KORG PA4X 76 User Manual

Pa4X | User Manual

Important safety instructions

▪ Read these instructions.

▪ Keep these instructions.

▪ Heed all warnings.

▪ Do not use this apparatus near water.

▪ Clean only with dry cloth.

▪ Do not block any ventilation openings. Install

in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

▪ Do not install near any heat sources such as

radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliﬁers) that produce heat.

▪ Do not defeat the safety purpose of the po-

larized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not ﬁt into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

▪ Protect the power cord from being walked on

or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

▪ Only use attachments/accessories speciﬁed

by the manufacturer.

▪ Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket,

or table speciﬁed by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

▪ Unplug this apparatus during lightning

storms or when unused for long periods of time.

▪ Refer all servicing to qualiﬁed service per-

sonnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

▪ WARNING – This apparatus shall be connect-

ed to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing connection.

▪ Turning off the standby switch does not com-

pletely isolate this product from the power line, so remove the plug from the socket if not using it for extended periods of time, or before cleaning. Please ensure that the mains plug or appliance couple remains readily accessible.

▪ Mains powered apparatus shall not be ex-

posed to dripping or splashing and that no objects ﬁlled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.

▪ Install this product near the wall socket and

keep the power plug easily accessible.

▪ Do not install this equipment on the far po-

sition from wall outlet and/or convenience receptacle.

WARNING – Do not ingest battery, chemical burn hazard. This product contains a coin/button cell batter y.

If the coin/button cell battery is swallowed it can cause severe internal burns in just 2 hours and can lead to death.

Keep new and used batteries away from children. If the battery compartment does not close securely, stop using the product and keep it away from children.

If you think the battery may have been swallowed or placed inside any part of the body seek immediate medical attention.

▪ WARNING – Date/time Lithium button cell

battery inside. Danger of explosion if the battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type. The internal date/time Lithium button cell battery is user replaceable.

▪ Do not expose batteries to excessive heat,

such as direct sunshine, ﬁre or the like.

▪ Dispose of used batteries according to the

battery manufacturer’s instructions.

▪ Do not install this equipment in a conﬁned

space such as a box for the conveyance or similar unit.

The lightning ﬂash with arrowhead symb ol within an equilate ral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “da ngerous vo ltage” wi thin the pro duct’s e nclosure that may be of sufﬁcient magnitude to constitute a risk of e lectric shock to persons.

The excla mation point within an equilate ral triang le is intended to aler t the user to th e presen ce of impor tant operating an d maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.

CAUTION – Pa4X is for use only with KORG STSV1 BK stand. Use with other stands is capable of resulting in instability causing possible injury.

ATTENTION – Le Pa4X est conçu pour être utilisé avec le support KORG ST-SV1 BK. L’utilisation avec d’autres supports peut causer une déstabilisation du Pa4X et provoquer des blessures.

Other notices

Automatic power-off

To avoid wasting power, Pa4X will by default automatically enter standby mode after two hours of non-active use (playing, pressing buttons or using the touch-screen). Please save your data (Keyboard Sets, Styles, Songs, and so on) before taking a prolonged pause.

Data handling

Data in memory may sometimes be lost due to incorrect user action. Be sure to save important data to the internal memory or to an external USB device. KORG will not be responsible for damages caused by data loss.

Display handling

Be very careful not to force the display when tilting it. Fully lower the display before carrying the instrument. Also, be very careful not to apply too much pressure on the display while carrying the instrument, or it might break.

Cleaning

If the exterior becomes dirty, wipe it with a clean, dry cloth. Do not use liquid cleaners such as benzene or thinner, or cleaning compounds or ﬂammable polishes.

Use a soft cotton cloth to clean the display. Some materials, such as paper towels, could cause scratches and damage it. Computer wipes are also suggested, provided they are speciﬁcally designed for LCD screens.

Do not spray any liquid on the LCD screen directly. Always apply the solution to your cloth ﬁrst, then clean the screen.

Example screens

Some pages of the manuals show snapshots of the screen along with an explanation of functions and operations. All sound, style, song or parameter names, as well as shown values, are merely examples and may not always match the actual display you are working on.

Trademarks

Acrobat and PDF are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Mac and iOS are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc.

trademark of Google Inc.

