Is Korg (Pa5X) really "almighty"?

[BogdanH]

Thank you for sharing your experience, Chris.

...but yes Korg should have a routine that confirms exact compliance and compatibility before proceeding and then it crashing.

-I assume you're talking about importing sample (wav) files. To be honest, I can't understand that either.

Let me shortly explain for those who maybe think that there some big science needed to find out if file is compatible or not.
There's a so called header at the beginning of every wav file, which is 36 bytes long and it looks like this:

Code: Select all

bytes (in hex values)		description
-------------------------------------------
52 49 46 46 56 D6 04 02		"RIFF" text & size
57 41 56 45			"WAVE" text
66 6D 74 20 10 00 00 00		fmt size
01 00				type (1=PCM)
02 00				Channels (1=Mono 2=Stereo)
44 AC 00 00			SampleRate (44100Hz or 48000Hz etc.)
10 B1 02 00			SampleRate*BitsPerSample*Channels/8 (serves for checksum)
04 00				BitsPerSample*Channels/8 (serves for checksum)
10 00				BitsPerSample (16=16bit)
.. ..

-at opening wav file, every audio player/editor program will first check the content of those first 36 bytes. It's such a basic programming task that's not even worth talking about. But Korg seems not to do that in Pa5X -at least not thorough enough.

I hope that forum visitors won't take all that as bashing Korg (or any brand). Shared info is of great value for all of us, before we make decision and we maybe also learn something at that.

Bogdan

[AntonySharmman]

-I assume you're talking about importing sample (wav) files.
Bogdan

Nope Bogdan , an incompatible wav/aiff sample can't be imported , a container like SF2 might confuse OS but will never
crash system.
The problem is always with PCG files especially STY & PRF files that have correct header but false code inside like conversion
of older PaSeries for reasons I have previously mentioned

Also corrupted or missing samples of Pa800 age stuff that ethnic users have loaded in Pa5X , since converter do not touch
custom samples & Sounds , and those faulty resources absolutely crash any Pa5X OS !



Hope this helps

[AntonySharmman]

Just to update Antony and any forum Members reading this thread. I have spent some time with my PA5X and following a situation where I did a Full System Restore (not once but on two separate occasions) I can report that my PA5X did actually go on to 'lock up' whereby the buttons 'froze' and I could not get my PA5X to work correctly.

If after reloading latest OS and then a following full factory restore , your Pa5X still do not work properly , then authorized service
center must reload all 20GB factory resources PKG files that only KorgPa have in order to format and recover internal Flash Memory
else they have to replace your Pa5X under warranty , sorry my friend , this is a deeper system issue not a simple hardware issue mostly
happens if you load OS without UPS and internal fixed data that are not updated by OS , have been corrupted !

There was a Pa4X_OS_and_Resources_v2.00 file of 2,5GB for Pa4X for restoring all internal resources , that do not exist yet for Pa5X and
it's really huge , that I hope official service centers own by KorgPa.



Hope this helps

[davlippo7]

Put my PA5x up for sale here in US not sure it will sell but hardship going on plus WaveSate is the main attraction currently.

There's so much motion, life and spontaneous creativity in the WaveSate that the arranger is actually boring now. I did probably used it the least anyway but it's a super cool luxury item.

Actually, I listed everything for sale except WaveState and PB12. Not sure why business is dead in this area as Florida is generally unaffected by the economy. Like 4 months without steady work. I'm not giving gear away it's still high dollar because it's basically brand new.

It doesn't take much and we're all in the same sinking ship. Millionaires and homeless alike in CA losing everything in a blink of an eye. Literally like every family belonging in thousands of structures all totally gone. Probably best described as a hurricane of fire.

[BogdanH]

Nope Bogdan , an incompatible wav/aiff sample can't be imported , a container like SF2 might confuse OS but will never
crash system.
...

Anthony, thank you again for clarification! -It's really appreciated, because that makes quite a difference in understanding the cause of the problem.

