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Korg Pa588 Professional 88-Key Arranger Keyboard

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Korg Pa588 Professional 88-Key Arranger Keyboard, Main
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The Korg Pa588 is easy for beginners to use yet powerful enough for pros. A great value, the Pa588 includes 880 sounds, DJ-style crossfading, and more.

The Korg Pa588 is an 88-key, piano action instrument that's packed with enjoyment. Perform using the rich piano sound, while enjoying the accompaniment of a professional backup band. Enhance your piano performance with a fully-realized and musical arrangement. For the musician, composer, performer and entertainer, the interactive Korg Pa588 is the perfect musical partner. Korg's RX (Real eXperience) technology delivers a sound unprecedented in a digital piano.

Features:

- Serious piano sound and pro-quality arranger features in a stylish body.
- World-class multilayer stereo acoustic piano accurately sampled from a Concert Grand (including String Resonance and Damper pedal noise), 880 other built-in sounds and 56 Drumkits.
- TouchView display lets you operate the Korg Pa588 simply by touching the screen. Switch from "Expert" to Easy" mode for a simplified display and larger, easier to select icons.
- "Play Piano" feature brings you back to the joy of playing piano at the touch of a button.
- 88-note Real Weighted Hammer Action 3 (RH3) keyboard provides the Korg Pa588 grand piano-like playing feel.
- More than 320 sophisticated "styles" created by top-level arrangers from around the world.
- Backing Sequencer captures each Style instrument to a separate track in a single pass, so it's easy to record your piano performance backed by a lavish arrangement on the Korg Pa588.
- Crossfade between songs during playback using the XDS double sequencer, just like a DJ.
- "Guitar… read more Mode" assigns the pitches of the guitar strings to the keyboard, allowing you to produce realistic picking and strumming patterns.
- High quality bass-reflex speakers produce sound with superb presence and clarity. The Korg Pa588 is ready to deliver stunning performances as soon as you switch it on.
- A keyboard stand, mountable damper pedal, and a music rack are included.

An Entertainment Piano

The Korg Pa588 provides piano sounds that have been lavishly sampled at multiple velocity levels from one of the world's best grand pianos, keeping nuance and definition while adding the ornamentation of the hammer noise and the sympathetic string resonance of the damper pedal action. Even delicate pianissimo notes will richly convey the music expression of the performer. The damper pedal that is so indispensable for serious piano performance also supports half-pedaling (will be available only in the Grand Piano RX), allowing you to express all the nuances of your performance.Using the same EDS (Enhanced Definition Synthesis) found in the Korg M3 Music Workstation, the Pa588 delivers more than 880 additional, realistic pro-quality sounds. These sounds include a wide variety of expressive instruments including sax, strings, bass, and much more, giving you a vast range of performance possibilities. Professional sounds, stunning backing patterns, a stylish design, the combination of these elements allows your performance to express the rich depth and tonal detail of a grand piano that play with a band -- recreating the true Korg "Real eXperience".

Real Weighted Hammer Action 3

Korg's proprietary Real Weighted Hammer Action 3 (RH3) keyboard was developed from exhaustive research into grand piano action, and is designed to allow expressively natural performance. The hammer weight is varied across four stages from low to high registers, replicating the way in which a grand piano's action is heavier in the low notes and lighter as you play upward.

Intuitive Interface

The Korg Pa588 features a large TouchView display that you operate simply by touching it. If you're a beginner or performing live, you can use "Easy Mode" for a simplified display with easy visibility and smooth operation. Regardless of the screen you're in or the sound you're playing, you can always use the "Play Piano" button to instantly change to the main Piano sound and start playing.

"Styles" Patterns Accompany You

The Korg Pa588 contains more than 320 fully detailed and complete "styles," created by professional artists from around the world. Each style is a complete musical environment, providing variations, introductions, fills, breaks, endings and variations. The Style engine follows your timing, chord changes and voice leading to create a powerful musical performance automatically, with no pre-programming required. You can choose styles from a wide range such as jazz, latin, country, pop, rock, techno, and more, and use intros, endings, fill-ins and variations to add variety to the accompaniment, making your performance a full-fledged song.