MS-DOS and Windows are

Android is a

registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. TC-Helicon is a registered trademark of TCHelicon Vocal Technologies Ltd. MaxxAudio, MaxxEQ, MaxxBass, MaxxTreble, MaxxStereo, MaxxVolume are trademarks of Waves Audio Ltd. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Open source notice

Disclaimer

The information contained in this manual have been carefully revised and checked through. Due to our constant efforts to improve our products, the speciﬁcations might differ to those in the manual. KORG is not responsible for any differences found between the speciﬁcations and the contents of the instruction manual – all speciﬁcations being subject to change without prior notice.

Liability

KORG products are manufactured under strict speciﬁcations and voltages required by each country. These products are warranted by the KORG distributor only in each country. Any KORG product not sold with a warranty card or carrying a serial number disqualiﬁes the product sold from the manufacturer’s/distributor’s warranty and liability. This requirement is for your own protection and safety.

Service and user’s assistance

For service, please contact your nearest Authorized KORG Service Center. For more information on KORG products, and to ﬁnd software and accessories for your keyboard, please contact your local Authorized KORG distributor. For up-to-date information, please point your web browser to our web site.

Keep your keyboard up-to-date

Your instrument can be constantly updated as new versions of the operating system are released by KORG. You can download the operating system from our web site. Please, read the instructions supplied with the operating system.

Contents

Part I 9 Let’s start!