As it seems, we (Yamaha owners) must understand, that Korg system is more open (than Yamaha OS) and thus also more vulnerable to users mistakes. To make a parallel to Windows OS: if we install something that we shouldn't, anything can happen.
Anyway, I think that Korg should put a big warning about this, to prevent such things to happen.

Bogdan

[amwilburn]

Dav, I hope you find good work soon and can once again engage in "too much gear syndrome"

And yes, it's totally normal to find arrangers boring (you definitely aren't the only 1), even though so many of us on hear are passionate about them; because, to each his own!

Mark

[D575]

Hi Guys,
I am a Korg PA5X owner who also has a Korg Nautilus 88. I regularly use Korg Forums (up until it stopped working a while back, good news is that it's up and running again in a slightly changed Format).

Here's the thing, having bought numerous Korg and Yamaha arrangers, digital pianos,etc over the years (PA600, PA800, PA2X, PA4X, HX1 organ,Tyros 4, Tyros 5 among others) I find the PA5X probably the most frustrating (and worst) purchase I have ever made of a keyboard. Ironically, the Nautilus 88 Workstation is probably one of my favourite keyboards ever. I love it, the RH3 keybed, the sounds, it's brilliant. What lets it down a little are some of the acoustic guitar sounds as they're not up to the standard of the PA5X. The last few sentences should show that I'm not anti Korg, I just don't like the PA5X. As another Forum Member has stated, we are both 'stuck' with our PA5X's as we'll take a big loss, trying to sell. I have just spent 9 months waiting and have finally got Korg to replace the LED's (that had black blotches over them). Despite what some of the more knowledgeable Forum Members might say, there are still issues with the O/S. I have O/S 1.3.1 loaded and when I load my .KST file with all the stuff I created on the PA5X (absolutely nothing at all from previous PA Arrangers) my PA5X (61) constantly freezes up, the left hand side of the keyboard (styles section, sliders, thin digital screen below the sliders) all totally dead. If I switch off the keyboard and then on again, if I am lucky if all the LED's come on again, but once you start pressing buttons everything starts to freeze up. I will be making a long video today and contacting Korg U.K. tomorrow. Unlike Yamaha U.K. who will put you directly through to the Tech dept, with Korg you have to email them with your issues and wait 24 hours (as far as my experiences go, you never get the opportunity to speak directly with anybody). I do know that there is a Guy at Korg called Saul and he is super helpful and very knowledgeable.

Korg U.K. have received so much criticism over the PA5X from owners through direct complaints and through the Forums (it gets quite toxic on Korg Forums) that they now refuse to respond to anybody.

It's easy to see the potential of the PA5X, the sounds are amazing, the build quality is exceptional but the keyboard was launched in June 2022 (2 years 6 months ago) and there are still missing features (quick record, etc) and instability issues. Whenever I raise this with 'Experts', I am told it is because of the .KST file I have loaded (all the keyboard sets that I have personally created on my PA5X and a piece of software I purchased through a Dealer that was created specifically for the PA5X).
Chris
p.s. I am actually starting to wonder if the Korg engineers have damaged something inside my PA5X when I sent it to Milton Keynes to have the LED's replaced.

After two attempts to resolve the control panel button issue where the internal LED window foils are peeling away from the internal surface, I am now pleased to report Korg UK has decided to replace the whole keyboard with a new replacement PA5X. I understand this is new stock from the production line with the revised buttons...

To be fair to Korg UK, they have always provided a good service historically for myself, and i can see that they do work hard to resolve any issues. I have always been satisfied with the outcome when it came to major hardware issues previously with the PA4X and now PA5X. My contact with the staff at Korg UK has always been positive; the sales and demonstration team are first-class in their jobs. The sad part here, is Korg UK generally bears the brunt when things are not working as they should, and that criticism from me is always directed at the feet of Korg Manufacturing.

[BogdanH]

Thank you for reporting. Let's hope the problem has become a history