KORG PA500 Professional keyboard-synthesizer

A History of Innovation in Professional Arrangers

Twenty-five years ago, Korg introduced the first interactive keyboard – the SAS 20. In the years that followed, the i-Series, iS-Series and the Pa Series have defined the interactive workstation category and set the standard for excellence. Every day, tens of thousands of musicians worldwide make a Korg Pa arranger keyboard their musical partner. The combination of breath-taking sound quality, professional features and musical versatility – teamed with our powerful Style engine – provides the perfect instrument to satisfy all of your musical ambitions.

Baby Blue” – The Professional Arranger Keyboard At An Entry Level Price

For the musician, composer, performer and entertainer, the interactive Pa500 arranger keyboard is the perfect musical partner. Like its big brothers – the Pa800 and the Pa2XPro – the Pa500 accompaniment keyboard uses our RX (Real eXperience) technology to deliver a sound unprecedented in an average arranger keyboard. In addition, the Korg Pa500 combines hundreds of stunning sounds enhanced by our industry leading FX processors and is driven by some of the most sophisticated and realistic music Styles ever created. With exclusive Korg features such as the XDS Dual Sequencer, intuitive TouchView interface, and a four-way joystick for realistic articulation, the only thing really missing is a big asking price.

THE Pa500 Oriental Music is the Universal Language

True enough, but it helps to know the local dialects. To that end, Korg has created the Pa500 Oriental (Pa500 ORT), our first totally dedicated and specialized PA instrument designed for – and by – Middle Eastern musicians. The Pa500 Oriental includes everything from the standard Pa500 – and more! In creating the Pa500 Oriental home keyboard, Korg drew inspiration from the thousands of musicians in the Middle East who already use Korg Pa products. Produced by a team of the best musicians from various countries in the Middle East, the Pa500 Oriental features a complete range of freshly produced instruments and Styles showcasing the sounds that make Middle Eastern music so energetic and exciting, so seductive and enchanting. These new sounds and Styles are provided in addition to all the sounds, Styles, FX and other features of the standard Pa500.

“In-Demand” Middle Eastern Features of this Arranger Keyboard

Quarter Tone Sub Scale: Surely one of the most significant features of the Pa500 Oriental is the addition of the Quarter Tone Sub Scale keyboard. A miniature keyboard has been added to the front panel; and each key is equipped with an LED indicator. This allows the user to quickly select the notes that will be flatted to the nearest Quarter Tone. This function is always available, so that the Quarter Tone selection can be made quickly and on the fly during performance. In addition, four preset buttons provide one-touch access to the most commonly used Quarter Tone scales.

Joystick: Many of the keyboard players in the Middle East have told us that they prefer using the famous Korg joystick for pitch bend and modulation, rather than using wheels. The Pa500 Oriental joystick can be used to create different scales in real time, in addition to providing the normal pitch and modulation controls!

Sounds: There are 104 new instruments used in traditional classical music: Kanon, Nay, Ud, Kawala, Arabic Strings as well as a special Orchestra sound with 11 Oscillators, Arabic strings (Legato and Staccato), Stereo Strings Ensemble, Kanon Tremolo, Ud Tremolo, Timpani, Orchestra Crash, and French Horn Ensemble. For folk music, we’ve added instruments such as Mejwez, Mezwed, Yargohol, Zukra, Chubebe, Zurna, and 10 different Chabi sounds. The Pa500 Oriental also provides 805 dedicated drum samples featuring important instruments such as Tabla, Req, Daf, Bandir, Tabel, Katem, Kasur, and Khishabah. And for a final touch of authenticity, there are rich Voices such as Halla, Yalla, Hey, Zagruta and more.

Styles: There are dozens of especially composed music Styles available immediately in the Pa500 Oriental! For each Style, the user can access 6 different intros and 6 different endings; each playing in a different Arabic scale. The Pa500 Oriental also provides 128 Oriental PAD Sequences. These PADS are compatible with the Arabic Scales. Also included in the new Styles are Classical Music Styles such as: Wahda, Maksum, Baladi, Ayoub, Masmudi, Samai 10/8 and Folk Music Styles such as; Saidi, Katakofti, Nawari, Fallhi, Laf – and many more. The Pa500 ORT arranger keyboard also includes special regional Styles:

Tunisia; Fazzani, Ghita, Bounawara, Zaby / Sougua, Saadawi, Alleji.

Morocco; Karatchi, Issawi, Sahrawi Shaby.

Iraq; Chuby, Gnuby, Gorgina, All Rub3, Khashaba.

Khaligi; Khaligi Rumba, Khbeaty, Bandary, Dosary, Shaby and more.

