Korg Pa5x as a MIDI Controller

RJM will show you how you can control an external MIDI sound module with the Korg Pa5x using Upper 1 keyset.

[@bindatek8801]

Very well explained - Thanks - That was most helpful!!

[@jonmicheals621]

Your Welcome!

[@JMmusicfield]

I agree, this is an acceptable solution, but not the official one. I don't know about Korg pa5x, maybe they change something, but all previous generations has integrated solution for this problem. When you are on main Style screen just press MENU button, then TRACK CONTROL and you will see in top row submenu INT/EXT and bellow that is written BOTH You can change it to INTERNAL or EXTERNAL or BOTH. This decides which tone generator will be active (local or external sound module or both of them). With RECORD button you can select between accompaniment tracks and upper tracks. If EXTERNAL is selected you can even manually type bank and program change numbers. I am using Korg Havian 30 which is on level of basic PA300 model and this function is present.

[@jonmicheals621]

I will have to look again, but I never saw that menu on the on the Korg Pa5x. The only internal and external selection you can make with the Pa5x is in the MIDI section. If you select external, it also affects the clock. So if you don't have a midi source coming in and you have it selected to external I don't think the style will play because it'll be looking for a clock. This is an older video and I actually changed everything around and now have my Nautilus running all my other keyboards. And I'm using a new style selector switch for midi which works great.

[@jonmicheals621]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6ayd2WlZ7t4hrcfeature=shared

[@JMmusicfield]

@@jonmicheals621 I found it in Pa5x user manual on page 428 under section ROUTING AND POLYPHONY. Go to HOME/MENU/TRACK CONTROL/MODE page.

[@Mars_Monkey]

I agree, this is an acceptable fix to the issue, but it makes more sense for the architecture to have a menu related function for ease. If we're using a workstation to sound design, it doesn't make sense to not have a convenient way to jump back and forth from an internal/external setup. Especially, if we were to use a combination of both while arranging, via separate MIDI channels. There has to be a simpler setting function within the upper hierarchy of the main control interface?! Anyways, the video is helpful in the meantime.

[@jonmicheals621]

@@Mars_Monkey Hey there my friend, check out this video. It is my latest way I control my keyboards. I just bought this box, "GM Labs ST-4" and wow, switching between keyboards is so much easier. It has, (1) Midi in and (4) Midi outs. It also has a power supply that powers the button lights, so you know what keyboard is on. Take care... kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6ayd2WlZ7t4hrcfeature=shared

[@chowcow]

Great idea here thanks!

[@thomassturm5558]

Very helpfull ! Thank You ! This was one part of the information I need to use a VST-Host/Plugin. The other detail I am looking for: How do I control buttons and sliders in the VST-plugin with real sliders and buttons on the keyboard?

[@jonmicheals621]

I have not seen any software so far that can do that. You might try using a MIDI command. But that is a long shot.

[@cipriandiac]

Hello, thank you for everything you share with us. Wasn't it enough to mute upper 1?

[@Chellinoolmo]

@Jon Very well explained.

[@jonmicheals621]

Thanks...

[@sklodjan]

Super 👌

[@camilleotrakji]

can you assign the sliders and buttons on the PA5X to control sliders and buttons on DAWs like Logic and Live?

[@jonmicheals621]

No, not yet. They haven't created a USB interface for the Pa5x. So you can transfer data via USB, but that's it.

[@samuelarba6695]

Do you know how to control the Pa5X with an external keyboard via MIDI In port? I’ve tried everything and I can’t receive MIDI…

[@jonmicheals621]

Go to Settings\ MIDI\ General controls. Make sure the MIDI preset is on Default. That preset will determine what your MIDI setup is. You can change all these settings and then save it as a preset. Check all these MIDI settings. Also, look at Clock Source. You might have to set that on External MIDI. Look also at MIDI In Controls and MIDI In Channel. Make sure they're all set to the settings you're going to need to bring that external MIDI signal. Also, go to Filters. Make sure all the filters are turned off so that you're not isolating or deleting any other signals coming from any other controllers. Take Care.

[@sklodjan]

Hello , is there any feature to memorize pads to a individual style without hitting style record mode , I would appreciate it if you told ma a way , I suffer doing it every time I select a single style By selecting them every time I select a style

[@jonmicheals621]

Yes, you can save the Pad presets to a Style, but it has to be a User Style. It seems that Factory Styles will not save the changes you make to the pads.

[@sklodjan]

@@jonmicheals621 i have done this many times ,doesn’t work , they go away 😂, , anyway I appreciate your kindness, your videos are very helpful,

[@jonmicheals621]

@@sklodjan Hey my friend, did you save the Style. I fired up my Pa5x and changed the Pad preset on Pad 1, went to the upper right corner and tapped "Save Style" and it saved the change I made to the Pad preset. Again, this is a Style that I created. You can't make changes to a Style and try and save it. It will show tell you that the memory is protected, which you can change that memory protect but I don't. I like keeping it that way, so I don't change the factory Styles, I us them for starting points to create new Styles. Now, the Matrix is a whole other thing. Watch the 2 videos I did on that, it is a little different to use. Those Pad remain the same with all Styles.

