Which keyboard should I buy, Korg PA700 or Roland E-A7?

[Richard Costa]

Hello Everyone,
I am going to buy a arranger keyboard. I am confused between two model, Korg pa700 and Roland E-A7! I started playing keyboard long time ago. But for some reason I stop playing keyboard few years ago. I had Yamaha psr-E413. I have general knowledge with keyboard. Now I am going to start playing keyboard again. Just confused between this two model( I don't want to buy Yamaha). Could you please suggest me which one I should buy?
Thank you for your answer .

 

[Rayblewit]

I don't want to buy Yamaha

Why not?

 

[Biggles]

You stated in a different thread that you cannot find a Roland anywhere in Paris.

Have you looked at the online video reviews of both?

Have you tried the Korg?

When ordering online do the companies who you could use have a return policy that you can return a keyboard within a certain period for a full refund (you would probably have to pay postage)?

In the UK one shop has a no return policy for goods bought in shop but a full refund policy for goods bought online, you can guess which is the most popular.

If you can find a similar online seller you could always order the Roland and send it back if it is not what you really want.

 

[Richard Costa]

Why not?

Hello Ray,
Thanks for share your point. But there is no big reason for not buying Yamaha. I already had a Yamaha keyboard and I liked it. Just want to try a new brand.
Have a nice day.

 

[Richard Costa]

You stated in a different thread that you cannot find a Roland anywhere in Paris.

Have you looked at the online video reviews of both?

Have you tried the Korg?

When ordering online do the companies who you could use have a return policy that you can return a keyboard within a certain period for a full refund (you would probably have to pay postage)?

In the UK one shop has a no return policy for goods bought in shop but a full refund policy for goods bought online, you can guess which is the most popular.

If you can find a similar online seller you could always order the Roland and send it back if it is not what you really want.

Hello Biggles,
Thanks for your information. I looked the online video and reviews of both keyboards. It looks like people are more appreciating about Korg, because it was just released few month ago and have some new features. I have tried the Korg pa700 couple of time and I love it but I didn't find the Roland in the store! I think I'll go for Korg.
Have a nice day.

 

[Rayblewit]

Good answer Richard.
Korg and Roland are world class as is Yamaha so you will most likely be happy which ever way you go.
I almost bought a brand new Korg arranger after test driving it. I loved it. Then I spotted a second hand Yamaha of equally high standard for half the price. That's the only reason I have a Yamaha. I have no alliegence to any brand.
Ray

 

[aj seaman]

Hello Everyone,
I am going to buy a arranger keyboard. I am confused between two model, Korg pa700 and Roland E-A7! I started playing keyboard long time ago. But for some reason I stop playing keyboard few years ago. I had Yamaha psr-E413. I have general knowledge with keyboard. Now I am going to start playing keyboard again. Just confused between this two model( I don't want to buy Yamaha). Could you please suggest me which one I should buy?
Thank you for your answer .

I won the Yamaha Pops Festival back in the 70's, & have been an avid Yamaha fan & have played professionally for a couple of decades. Now I am retarded & live in the jungles of Costa Rica. I play for my own enjoyment, & love my PSR550. Now that we are both very old, I contacted Yamaha (3X) to find a shop who would return my keyboard to new condition. Yamaha never bothered to answer.

So this week a traveled to a music shop & played a Yamaha & a Korg (don't know which model). The Yamaha looked similar to my PSR550, but sounded cheap & did not have the features I use. The Korg had a beautiful sound (especially the organ). I'm used to touching a button to change rhythms/sounds, while the Korg seemed to require much more programming making it impossible to have continuity during an arrangement. My 550 is now in a shop, & I hope it returns in working condition.

 

[Rayblewit]

Hi aj,
The PSR S 550 model is from generation 2008. Getting a bit old (maybe). But you love it so I hope it comes back good and refreshed and the repair bill is not too bad.
So you looked at a couple of new ones in the shop and not happy with what you saw. Did you look at the PSR S 670? That one is the current generation model which has replaced the PSR S 550. It will have all of the functions you ar currently using plus heaps more. As long as you have $1000 roughly (probably less).
Go back to the shop and try that one.
Cheers ray.

 

[Biggles]

AJ

Pushing many buttons is precisely the main reason I traded in my Yamaha, it was a pain to set up each song.

Yes, the Korg does require some programming but once it is done all I have to do is press SetList and select the song I want to play.

Then all the settings are there, the Keyboard set displays four instrument sets on their own button, each of the programmable Pad buttons gives their own sound sequence. There are three intros, four variations and three endings so what is there not to like.

The Korgs also sound by far better and look more of a quality product than their Yamaha direct competitor.

I tested an S770 and a Korg PA700 and it was chalk and cheese, Korg won my a mile

 

[DellaBarnett]

How is the model working now?

 

[Biggles]

Delia

My PA700 is fantastic, it has it all, there is only one downside and that is its weight if anyone is going to move it around.