11 Introduction

11 Welcome to Pa4X!

15 Before starting to play…

17 Overview of the instrument

24 Setting up the pedals and audio connections

24 Connecting the pedals

25 Connecting the EC5 multiswitch

25 Connecting the headphones

25 Connecting the audio outputs

26 Powering up

26 Turning the instrument on

27 Calibrating the touch screen

28 Adjust the display brightness

28 Tilting the display

29 Listening to the Demo Songs

30 Interface basics

30 The main page

31 The user interface in detail

39 Navigating through the pages

42 Selecting the musical resources

Part II 43 Playing and singing

45 Playing the Sounds

45 Choosing your preferred Sound set

46 Choosing the Sound sets

52 Playing and controlling the Sounds

54 Tempo and Metronome

54 Tempo

56 Metronome

58 Playing the Styles

58 Choosing the Styles

63 Playing a manual accompaniment (Bass & Lower Backing)

64 Playing the automatic accompaniment

70 Adjusting the accompaniment volume

71 Playing the Pads

71 Choosing the Pad sets

72 Playing the Pads

73 Playing the Songs

73 Choosing the Songs

78 Playing a Song

80 Mixing two Songs

82 Playing along with the Song

83 Adjusting the volume levels

84 Playing all the Songs in a folder

86 Playing a Jukebox list

89 Lyrics, chords, markers and score

89 Choosing one of the Players

90 Reading the lyrics and chords contained in a Song

92 Reading the lyrics and chords loaded as a text ﬁle

94 Reading the lyrics and chords loaded as a CDG ﬁle

95 Moving through a Song with the markers

98 Reading the music score

102 Searching for ﬁles and other items

102 Using the Search function

Part III 107 SongBook

109 Using the SongBook

109 Choosing the SongBook Entries

118 Using the Set Lists

122 Editing the SongBook

122 Creating and editing the SongBook Entries

131 Creating and editing the Set Lists

135 Using the SongBook with a personal computer

Part IV 137 Customizing and editing the Sound sets

139 Customizing the Sound sets

139 Playing different Sounds with the left and right hand

143 Playing two or three Sounds at the same time

144 Choosing different Sounds

146 Mixing the Keyboard Sounds

149 Transposing the Upper Sounds to a different octave

150 Using the Ensemble to add harmony

153 Advanced editing of the Sound sets

153 The editing procedure

156 Mixing the Sounds

158 Adding effects

169 Equalizing the Sounds

172 Octave transpose and ﬁne tuning

173 Programming the sound routing and polyphony

176 Quick editing of Drum Kits

179 Quick editing of Sounds

181 Programming the key and velocity range

183 Editing the Digital Drawbars

187 Writing the Sound sets

187 Writing the Keyboard Sets to the library

189 Writing Keyboard Sets into a Style

191 Writing Keyboard Sets into a SongBook Entr y

194 Writing Style Settings, Song Settings and MIDI Song Sounds

Part V 195 Customizing, recording and editing the Styles and Pads

197 Customizing the Styles

197 Setting the Chord Recognition

201 Setting how velocity controls the accompaniment

202 Setting the memory mode

203 Mixing the grouped Accompaniment Sounds

206 Editing the Style Settings

206 Mixing the individual Accompaniment Sounds

209 Changing the Sounds of the accompaniment parts

212 Setting the Style controls

215 Choosing and mixing the Pads

218 Writing the Style Settings

219 The Chord Sequencer

219 Recording Chord Sequences

220 Playing back Chord Sequences

221 Managing the Chord Sequences

224 Recording the Styles and Pads

224 How are Styles and Pads made?

230 Programming the Style Settings, then recording the musical sequences

231 Accessing the Style/Pad Record mode

233 Setting the recording parameters

238 Assigning Sounds to the Style Element and Pads

241 Choosing the original key/chord and the note transposition table

244 Recording a Style or Pad in Realtime Record

247 Recording a Style or Pad in Step Record

252 Recording a Guitar track

262 Editing the Styles and Pads

262 Editing the track parameters

267 Editing the Chord Table

268 Editing the track type, trigger, tension

270 Editing the Style/Pad sequences

282 Editing the MIDI events

286 Copying the Style track settings

287 Importing and exporting the Styles and Pads

287 Impor ting a Standard MIDI File to a Chord Variation

290 Importing a Standard MIDI File to a Style

293 Expor ting a Chord Variation

295 Converting a MIDI Song to a Style

295 The MIDI Song to Style Conver ter

297 Writing the new/edited Style or Pad

297 Writing the Styles

299 Writing the Pads

300 Managing the Styles and Pads

300 Managing the Favorite Style banks

302 Copying, renaming and deleting the Styles and Pads

Part VI 305 Customizing, recording and editing the Songs

307 Customizing the Songs

307 How to play a Song – Song Play vs. Sequencer mode

308 Special tracks and fast play

310 Mixing the Song Sounds

314 Changing the Sounds of the MIDI Song tracks

315 Writing the Song Play Settings

315 Writing the default Players’ settings

316 Listening the MIDI Songs in Sequencer mode

316 Loading and listening a MIDI Song

319 Recording MIDI Songs

319 Multitrack Recording a Song

326 Step Recording a Song

331 Quick Recording a Backing Sequence Song

337 Step Recording a Backing Sequence Song

342 Editing the MIDI Songs

342 Editing the Song tracks

352 Editing the MIDI events

356 Saving MIDI Songs

356 Saving the MIDI Song

358 Recording MP3 Songs

358 Recording and saving an MP3 Song

361 Creating text ﬁles (lyrics)

361 Creating text ﬁles on a personal computer

Part VII 367 Customizing and editing the Sounds

369 Listening and customizing the Sounds

369 Accessing the Sound mode

370 Listening to individual Sounds

