A rather long post with content that may help, how I setup and used Direct is there.
I cannot just find the original thread but luckily I produced the txt in Page so still had the file even though copy and pasting it for some reason does add extra blank lines
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KORG Pa SERIES ARRANGERS
Specifically for the Pa700 and above models.
FULL BACKUP & SAVE ALL
Do a full System Backup then proceed as follows:-
Styles are protected, tap down arrow in top right of your PA screen to see the greyed out options.
To unprotect you need to press and hold Shift, then press Style.
Click on Media tab onscreen then unprotect Media, Global and Factory.
Press exit to get back to Style Play screen.
Tap down arrow in top right and you will see what was greyed out is now editable, press Exit to clear the drop down menu off screen.
Tap Keyboard on screen, select what you want as the instrument voice.
(1) Then from drop down select Write Kbd Set to Style, making sure the instrument name is correct (if not correct it by tapping on the T and naming it what you want) and making sure it is going to be saved in position 01.
(2) If you also want to change the instrument voices in Up1, Up2 and Low, tap on each in turn, select the instrument voice you want then select Write Current Style Settings.
Repeat (1) & (2) for the three other positions, making sure that they are saved in positions 02, 03 & 04 respectively, then when this is completed from drop down menu select Write Current Style Settings.
In Style mode select a different Style, play something then go back and select the Style you just edited and all should be OK.
Now go back into the Lock screen and check the protection boxes.
STAND ALONE SONGBOOK
With the Korg PA Arrangers there is a great resource at the UK based site Korg Worid dot Co dot UK where there are Osimo versions for each of the 700, 1000 and 4X keyboards.
The Osimo plug in gives additional Songbook entries each of which has been customized by Korg UK staffers.
Osimo runs from the USB stick and is not loaded into the inbuilt memory.
In total there are c850 Songs available over the three versions.
So I set about combining all three versions into one, which in itself has taken me two hours of copying and pasting so I thought that I would share the actions that I have undertaken with fellow PA owners who may be interested in doing the same.
Since my own PA is the one at the bottom of the rung I expected issues since my own PA does not have the full range of instrument voices and available Styles that the 1000 and especially the 4X does.
I downloaded each Osimo Zip file from Korgworld and extracted each to a folder named Korg. Inside this folder I created a folder called OsimoAll_v1.set (do note you have to include .set in the name).
Within Korg's own software Songbook Editor, I loaded the Osimo .set folder contents for the 4X version into the software.
I then opened a second window of Songbook Editor and loaded the Osimo .set folder contents for the 1000 version of the software.
Contrary to what you might think simply copying and pasting the listed Songs is not the way to go, the way to go is via the Setlists.
Compare each of the Setlists shown in the two open windows and in the one containing the 4X version of Osimo create a new Setlist(s) named to correspond to the open window version containing the 1000 version Setlists.
So now the window containing the 4X version should have all its own Setlists plus empty Setlists from the 1000 version where there are different to those in the 4X version.
It is a case of selecting each of the Setlist entries via Select All and dragging them to the correct Setlist folder in the 4X Osimo Window.
A pop up window now asks to Overwrite existing, Retain existing or rename for the first entry Select Retain existing, the pop up window then comes on screen for the next entry where again select Retain, repeat this until all Setlist entries have been copied.
Repeat this for each of the Setlists shown in the 4X.
At this point DO NOT save the modified 4X Songbook since all the additional Songs will show Red in the main window to signify that they have not yet been saved, this is useful later.
Now it is time to open another Songbook Window but this time for the 700 version of Osimo, the same procedure to Setlist(s) is followed, create new empty Setlists in the 4X window where there are different named Setlists in the 700 Window.
It is now a case of going through each Setlist in the 4X Window and copying and pasting the Setlist entries from the 700 version of Osimo to the corresponding Setlist in the 4X version.
Now for the BUT, this time on each occasion the pop up window shows select Retain, repeat process in each Setlist until they are all copied.
The Retain process is so that the Styles etc of the 700 are retained and not replaced by possible slightly different Styles that might have been used in the 4X or 1000 versions.
Now there is a lot of Red entries and it is a case of starting at the top of the Alphabetically sorted list and deleting any duplicates that you may have created, taking note that there are occurences where different artists and different Genres have been used, where this is the case retain the duplicate.
Now it is a case of saving the 4X file into the OsimoAll_v1.set folder via the Save As command.
Copy this folder onto a USB stick formatted in your PA and insert the USB drive into your PA and then load the OsimoAll_v1,set folder contents via Media > Load, navigate to said folder and select Load.
Now it is a case of going through each Setlist and each of the entries to play the Song and note any errors which in my own case has been Style Not Found. You can then modify the offending Song in Songbook editor by selecting a Style that is on your PA.
