What's to like about Korg PA500?

I am considering buying another arranger. Still not sure, just thinking about it. I like the PA3x (except the dang endings ending abruptly) but it's over three grand. I can afford it but really don't care to spend that much. What about the other Korgs?

In addition to regular songs, I have two albums written about my hometown. I am not sure I want to record those albums with studio recordings due to the cost. For them, I was considering doing it on an arranger. Not all the songs, some would be guitar only.

What about PA500 (or other Korg)? What do you like about it?

It doesn't have to be Korg, could be Roland. I don't think I will buy Yamaha, bass and drums don't cut it for me.

P.S. I don't care about a lot of right hand sounds. I'd use only piano, organs, etc. Maybe occasionally an electric guitar if it was killer.

I've had the pa500 a bit over a year. Owned a pa50 and an i2 before it.

What I like the most:

*EDS sound engine (same as in Korg M3, M50, Pa800 and Pa2X)
*Touchscreen
*Songbook

Duane

Id say the PA500 sounds every bit as good as the pa800 I had also....great bang for the buck.

So ...how did it go tonight?

I didn't use a keyboard tonight.......just tracks..
I'll let you know after fri sat & sun, gigs...when Im in full gear setup on stage with the pa500..

Hi,
if considering a Korg, might be worth checking out the difference between PA800 & PA500 just to see what function one has compared to the other.
I gather there's quite a price difference.
http://www.korgpa.com/pa_root/en/products/pa800_comp.html?en

If you don't need the voice processor, why pay for it, if you don't need the sampler why pay for it.

Only thing that I noticed is, the PA500 doesn't appear to be able to use the EC5 pedal? ( optional extra) I use mine for changing variations or triggering pads. There's lots of functions that can be assigned to the 5 pedals on the board.
Strangely enough I didn't sell mine when I sold my i2 approx 15 years ago. I plain forgot about it. I was ever so pleased when I bought my pa800 that I hadn't gotten round to selling it.

Again , if you don't have use for the pedal board, PA500 may do.

oh yeah and I love the Blue color it really POPS!

While the EC5 pedal won't work with the PA500, all of the intros, endings, variations, and fills are MIDI addressable by a programmable footswitch.

Duane

Hi Duane,
such as??

Might be great for potential owners to know what's available? actually for me too ie could they work with my psr1500 for instance?

The 800 is WAY more powerful than the 500. Fingered on bass is a real problem on the 500, which in itself, is a deal killer for me. No mic input, no EC-5, no aftertouch, very limited extra banks, just to name a few. Depends on what you want.

lets not forget the Pa800 is "WAY MORE EXPENSIVE" also ..
I wouldn't use most of the features on the PA800 so why pay for it...30 KILLER custom tweaked styles is all I need to do almost any song in any genre for my needs....no need for all those banks, plus i deleted half the useless factopry styles also, so theres plenty of room for after market, converted, third party styles, etc.....my laptop covers MP3's and lyrics also if needed, never used finger on bass or do I ever use a pedal either...
PA500 is more then enough IMO...

No Fingered On Bass or pedal? Can't even imagine.........

We all have our DIFFERENT styles of playing...
what it sounds like is ALL that matters I say!

Donny old Buddy,

Whats happened to the picture you just posted of PA500 at wrinkle home, it looked good..


You just ripped the Van Wrinkle....

There was nothing contentious in it!


Your good Bud Tony

On seccond hand market overhere in Holland i can find the 500 for as low as 550 euro's. But with the alltime low econnomy, i have found 2nd hand PA800 as low as just over 900 euros (with build in MP3 board) and even a PA2X for just under 1200 euros...

With those prices i would seriously consider the PA800

I will always do MY OWN setting up, tweaks, edits on any KB I own...

You said:
Id say the PA500 sounds every bit as good as the pa800

Wrong, John C.

That depends on the players talents...

Zuki said: "The 800 is WAY more powerful than the 500. Fingered on bass is a real problem on the 500, which in itself, is a deal killer for me."




All Pa series have the exact same Chord Recognition Mode and are described identically in the manual (I checked the pa500 and Pa3x's manual). The Pa500 has the Bass Inversion feature which is the same you call Fingered On Bass

Rikki if you use any Midi device that can send Program Change messages you can set one of the Pa's Midi In channel in the "Control" mode and you will control remotelly many functions such as Intros, Variations, Breaks, Start/stop etc

Yes, fingered on bass is there, but it is very quirky. Sometimes, a simple triad does not take, you have to actually use 4 notes. Frustrating and believe me, I worked on that extensively in every finger mode - not good.