371 Customizing the Sound

374 Editing the Sounds

376 Setting the Sound’s basic parameters

382 Setting the oscillator’s basic parameters

389 Programming the Damper pedal

393 Equalizing the Sound

394 Setting the Drum Kit’s basic parameters

398 Equalizing the Drum Kit

400 Mixing the Drum Kit layers

401 Mixing and retriggering the drum samples

403 Modulating pitch

408 Programming the pitch envelope (Pitch EG)

412 Programming the ﬁlters

415 Modulating the ﬁlters

420 Programming the ﬁlter envelope (Filter EG)

424 Programming amplitude and pan

426 Modulating amplitude

429 Programming the amplitude envelope (Amp EG)

433 Programming the LFO

438 Adding effects to the Sound

441 Sound Edit utilities

443 AMS (Alternate Modulation Sources)

446 Writing the Sounds

446 Writing the edited Sound

448 Making new sounds with Sampling

450 Loading samples and multisamples

454 Recording samples or audio grooves

456 Editing the samples

460 Editing the loop

463 Writing, exporting or deleting the samples

466 Creating multisamples

470 Writing, exporting or deleting the multisamples

473 Creating new Sounds from multisamples

474 Creating new Drum Kits from percussive samples

475 Assigning the new Sound or Drum Kit to a part/track

476 Creating Audio Groove Slices with Time Slicing

482 Writing the Audio Groove Slices

483 Using the Audio Groove Slices in a Style or Pad

485 Using the Audio Groove Slices in other Sounds

Part VIII 487 Effects for the Sounds

489 The effects

489 Editing the effects

493 Adapting reverb to the room size

494 Effects list

496 Effect parameters

496 REV (Reverbs)

507 DEL (Delay)

542 MOD (Modulation)

589 DYN (Dynamics)

601 AMP (Ampliﬁer)

640 FILT (EQ and Filters)

669 FREQ (Frequency)

682 MISC (Miscellaneous)

727 DMS (Dynamic Modulation Sources)

Part IX 729 Controllers

731 Hand controllers

731 Programming the joystick

733 Programming the keyboard’s velocity and aftertouch

735 Programming the ribbon controller

737 Programming the assignable sliders

739 Programming the assignable switches

742 Foot controllers

742 Programming the damper pedal

743 Programming the assignable pedal/footswitch

750 Calibrating the pedal and setting its polarity

752 Programming the EC5 multiswitch

Part X 757 Global settings and preferences

759 Customizing the user interface

759 Display and control panel preferences

761 Program Change and activity indicators

763 Automatic selection and locking

763 Automatically choosing Styles and Keyboard Sets

765 Locking parameters to prevent changes

769 System preferences

769 Setting the date and time for ﬁle saving

770 Automatic power off

771 Master Transpose and Tuning

771 Master Tuning

772 Master Transpose

777 Scale

777 Main Scale

779 Sub-Scale

783 Quarter Tone Sub-Scale (SC Presets)

788 Retuning the Style while playing

Part XI 791 MIDI

793 Connecting MIDI devices

793 Introduction to MIDI

798 Connecting via the MIDI interface

799 Connecting via the USB DEVICE port

801 Quick settings using MIDI Presets

806 Synchronizing Tempo with other instruments

808 MIDI data routing, processing and transposing

813 Programming the MIDI channels

817 Connecting Pa4X to a personal computer or tablet

818 Control Change messages

821 Controlling the Arranger and Players via MIDI

Part XII 823 Audio In/Out and the Voice Processor

825 Setting the audio outputs and the ﬁnal effects

825 Connecting the audio outputs

826 Choosing the audio outputs for the microphone and line audio inputs

827 Sending Sounds and Drum Kits to the audio outputs

829 Choosing the audio outputs for the metronome click

830 Programming the MAXX mastering effects

836 Connecting audio devices to the audio inputs

836 Connecting an external audio device to the line inputs

838 Connecting a microphone

842 Shaping the sound of the lead voice

851 Using the voice effects and harmonization

851 Choosing a Voice Preset

855 Harmonizing your voice

857 Doubling your voice

858 Using the effects

859 Talking with your audience

861 Editing the Voice effects

861 Choosing, enabling and balancing the effects

862 Mixing the lead voice and the effects

863 Editing the harmony voices

870 Editing the Double voice

872 Editing the Filter effect

874 Editing the Hard Tune effect

875 Editing the μMod effect

877 Editing the Delay effect

879 Editing the Reverb effect

881 Writing a Voice Preset

Part XIII 883 File management

885 Managing ﬁles

885 Overview on ﬁle management

890 Loading musical resources and settings

896 Saving musical resources and settings

900 Copying ﬁles and folders

903 Deleting ﬁles and folders

904 Selecting more items at once

906 Exporting playlists

909 Managing media

909 Formatting storage devices

911 Backing up and restoring musical resources

915 Connecting one of the internal drives to a personal computer

917 Storage device organization

920 Changing the media display preferences

921 Protecting storage devices and ﬁles

923 The Direct Styles and Keyboard Sets

925 Care of storage devices

Part XIV 927 Appendix

929 Musical Resources

930 Styles

936 Keyboard Set Library

940 Sounds

968 DNC Sounds and controls

973 Drum Kits

975 Multisamples

990 Drum Samples

1023 Pads

1028 Recognized chords

1030 Connecting an external display

1032 Installing the options

1032 Assembling the ampliﬁcation system (PaAS)

1038 Assembling the music stand

1040 Assembling the stand (ST-SV1 BK)

1046 Replacing the clock backup battery

1049 Installing a microSD card

1053 Installing an additional internal drive

1057 Shortcuts

1060 Troubleshooting

1062 Specs

PART I: LET’S

START!