Guitar Mode

The Korg Pa588 provides a Guitar mode that automatically converts your playing into the voicing harmony and chord data distinctive of a guitar. When creating a user style, simply select a chord and specify a capo position, and then use the keyboard to enter the distinctive playing patterns that are typical of a guitar, such as picking and strumming. "RX technology" reproduces subtle nuances such as the sound of your finger sliding on the string as you change chords and the characteristic fret noises of a guitar, bringing your performances a heightened sense of realism when you play and record using guitar sounds.

Backing Sequencer

The Korg Pa588 contains a 16-track 55,000 note multi-track sequencer. In addition to the conventional way of recording in which you manually record each part one by one, you can also use the Backing Sequencer function to record each instrument of a style-generated accompaniment in real-time, in a single pass. This lets you create a song very quickly by using your favorite styles. You can also simply step in the chords and create an entire arrangement without playing a single note. During playback, the XDS dual sequencer can play one sequence file as you load another. Using the DJ-style crossfader, you can seamlessly crossfade between them for non-stop entertainment.

High Quality Speakers

Two 10 cm speakers are built-in; simply switch on the Korg Pa588 and you're ready to play. The speakers feature a bass reflex system design that powerfully reproduces the rich piano sounds.

A Full Range of Enjoyable Functions

- STS (Single Touch Settings) function: This switches the sound of each keyboard track at a single touch. You can save up to four of your favorite sounds for each style. For example you can use this to easily switch between sounds for melody A, melody B, and the break etc. for each different song while you play. The Korg Pa588 also lets you store the sound of each keyboard track as a "performance" in one of 256 internal memories. You can also have a suitable "style" be selected automatically when you recall a "performance".

- SongBook: MIDI and Style data can be organized by genre, title, and artist name. For example you can use the Song Book to quickly search for the desired song data by artist name, and then recall with a single touch the midi file or style, STS, effects and all settings specified for that song. This is not only a great convenience during live performance, but also lets you use the Korg Pa588 for composition or arranging as a piano with a powerful musical data base built in.

- Effects to enrich your sound: The Korg Pa588's professional-quality sounds are further enhanced by a wide selection of effects; everything from delay and reverb up to exciter, parametric EQ, amp modeling and more.

- Audio IN/OUT jacks: The audio OUT jacks let you play the Korg Pa588's sounds through external speakers, and the audio IN jacks lets you play sound from a CD player or other audio source through the Pa588's speakers along with the instrument's own sounds.

- MIDI connectors: MIDI connectors are provided, allowing you to use this communication standard to transfer performance data between musical instruments and computers.

- USB connector: The USB connector allows single-cable connection to your computer for backing-up your performance data or for transmitting/receiving MIDI data.

- Data storage: You can save your data on an SD card or MultiMedia card (MMC).

- Headphone jack: The headphone jack allows you to perform without producing sound from the speakers.