NOTE
You will need to modify the procedure depending upon your PA, If you have a 4X then at the pop up window for each you select Retain. If you have a 1000 you load the 700 version and select Retain at eah of the pop up windows, then when you copy and paste the 1000 entries you select Retain for each pop up instance.
USING THE DIRECT FEATURE
Korg PA’s have a feature to save to a specific folder and to load and run the features from said folder, this is called Direct access.
EG
To save a customised Style as a Song during the write process the option is to save to Internal or to the Direct folder.
To set up a Direct access folder follow procedure as following:-
On a PC create a folder on your USB drive that you want to use as the Direct folder, I keep mine simple and called my folder Direct.set (including the .set in the name), eject USB correctly (use the eject routine rather than simply pulling it out) and inset it into your PA.
Now press and hold Shift then Press Media button.
Onscreen there should be a Media tab, press it.
On screen there is the legend Direct Folder.
Press Browse then navigate to your new folder you want to use, click on Select etc and you are good to go.
Now if you want to save Songs to this folder you can and once you have saved to it each Song saved there will have a border around it to show that it is saved to the Direct folder (when you are in Songbook mode that is).
LAYERING INSTRUMENT SOUNDS.
With my Korg Kross 2 synth/workstation layering sounds to create a new Registration or Combi as Korg calls them is a very quick and simple process.
Alas with a Korg arranger it is not quite as straightforward.
The question was asked over on the Korg forum so that led me to re-read a How To article in the Korg World mag issue 6 Creating Registrations, and follow along to create for the first time a new Registration on my own arranger.
I decided I wanted to combine a Dark Pad and Movie Strings 2 together to create a new Registration and this is how to do it:-
Enter Sound mode
Copy Dark Pad to a User Bank
Exit
Select Movie Strings > Menu > Basic > it shows 15 oscillators
Exit
Select Dark Pad from User Bank > Menu Basic > change oscillators from 2 to 17
From drop down menu select copy oscillator
Select Movie Strings
Select oscillator location as 3
Then go through from 3 to 17 adjusting the volume to -10dB
Save as Dark Pad + Strings
Test play and if all OK then you are good to go, but sone fine tuning of the volumes of each oscillator may be required if this is the case make the changes and save.
Then go into Style mode
Change upper 1 to Dark Pad + Strings and save as a new Keyboard Set.
Limiting factors is the total number of oscillators you wish to use in your sound, polyphony, available memory also seems as though it may be a possible issue, I had to delete sounds from User Banks to be able to save my new registration.
GLOBAL EQ
It seems that with Korg Pa Arrangers the out of the box sound quality is a little muted in tone, this is certainly my experience but it is one that can be easily fixed via the Eq or the Maxx setting on the top of the range keyboard.
The standard default settings in a Korg PA is for the Global Eq to be Off.
There are a number of available presets that become available once the Eq is turned on.
Even then some of them produce a fairly flat response, but each of the Presets is fully user customisable.
If you are a gigging Pa keyboard player then each of the Eq presets could be configured for specific venues to give you a quick and easy setup.
The Eq can be found within the Global section of the OS.
KEYBOARD SPLITS
The split point of any Pa can be easily moved from its default location.
The issue can arise is if you want multiple splits, as there is no easy way to achieve this with a Pa.
There is a work around!
With your chosen Style copied to a user bank and modified with the desired keyboard sets it is possible to drill down into the menu system and change the range on the keyboard where a specific sound will play.
E.G. To have say a Pad sound only in top octave you limit that octave to sound just the chosen Pad and you lower the keyboard range of the other sounds to exclude that top octave. Resultant effect is you have a keyboard with two splits. You can create more than two effective splits but on a 61 key Pa it becomes a little tight.
OTHER RESOURCES.
Korg has its own Bonusware website where a Library of additional Sounds and Styles are available to download and install FOC.
Do note that with the Styles some give you the option of installing them starting at a bank location if your choosing but annoyingly other default to User Bank 1 Location 1 hence it is very easy to overwrite a User saved Style.
Sounds that is loading additional ones can also pose an issue due to the limited onboard memory that is available, particularly in the 700.
Each of the Pa series Arrangers has its own Video Manual tutorial series available to watch anytime on their Youtube Channel.
Korg UK have a website specific to the Pa series. Within the Korg World website there is links to Osimo which is a Songbook that can be downloaded and once placed on the USB memory stich used in the Pa it can be loaded and will operate permanently from the USB memory stick. Osimo versions are model specific and each has about 150 Song specific custom Styles within it and a number of Setlists associated with the Songbook entries.
Also on the Korg World website is a link to the Webinar hosting website where over twenty prior webinars are available to watch. Do note that these are not Promo’s they are intended to educate and inform owners of the function and features of their Pa.
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