Stunning Sound

It all begins with sound. Based on the EDS (Extended Definition Synthesis) engine found in the Korg M3, M50, Pa800 and Pa2X Pro, the Pa500 Oriental provides 80 voices of polyphony and an incredible quality of sound. Over 1,024 fully editable sounds are preloaded (including a full GM soundset and nearly 100 drum kits), representing a full range of musical instruments from almost every genre – each exploding with depth, nuance, subtlety, accuracy and richness. This includes all of the additional Middle Eastern sounds unique to the Pa500 Oriental.

Effects Everywhere

For many years, Korg workstations, synthesizers and digital recording studios have included outstanding studio quality effects that are simply spectacular. In that same tradition, the Pa500 Oriental offers four stereo processors plus a Final semi-parametric three band EQ containing a treasure trove of effects, from rich reverbs and dazzling delays to guitar-type modeling effects from Korg’s renowned REMS series – 124 different effects in all. And you’ll appreciate the separate three-band EQ on each track so you can shape the tone for that perfect sound.

Done With Style

No doubt about it: Korg’s Style programming is world class. The Pa500 Oriental arranger keyboard delivers a deluxe set of Styles, programmed by some of the leading arrangers in the world; each of whom worked according to their musical strengths. With the addition to the Middle Eastern Styles, the Korg Pa500 Oriental contains over 300 preloaded Styles that provide unparalleled realism and detail, adding anything from tasteful guitar picking, a tight bass and drum groove, a powerhouse R & B rhythm section all the way up to a full orchestra! Styles follow your timing, voice leading and chord changes to create an amazingly defined musical performance in real-time. With up to eight parts, four variations, three intros/count-in, three fills/break and three endings, each Style is a complete musical environment. Additional parts or “riffs” can be sequenced and triggered in real time using the assignable Pads. Advanced features such as Syncro Start/Stop, Fade In/Out, Assignable Pads, Tap Tempo and Manual Bass allow you to spontaneously add complex and professional touches to your performances.

Guitar Mode

Creating convincing guitar parts from a keyboard has never been easy – until now! When creating a guitar part for your Style, you can chose a chord, capo position, and literally transform the keyboard into the fretted strings of the chord to allow realistic picking patterns, strums, chokes, slides, hammer-ons and other “guitar-specific” artifacts. The result is stunning! Best of all, the Pa500 Oriental can automatically enhance the guitar tracks of existing Standard Midi Files.

All Together Now

Need to switch sounds fast? Four STS (Single Touch Settings) buttons allow you to have up to four sounds split and layered across the keyboard and switch them all instantly with a single button press. The STS assignments can be saved independently for each Style. Each of the 256 Performance settings can instantly recall the Style, Sounds, effects, tempo, key and scale used to perform a particular song.

Creative Sequencing Scenarios

In addition to traditional “track at a time” workstation sequencing, the Backing Sequencer allows you to create songs quickly and easily by capturing multiple Style driven parts at once. You don’t need to be a master programmer – even beginners can write their own song in minutes. In fact, you don’t even need to play at all! Using the Step Edit/Entry feature, you can simply type in the chord changes, fills and Style changes in step-time – a big boost for arrangers and non-keyboardists. This quick approach to programming is also useful in the studio for creating professional, great-sounding backing music for commercial, film, video, multimedia or internet applications. The sequencer provides massive editing power – you can even edit the tone parameters of each track.

Non-Stop Entertainment

With Korg’s XDS Dual Sequencer, one can load as the other plays, and a DJ-style cross fader can blend between them, providing a seamless, continuous musical performance. The Pa500 Oriental can playback SMF (Standard Midi Files), Karaoke files, and GM (General MIDI) files – and is able to display lyrics in most popular karaoke formats. There is also a practical Marker function to allow you to jump directly to a given position in the song: you can fix the markers using the internal sequencer (or using a computer based one – the marker format is standard) and then remix your favorite songs during a live performance for added spontaneity.

Expanding SongBook

The exciting SongBook feature was developed to make your life easier while playing live. The SongBook is a Musical Database, completely user programmable, containing all the settings needed to play a particular song. You have only to search for the song you would like to play by Song Title, Genre, Artist, Tempo, or other music category and press “play“. Each SongBook entry will instantly recall every setting you’ve saved in order to play that song perfectly – Sounds, Style, Performance, Volumes, Muted Tracks, FX settings, Easy Edit, STS settings, Master Transpose and more. This indispensable musical feature is unique to Korg.