Power Supply:AC Adapter (Included) read less

- Keyboard: 88-note Real Weighted Hammer Action 3 (RH3) keyboard
- System: OPOS (Objective Portable Operating System) and RX (Real eXperience) Technology - Multitasking, Load while play feature - Upgradable Operative System - SSD Solid State Disk
- Tone Generator: KORG EDS (Enhanced Definition Synthesis) sound generator: 80 Voices, 80 Oscillators - Filters with Resonance - Three band EQ for each track
- Effects: 4 Stereo Digital Multi-Effect systems - 124 Effects types - Final semi-parametric three band EQ
- Sounds-Drum Kits: 882 Sounds, including a Stereo Piano and GM Level 2 compatible Sounds, 56 Drum - Kits - User area: 128 Sounds, 64 Drum Kits - Realtime control: Assignable Slider - Full editing of Sounds and Drum Kits
- Styles: More than 340 preloaded Styles, SSD-resident, freely reconfigurable - Up to 448 available Style locations- 64 User Styles - Eight Style tracks, 4 Single Touch Settings and one Style Performance per Style - Guitar Track, Parallel and Fixed NTT - Compatible with old "i-Series" and Pa series Style format - Style Record with Step Record, Track and Event Edit functions - Style controls: 4 Variations, 3 Fills, 3 Intros, 3 Endings, Synchro Start/Stop, Tap Tempo/Reset, Fade In/Out, Bass Inversion, Manual Bass, Tempo Lock, Memory, Accompaniment/Real Time Track Balance Volume, Accompaniment Mute, Drum Mapping, Snare & Kick Designation, Single Touch
- Performance/STS: 256 Realtime Performance locations - STS: Memorize Realtime tracks settings, up to 4 x 512 Styles, up to 4 x SongBook entries - All programmable
- Realtime Tracks: Four Keyboard tracks (Upper 1, 2, 3, Lower) - 4 Pad tracks
- Song Play: Patented XDS Crossfade Dual Sequencer player - 2 Sequencers with separate Select, Start/Stop, Home, Rewind and Fast Forward controls - Balance control - Lyrics data can be displayed on-screen - Markers - Jukebox function - Compatible with SMF (formats 0 and 1)
- Sequencer: Quick Record (Backing Sequence), Multitrack and Step Record functions - Full-featured sequencer - 16 tracks - Up to 110,000 events - SMF native format
- SongBook: Fully programmable music database, based on Styles, SMF, Karaoke, with automatic selection of Style Play and Song Play modes - User-definable custom lists - Filtering options
- Compatibility: "i-Series" models: Styles - Pa series: Style, Performance, Program/Sound, Song, SongBook, Pad
- Multi Pad: 4 Assignable Pads + Stop Button. Pad Record function
- Help System: Hypertextual, Contextual, Multilingual
- General Controls: Master Volume, Real Time-Acc/Seq Balance Volume, Ensemble, Octave Transpose, Master Transpose, Style Change, Quarter Tone Arabic Scale, User Scale memorized inside Performance/STS - Realtime controllers: Joystick (pitch + modulation), Assignable Slider, "Play Piano" Switch, Dial, Up/+, Down/-, Keyboard Split
- Control Inputs: Damper Pedal, Assignable Pedal/Footswitch
- Analog Output: Unbalanced Jack Left/Mono, Right, Headphones
- Analog Input: 2 Unbalanced Line In Jacks
- MIDI: In, Out standard Midi connectors- USB to Midi using the USB Device port - Individual track assignment - 8 user definable MIDI Setups
- USB: 1 USB Device connection (1.1 Full Speed)
- Card Slot: SD (Secure Digital) Card and MultiMedia Card (MMC) Memory Devices
- Display: 320 x 240 pixels, Monochrome TouchView Graphic Touch Screen
- Amplification: 2 x 15 W - Fixed EQ
- Speakers: 2 Double Cone Speakers in Bass Reflex Box
- Power Supply: DC 12V external power supply (supplied)
- Consumption: 15 Watt
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 56.6 in. x 17 in. x 6.3 in., 1437 x 431 x 161 mm without music rest
- Weight: 30.5 kg, 67.24 lbs
- Accessories Included: Manual, AC adapter, CD-Rom, Music Stand, Keyboard Stand, DS-2H Damper Pedal (supporting half-pedaling)

Power Supply:AC Adapter (Included)

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 631-390-6800
Web: https://www.korgusa.com/support
Data List
Easy Start
Manual

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (14 ratings)
Submitted May 26, 2010 by a customer from hotmail.com

"The only 88-key arranger with a great value and instant playability"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
This is for those who want to keep things simple. Personally I love this since it is a digital piano plus a great dedicated arranger, and it just work when taken to a live playing situation, with no other hassle or up-ahead finetuning. However, those who want sophisticated funtions and complete control over the sounds for studio work should not look into this.

