No harmony on the PA1000

[cmuston]

I have been having a heck of a time getting the vocal harmonizer to work on the PA4X while I am playing a style. I can get harmony when I am not in style play but as soon as I start a song I cannot get the harmonizer to harmonize. I use the ECB foot switch also and it does turn the harmonizer on and off.. Any suggestions from the forum team?

Chuck
USA, Ohio

 

[Biggles]

Suggest unplugging the footswitch and try initiating the Harmony by pressing the Harmony button on the keyboard.

Please try this and let us know the outcome.

 

[cmuston]

Thanks for the advice. I tried, still no harmony. I don't know if changing the small battery in the back of the keyboard will help.

 

[cmuston]

One more thing. After turning on the keyboard I turn on the harmonizer, press down on the keys, hum into the mic and get harmony. As soon as I go into style mode, no harmony.

 

[delaware dave]

The second physical knob on the panel can be set to raise or lower the volume of the vocal harmonies while the style plays. Do you have this knob turned up?

 

[cmuston]

It is set at 12 o'clock

 

[Biggles]

Chose a Style that you intend to use the Harmony with.

Save it to Songbook, then modify the Keyboard Sets and Pads that you want to use and Save it again.

Turn off the Pa, wait, turn it on and go to Songbook and select the saved song.

Does it play as it did before you shut down the Pa?

If it did go to page 540 on the Pa1000 manual and follow the instructions exactly, when finished save the Song.

Select a different Song, play a bit of it the go back and load the saved Song.

Play it.

 

[cmuston]

I really appreciate your counsel. FYI. How stupid a person can get when they age, I'm 85. I thought I said my problems are on the Korg PA4X. I sent the Korg PA1000 back to the store.
Yesterday, after I tried everything else about no harmony on the PA4X, I decided to change the battery on the back of the keyboard. Low and behold there is now harmony again. We'll see how long it lasts. Again, so sorry for the confusion.

Thank You

 

[Biggles]

Glad you are all sorted.

The button cell is supposedly just for maintaining the clock, sounds like it resets something when it is replaced.

 

[cmuston]

I got on the keyboard a while ago and ran through a few songs (with vocal harmony) only time will tell how long it will last. I have had the PA1-2-3&4. I tried the 5 and sent it back. My hope is Korg or somebody will make a newer Arranger before I kick the bucket. Thanks again.

 

[amwilburn]

The PA5x came out mid 2022, and the Genos2 Nov of 2023, the PSRsx720/sx920 Oct of 2024, and now the PSRsx720+ and the sx620 are both just around the corner... (but the lower models don't have VH). Plenty of newer models since the PA4x (2015) though!

I've never heard of VH requiring a battery... ? They all use flash ram at this point, so the only point for a battery is the date/time... that shouldn't affect the VH?

Mark

 

[cmuston]

I think you are right about the battery. I am back to square one on having no harmony while I am playing a style. So installing a new battery did not solve the lack of vocal harmony issue while in style mode.
There is harmony when I'm not in style mode but thats it.
I checked out the PA5 when it came out. I and many others found to many issues with that one. These boards are gaining a super high price these days. I tried the PA1000 where I found the keys are super small and there is no foot switch option for the harmonizer. The price for one of those in the U.S. is $3K. I may try one of the Yamaha models, maybe the 920. Thanks for your input.

Chuck, Ohio, USA

 

[Biggles]

Chose a Style that you intend to use the Harmony with.

Save it to Songbook, then modify the Keyboard Sets and Pads that you want to use and Save it again.

Turn off the Pa, wait, turn it on and go to Songbook and select the saved song.

Does it play as it did before you shut down the Pa?

If it did go to page 540 on the Pa1000 manual and follow the instructions exactly, when finished save the Song.

Select a different Song, play a bit of it the go back and load the saved Song.

Play it.

Have you tried this?

If not, please do so and post what happens.

I am fairly sure that you are making the changes but not saving them correctly.

The Standard Styles are write protected by default so saving changes do require that the changed Style is saved to a User Bank or Songbook.

Saving to a User Bank should work, you just need to remember to use it from there, so perhaps renaming it as per the Song is the way to go.

 

[cmuston]

After pondering what you suggest I'll respond this way. I got the PA4 when it first came out nearly 7 years ago. After reading the book, I started arranging songs using the many onboard styles. Once I arranged the song the way I want it, I titled it and saved it to the Songbook. After 7 years I have arranged and saved 284 various songs in the Songbook. If changes were made to any of those songs, I edited them and re-saved them to the songbook. Some of the Songs were saved to various user banks also. I hope I understood what you suggest and appreciate your input.
I am beginning to think my problem lies somewhere between the volume control on the back of the keyboard and the controls on top of the board near the harmonizer settings. More on this later.

Chuck

 

[cmuston]

I want to thank all of you who replied to this issue. I started off wrong by complaining about the PA1000, In fact the harmonizer problem was with the Korg PA4X. In the end the problem existed with the small volume button on the back of the keyboard and the volume buttons on the front of the keyboard near the Harmonizer settings. The settings were not right so I went back and reset all of the previous settings to where they were originally and now when I play the styles I also have vocal harmonizing. The lesson learned is, when you get old (I'm 85) the brain doesn't work the way it used nor does the memory. Thanks again to all who assisted.

Chuck, Ohio, USA

 

[amwilburn]

We should all be so lucky to make it to 85, so you're already ahead!

Mark

 

[Biggles]

Glad you are sorted.

Are you aware that there is a specific Menu for setting up a Mike?

 

[cmuston]

Wasn't aware, will check. Thanks

 

[cmuston]

So I checked out the Mic set up on the PA4. I have always used my Korg mixer to EQ my microphone which seems to work fine. Yes the keyboard has a mic set up system also. But I think I'll stay with what I using for now. Thanks