TEST OF KORG PA700

[♔Chello]

KORG PA700

   

(Previously published on Chellos Song Styles)


Connectivity:
Connection options are limited to what is required and expected by the price range. No USB in front. Very positive is the space for SD card at the back.


Compability:
Converted Yamaha styles all sounded awful - as expected, because Yamaha for Korg works very poorly regardless of model.

I have tested most models' styles on the Pa700, and have not experienced any problems.
Styles from previous models have poorer sound; that's it.

Self-produced midistyles from Pa3x, on the other hand, were very different from playing on Pa4x, which made a terrible sound on all of them.
All my midistyles sound very good on the Pa700, which is very strange, because no one works well on the Pa4x.

The Pa700 is thus approved for compatibility.
Very good.


Intuitive use/Layout:
Everything looks very neat, but requires a few hours of getting used to and exploring.
I found all the features after a few hours - without reading the manual (I am familiar with Pa4x from before).
It's easier than ever to maneuver between the different functions while playing - this is the best layout I've seen.


Mechanical quality:
The keybed makes a terrible noise when you press it without sound.
However, this is not noticeable at normal sound pressure; it is not troublesome.
It is also mechanically stable, like all buttons and potentiometers.
All buttons respond precisely and are very easy to hit.
The screen is significantly better than the one on the Pa4x mechanically - there are never any problems with hitting correctly.
The resolution is just good enough, and the visibility from other angles is exemplary.
The joystick is as good as any other, and all connections on the back panel are in the expected Korg quality.


Degree of playing pleasure:
The Pa700 is incredibly easy to play on, and all the features are easy to find (and use).
Very few adjustments are needed to achieve the desired sound, and the right voices/left voice can be easily adjusted in a way no other arranger has shown - it is more fun than ever to accentuate with chords in the left hand, because these are clearer and more precise than ever.
The selection of internal styles is limited, but those who are there are very well arranged.
The selection of sounds is very good, and all the ones I am familiar with from the Pa series are available.


Sound quality:
This is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
The very first impression was very negative, because the soundscape was wrong on all styles; some sounds were overpowering, while the style did not have enough power, because the voices of the right hand were too powerful, even with the balance button almost entirely on style.
By looking at levels for tracks for each style, it turned out that almost all voices (globally for all styles) were set to 40-50, and total output to 90.

I knew that this Pa700 had had two owners before me, and the last one sold it because it had too low an output compared to an organ he used.
With this in mind, I made a full Factory Restore, and when I subsequently checked levels for tracks, these were now 90-100, and the sound picture was as it should be, plus the output was significantly improved.
Contrary to my experience with Yamaha, it seems that 90-100 is a better choice than 64.

With this corrected, I did some tests with Master EQ, and registered to my great surprise that the Pa700 is able to make a significant contribution at 20Hz, but can also make a significant contribution at 20kHz (both Q 0.5 - Gain + 18dB).
No other keyboards I have tested have managed this; not even Kronos.
In other words, the Pa700 is able to make a significantly larger contribution at higher frequencies than Kronos.
Sick?
But true - direct comparison proves this.


SD card installation:
There is nothing in the manual about which type or size is compatible - only micro SD.
I found through Google that micro SDXC 64GB works, and acquired this.
Installation was easy - but how to activate it?

Again, the manual was of no help; there it was only a reference to the manual in general.
Are Korg completely idiots?

Again I had to use Google, and quickly found that the card had to be activated by going to GLOBAL / Mode Preferences / Direct Folder / Browse and then selecting SD.
When this was done, DIRECT became visible in the display.
So far, so good.

Then I installed a SET, and this went into DIRECT.
Absolutely great - just choose style and play.

The next step I chose was to install packages I have made before with Pa3x - these are not saved as SET, but STYLE - all styles were in the STYLE folder.
I noticed that the choice for placement now changed to 2 columns, where you had to keep track of which subfolder you had installed in so as not to overwrite the previous one (no problem if you are used to Korg`s way of doing this , but if not, it is very confusing).

This turned out to be stored in USER and DIRECT ..?
Very confusing, even for me who is used to Korg Pa.
And where did my SET that I installed in DIRECT end up?
I have not seen anything in the manual that says something about this; but it's probably hidden there somewhere.

All content I installed as SET in DIRECT is gone, and it is not possible to re-enter it, because the name already exists ..?
I'll probably figure it out, but this is a completely idiotic procedure that lacks a logical connection.



Pros:
* Better keybed playability than ever
* Very clear and easy-to-use layout
* The best touch screen to date
* Automatic conversion of SETS from previous models to Pa700
* Superb headphone amplifier
* Very good compatibility with older Korg styles.



Cons:
* Loud noise of keys (but not annoying when playing)
* Limited connectivity options for advanced users
* The selection of internal styles is limited
(This is not necessarily the case because all internal styles can be replaced according to your needs)
* Installation to DIRECT is cumbersome and involves renaming to use multiple SETS
(This can be eliminated by using USB stick instead of SD card as source)
* Totally useless Style Creator
* It is only possible to record in Mp3 format
* Resolution for Mp3 is not specified
* USB resolution is not specified
* Most guitar sounds do not meet the expected standard
* Poor selection of center frequency for low EQ (120Hz)
* Limited access to oscillators (not all sounds can be regulated)



Final conclusion:
NOT RECOMMENDED

Guitar sounds drastically reduce total grade rating, as only a few sounds meet the expected standard; and many cannot be adjusted sufficiently to be good enough.

The worst mistake Korg has made, however, is to set the center frequency for EQ Gain low to 120Hz, which is meaninglessly high - this should have been 30-50Hz.
At the same time, the Eq Gain middle is far too high, without me having measured the frequency - this should have been 200-300Hz, but is several thousand.

The sum of this is that ideal adaptation is almost impossible.
Anyone who wants an arranger and is particularly interested in natural guitar sounds should stay away from the Pa700.


Closing remark:
I have tried to get a satisfactory sound by adjusting the oscillators and everything else, but the sound from electric guitars (especially overdrive and distortion) is far from good enough.

This test started well, but a period of use reveals serious shortcomings.
This is the first arranger that I can not approve due to the fact that an instrument group is too bad - regardless of settings.

[✪yves]

Hi Chello

I think i Stay with Yamaha

Thanks for the feedback

Thx
Yves

[♔Chello]

@Yves

Thank you for reading my test and taking note.
The test was written continuously while it was going on, and I was very surprised and shocked by the shortcomings I discovered.

Korg seems to choose an even more customer-hostile path than Yamaha - who would have thought that?
At the same time, it's very strange to notice that no one testing keyboards seems to be doing the job properly - no one is saying anything about the actual conditions.

It's terribly frustrating to have to buy one keyboard after another, only to find that all the tests are misleading and incomplete.

My intention is to change this picture, so that potential buyers do not have to risk wasting a lot of money on a product that does not meet their expectations.


Right now, Yamaha seems to be the safest choice.