Sound
Sounds are generally good. Most piano samples are nice, but the RX noises which are intended to make the sound more realistic are actually reducing the quality. Piano physical noises are not so authentic and they do not respond to velocity. Pressing the damper half-way will still cause a harsh sound of string vibrations. Guitars, accordians and organs are made really nicely and there is a huge choice, considering it only a dedicated arranger keyboard. Guitar RX noices are authentic and works really well in music, and the automated noise addition function is quite useful. Brass, Strings and Sax are not so much satisfying. Only a few choices give expressive and authentic sounds, others can be easily defined as "flat" sounds. Synths contain only the most basic synth sounds but can be edited and combined to make others. Drums are nice and the RX drums can totally parallel real ones if they are adjusted correctly.

Features
For an 88-key arranger keyboard at this price level, this contains even more than I wanted. It has almost exactly same internal system as… read more the PA500, except it has a few expanded sounds that only works for the 88-key piano. Every effect, style, pad, controller, and track can be edited in almost every way one can think of. One pullback of this is that it does not support waveform data (just like PA500 in oppose to PA800). For such a rich sound base sampling is not a big requirement, but it is still helpful if some of the non-unique sounds can be replaced. SD card instead of USB memory makes it a little more hassle to transfer data between the piano and computer when the computer is not built with a memory reader. (Although the keyboard can be a storage device when selected so and communicate with the computer thru its MIDI-USB port, it is sometimes annoying to interrupt the connection for some file transfers and find the audio software not recognizing the device as the same one anymore.) This keyboard is totally customizable and with not much effort it can be turned into a beautiful performance keyboard.

Ease of Use
Really simple UI as with all other KORG's arrangers. Sounds and relating settings can be saved for single-touch recall. Styles can be combined with these settings and saved in performances, which include another set of sounds. Most performance-related operations can be done with less than 3 touches. Touchscreen is bright and useful, but the lack of response (the "click" of pressing a key") can make me unsure if I pressed the right area. Offstage everything can be modified in different menus and tabs, which can be accessed in less than 3 button pressings. This is really convinent in opposition to those pro workstations that have layers and layers of menus. Though it is great, it would be better if the virtual sliders are turned into real sliders.

Quality
The item looks great from the outside. The speakers make it seem less professional though, and more than once when I carried this onstage people asked me if it is just a large "simple keyboard with backing" (like the entrance level PSRS and YPG's). It would be much better if the speakers are made extenal (like what Yamaha did with Tyros) so it also lessen the weight when I'm on the gig. The PA-588 is too heavy for gigging. (whopping 60 lbs, as much as a MOTIF XS8!) In fact it requires two people to carry in and out of the box. This could be why a specially made stand is included so the keyboard would not fall on a normal X- or Z- shaped stand. It works quite well though. I have never encountered any problems of breaking down or losing data. It seems quite persistent and somewhat gigging-proof. In studio it could possible last as long as most pro keyboards in the working state. Cosmetically I don't like it so much. The painting looks nice when its new, but they tend to bleed and stain when it is accidentally hit. In fact, the wall against which my PA588 is placed now have quite a few stray marks because of the usual moving.

Value
This is totally a value keyboard. It is almost impossible to find another 88-key keyboard with built-in arranger, but still remains affordable without jumping into the "super-pro" field. This is priced for those who want basic arrangin and sequencing functions or who want to play instant made-up melodies live.

Manufacturer Support
I cannot say too much about support since I have not yet contacted them. The item did not need any service or got me into troubles.

The Wow Factor
The design is modern, but plain. The panel is just the same as any other PA, but they are all gathered in the central area instead of spreading out like most arrangers. Generally this will appear as a nice and great keyboard. The only bad point it should not have built-in speakers since that makes it look more like a playtoy for a child learning electronic keyboard.

Musical Background:
Band Keyboardist, Hobby Recordist

Musical Style:
Rock, Jazz, Piano rags read less
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