, everyone plays different,.....YOu drive the arranger....dont let it drive you..yes, ask MANY questions, ....but, do it Yourself & be proud of the result I say!