10| Let’s start!

Introduction |11

01 Introduction

Welcome to Pa4X!

Many thanks, and congratulation on purchasing the KORG Pa4X Professional Arranger! We’re sure it’ll give you countless hours of great tones that will feel as good as they sound.

Slim, powerful and easy to use

With the elegant aluminum cabinet, Pa4X provides a professional and stylish look, that will be much appreciated on stage or at home. The main panel’s logical layout ensures easy access to sliders, buttons, knobs and all controls.

Using your Pa4X is easy, thanks to the touch screen and the clean, clearly laid-out, modern user interface, based on icons reproducing real objects in the real world. The tilting display will make access easy under any circumstances.

The real solo and band experience

Pa4X has been designed to assist you equally well during live performance and songwriting. The detailed natural sounds and ﬁnely crafted styles have been created by some of the ﬁnest musicians in the music industry. You will feel you are playing in a real band – no matter what your musical tastes are.

The naturally responsive 76- and 61-note semi-weighted keyboards are designed for musicians of all levels, from beginners to demanding keyboard players, and gives you a completely authentic feel and full control of expression.

More than just recorded sounds

The huge, realistic collection of classic and contemporary keyboard, band and orchestral sounds, includes a new multi-layer stereo grand piano (with damper and body resonance) and new electric pianos; new wind instruments, basses and stunning acoustic and electric guitars; plus new digital drawbars with leakage and key on/off noises.

12| Let’s start!

Sounds have been recorded with the most up-to-date technologies, and KORG’s own proprietary EDS-X (Enhanced Deﬁnition Synthesis-eXpanded) sound engine allows for ﬁne detail to be accurately reproduced. The integrated sampler and sound editor allows to ﬁll the vast user memory with newly created or imported sounds.

All these authentic sounds become alive with KORG’s DNC (Deﬁned Nuance Control) system, allowing the performer to accurately and expressively introduce the most subtle nuances and sound articulation. For example, the joystick, ribbon controller and assignable switches can introduce the growl of a saxophone, breath elements found in trumpet, clarinet and harmonica, and add authenticity to the pizzicato and bowed sounds of a string section. You will even hear keys opening when saxophone notes are going up, and closing when going down!

Listen the natural way

Each Pa4X sound go through separate EQs and studio-quality effect processors, that further reﬁne your sound before coming through high-quality stereo audio outputs. Effects run from the standard reverbs and delays through to the more unusual effects (like a Vocoder), realistic amp simulators and carefully recreated vintage effects.

The ﬁnal effects are the result of KORG’s long term cooperation with Waves Audio®, the world reference in studio mastering effects. The included Waves MAXX AUDIO suite of effects delivers sound that is louder, clearer, fuller, and more polished.

For super high-ﬁdelity, you can add the optional PaAS Ampliﬁcation System, that has been speciﬁcally designed to connect directly to the keyboard. Useful for both home use and on-stage monitoring, the PaAS requires no additional support, no cables, no power supply to deliver crisp, clean full range sound. The sound is clear and detailed even at the lowest volume level, for the pleasure of the late-night rehearsing musician.

As good in tour or at home

Pa4X is a compact, lightweight arranger workstation that you can comfortably take with you on stage. But add the optional modern, stylish dedicated stand, and you will be able to have it anywhere in your home – a stylish piece of modern furniture.

The built in programmable metronome can be used as a guide while practicing at home. But send the click through the separate outputs to the stage monitors or an headphone ampliﬁer, and it will be used as a guidance by the other band’s members.

Introduction |13

A band always ready to play with you

Ultra-realistic sounds in the Pa4X are always ready to play along with you, in the music style best ﬁtting your music. The high number of included Styles will satisfy any music genre, but can also be expanded by adding new Styles. You may also create your Styles, customize the existing ones, or easily convert MIDI Songs to Styles.

There are eight accompaniment parts which will follow your chords. The Auto Fill function will automatically choose a Fill for you. You can play in the simplest way or with the rich harmonization of a competent jazz player. We have programmed them to sound natural, and give you the feeling of a real band, ready to play with you at any time.

