NAMM: Pa1X Pro Professional Arranger

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Rear View (Click for a close-up)

Korg is introducing the Pa1X Pro Professional Arranger at this year's Summer NAMM show, a keyboard designed for enhanced musical composition and live performance. It combines new sound and effects engines with complex real-time performance features in a sleek-looking, professional package. An internal hard drive and built-in floppy drive come standard, providing quick access to saved sounds, styles, and songs.

The new Pa1X Pro is a compositional tool featuring 76 semi-weighted keys with aftertouch, a robust, color 240 x 320 pixel TouchView screen, and is the first in Korg's line to utilize their new RX Technology. The menu layout and design offers easy access to over 350 fully editable music Styles, and over 200 user Style locations. Stored Styles may be loaded in or played directly via the floppy disk drive. Each Style contains eight accompaniment parts, four variations, three intros, two endings, three fills, and a break and count-in for creating realistic song patterns. The Pa1X Pro recognizes multiple chord variations, and can scan the user's playing to keep the accompaniment in tune with him/her.

Korg's XDS Dual Sequencer allows users to load one sequence while the other plays, and use the DJ-style crossfader for smooth transitions between them. The Backing Sequencer can capture all of eight of the accompaniment tracks plus four realtime parts in a single pass, greatly speeding up the songwriting process. Powerful editing capabilities control standard sequencer functions, as well as tone parameters for sounds assigned to a given track. The sequencer is compatible with standard SMF or Karaoke files. Karaoke lyrics will appear in the display or can be displayed on an external monitor using an optional video interface kit (VIF3).

The SongBook function allows players to select a song from the user-defined database and instantly call up the correct sounds, style, tempo, key, and effects for each song. A single Performance setting (320 total) can save and recall a Style, Single Touch Settings, transposition, scale type tempo, and control assignments with a single command.

The Pa1X Pro delivers 62-note polyphony along with 760 pre-loaded sounds, plus another 512 user sound locations. 48 preset drum sounds and 128 user programmable kits are also provided. Up to four sounds can be stacked or split across the keyboard and played in real-time. Four Single Touch Settings (STS) commands call up new sound sets for each real-time performance part. In addition, four simultaneous Master Effects types (90 total) can be used, plus a set of TC Helicon Vocal Effects.

A built-in 16MB (expandable to 32MB) sampler can read WAV, AIFF, and Korg or Akai samples/multisamples. Sampled sounds can be sliced to create new grooves and kits, filtered and processed by the internal effects, or assigned to Sounds.

Pa1X Pro options include an MP3 encoder/player for direct recording of performances and playback of files or accompaniment. An optional CD-R drive can be installed for playback of standard audio files or to load new Sounds, Styles, and Samples. TC Helicon Vocal Effects upgrades include Pitch Correction and Voice Modeling.

Additional features include:

• Eight user-assignable faders (can act as drawbars)
• Four assignable switches
• Joystick and two fixed function faders
• Two pairs of Audio Output
• Two pairs of MIDI In/Out
• Two Audio Inputs -- One switchable to Balanced MIC Input with independent gain control
• Coaxial S/PDIF Output
• Damper Pedal Input and User-Assignable Pedal Input
• Connection to optional EC5 Pedalboard with five assignable switches

The Korg Pa1X Pro will be available in November 2003 with a list price TBA.