[@sklodjan]

@@jonmicheals621hello again my friend , I’m talking about the pad 1 ,2,3,4 on left panel also about User Style , I have tapped Save Style on display , The previous Keyboard I had was Korg pa3x and Everything was ok , but doesn’t work to my pa5x , I wonder if it is a factory error,

[@jonmicheals621]

Did you upgrade the firmware to "1.1.0" the latest version? I experimented with my Pa5x last night, and it saved the changes I made to those 4 pads. Do the 4Pads stay the same when you go from Style to Style? Are they locked in?

[@ebubekirbinici6031]

do i need to have audio interface to be able to use the pa5x with a DAW, like to record sound in to and so on.

[@jonmicheals621]

There is a way to connect the Pa5x to a computer by USB, but I never found it trustworthy. So yes, it would be a good idea if you did have an audio interface. It would speed up the process. The Pa5x has multiple outs so you can assign the drums, the bass, and the accompaniments to separate channels. That's how I do it, then I can record six tracks right into my Daw with perfect timing. The only other way to do it would be to create your style the way you want it. Then, solo each accompaniment and record that to an MP3. Then you could transfer that MP3 into your Daw from the Pa5x. But that to me is very time-consuming. Because each MP3 has to be synchronized to the song, and that can be a hard thing to do. It is so easy to have an interface that has six Ins. Then, you can record live right into your system while playing back the PA 5X. And every track, drums, bass, and accompaniments will be perfectly in sync.

[@ebubekirbinici6031]

right now i use old boom box speakers that used to be part of that center cd/cassette player, i power it on with a amp. Which gives me the same flat sound i need to be able to mix properly. so thats why i ask. How about is there a way to create melodies as midi within korg then record that as wav audio in to my daw so its on beat everytime? Bc my only concern is being on time.. You already cant track out melodies or drums from the keyboard. which is very disappointing on a $5k keyboard.@@jonmicheals621

[@fiinstrumental]

​@@jonmicheals621Hi. Is there any midi/usb drivers 4 korg pa5x to conect with cubase pleas help

[@jonmicheals621]

@fiinstrumental I don't know of any at this time. I use my audio interface. For me, my audio interface has MIDI In and Out. So, I just connect the Pa5x to my audio interface and my software recognizes it as a MIDI Input and a MIDI Output. And this is done by a 5 pin MIDI cable.

[@ebubekirbinici6031]

the pa5x has usb type c midi import i think, would that work same way as the 5 pin old school port?@@jonmicheals621

[@iobeausipip]

Can you show how to use this keyboard with ableton or other daw

[@jonmicheals621]

I really don't use it as a DAW setup. How I use it is this. I run the Main L & R of the Korg Pa5x into the DAW sound card in channel 1 & 2 , then I run 1 & 2 out of the Korg Pa5x, the drums, into a Finailizer then into channels 3 & 4 of my sound card. This allows me to record 4 tracks at once, the accompaniments and the drums. With all the mixers and effects on the Korg Pa 5x I have found, you really don't need to do anything else. The video I did for my video game "RJM Decision Maker App/Game" has a soundtrack that I just took a style from the Korg Pa5x played it, mixed it and then just recorded a stereo track in my DAW. Then exported that file to my video editor.

[@iobeausipip]

@Rev. Jon Micheals thanks for the answer what I really wanted to ask can you use the korg pa5x like a midi controller in Ableton ?

[@jonmicheals621]

It should. Watch my video "Korg Pa5x MIDI." I have the Korg Pa5x controlling an external sound module.

[@jamesbastani4295]

On Pa3X you just turn off local.

[@mrdali67]

That is so old school workflow. Why not have a local on/off and a midi out on/off for every user sound presets so you can directly control internal/ext for every song settings. Unless this is possible Korg have something more to implement in the next os update. A thaught .. I don't really think setting the volume max to 2 should be nessecary. Setting the keyboard range should be enough, but thats just me.

[@jonmicheals621]

You are probably right, but setting the volocity to 2 will tell the sound generators not to create anything. This could save some horsepower, being they are still engaged and getting ready to create a sound waiting for you to trigger it.

[@mrdali67]

@@jonmicheals621 Yeah, It's a bit the same peculiar thing when you create an empty Combination on the Kronos. You have 16 channels of a default Piano sound which in itself allocates cpu and memory for each instance. Pretty weird that they didn't think of just turning off unneeded tracks. On the other hand once you get a hold of how the Kronos Combi mode and Seq mode works, it's pretty powerfull to work with both internal and external sound sources and control just about every thing on both internal and external sound sources as a general patch bay of all your available midi sounds. And yocan get around this odd design by reassigning the tracks your not using to a less demanding sound engine as the Piano one. I kinda wish they would do it the same way on the Pa series about the external sounds, but again .. its supposed to be a "Solo" board .. not a full blown mother keyboard. It's kinda the same with earlier Yamaha Arrangers. It was very tricky to get them to work with eg external sounds and internal sounds together, wether it was the arranger tracks or Lower+ 3 upper parts you wanted to trigger on external gear.