Have just found that there a some Glenn Miller song/styles in the system and Moonlight Serenade sounds brilliant, I am busy learning the lead at the moment.

Korg Video manuals on Youtube give a flavour of what to expect, there are also plenty of videos by Roland Product Support but they are a bit more difficult to find but well worth the effort to seek out if interested in their keyboard

 

[Doug Lanier]

I recently bought a Korg PA 1000, and the “piano sounds” on it sound like a toy. They are terrible! They sound good on the onboard speakers, but sound like a 1970’s Casio on a PA. Don’t waste your money on the Korg...

 

[Biggles]

In the light od Dougs woes I have recentley connected my Kotg PA 700 to my own PA amp to test its piano sounds, guess what no difference.

I then connected it up to my 100W guitar amp and yes it did sound a little different but still perfectly acceptable.

Then I connected it to yet another amp, this time a small Boss Katana that I have and whilst the piano sounds a bit weak they are perfectly acceptable.

 

[Doug Lanier]

In the light od Dougs woes I have recentley connected my Kotg PA 700 to my own PA amp to test its piano sounds, guess what no difference.

I then connected it up to my 100W guitar amp and yes it did sound a little different but still perfectly acceptable.

Then I connected it to yet another amp, this time a small Boss Katana that I have and whilst the piano sounds a bit weak they are perfectly acceptable.

Like I said Biggles, I probably just have bad taste...

 

[Biggles]

Like I said Biggles, I probably just have bad taste...

I do not think so, more like you are a perfectionist.

I still thinks its worth downloading and installing some new piano sounds, I did see on the Korg forum posts on an series of acoustic sound profiles

 

[Doug Lanier]

I do not think so, more like you are a perfectionist.

I still thinks its worth downloading and installing some new piano sounds, I did see on the Korg forum posts on an series of acoustic sound profiles

I think you’re right Biggles... I’m sure gonna try it before I sell this PA1000. I looked on the Korgforums site and found Rueben’s C5 download, but didn’t have time to Download it before my gig. Maybe tonight or Tomorrow... I actually don’t have a gig tomorrow. Thanks for the advice! I hate to sell this thing... i’ve already bought a road case for it. And, I love some of the other features, but I can’t listen to those piano sounds 6-7 days a week

 

[Biggles]

The PA 1000 is an awesome keyboard so I do think it is worth trying to get the sounds out of it that you like.

Can I ask how you are accessing the Piano voices?

Via Setlists or via Sounds?

If accessing via Setlist press the Sound button and you should then have a whole mass of Piano sounds to choose from.

Press the SND on on LCD and try each until you find the one you like the best, from the top right drop down select copy and paste.

Paste it to a User location then press Exit.

You now should have the Sound Edit screen.

Have a tweak of the different settings to see if you can achieve an acceptable tone.

Then from the drop down select Write.

Hope this helps.

 

[DVG]

Good discussion. I am very interested in the Korg PA 700 primarily because the interface is really clear. One confusing issue is that in most of the video manuals it seems that everything revolves around the Style mode. If I just want a sound why wouldn't I go to the Sound mode? Also if anyone knows where there might be more in depth education on how to use this arranger I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Biggles]

Welcome DVG.

Is this one if the Videos you have watched?

This is one of the official Korg Video Manual series of tutorials for the 700 which really are the best way of getting started with the PA.

There is no reason why you just cannot use the Sound mode to select and play said instrument sound and ignore the Style feature element.

The whole ethos of the PA series though is Style mode, these in themselves are fully customisable to suit.

That sad the best feature is the Songbook, where you create a custom Style for each song in your repertoire, from the Songbook you can then create a Setlist with an entry for each Song that you want to include in the performance, you can set up multiple Setlists. Then these are quickly called up to play since each contains all the Style elements and four keyboard set lists (one touch call up of a specific instrument sound) together with four Pads.

Can I ask why you want an Arranger?

Please be detailed in your response.

 

[DVG]

Thanks Biggles. Yes, that video is one that I felt was talking about Sounds but had Styles as the mode to explain them.

I am not exactly certain the arranger is the best way to go for me but I was impressed, as mentioned, with the PA interface and clarity of selection options. I have a Motif ES and although I am used to the interface, it always seems more complicated than necessary. The other reason for the PA/Arranger interest is, as you mentioned, the Songbook feature. I would definitely want to create Styles and save them for specific tunes but I also have some mp3 backing tracks that I could include and organize them / play them in set lists. All of this would save time and keep everything in one place.

An alternative would be to get a board with good voices (maybe MOXF, MX) and put together all the backing tracks into a separate app on a laptop or ipad. The MOXF/MX does have performances that could be used like the styles in the PA or PSR models but I'm not sure how difficult that would be to combine them into set lists. I'm not completely sold on the use of Styles but with enough practice it seems they could cover a lot of musical real estate... and the multiple features in the PA Style mode would help that effort.

Bottom line - I am basically interested in expanding my jazz repertoire and the Arranger appears to offer a way to include a full backing sound while keeping some (but not all) of the chord integrity.