I decided to sell my PA5X due to the frustration of not being able to get VST's to work with the keyboard... Maybe its just me not knowing how to use it but some others have had the problem too.. So I listed it on Sweetwater Used Gear Exchange... If anyone is interested take a look... Mint condition and only about 6 months old... Used very little... thanks Ron
Pa5x Frustration...
- Thread starter rb293
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This is a classic case of purchasing the wrong keyboard in the first place. You should of purchased a Nautilus i.e. workstation, instead of an arranger keyboard. Arranger keyboards are meant to be self-contained for on stage performances requiring minimum extra software/hardware. Why would you need a VST with the Pa5x?
Read this:-
Whilst I have a 5X which functions great I see zero need to add in any Third Party Sounds so have not tried importing.
There are still bugs in the OS but luckily none that effect my usage.
Whilst I have a 5X which functions great I see zero need to add in any Third Party Sounds so have not tried importing.
There are still bugs in the OS but luckily none that effect my usage.
The four Grand’s that are standard sound pretty good to me and they are a quantum leap v prior.
Yes, the OS is complicated and takes a lot of effort to learn.
Yes, the OS is complicated and takes a lot of effort to learn.
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100% agree.
The Pa5x is a BIG learning curve even if you were previously used to other arranger keyboards.
I don't find it difficult to play, but you do need to drill down into all it's menus and settings to get the best from it, and to learn it thoroughly.
Like everything in life, the more time you put in on it, the more you'll enjoy it.
I too can't see any reason to use VST's with a Pa5x. There's more than enough to work with.
The Pa5x is a BIG learning curve even if you were previously used to other arranger keyboards.
I don't find it difficult to play, but you do need to drill down into all it's menus and settings to get the best from it, and to learn it thoroughly.
Like everything in life, the more time you put in on it, the more you'll enjoy it.
I too can't see any reason to use VST's with a Pa5x. There's more than enough to work with.
Don't forget, there are LEGACY Pianos included with the Pa5x and you can also edit any of the core pianos to your liking by manipulating the base piano in the SOUND EDIT screen.
If you don't mind, could you elaborate a little on the difficulties you encountered in getting VSTs to work with the PA5X? Some of the responses here presume that you were trying to import sounds into the PA5X. But was that your issue? Or were you really stating that you were having difficulty getting the PA5X to serve as a MIDI controller? If the latter, what exactly was the issue? Was it in configuring MIDI OUT channels via the PA5X's MIDI presets? Was it in assigning external sounds to be played in real time via the PA5X's Upper 1,2,3 and Lower registers? Was it in trying to edit the PA5X's styles to substitute external sounds for some of the internal sounds? I ask because I plan to experiment a little more with this myself soon. Unlike the other responders here, I don't consider it heresy to want to sometimes use the PA5X as a MIDI controller. After all, isn't that supposedly one of the distinguishing features of the PA5X? That it was designed NOT to be JUST an arranger, but to have certain workstation features as well? In fairness, my experimenting has been extremely basic to date - namely just using some of the PA5X's MIDI OUT presets to trigger a few Omnisphere and Kontakt patches in real time on my MacBook Pro. It's worked fine. But I haven't attempted to modify any PA5X styles to substitute external sounds for the Korg's internal sounds, nor do I really intend to pursue that application. Though I did correspond here briefly with Qui Robinez last year about that, and he said that modifying a PA5X style to incorporate certain external sounds can readily be done, and that he's found it to be quite useful at times.
Having said this, my intent is not to defend the PA5X. I have my own set of issues and frustrations with it. My reason for responding is that I would like to know if you have found certain aspects of the PA5X's MIDI functionality to not properly work as defined in the user manual. THAT would be cause for concern.
Having said this, my intent is not to defend the PA5X. I have my own set of issues and frustrations with it. My reason for responding is that I would like to know if you have found certain aspects of the PA5X's MIDI functionality to not properly work as defined in the user manual. THAT would be cause for concern.
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I'm very much hoping that when V1.4 is released, it will have a Midi to Style convertor as part of it, because I have a vast collection of Midi material collected over the last 30 or so years.
Apart from that though I wouldn't ever have bought or would use the Pa5x as a Midi controller.
For that there are far cheaper, and very good, other keyboard options.
Apart from that though I wouldn't ever have bought or would use the Pa5x as a Midi controller.
For that there are far cheaper, and very good, other keyboard options.