[@jonmicheals621]

@@mrdali67 I never was around a Kronos but I have 2 Nautilus keyboards a 61 and a 73. Which what you say is so correct. I have 2 studios, one for making music, the Pa5x and the Nautilus 73 and my video studio for live stuff is a Pa1000 and a Nautilus 61. Check out "Lenny Kantsingivitch" and "Kyne Shyse" both videos I did live with the Pa1000 and the Nautilus. I think the Korg Pa5x really comes close to an all in one studio keyboard but it's pretty close. Wow, you must have it going on. I can only imagine what you could create with a Pa5x and a Kronos.

[@francescocossentino4981]

Hi, how to connect another piano via MIDI to KORG PA5X? many Thanks

[@jonmicheals621]

Check this video out, it should help you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYHQm4t_hd2DaNkfeature=shared

[@francescocossentino4981]

@@jonmicheals621 ok. I got this. Actually I was asking how to use another keyboard as interface via midi

[@jonmicheals621]

As far as I know, Korg doesn't have a way to use the Pa5x as an interface. You can run your second keyboard via Midi, and then run the audio of that keyboard into the Pa5x. This would alliw you to play and record that keyboard from the Pa5x.

[@francescocossentino4981]

@@jonmicheals621 Correct It is exactly what I want to do, run my second keyboard into PA5X . The interface is my second keyboard, in my case is a piano yamaha p125

[@DG-ss1gc]

So you can’t do this from the tab “mixer”? And if not , why run the module audio through the arranger ? Just mute your hardware mixer. This would be useful if you don’t want to have an external mixer.

[@jonmicheals621]

Controlling the module at the keyboard is just a little bit more convenient. I also run my keyboards into some effects processing before I run them into the mixing console. So the module can take advantage of the same processing the Pa5x does. If you watch my other video, you will noticed that I changed things around and I added another keyboard.

[@jonmicheals621]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6ayd2WlZ7t4hrcfeature=shared

[@saeedsirati]

Hello.. can you help me so that I can request help from the head of Korg manufacturing company to get this keyboard.. I am from Iran.🙏🙏

[@jonmicheals621]

Sorry, I am not a part of the Korg company. I am just a Korg player. It took me 9 months myself to get one.

[@chrisfrost5046]

Doesn't 'Local Off' achieve what you've done here?

[@jonmicheals621]

No. "Local Off" will turn off the keyboard from playing sounds all across the keyboard, and then you have to "MIDI In" a signal to play sounds on the keyboard. This way, you still have control over "Upper 2" and "Upper 3" while "Upper 1" is your MIDI controller. You can set up "Upper 2" or "Upper 3" to be your MIDI controller, leaving "Upper 1" to play normally. This way, you can control those signals from the buttons on the keyboard deck.

[@chrisfrost5046]

@@jonmicheals621 OK got it thanks.

[@anamraficorp.7343]

Hi Jon. I have a unique issue using KorPa5x and an external sampler. I have set it up so that when I hit the start button the keyboard, I trigger the samples on any bank of the sampler. However, when I select another sound on keyboard by using one of the four Keyboard sets, I get another sample on the sample triggered. Can you help me with this please?

[@jonmicheals621]

If you are using MIDI, check out my other video below. See if that helps. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYHQm4t_hd2DaNkfeature=shared

[@anamraficorp.7343]

Thanks for getting back to me Jon. I watched this video of yours to prompt me to message you. I did not help me since you are talking about the line on and off. I am getting the sound but my keyboard triggers other samples in my external sampler when I change the Keyboard set (on of four choice for each style).

[@jonmicheals621]

@@anamraficorp.7343 Check to see what Midi channel your external device is working with, or if it accepts multiple channels. Then go to Settings/Midi/Midi Out Channel, you will see that you can send different keysets to different Midi Out Channels by selecting what channel you have selected. So, if Upper 1, is going to channel 1, Upper 2 is going to channel 2, and Upper 3 is going to channel 3 this is what you have. When you select a keyset that Upper 1 is active and Upper 2 and Upper 3 are not active. Then the keyboard will only send a midi signal to channel 1. But if you select another keyset and Upper 1 is not active and Upper 2 and Upper 3 are active. You will now send Midi signals to channel 2 and 3. Go back and watch the video again and you will see that turning the Keysets on or off will also control the Midi signals too. I hope this works, let me know if it does.

[@anamraficorp.7343]

Hi Jon. I tied everything I knew but nothing helped. I guess the only thing left is to follow your video and create a file "Sound Off" and see if that works. I do not need to use the Line feature since my sampler is directly connected to a mixer for sound, correct? Thank you for your help.