The convenient Chord Sequencer function records your chord progressions on-the-ﬂy allowing the users to immediately play along with their own chord sequence, which is useful not only for practice, but for freeing up a hand while performing live. Chord Sequences can also be saved in Styles and SongBook Entries for easy recall.

Play and write songs

Play Songs in MID and MP3 formats with KORG’s patented XDS Crossfade Dual Sequencer/Player. With both Songs and Styles, you can show lyrics for your singer and chords for your fellow guitarist. Any MIDI Song track can be converted into a readable score. Markers allow for jumping back to a passage you wish to repeat, for example in a piece you are studying or rehearsing.

Use the video output to display lyrics or score on an external monitor, making it perfect for karaoke or band leading.

You can record a MIDI Song using a full-featured Sequencer, or by using the Styles to record your live performance. Even easier, just record what you sing and play (including MP3 Songs) as an MP3 ﬁle, and listen to it anywhere you like – even while driving to a party with friends!

Your music book

What is a huge collection of Styles and Songs, without an effective form of organization? Pa4X has the one most known to musicians: the SongBook, a music database allowing for fast song retrieving based on name, artist, genre or tempo. Styles and Songs are easily recalled by the SongBook.

Particularly useful for live use, the SongBook can assign songs from any custom Set List to dedicated buttons on the control panel. Your entire show will be under your ﬁngers, with immediate access to any Style, Song and Sounds needed for your performance.

14| Let’s start!

The SongBook can even be edited from a personal computer through our free editor. It can also be synchronized with most modern tablets to become your handy external digital music sheet reader (third-party software needed).

Sing naturally

Connect a condenser or dynamic microphone, and let the Adaptive Mic Setting automatically adjust parameters such as the Adaptive Gate, EQ, Compression and the De-Esser to make the vocals sound smooth and studioproduced.

For years, KORG has teamed with TC•Helicon®, the world leaders in vocal harmonies, to create and constantly improve the included Voice Processor. TC•Helicon’s Voice Processor ensures that your vocals have the highest possible sound quality, and adds up to four realistic voices to your voice.

To ensure professional vocal performance, 3 knobs and 3 buttons controlling the most important vocal functions have been added to the top panel within easy reach.

Open to the world, ready to the future

The use of standard ﬁle formats, like MID or MP3 for songs, or WAV and AIFF for samples, opens a world of possibilities when exchanging ﬁles. The USB ports allow for connecting Pa4X to any external storage device or personal computer, smartphone or tablet without the need for a dedicated MIDI interface. However, you can connect Pa4X to any existing MIDI musical instrument, thanks to its complete set of programmable MIDI ports.

Introduction |15

Before starting to play…

What’s in the box

After you get your Pa4X, please check that all the following items are included in the package. If any of the following items is missing, please contact your KORG dealer immediately.

▪ Pa4X

▪ Music stand

▪ AC power cable

▪ Quick Guide

▪ Accessory Disc, containing the Video Manuals, additional manuals and soft-

ware utilities

What you can add

After having purchased Pa4X, you might want to add these other ﬁne options:

▪ The elegant KORG ST-SV1 BK keyboard stand, recommended for safety and

comfort, perfectly matching your arranger design.

▪ The PaAS Ampliﬁcation System, adding a three-way ampliﬁcation system, a

pair of integrated speakers and a bass-reﬂex box.

▪ One of the sturdy pedals and footswitches from the KORG catalogue.

▪ For Pa4X-61: The HDIK-3 kit, to install an (optional) hard disk drive.

Contacts

Your KORG dealers not only deliver this instrument, but also carry hardware and software accessories, as well as useful information on how to use these products. Ask them for any help you should eventually need.

Our international web site is www.korg.com. A list of all KORG Distributors can be found in our dedicated web page (www.korg.com/us/corporate/dis-

tributors/).

16| Let’s start!

Making a safety copy of your data

In case you like to customize your musical resources, we suggest you use the

Media > Utility > Full Resources Backup command to make frequent backup

copies into compact and easy-to-store archives.

Also, you can use the Media > Save All command to save individual ﬁles that you can separately reload one by one.

Restoring a safety copy

To restore a backup, use the Media > Utility > Resources Restore command.

