Korg Pa800 User Manual

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• RX Technology- the Pa800 Real eXperience means up to SIXTEEN
oscillators per program, with multi-level dynamics and extensive real­time control… The realism is unparalleled

• Color TouchView Interface is incredibly EASY TO USE… you’ll be
navigating through the Pa800 in no time

• New Easy Mode displays the most frequently-used controls, so you’re
always in command of your favorite features!

• Huge collection of pristine sample data provides over 1000 factory
sounds with Korg’s legendary programming

• Enhanced Style Functions – 544 Style locations (419 pre-loaded)
Styles can be up to 32 bars long, with 3 intros, 3 fills, 4 variations and
3 endings. Tap-Tempo, Reset & Fade in/out

• 16-Bit/48kHz Sampling (64 MB RAM) with Auto Time Slice/Extend
and more editing functions. Loads AIFF, WAV, Korg and AKAI

• A real effects powerhouse, with over 100 different effects, including
Korg’s acclaimed REMS guitar-based effects!

• 320 programmable Performance settings let you recall your
favorite settings at the touch of a button

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• Songbook feature lets you create a searchable database of your

• Multi-Channel Backing Sequencer to instantly record up to 8

• XDS Dual Sequencer allows you to cue one song while you’re

• TC Helicon vocal processing works with the onboard mic input

data.

• USB computer connectivity, plus two USB 2.0 Host ports for

• Powerful onboard stereo speakers, and 4 assignable outputs

Performance settings- by title, artist, tempo, key- and instantly
recall one to recreate that song. A SongBook entry can also be a
MIDI file on a USB PenDrive!

backing tracks and up to four real time tracks – each to a
separate track - all in one pass!

playing a different one… The crossfader allows smooth or
immediate transitions from one song to the next, creating a
seamless performance every time

for powerful effects and three-part harmony

various media storage

for flexible routing – perfect for recording or PA applications

EasyStart CONTENTS

Welcome! 2
Making Connections; Working with the TouchV iew User Interface
Easy Mode; Playing the Demo Songs
Playing Sounds
Selecting, Playing and Controlling Styles
Suggested Styles to Work With
Saving Your Settings (Performances)
Quick Recording with the Backing Sequencer
The SongBook; Using the TC-Helicon Voice Processor
Owner’s Manual References
Available Options

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Pa800 EasyStart

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The Pa800 is the most powerful arranger available. This guide will familiarize you with its basic operation, and
you’ll be making music in no time at all! Once you’ve got these techniques down, you can work with the excellent
Owner’s Manual for more in-depth details, and make sure to visit www.korgpa.com

for lots of support and updates.

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! Please begin this guide by powering up the Pa800, so that the display pages come up in the proper order…

1. Connect the power cord to the Pa800. If you want to use an external speaker system, connect audio cables from the

LEFT/MONO and RIGHT outputs to your sound system, or for private listening, connect headphones to the
HEADPHONE jack on the front.

2. Turn the Pa800 on by pressing the POWER switch on the rear panel. The Pa800 will go through its startup routine, and
you’ll be placed in Style Play mode.

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The intuitive Color TouchView user interface on the Pa800 allows for extremely fast and easy access to the Pa800’s
features and parameters. You can even access a multilingual contextual Help System (simply press the HELP
button to the right of the display)

Before we dive in, let’s get familiar with the TouchView display…

! Before you start playing, make sure that the BALANCE slider located beneath the display is in the center position, and

the BALANCE fader beneath the left speaker is also in the center position!

! Please note the DISPLAY HOLD button to the right of the display. When lit, any selected page will stay displayed until

the EXIT button is pressed. When the DISPLAY HOLD functio n is turned off, the display will return to the main page
automatically, after several seconds.

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Pa800 EasyStart

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Are you viewing more on-screen information than you need? Try going from Expert Mode to Easy Mode! Touch
the drop-down Page menu in the upper-right corner of the display, and select “Easy Mode”. This mode will show
you what’s assigned to the Single Touch Setting buttons, and it will give you a shortcut to the lyrics in Song Play
mode. It also displays the status of a microphone connected to one of the audio inputs. If you’re just starting with
the Pa800, try this mode to get comfortable with playback of Styles and Songs. Later on, you can return to Expert
Mode, where all Pa800 performance and editing functions are available to you.

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3. Press both the STYLE PLAY and SONG PLAY buttons. Demos will automatically start to play, however you can also
select Solo Instrument, Style or Full Song demos by pressing the appropriate box in the display, and then selecting
the desired demo from the list.

4. Press the EXIT button to return to the main demo pag e, where you can select a different demo category.

5. Exit Demo Play mode by pressing the STYLE PLAY button .

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The Pa800 utilizes Korg’s amazing RX (Real eXperience) technology and sound engine from the flagship Pa1x­series instruments… and that same sound engine powers Korg’s new flagship workstation, the M3! With the Pa800,
you can use up to sixteen oscillators per sound to create guitar slides, harmonics and pull-offs, flute overblow,
frulatto, and many other beautiful nuances. This means that your acoustic instruments will sound incredibly
realistic, and you can authentically recreate an entire orchestra worth of instruments using just a few keys! Let’s
experiment with a few of these sounds…

1. Press the SOUND mode button. Here you can try out and play individual sounds. In this mode the sound will be played
across the entire keyboard and will be heard solo without a Style accompaniment.

2. Grand Piano should be the currently selected sound. This is indicated in the “Sound Info” area at the upper part of the
display. Touch this and you’ll be able to search for sounds by category. Within the piano category, try the Grand Piano
RX sound. You can hear the hammers return when you remove your finger from a key, just like a real piano… and with a
damper pedal attached, you’ll notice string and damper resonance! Try pressing down on the pedal without playing
keys… You can even hear the damper by itself!

3. Press the DISPLAY HOLD button at this point, so that you can keep searching through sounds uninte rrupted…

4. Press the “Guitar” tab, and then press “Nylon Slide Pro” to select this sound. Play the keyboard with varying degrees
of velocity (light, medium and hard) to hear the different guitar articulations, including a very cool slide!

5. Now select one of the great trombone sounds using this alternate method of selecting sounds: Press the SOUND
SELECT BRASS button to the right of the display, and then select “Big BandShake Y+”. Play a chord, and move the
joystick up for a great jazzy shake!

6. Press the SOUND SELECT WOODWIND button (pre ss the E. PIANO button, and then press the button to the left of
PIANO to switch to the bottom row) and select “Flute Frulatto”. Try this at various velocities. Play softly, and you get
a tasty frulatto… Hit it hard for a percussive overblow.

7. Press the SOUND SELECT DIGITAL DRAWBARS button. This is Korg’s world-renown DSP organ modeling in action!
You’ve got rotary speaker emulation, switchable percussion and foot control.

a. Try speeding up/slowing down the rotary speaker by pushing the Joystick Y+ (push it upwards)!

! In STYLE PLAY mode (Explored in the next section); up to four sounds can be combined together!

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