Korg Pa5x & Fender Stratocaster - GAS

[Biggles]

At long last I am back with an Arranger.

The Korg Pa5X will do everything I will ever need in a keyboard (and in reality it does way more that my limited keyboard skills require) hence it is the last keyboard I intend to buy.

Pairing it with a set of Yamaha HS5 powered speakers although for the sake of my Wife’s peace of mind I usually play wearing headphones.

Double whammy as I have also got a Fender Stratocaster after umming and erring for a couple of years, only added a Zoom G1X Four to the Strat to give the effects I want in one does it all, pedal.

Once powered up, the first set of actions:-
Format the new 250Gb USB memory stick and set up a Folder system
Create a Backup KST file.
Then it was playtime.

;-)

 

[happyrat1]

There goes the grandkids' college fund

 

[Biggles]

What college fund?

 

[happyrat1]

What college fund?

I guess collecting the dole is a career choice

 

[happyrat1]

Btw, that's a sexy looking beast.

Any plans to record and post?

 

[Rayblewit]

Congratulations Col.
I guess we won't be hearing from you for quite a while!
Enjoy the learning curve.

.

 

[Biggles]

I guess collecting the dole is a career choice

Not with the Grandson, he is smart but has a short attention span unless a game controller is in his hands.

Tough being a 14 year old today.

 

[Biggles]

Whilst the OS is similar to the baby Pa that I had this one is amazing.

All backups done, all the files are presently being transferred from my PC to the 256Gb USB drive I got for the 5X.

Thank goodness I do not have to carry it anywhere, it nearly killed me getting it from the car boot to my Boys Toys room. It is built like the you know what!

The keybed feels great, a Korg with a decent keybed, who would have thought. Its semi weighted and feels like midway between the keybed on the Numa Compact 2x and a PH4 hammer action so I am having to use more finger pressure than I have been used to.

I have a month to get the OS cracked and to get the User Registrations sort before I have the enforced layup, but I could not wait the Music Store did a great deal on the keyboard and the Yamaha HS5 powered speakers. I’ve played a 5x through a pair of HS8 in another store and they sounded awesome hence going for the HS5’s seemed a no brainer. Tomorrow is set up day for them and the USB drive I wrote about will have a lot of commercial music that I can play to fine tune the setup for a nice flat curve.

 

[Rayblewit]

hammer action so I am having to use more finger pressure than I have been used to.

I trust the arthritic knuckles are up for the challenge.

 

[Biggles]

Good grief, the Pa5X is a beast, I’ soon learned that I had forgotten so much about how to use a Korg OS that all I have done this last week is watch the Video Manual tutorials and follow along replicating what Steve McNally is showing in the videos.

I’m enjoying playing it although the semi weighted keybed is slightly heavier in use than the Numa was so that is taking getting used to.

Playing it through the Yamaha HS5 speakers and unlike my prior Korgs it sounds fantastic right out of the box, no need to do any tweaking of settings.

The Keyboard sets are stunning, but the individual sounds are also available.

My finger tips are sore though, its five years since I played a guitar and it shows. Also got a Zoom G1X Four multi effects pedal board to go with the Strat, only 50 preset locations available but that is enough for my needs, sure beats a floor full or pedals.

 

[happyrat1]

So how are you doing with it 2 weeks later?

Feeling any buyer's remorse?

 

[Biggles]

No remorse Gary.

Just spending time going over and over the controls and saving tweaked Styles and keyboard sets into the Songbook for quick recall.

It really is a beast and sounds great, I cannot understand why anyone spends this sort of cash then shells out another 250 Euro on a sound pack.

The heavier key action is taking some getting used to compared to the Numa but my base practice routine is getting used to having to press a bit harder.

Best of all I plug in my Stratocaster go into the 5x and the use the available Guitar Presets and there is one for The Shadows so with that selected I’m in my element playing Wonderful Land, Apache, Foot Tapper, Pipeline etc. Plenty of other presets including one that when I play Little Green Bag sounds pretty good, all I need is a dark suit, shades and a pork pie hat and we are away.