If you saved your data with the Media > Save All command, use the Media >

Load operations to reload them.

Restoring the original factory data

In case you want to restore the original factory data, use the Media > Utility

> Factory Restore command.

Warning: This operation will overwrite all the Factory, Local, Favorite and User data!

Loading the Operating System

Your Pa4X can be constantly updated as new versions of the operating system are released by KORG. You can download the most up-to-date operating system from our web site. Please, read the instructions supplied with the operating system on the site.

You can see which version of the operating systems is installed in your Pa4X by going to the Media > Utility page.

Warning: Do not install an OS other than the ofﬁcial OS supplied by KORG for the

Pa4X. Trying to install an OS created for different models or downloaded from unofﬁcial web sites may cause data loss and permanent damage to the instrument. KORG is not responsible for any damage caused by improper installation of the OS.

Introduction |17

Overview of the instrument

The following pages show the functional areas of the front and real panels.

Front panel

The front panel is where you can ﬁnd the instrument’s controls, the (optional) loudspeakers and the music stand.

Guide for the music stand and

PaAS ampliﬁcation system

KeyboardHeadphones

PaAS ampliﬁcation system

You can install the (optional) PaAS ampliﬁcation system (see page 1032 for assembly instructions). When installed, control the output volume of the speakers via the MASTER VOLUME knob.

The speakers are automatically deactivated when connecting the headphones. You can also manually deactivate them by deselecting the Speakers checkbox in the Global > Audio & Video > MP3/Speakers page.

18| Let’s start!

Music stand

A music stand comes standard with your Pa4X (see page 1038 for assembly instructions).

Headphones connector

Connect a pair of headphones to this output. You can use headphones with an impedance of 16-200 Ohms (50 Ohms suggested).

Keyboard

Use the keyboard to play notes and chords. Depending on the SPLIT indicator, the keyboard may be joint or split between different sounds.

Introduction |19

Control panel

The control panel is the part of the front panel where you can ﬁnd the instrument’s controls.

Metronome and

Tempo area

DisplaySliders area

Styles area Players area Sounds/Set List area

Navigation area

Display

Use this touchscreen display to interact with the instrument. The display can be tilted for optimal visualization (see page 28).

Microphone

area

Styles (and Pads) area

Styles supply the automatic accompaniment with a virtual band (see page

58).

20| Let’s start!

Players area

Songs can be played back by the two onboard Players (see page 73).

Sounds (and Set Lists) area

Sounds are what you can play on the keyboard (see page 45). Here you can choose Sound sets saved as Keyboard Sets in a dedicated library. Or you can choose Set Lists from the SongBook, that are collections of Sound sets with an associated Style or Song(s).

Navigation area

Use these controls to go through the menus, pages and parameters, and search for the various musical resources (see page 30).

Introduction |21

Metronome and Tempo area

Use these controls to practice with the metronome and control the Tempo of the metronome, the Styles and the Songs (see page 54).

Microphone controls

Here you will control the microphone input and the voice effects and harmonization (see page 836).

USB connector

Use this connector to connect an USB memory device, like an USB pendrive (HOST-F). You can also use it to attach a small USB lamp and illuminate the control panel or the music stand.

22| Let’s start!

Rear panel

The rear panel is where you can ﬁnd the various connections (see page

24).

Guide for the music stand and

PaAS ampliﬁcation system

Connectors Power connector

Audio inputs

Audio

outputs

EC5 multiswitch

connector

Pedals USB

MIDI ports

ports

Video

out

Battery and microSD slot

Audio inputs

Use these connectors to connect a microphone or another musical instrument. The convenient STEREO minijack can be used to directly connect the audio output of a media player, a smartphone or a tablet.

Audio outputs

Use these connectors to send the audio signal (sound) to a mixer, a PA system, a set of powered monitors, or your hi-ﬁ system.

EC5 connector

You can connect an (optional) Korg EC5 multiswitch pedalboard, to control many functions in realtime.

MIDI ports

Use these ports to connect Pa4X to external controllers (master keyboard, MIDI guitar, wind controller, MIDI accordion…), to a series of expanders, or to a computer with a MIDI interface.

Introduction |23

Pedal connectors

Use the DAMPER connector to connect a damper pedal, and the ASSIGNABLE connector to connect either a continuous pedal or footswitch.