Just for the record, I certainly didn't buy the PA5X as a MIDI controller. I bought it for its arranger functionality. Just like I didn't acquire a Korg M3 as a MIDI controller. I acquired the latter years ago because it was an excellent workstation, just as the PA5X is an excellent arranger. They work well individually or together, and when I need/want to access soft synths and/or record songs in my DAW, either functions perfectly well as a MIDI controller. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I see no reason to make a categorical decision about what should be the foundation of a home studio (i.e. an arranger vs a hardware workstation vs a cheap dedicated MIDI controller used in conjunction with a computer) to the exclusion of the other options. They all have their place, and I really enjoy the flexibility, challenge and gratification of learning how to employ multiple methods to create music.
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The custom Keyboard Sets by Global Sounds and WaveArt both get great reviews,mcheck them out.
You will also find tweaking the inbuilt sounds via the settings make a great difference. Copy your favourite Keyboard Set to a User Bank and tweak away. If you do not find that it improves greatly they I will be very surprized.
You will also find tweaking the inbuilt sounds via the settings make a great difference. Copy your favourite Keyboard Set to a User Bank and tweak away. If you do not find that it improves greatly they I will be very surprized.
Had a Pa5x and found it easy to play using the presets. However, as a live keyboard, it was difficult because of all the menus you had to go through for such easy things like transposing, etc. Eventually sold it for a fairly good price and bought a Yamaha MX88 and MX61. Both have the same engines, learn one...learn them both! I found the MX88 keyboard touch for piano was what I was looking for and the MX61 for the synth touch. Although both are synths the piano and other keyboard presets are excellent. Octave key change, up and down button. Interval key change, 2 different up and down buttons. Makes it easy to even change keys in the middle of a song!
I also have an ION Keyboard 5 (61 keys) controller that I use for my VOCE V5+ and Neo Ventilator II. I find that the keyboard touch on the ION keyboard(s) is pretty close to a B3, short travel distance. I can also patch that keyboard to either of the Yamaha MX keyboards with my 360 Systems 8 x 8 MIDI Patcher. And also, the key change buttons are available on the console as the with the Yamahas.
I also have an ION Keyboard 5 (61 keys) controller that I use for my VOCE V5+ and Neo Ventilator II. I find that the keyboard touch on the ION keyboard(s) is pretty close to a B3, short travel distance. I can also patch that keyboard to either of the Yamaha MX keyboards with my 360 Systems 8 x 8 MIDI Patcher. And also, the key change buttons are available on the console as the with the Yamahas.
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It looks like you did not learn the 5X thoroughly.
Transpositions is simple, there are two sets of buttons, one for +/- an octave and the other set for +/- a tone, a single button press initiates the change.
You could also have used the Keyboard set feature to create the one you want in a user bank and one with the octave shift you want in the adjacent position in the user bank. A single press of the keyboard set on the display would change from one to the other. The seamless sound transition function of the 5X would initiate the change when you take fingers off the keybed.
The Songbook and Playlist feature can also be used.
As with most devices there are multiple ways of achieving the desired result.
+1 to this. Yes, the PA5X is a complex machine that has a learning curve, but it really rewards putting in the time as it is a very capable keyboard. I was hoping to hear back from the original poster as to what issues he encountered in attempting to 'get VSTs to work with the keyboard.' Personally I have found its MIDI configuration both easy to use and very flexible, actually easier to configure than the other high end keyboards. By the way, a tip I picked up on a REDDIT Cubase forum has helped me to more quickly learn the PA5X's features and functions. It is a free web-based AI search engine called NoteBook LM. It was designed to serve as a front end to any PDF-based user manual. You basically just upload the manual and ask it any 'how-to' question you might have about a topic covered in that manual. It instantly comes back an extremely well organized step-by-step summary of that topic, compiling and synthesizing the information from the manual. You can then download the summary. Really helpful.
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I was completely baffled as to why Tommy B88 feels it necessary to go through menus to find simple things like Transpose, and Octave shift.
Both functions have dedicated buttons for exactly those purposes. You can change key and range in split seconds on the fly.
Both functions have dedicated buttons for exactly those purposes. You can change key and range in split seconds on the fly.
If you are used to the crappy Menu diving on Yamahahaha’s then any Korg menu system will require learning.
Not to mention being able to read what each of the buttons do.
The Korg Pa5x is pretty simple, after all the Performance guide is only 742 pages long.
Other Pa Arrangers are 1100 pages.
Not to mention being able to read what each of the buttons do.
The Korg Pa5x is pretty simple, after all the Performance guide is only 742 pages long.
Other Pa Arrangers are 1100 pages.
LOL. That's exactly why I use NoteBook LM when perusing the PA5X manual.