Less Is More

With all the technological power packed inside this professional arranger, it was vital that we also made the Pa500 Oriental easy to understand and easy to use. But we went even further, creating an instrument that provides an intuitive, musical, fast and foolproof experience. With our amazing TouchView display you can simply think, see and touch the panel for easy and intuitive control. So that musicians of all levels can make great music quickly, there are two interface modes: Easy and Expert. Easy mode shows only the essential elements with bright, bold icons – useful for beginners or playing live – while Expert mode provides full editing control. And when you need more information, check out the on-board contextual Help System – in any of seven languages! In addition to 61-velocity sensing keys, the Pa500 Oriental provides a four-way joystick, assignable switch, assignable slider, assignable pedal jack and four pads which provide the tools to spice up your performance by changing effect settings, adding or muting parts, slowing the tempo, or even adding “mini-sequenced” solo, arpeggio, or backing riffs. Nothing stands between you and your professional performance!

Save It For Later

In addition to providing a USB/MIDI computer connection for moving and saving data, the Pa500 Oriental can also save and read data from SD / MMC memory cards for instant access to your custom data, MIDI files and songs. The back panel also features MIDI (In, Out), Audio Ins (1, 2) and Outs (L, R), headphone jack, plus a damper pedal and an assignable pedal connection.

All-In-One

Hiding inside is a full stereo sound system with two double cone speakers in a bass reflex enclosure, providing the best sound in a small box. The Pa500 Oriental is completely self-contained and easily transportable – perfect rushing to perform live in front of any size audience, jamming with friends, or teaching a new tune to other players. We couldn’t fit any more fun in here if we tried!

KEYBOARD

Keyboard

61 keys with Velocity

SOUND DATA

Tone Generator

80 Voices, 80 Oscillators – EQ for each track – Filters with Resonance

Multitimbral-Parts

Internal: 40 channels – Midi: 16 channels

Factory Sounds

1,024 (incl. Stereo Piano and GM2 sounds) + 64 Drum Kits

User Sounds

128 Sounds – 64 Drum Kits

Sound Edit

On-board full editing for Sounds and DrumKits

Effects

4 Stereo Master + Final Master EQ

Real Time Tracks

4 (Upper 1/2/3, Lower) – 4 Pads

Performances

256 User Programmable

STYLES DATA

Factory Styles

Up to 448 locations – Preloaded Styles: approx. 320

User Styles

64 User (all Styles are re-writable)

Arranger Tracks

8 Tracks

Style Edit

Record & Edit functions, Guitar Mode

Patterns/Chord Variations

Up to 42  patterns for each Style including 3 Intros, 3 Endings, 3 Fills

Single Touch Setting (STS)

Up to 512 x 4 (Real time tracks + Acc. tracks) all programmable

SEQUENCER

XDS Double Sequencer

Separate transport controls for each Sequencer – Balance Slider

4 STS saved with the Song

In SongBook Mode

Tracks

16 + 16

Sequencer Edit

Record & Edit functions

Backing Sequence (Quick Record)

Real Time Record – Step Record & Edit

Lyrics/Chords

On-Screen (compatible with most popular formats)

OTHER FEATURES

SongBook and SongBook List

Fully Programmable

Arabic Scale

Programmable – Direct access from the front panel

Pads

4 + Stop button

Compatibility

i-Series: Styles – Pa-series: Style, Perf., Sound, Song, Song Book

Operating System

OPOS Multitasking System – Load while playing – Upgradable

Internal SSD Flash memory

16 MB for Operating System and Musical Resources

Data Storage

Card drive for Secure Digital (SD) and

MultiMedia Card (MMC) Memory Devices

Amplification

2 x 15 W

Speakers

2 Double Cone Speakers (10 cm)

USER INTERFACE

Display

320 x 240 Graphical Touch Screen Display

Controls

Joystick – Dial

Programmable Controls

1 Switch + 1 Slider

Cursors

Real Time: Master Volume – Acc/Seq-Real Time Volume Balance

Switches

Transpose, Memory, Manual Bass, Fade, Tap, Synchro, Ensemble,

Quarter Tone Sub Scale, SC Preset

Help System

Multilanguage Hypertext – Contextual

CONNECTIONS

MIDI

IN – OUT

USB

1 Device (1.1 Full Speed)

Outputs

2 Analog (Left/Right)

Inputs

2 Line Inputs

Headphone

1 Jack connection

Pedals

1 Damper, 1 Assignable Footswitch/Pedal

Power Supply

DC 12 V external power supply (supplied)

OPTIONS

Expression/Volume Pedal

Korg EXP-2 – Korg XVP-10

Damper Pedal

Korg DS-1H

Switch Pedal

Korg PS-1

PHYSICAL DATA

Consumption

15 Watt

Dimensions (W x D x H)

42.2 x 15.9 x 7.5 inches (1074 x 404 x 183 mm) – without music rest

Weight

21,8 lbs (9,9 kg)