TEST: Pa4X resources arrangement for Pa5X from Antony Sharmman

[♔Chello]

Pa4X resources arrangement for Pa5X from Antony Sharmman

I got the idea to go through Antony Sharmman's Pa4X resources for Pa5X.
I wanted to see how he works, and got a few surprises.

What surprised, soon follows. 

[♔Chello]

I chose to compare Antony's styles with Pa5X's internals, as many are the same on Pa5X as in his package.


I started his styles in Player1, and the internal ones with the same name in Player2, and compared data.

What was immediately clear is that his styles are better suited than Pa5X's internals, as they appear more dynamic and alive.


So what has he done differently ?

* Korg uses O-verb as master effect in almost all styles, while Antony has replaced this with Hall in all styles I have checked.

* Furthermore, Korg uses various Dynamic effects as an insert effect in most styles, while Antony has removed these in all styles I have checked.
The consequence of this choice has meant that many tracks have had to be turned up to 120 or 127, which I am not a fan of.

* He has also added Reverb Room as a master effect in many cases.


He does much the same as me, in that he has removed O-verb as master effect and replaced it with Hall, as well as adding Reverb Room as master effect.

What he does very differently from me is to remove all Dynamic effects and adjust the track's volumes to 120 to 127.

This results in a generally dark sound image that takes the focus away from effects in drums and perc, but still appears very dynamic and engaging.


Antony's styles can certainly be recommended, even if they have a different focus than what I prefer - they are anyway far better than the internal ones on Pa5X.

[⚖musicalmemoriesuk]

Very interesting so he uses dual reverbs as I do ?

[♔Chello]

Very interesting so he uses dual reverbs as I do ?

Yes, more or less - he doesn't use this as a fixed setup, but it occurs in many styles.
However, what seems to be a fixed setup is that he removes all dynamic effects from the Insert FX - only with a few exceptions.

He uses many different effects, far more than what Korg uses, and he uses them very well.
His sound signature is distinctly American, known for its heavy bass and rich lower midrange, at the expense of the existence of the higher frequencies.

His work is solid craftsmanship after the best American model, even though he is Greek.
I can probably learn a lot from studying his use of parameters.


If you are looking for extended resources for your Pa5X, this package is absolutely to be recommended as the best I know of.