USB ports

Use these connectors to connect your Pa4X to a personal computer (DEVICE) or to connect an USB memory device, like an USB pendrive (HOST- R).

Video out

Connect Pa4X to a TV or video monitor, to read lyrics and chords on a bigger display.

Battery and microSD slot

This opening contains the clock battery and the microSD card slot.

Power connector

Use this socket to plug in the supplied IEC power cable.

24| Let’s start!

02 Setting up the pedals

and audio connections

Connecting the pedals

Connecting the damper pedal

Use the PEDAL > DAMPER connector to connect a damper pedal, like the (optional) KORG PS1, PS3 or DS1H. The DS1H pedal supports all the nuances of half-pedaling on some acoustic piano sounds. You can experiment how it works by gradually pressing it down, and gradually releasing it, while playing the Concert Grand Sound.

If you need to change the pedal’s polarity and calibrate it, go to the Global >

Controllers > Foot page.

Connecting a pedal or footswitch

Use the PEDAL > ASSIGNABLE connector to connect a footswitch pedal like the (optional) KORG PS1, PS3 or DS1H, or a continuous pedal like the (optional) KORG XVP-10 Volume pedal or EXP-2 Expression pedal.

By default, this connector will work as an Expression pedal. If you want to change the assigned function, or you need to change the pedal’s polarity and calibrate it, go to the Global > Controllers > Foot page.

What if the pedals do not behave correctly?

From time to time, you might want to recalibrate the pedals. Or you might need to reverse the pedal’s polarity. See how to do in Calibrating the pedal

and setting its polarity on page 750.

Setting up the pedals and audio connections |25

Connecting the EC5 multiswitch

Use the EC5 connector to connect the (optional) KORG EC5 multiswitch. With this programmable controller you can control various functions.

By default, the ﬁrst switch acts as an automatic accompaniment’s Start/Stop command, while each of the remaining four switches select one of the four Style Variations. If you want to change the assigned functions, go to the

Global > Controllers > EC5 page.

Connecting the headphones

Connect a pair of headphones to the PHONES connector. You can use headphones with an impedance of 16-200 Ohms (50 Ohms suggested). When connecting the headphones, the PaAS speakers are automatically deactivated.

Adjust the output level with the MASTER VOLUME knob.

Connecting the audio outputs

Use the AUDIO OUTPUT connectors to send the audio output to a mixer, a set of powered monitors, or an audio ampliﬁcation system. These are balanced/unbalanced (TRS) 6.35 mm, or 1/4”, jack connectors.

When using a home audio ampliﬁer, connect the other end of the cable to the CD, LINE IN or TAPE/AUX input of your audio system. Don’t use the PHONO inputs of your audio system!

▪ Use the LEFT and RIGHT connectors as the main stereo outputs. Connect

either of them to output a mono signal. Adjust the output level with the

MASTER VOLUME knob.

▪ Use the 1 and 2 connectors as the separate sub-outputs. These can be used

for a stereo sub-mix, or to output just a single Sound to be mixed alone, or to be processed or ampliﬁed externally. The Sounds are sent to these outputs with no effects. Adjust their volume with the mixer’s or external speaker’s level controls.

If installed, the (optional) PaAS ampliﬁcation system will work in parallel with the main audio outputs.

26| Let’s start!

03 Powering up

Turning the instrument on

Connecting the power adapter

Plug the supplied power cable into the POWER socket on the back of the instrument, and the cable plug into a wall power socket.

When the cable is connected, the instrument is in standby.

Warning: When the instrument is in standby, it is still connected to the power line.

Accessing the inside of the instrument can be dangerous. To completely disconnect the instrument from the power, unplug the power plug from the power socket on the wall.

Turning the power on or off

Turn the instrument on

▪ Press the POWER (

standby’). After you turn the instrument on, wait for the welcome screen to disappear, then the main page of the Style Play mode will be shown in the display.

Turn the instrument off (standby)

▪ Keep the POWER (

it when the screen appears dimmed. The shutdown procedure will begin and last for a few seconds. Please do not disconnect the power cable during this procedure.

) button to turn the instrument on (that is, ‘exit from

) button pressed for about one second, then release

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